LSB #755 "In the Very Midst of Life"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 14:7-8, 2 Corinthians 1:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54

Romans 14:7-8:  "7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.  8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord.  So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."

2 Corinthians 1:9-10:  "9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again."

1 Corinthians 15:53-54:  "53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:  'Death is swallowed up in victory.'"

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The passage from 2 Corinthians 1, specifically the reliance on God and His deliverance, appears in every verse:  "Who shall help us in the strife / Lest the foe confound us? / Thou only, Lord, Thou only!" in the first, "Who will help when they assail, / Who secure will make us? / Thou only, Lord, Thou only!" in the second, and "Where shall we for refuge go, / Where for grace to bless us? / To Thee, Lord Jesus, only!" in the third.

It's unclear where exactly the other two passages show up.  My best guess is that both are behind the lines "Lord, preserve and keep us / In the peace that faith can give" near the end of the third verse.

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The line "Snares of death surround us" near the beginning of the first verse is drawn from Psalm 18:4-5:  "4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me."

The line "In the midst of death's dark vale" at the beginning of the second verse alludes to Psalm 23:4:  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

"Nun freut euch" (TLH #375)

"Come, My Soul, with Every Care"

Last month, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from the 3rd.  The hymn was "Come, My Soul, with Every Care," and I noticed an-other instance of a feature I've been finding a lot lately.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Vienna."  Here's the first musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Come, my soul, with ev'ry care."  The phrase "ev'ry care" is sung to notes of all different pitches (D C B), giving a sense of breadth.

LSB #754 "Entrust Your Days and Burdens"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 37:5; 125:1; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:6-7

Psalm 37:5:  "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act."

Psalm 125:1:  "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever."

Philippians 4:6-7:  "6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

1 Peter 5:6-7:  "6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

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The two verses from the Psalms and the verses from 1 Peter 5 all appear in the first few lines of the hymn:  "Entrust your days and burdens / To God's most loving hand; / He cares for you while ruling / The sky, the sea, the land."  The rest of the hymn expands upon this.

The text from Philippians 4 is referred to in the second verse:  "No anxious thought, no worry, / No self-tormenting care / Can win your Father's favor; / His heart is moved by prayer."

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The lines "For He who guides the tempests... Will find for you a pathway / And guide you all your days" at the end of the first verse may be drawn from Proverbs 3:5-6:  "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

The lines "Take heart, have hope, my spirit, / And do not be dismayed; / God helps in ev'ry trial / And makes you unafraid" at the beginning of the third verse bear some resemblance to Isaiah 41:10:  "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

The line "When you with life are crowned" in the fifth verse could refer to either James 1:12 or Revelation 2:10.

"Energy" (TLH #374)

"Our Father, by Whose Name"

On Worship Anew a few weeks ago (6 October, Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost), one of the hymns was "Our Father, by Whose Name," and I noticed a small feature in it.  The hymn is sung to the tune "Rhosymedre."  Here's the fifth musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "Our children bless in ev'ry place" (the structure is inverted so that the direct object comes first; in a more normal word order, it's "Bless our children in ev'ry place").  "Ev'ry place" is sung to notes of all different pitches (Bb A G), giving a sense of breadth.

This hymn was also in the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service on 7 October, and when I heard it again, I noticed that the same feature is also in the third verse.  In the lines "That ev'ry home by this release / May be the dwelling place of peace," the phrase "ev'ry home" is sung to notes of all different pitches (Bb A G).  Here's that musical phrase (the sixth):

LSB #753 "All for Christ I Have Forsaken"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Philippians 3:7-14, Matthew 10:38-39, Luke 9:62, Revelation 2:10

Philippians 3:7-14:  "7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

"12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Matthew 10:38-39:  "38 'And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'"

Luke 9:62:  "Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"

Revelation 2:10:  "'Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.  Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'"

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The passage from Philippians 3 is the main source for the hymn.  Philippians 3:7 and the verses from Matthew 10 are particularly evident in the first verse:  "All for Christ I have forsaken / And have taken up my cross."

