Power in the Blood

One of the things that most shocks my Protestant family about my becoming Orthodox is that I now believe that wine made from grapes grown in California, poured out of a bottle into a fancy cup, and prayed over, is transformed into the blood of Jesus.

But the thing that they seem not to realize is that they raised me to believe that. I mean, of course they gave me the Bible and told me it is true, but they also gave me this song that we sang in church almost every week (usually during the Sunday evening service):

Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There's power in the blood, power in the blood;

Would you over evil a victory win?

There's wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power

In the blood of the Lamb;

There is power, power, wonder working power

In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?

There's power in the blood, power in the blood;

Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide;

There's wonderful power in the blood.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?

There's power in the blood, power in the blood;

Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.

There's wonderful power in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus your King?

There's power in the blood, power in the blood;

Would you live daily His praises to sing?

There's wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power

In the blood of the Lamb;

There is power, power, wonder working power

In the precious blood of the Lamb.

How could I not become Orthodox after singing this song almost every week of my life for 17 years? How could I not crave the blood of Jesus after hearing about it's power to free me from sin, subdue my passions, excize pride from my heart, and enable me to worship and serve the King? How could I not become Orthodox after having this very orthodox song branded into my heart? Especially, when on the first Sunday of every month I would hear my Dad read from St. Pauls letter...

" Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

There was so much in my upbringing that brought me to Orthodoxy, in fact, I would say that there was much in my upbrining that was orthodox, things I do not have to repudiate, because they are part of the Orthodox Church, even though the church I grew up in has almost zero awareness of the Orthodox Church. So, I am thankful, that unlike some converts to Holy Orthodoxy, I do not have to throw out my entire past, but that I can still sing songs such as "Power in the Blood" to my little boy, knowing that it is Orthodox, but also, that it is also a link to his Grand-father, the man who taught me to love Jesus.

I guess the thing that confuses me more than anything is that all of my family isn't Orthodox, too. And what saddens me more than almost anyting else is that my Dad said to me at my house blessing, "I didnt raise you like this, Matt" But he did. He taught me to seek salvation in the blood of Jesus. And that is what I am doing.