The song I played earlier,

You raise me up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4skT6igCK7g

is a song composed by Norwegian artist Rolf Lovland with lyricist Brendan Graham in 2002.

“You Raise me up” was performed first at Lovland’s mother’s funeral. 

It’s a very popular song, 

having been covered by over five hundred artists, 

but it is best known for the version sung by Josh Groban in 2003.

Personally, I remember Josh Groban’s version getting heavy rotation on radio twenty years ago. 

I was asked by an old friend to play the song for her wedding a few years later, and hadn’t thought much of it until a recent funeral I presided at,

which had the musician sing a very heartfelt rendition, 

and I got to thinking that maybe I’d like to play it again.

Initially I thought it was kind of cheesy and simplistic, 

but it’s grown on me, 

and I now admire how it’s simple, direct and catchy, 

but surprisingly profound.

Actually it is not only a great anthem, 

but it’s a very spiritual song as well, 

not only relevant for a wedding or a funeral, 

but maybe even a Sunday church service. 

It isn’t explicitly Christian, 

but there are a lot of allusions and imagery 

that lend itself well for a sermon.

The text of the first verse goes like this:

https://genius.com/Secret-garden-you-raise-me-up-lyrics

One of the reasons this song speaks to so many people, 

is how it starts off so frankly with the reality of crises in our lives.

There are times when our souls are so weary,

And we can all identify with the cares and troubles of life, 

when our hearts were burdened as well.

Maybe you are in a difficult time of your life even at this moment!

The song speaks to the reality of sorrow and despair,

Of the valley of the shadow of death, 

where we long for the accompanying presence, 

the good shepherd, who will lead us through darkness to light,

Who will comfort us with rod and staff.

But we need to be quiet, and pray, and wait, for God’s presence.

We need to take time for God to act in our lives.

Now, while on the surface, 

the song is addressing a loved one, 

either a human physically present, or someone deceased, 

it’s interesting that the lyrics are open-ended enough 

for us to imagine God as the object of the words,

That is, that the singer is asking God 

to come and sit awhile with themselves,

That the singer is waiting for God in the silence.

—

When I imagine Jesus’ baptism, 

at first I take notice of the big noise and the hubbub.

John is a loudmouth preacher, 

crying out “repent!, turn back to God”, 

and there are crowds milling about at the Jordan river, 

eager for some words of comfort, some words of God, 

and some good news amidst the hardships of life.

I can imagine Jesus stepping into the River, 

and then all of a sudden, everything turns quiet as the bystanders realize something amazing is about to happen.

Maybe Jesus himself is in a bleak space…

he probably realizes he has a long and challenging journey of ministry ahead of him, and perhaps he’s wondering: 

how will I get the strength to do all that my Father has sent me to do?

Maybe even Jesus’ heart is burdened too, 

and he’s waiting in the silence, with his hair dripping wet, 

waiting for a message from God, 

waiting for some confirmation that the large task ahead of him 

will be blessed.

And so Jesus was praying, 

likely still kneeling in the river, and “the heavens were opened

And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove”.

“While God’s voice declared: You are my Son, the Beloved, 

with you I am well pleased.”

I imagine that at this moment, Jesus was raised up and stood up.

Maybe he started to smile

As a love beam shone on him, 

he received confirmation from his heavenly Father that he was indeed God’s Child, that he was loved by God, 

and that his ministry was blessed and approved.

Jesus was raised up spiritually, his spirits were lifted, 

foreshadowing his raising up on the cross, 

and then his raising on the Third day, 

and his final raising up to sit at God’s right hand

Just as Jesus was raised up, we will be and are raised up as well.

—

The chorus of the Lovland song goes like this:

https://genius.com/Secret-garden-you-raise-me-up-lyrics

The Gospel, the good news we receive from Christ,

Is that with God’s power and love, 

we can stand on mountains

we can get through those valleys of the shadow of death,

And get to a high place where we can get some clarity about the direction of our lives,

Encounter nearness to the divine, 

And experience joy and happiness.

These mountaintop experiences don’t last forever, 

but God does provide them.

With God’s grace, 

we can also be raised up to walk on stormy seas.

When life’s waves are causing us distress, 

and the winds of misfortune are howling around our ears,

We can have the faith of Peter, who, 

beckoned by Jesus on the stormy night on the Sea of Galilee, 

walked on the water to his master.

With God everything is possible, 

and what seemed previously out of the question,

With God on our side, standing on God’s shoulders,

We realize we are stronger than we previously imagined.

We can discover new possibilities

New ways of being,

New opportunities. 

Just like for Jesus,

We can hear God’s booming voice:

You are my Child, the Beloved, 

with you I am well pleased.

You see, just like Jesus, we too are baptized.

We are sealed as God’s child with the cross on our forehead,

We are claimed as God own, called and adopted as part of Christ’s family.

And this is an identity that can never be taken away from us.

Just like Jesus through baptism, 

we died and rose again to our new life, 

our eternal life in God,

The baptismal life where though our hearts be burdened,

We can pray in our bleak hour, in the present or the future,

And remember how God raises us up 

to more than we can be.

Beloved,

You are raised up by God.

Rejoice and be glad!