LSB #855 "For All the Faithful Women"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Hebrews 12:1, Revelation 7:9-17

Hebrews 12:1:  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"

Revelation 7:9-17:  "9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'  11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'

"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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Hebrews 12:1 appears near the end of the first verse ("To You their lives bore witness") and near the end of the third verse ("With saints who witness still").

The passage from Revelation is the basis for the second half of the fourth verse:  "With saints who went before us, / With saints who witness still, / We sing glad Alleluias / And strive to do Your will."

There are also individual citations for the various stanzas to be inserted, but these don't require any additional comment.

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Miriam

Exodus 15:19-21:  "19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.  20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.  21 And Miriam sang to them:

"'Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.'"

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Hannah

1 Samuel 1:1-2:10:  "1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.  2 He had two wives.  The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah.  And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

"3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD.  4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.  5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.  6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD has closed her womb.  7 So it went on year by year.  As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her.  Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.  8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, 'Hannah, why do you weep?  And why do you not eat?  And why is your heart sad?  Am I not more to you than ten sons?'

"9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose.  Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.  10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.  11 And she vowed a vow and said, 'O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.'

"12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.  13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard.  Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.  14 And Eli said to her, 'How long will you go on being drunk?  Put your wine away from you.'  15 But Hannah answer, 'No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit.  I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.  16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.'  17 Then Eli answered, 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.'  18 And she said, 'Let your servant find favor in your eyes.'  Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

"19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah.  And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.  20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called him name Samuel, for she said, 'I have asked for him from the LORD.'

"21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow.  22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, 'As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.'  23 Elkanah her husband said to her 'Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.'  So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.  24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.  And the child was young.  25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.  26 And she said, 'Oh, my lord!  As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD.  27 For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.  28 Therefore I have lent him to the LORD.  As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.'

"And he worshiped the LORD there.

"2 1 And Hannah prayed and said,

"'My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD.  My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.

"2 'There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.  3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.  4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.  5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.  The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.  6 The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.  7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.  8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.  For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world.

"9 'He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.  10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven.  The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed.'"

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Ruth

Ruth 1:8-18:  "8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go, return each of you to her mother's house.  May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.  9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!'  Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.  10 And they said to her, 'No, we will return with you to your people.'  11 But Naomi said, 'Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me?  Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?  12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband.  If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown?  Would you therefore refrain from marrying?  No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.'  14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again.  And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth cling to her.

"15 And she said, 'See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.'  16 But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you.  For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.  17 Where you did I will die, and there will I be buried.  May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.'  18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more."

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Mary, Mother of Our Lord

Luke 1:26-38:  "26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  And the virgin's name was Mary.  28 And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!'  29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  30 And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.'

"34 And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?'

"35 And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God.  36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  37 For nothing will be impossible with God.'  38 And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.'  And the angel departed from her."

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Martha and Mary

Luke 10:38-42:  "38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.  And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  39 And she had a sister called  Mary, who say at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.  40 But Martha was distracted with much serving.  And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me.'  41 But the LORD answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'"

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The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-42:  "1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.  4 And he had to pass through Samaria.  5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.  It was about the sixth hour.

"7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.'  8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)  9 The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?'  (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)  10 Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink," you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.'  11 The woman said to him, 'Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.  Where do you get that living water?  12 Are you greater than our father Jacob?  He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.'  13 Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'  15 The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.'

"16 Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.'  17 The woman answered him, 'I have no husband.'  Jesus said to her, 'You are right in saying, "I have no husband"; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.  What you have said is true.'  19 The woman said to him, 'Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  20 Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.'  21 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.'  25 The woman said to him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ).  When he comes, he will tell us all things.'  26 Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'

"27 Just then his disciples came back.  They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, 'What do you seek?' or, 'Why are you talking with her?'  28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 'Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.  Can this be the Christ?'  30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

"31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.'  32 But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.'  33 So the disciples said to one another, 'Has anyone brought him something to eat?'  34 Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.  35 Do you not say, "There are yet four months, then comes the harvest"?  Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  37 For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps."  38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor.  Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.'

"39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me all that I ever did.'  40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.  41 And many more believed because of his word.  42 They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'"

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Mary Magdalene

John 20:1-18:  "1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.'  3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.  4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.  6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.  He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.  8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.  10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

"11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.  12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.  13 They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?'  She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.'  14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  15 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you seeking?'  Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.'  16 Jesus said to her, 'Mary.'  She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher).  17  Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'  18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord" - and that he had said these things to her."

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Dorcas

Acts 9:36:  "Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas.  She was full of good works and acts of charity."

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Eunice and Lois

2 Timothy 1:5:  "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."

"Jesus, Priceless Treasure"

Earlier this week, I finally got around to watching the opening service for Concordia University Wisconsin's 2026-2027 academic year.  One of the hymns was "Jesus, Priceless Treasure," and I noticed two instances where phrases are sung to notes of all different pitches, resulting in a sense of extent or entirety.

It appears first in the line "Earth and all its depths adore Him" near the end of the third verse, sung to this musical phrase (from the tune "Jesu, meine Freude"):

"All its depths" is sung to the notes A Bb C.

Later, it's in the line "Hence, all empty glory!" in the fourth verse, sung to this phrase:

"All empty glory" is sung to the notes G F Eb D C.  That this group spans a fairly large interval (a fifth) may further emphasize the effect.

