Beautiful Thorns

Hideous crown, horrible thorns,
Piercing Christ's brow as a sign of man's scorn
The bramble becomes a crown as it's worn
By the King of the ages, forsaken, forlorn

Hideous crown, horrible thorns
Made beautiful by the one they adorn
My ransom brought forth like new wine
Outpoured as men bruised the living vine.

We weep with the weeping, with the mourners we mourn
As the Holy lamb is struck and his body is torn
But Your sovereign pleasure is served even now
As the beautiful thorns are piercing your brow.

Here in the bramble
Is the source of all thorns
Down here in the bramble
Is where life is reborn
You exchange beauty for ashes
Bring a dance to those who mourn
Exchange beauty for ashes
Bring a dance to those who mourn

The obscenity of His broken body
Raised up for all the world to see.
Is changed at the cross
Where His suffering and loss
Is exchanged for holy beauty in His sacrifice
How beautiful now is the body of Christ.

Beautiful blood, beautiful thorns,
Into a victor's crown transformed
My sins are forgiven as the blood now flows
And none may know
The wisdom of His woes.

Anthony Foster
April 4, 2010