Monday of the fifth week of lent

​Date: Monday, March 27
Contributor: Karla Cole
Lectionary Link 

​You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd
We learned of Christ’s role as the Good Shepherd when we were little children, but it wasn’t until we were older that we truly came to realize what is meant by his other role as the Lamb of God. This hymn text, written especially to be sung to the well-known tune we hear the recorders play in the video, was subtitled Christus Paradox by the Canadian hymnwriter, Sylvia Dunstan. The verses explore the paradox of Christ being both human and divine, lamb and shepherd, earthly and heavenly, and leaves us with the ultimate incongruity of Christ as the “everlasting instant”. There is much to ponder in these verses:
 
You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and swordbringer
Of the way you took and gave.
You the everlasting instant;
You, whom we both scorn and crave.
Clothed in light upon the mountain,
Stripped of might upon the cross,
Shining in eternal glory,
Beggar’d by a soldier’s toss,
You, the everlasting instant;
You, who are both gift and cost.
You, who walk each day beside us,
Sit in power at God’s side.
You, who preach a way that’s narrow,
Have a love that reaches wide.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, who are our pilgrim guide.
Worthy is our earthly Jesus!
Worthy is our cosmic Christ!
Worthy your defeat and vict’ry.
Worthy still your peace and strife.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, who are our death and life.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
You, who are our death and our life.
                       ~Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993)