O Head once full of bruises

Every meeting has an opening, and there are hymns for this purpose. Selecting a hymn for opening the meeting requires careful consideration. We not only need to know the hymns according to their categories, but we also must learn to touch the feeling of the hymns. Hymns are refined utterances, and they convey a feeling. They are expressions of human sentiments. It is hard for a person who is unrefined to sing with much feeling. We must learn to taste the different hymns, because each one has its particular feeling and taste. Hymns, #127, "Hark! Ten thousand voices crying," is majestic and powerful. Hymns, #95, "O Head once full of bruises" and Hymns, #101, "When we survey the wondrous cross," are both on the Lord's suffering, and their feeling is fine. The chorus of Hymns, #513, "All in all forever," written by A. B. Simpson, expresses the feeling in the brothers and sisters in exalting Christ. Hymns, #33, "Father, long before creation"; Hymns, #47, "Father, Thy name our souls would bless"; and Hymns, #52, "Father, to Thee a joyful song we raise," are all superb hymns of praise to the Father from His many sons. After singing these hymns, it is difficult to follow with another one. The best thing to do is turn the hymns into prayer as a conclusion to the meeting. Only by identifying the feeling and flavor of the hymns can we use them at the suitable time.

Second, we need to see the Lord's living on earth. This includes His humbling Himself, His humiliation, and His human virtues. Hence, at the Lord's table, we first need to see the Lord's person and then His human living. Regarding the Lord's human living, Hymns, #87 says that the Lord showed His faithfulness to God and His wondrous love and grace to men.

Third, we need to remember the Lord's suffering and death. There are many hymns on the Lord's death, such as Hymns, #101, #104, and #95. We may also say that this is to remember the Lord's work in redemption.

We need to be watchful in spirit in the table meeting. We must bless the bread and the cup when the meeting reaches a climax and cannot go any higher. After we bless the bread and the cup and pass them around, there is a need to maintain the spirit with a hymn. We may use Hymns, #136, "Gazing on the Lord in glory, / While our hearts in worship bow," or Hymns, #226, "For the bread and for the wine, / For the pledge that seals Him mine." In contrast, Hymns, #226 bears a flavor of ritualistic formalities. We must touch the feeling of the meeting. In order to not allow the spirit to be weakened when we pass the bread and cup, we need to select a hymn that can maintain the spirit. At this point the selection of a hymn greatly depends on the prayers offered during the blessing of the bread and the cup. After singing Hymns, #158, someone may bless the bread and the cup, praying, "O Lord, thank You for first remembering us. You shed Your blood and died for us in this wilderness. The bread and the cup show us the story of Your giving up Your life and shedding Your blood for us. The scene of Your crucifixion is before our eyes. You wore a crown of thorns, and Your head was full of bruises. Lord, we thank You." Someone else may continue and pray, "Lord, the picture of Your coming down to the earth from heaven to shed Your blood and die for us is vividly before us." In such a case it would be good if someone selected Hymns, #95, "O Head once full of bruises, / So full of pain and scorn." The hymn selected should be according to the prayer that blessed the bread and the cup.

Hymns, #93, "Lord, we treasure with affection / All Thy path of sorrow here," is also good. This hymn is better than Hymns, #95 in continuing Hymns, #158. The fourth stanza of Hymns, #93 is the highest, speaking of sin's distance and how far-reaching it is: "Thou didst measure then sin's distance, / Darkness, wrath and curse were Thine; / Man-betrayed, by God forsaken; / Thus we learn Thy love divine!" The contents of this stanza show the far-reaching scope of sin. Even though the Lord went through all these sufferings, we do not know the far-reaching scope of sin. Nevertheless, the Lord experienced all these things personally, measuring out the distance of sin, enabling us to see the length of sin's distance: darkness, wrath, and the curse. It is not until we have such a realization that we can know the loveliness of the Lord. If we want to touch the feeling of a meeting, we must at least understand the meaning expressed through the words of the hymns.

All the activities in the meetings need hymns. Therefore, we need to know the hymns. First, we need to know the categories of the hymns. The categories of the hymns include worship of the Father, remembrance of the Lord, gospel, prayer, and edification. Second, we need to know the subject of the hymns. Even though the hymns may be in the same category, the subjects are not the same. All the hymns for the remembrance of the Lord do not have the same subjects. Third, we need to know the feeling of the hymns. Even if the category and subject of the hymns are the same, the feelings of the hymns are not the same. For example, "When we survey the wondrous cross" (Hymns, #101) and "O Head once full of bruises" (Hymns, #95) both speak of the Lord's love, but they have different feelings. The feeling of the former is rough and superficial, while the feeling of the latter is fine and deep. In order for a meeting to be effectively strengthened, we can first sing "When we survey the wondrous cross," and then strengthen the meeting with "O Head once full of bruises." Fourth, we need to know how to use the hymns to properly match the sections.

The course of a meeting is composed of ten sections: opening, introducing the subject, strengthening, uplifting the spirit, maintaining the spirit, filling the time, conclusion, sending off, correction, and turning. The selection of hymns that are appropriate to the section of a meeting depends on our knowledge of the hymns, including their categories, subjects, and feeling or flavor. For example, "O Head once full of bruises" (Hymns, #95) and "When we survey the wondrous cross" (Hymns, #101) both speak of the suffering of Christ, but the two hymns have different flavors and will have different effects in matching the course of the meeting.