Luke 9:62 appears at the end of the second verse ("Hand to plow, at peace I follow / Where He leads me... why look back?"), and Revelation 2:10 is referred to at the end of the third verse ("Firm and faithful unto death").

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The line "Strong in Christ through death's dark valley" in the third verse refers to Psalm 23:4:  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

The lines "God will keep my spouse and children / As the apple of His eye" at the end of the fourth verse are drawn from Psalm 17:8:  "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

"O dass ich tausend" (TLH #373)

"All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine"

I wrote about a small feature in "All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine" a number of years ago, but when it was the hymn in the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service on the 23rd last month, I noticed something else.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Engelberg."  Here's the first musical phrase:

In the fifth verse, the text here is "Let ev'ry tongue confess with one accord."  The phrase "ev'ry tongue" is sung to notes of all different pitches (F, A, and G), giving something of a sense of breadth.

LSB #752 "Be Still, My Soul"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 42:4-11; 46:10; John 11:1-44; Revelation 7:13-17

Psalm 42:4-11:  "4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:  how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

"5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God.

"My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.  7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.  8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.  9 I say to God, my rock:  'Why have you forgotten me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?'  10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?'

"11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

Psalm 46:10:  "'Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!'"

John 11:1-44:  "1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.  3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill.' 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'

"5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.  7 Then after this he said to the disciples, 'Let us go to Judea again.'  8 The disciples said to him, 'Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?'  9 Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.'  11 After saying these things, he said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.'  12 The disciples said to him, 'Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.'  13 Now Jesus has spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.  14 Then Jesus told them plainly, 'Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.  But let us go to him.'  16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.'

"17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.  20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.  21 Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.'  23 Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.'  24 Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.'  25 Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?'  27 She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'

"28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, 'The Teacher is here and is calling for you.'  29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.  30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.  31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.  32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'  33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.  34 And he said, 'Where have you laid him?'  They said to him, 'Lord, come and see.'  35 Jesus wept.  36 So the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!'  37 But some of them said, 'Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?'

"38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  39 Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.'  Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.'  40 Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?'  41 So they took away the stone.  And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.'  43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'  44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'"

Revelation 7:13-17:  "13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?'  14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.'  And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"15 'Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to your God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change His faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; your best, your heav'nly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3 Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart

And all is darkened in this vale of tears;

Then you will better know His love, his heart,

Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.

Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay

From His own fullness all He takes away.

4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

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The two passages from the Psalms appear twice in each verse; "Be still" is from Psalm 46:10, and the addresses to "my soul" are patterned on the passage from Psalm 42.  In a way, Psalm 42 is the main source for the hymn, but only in the general sense that the hymn is also someone addressing his own soul.

The long passage from John seems to be merely referred to in the third verse ("though dearest friends depart...").  Similarly, the passage from Revelation is just alluded to in the last lines of the fourth verse:  "when change and tears are past, / All safe and blessed we shall meet at last."

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The lines "the waves and winds still know / His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below" in the second verse refer to Jesus's calming the storm in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25.

The line "When we shall be forever with the Lord" in the fourth verse may come from part of 1 Thessalonians 4:17:  "we will always be with the Lord."

"Ich dank' dir, lieber Herre" (TLH #372)

I played the Amen cadence an octave higher in the tenor part because I didn't want to have to put my guitar in drop D tuning for just one note.

"I Know My Faith Is Founded"

Last month, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from the 19th.  The hymn was "I Know My Faith Is Founded," and I noticed a small feature in it.  It's sung to the tune "Nun lob, mein' Seel'."  About halfway through the tune, there are these musical phrases:

In the first verse, the text here is "Our reason cannot fathom / The truth of God profound."  "Profound" is sung to the lowest pitch in this phrase (D, which is also the lowest pitch in the entire tune), so there's a connection with the word's literal meaning.