Wilson L. Deaton
13th April 2006, 12:02 AM (00:02)
The following appeared in, Standard, on Palm Sunday--the Sunday before Good Friday--ten years ago (March 31, 1996).
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DAD'S TRIBUTE TO CALVARY
by
Wilson L. Deaton
Dad was a Nazarene pastor. Though, not known for being poetic or writing eloquent prose, at times he was inspired. Reading through material from his files I discovered this passage. Though written as part of a sermon, on its own, it stands as a fitting,
"TRIBUTE TO CALVARY."
"Mount Calvary is the tallest, brightest, most glorious mountain peak in all of world history. The Prophets of the Old Testament pointed forward to Calvary. All the apostles in the New Testament pointed backwards to Calvary. All the bleary-eyed devils in hell point upwards to Calvary. All the glorified saints and angels in heaven point downward to Calvary. For Calvary is the center of God's spiritual universe.
Yet Calvary itself was no better than that little slanting hill here on Oak Street UNTIL the blood of the world's redeemer lifted Calvary from the lowlands to the highlands and made it forever the most talked about mountain peak in the world's history.
Calvary is the meeting place between God and man.
Calvary is the weeping place for sin.
Calvary is the birthplace of hope.
Calvary is the resting place of faith.
Calvary is the hiding place from judgment.
Calvary is the starting place for heaven.
Calvary is the hope and only hope for this broken world.
Calvary is something more than just a historical place.
Calvary is enjoyable, singable, shout-able, have-able.
At Calvary our hearts our regenerated.
At Calvary the new man is created and the old man is cremated.
O' friend, have you been to Calvary?
I say, "Thank God for Calvary!"
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(Our church was on Oak Street when he first preached this. I seem to remember in Standard the words, "here on Oak Street," were changed to something like, "on any little street.")
Wilson
===============================
DAD'S TRIBUTE TO CALVARY
by
Wilson L. Deaton
Dad was a Nazarene pastor. Though, not known for being poetic or writing eloquent prose, at times he was inspired. Reading through material from his files I discovered this passage. Though written as part of a sermon, on its own, it stands as a fitting,
"TRIBUTE TO CALVARY."
"Mount Calvary is the tallest, brightest, most glorious mountain peak in all of world history. The Prophets of the Old Testament pointed forward to Calvary. All the apostles in the New Testament pointed backwards to Calvary. All the bleary-eyed devils in hell point upwards to Calvary. All the glorified saints and angels in heaven point downward to Calvary. For Calvary is the center of God's spiritual universe.
Yet Calvary itself was no better than that little slanting hill here on Oak Street UNTIL the blood of the world's redeemer lifted Calvary from the lowlands to the highlands and made it forever the most talked about mountain peak in the world's history.
Calvary is the meeting place between God and man.
Calvary is the weeping place for sin.
Calvary is the birthplace of hope.
Calvary is the resting place of faith.
Calvary is the hiding place from judgment.
Calvary is the starting place for heaven.
Calvary is the hope and only hope for this broken world.
Calvary is something more than just a historical place.
Calvary is enjoyable, singable, shout-able, have-able.
At Calvary our hearts our regenerated.
At Calvary the new man is created and the old man is cremated.
O' friend, have you been to Calvary?
I say, "Thank God for Calvary!"
=======================
(Our church was on Oak Street when he first preached this. I seem to remember in Standard the words, "here on Oak Street," were changed to something like, "on any little street.")
Wilson