404. Lent 2 (Series B)

Though it's really the 405th hymn I've written, this will be Hymn 450 in Bountiful Hymns, God willing. Is that significant? When one hymn starts to blur into another, you glom onto anything you can. The lessons for this service are Genesis 17:1-7 skipping to 15-16, Romans 5:1-11 and Mark 8:27-38. The tune is ST. PETER'S, MANCHESTER by Roger R. Ross (†1899), set in CSB, SBH and ELHy to "Join all the glorious names" (the Isaac Watts hymn of which "Jesus, my great High Priest" is a cento).

This Jesus, who is He?
Men answer differently;
But Peter spoke aright,
Led by the Spirit's light:
"You are the Christ," we too reply,
And God's dear Son we glorify.

Where is this Jesus bound?
Onto the killing ground,
To bear the shame of men
And, dying, rise again:
The Innocent, for all our crime,
Bound over at the chosen time.

Here Peter turned to chide;
He who confessed, denied
And sharply was reproved,
The stumbling block removed.
From us, Lord, cast the foe behind,
That we Your will may bear in mind.

Speak, Lord! What shall we do
That we may follow You?
"Take up your cross; deny
Yourself, for My sake die.
He who the present life would choose,
The life to come will surely lose."

Let us confess Your name,
Though here it bring us shame,
Lest at the throne on high
Our own names You deny!
You are the Christ, the faithful plead:
Establish us in cross and creed!