LSB #854 "Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I Go"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Corinthians 15:58, Colossians 3:17, John 6:27, Matthew 11:29-30

1 Corinthians 15:58:  "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

Colossians 3:17:  "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

John 6:27:  "'Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.  For on him God the Father has set his seal.'"

Matthew 11:29-30:  "29 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go,

My daily labor to pursue,

Thee, only Thee, resolved to know

In all I think or speak or do.

2 The task Thy wisdom has assigned,

O let me cheerfully fulfill;

In all my works Thy presence find,

And prove Thy good and perfect will.

3 Thee may I set at my right hand,

Whose eyes my inmost substance see,

And labor on at Thy command,

And offer all my works to Thee.

4 Give me to bear Thine easy yoke,

And ev'ry moment watch and pray,

And still to things eternal look,

And hasten to Thy glorious day.

5 For Thee delightfully employ

Whate'er Thy bounteous grace has giv'n,

And run my course with even joy,

And closely walk with Thee to heav'n.

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The first three citations have a similar theme (laboring for the Lord), which appears throughout the hymn.  Colossians 3:17 is a bit more prominent than the other passages, though.

Matthew 11:29-30 is alluded to at the beginning of the fourth verse:  "Give me to bear Thine easy yoke."

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The line "And run my course with even joy" in the fifth verse refers to Hebrews 12:1-2:  " Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

"Thy Strong Word"

Last week, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 25 August.  The hymn was "Thy Strong Word," and while I've written about it twice before, I found two new points to note.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Ebenezer."  Here's the third musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "From the cross forever beameth" (the subject is in the following line:  "All Thy bright redeeming light").  "Forever" is sung with a melisma (F G G Ab Bb), giving a sense of this extended duration.

In the fifth verse, the text is "[Give us] Throats that shout the hope that fills us."  Here, "fills" is sung with a melisma (Ab G), hinting at the abundance that the word implies.

LSB #853 "How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 12:1-4

Luke 5:1-11:  "1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.  3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land.  And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.'  5 And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!  But at your word I will let down the nets.'  6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.  7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'  9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.'  11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him."

Matthew 11:28-30:  "28 'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'"

Hebrews 12:1-4:  "1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

"3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

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The passages from Luke 5 and Hebrews 12 both deal with vocation, and this is also the theme of the hymn.

The yoke imagery in the passage from Matthew 11 appears at the beginning of the second verse:  "But if, forgetful, we should find / Your yoke is hard to bear."

LSB #852 "O God of Mercy, God of Might"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Deuteronomy 10:12, Galatians 5:22-26, Matthew 25:40, Luke 10:36-37

Deuteronomy 10:12:  "'And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul'"

Galatians 5:22-26:  "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

"25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

Matthew 25:40:  "'And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."'"

Luke 10:36-37:  "36 'Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?'  37 He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.'  And Jesus said to him, 'You go, and do likewise.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 O God of mercy, God of might,

In love and pity infinite,

Teach us, as ever in Thy sight,

To live our lives in Thee.

2 And Thou, who cam'st on earth to die

That our lost world might live thereby,

O hear us; for to Thee we cry,

In hope, O Lord, to Thee.

3 Teach us the lesson Thou hast taught:

To feel for those Thy blood hath bought,

That ev'ry word and deed and thought

May work a work for Thee.

4 All are redeemed, both far and wide,

Since Thou, O Lord, for all hast died.

Grant us the will and grace provide

To love them all in Thee!

5 In sickness, sorrow, want, or care,

May we each other's burdens share;

May we, where help is needed, there

Give help as unto Thee!

6 And may Thy Holy Spirit move

All those who live to live in love

Till Thou shalt greet in heav'n above

All those who live in Thee.

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Deuteronomy 10:12 (primarily "to walk in all his ways") appears most clearly at the ends of the first and sixth verses ("Teach us... To live our lives in Thee" and "All those who live in Thee"), but "serv[ing] the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul" also overlaps with the passages from Matthew 25:40 and Luke 10:36-37.

Galatians 5:22-26 is the basis for the first half of the sixth verse ("And may Thy Holy Spirit move / All those who live to live in love").

Matthew 25:40 is expanded upon in the fifth verse ("May we... Give help as unto Thee!"), and Luke 10:36-37 is the basis for the second half of the fourth verse ("Grant us the will and grace provide / To love them all in Thee!").

LSB #851 "Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 John 3:16-19, Hebrews 13:16, Matthew 25:40, Romans 8:32

1 John 3:16-19:  "16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

"19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him"

Hebrews 13:16:  "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

Matthew 25:40:  "'And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."'"

Romans 8:32:  "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

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The text is public domain:

1 Lord of glory, You have bought us

With Your lifeblood as the price,

Never grudging for the lost ones

That tremendous sacrifice;

And with that have freely given

Blessings countless as the sand

To the unthankful and the evil

With Your own unsparing hand.

2 Grant us hearts, dear Lord, to give You

Gladly, freely of Your own.

With the sunshine of Your goodness

Melt our thankless hearts of stone

Till our cold and selfish natures,

Warmed by You, at length believe

That more happy and more blessed

'Tis to give than to receive.

3 Wondrous honor You have given

To our humblest charity

In Your own mysterious sentence,

"You have done it all to Me."

Can it be, O gracious Master,

That You deign for alms to sue,

Saying by Your poor and needy,

"Give as I have giv'n to you"?

4 Lord of glory, You have bought us

With Your lifeblood as the price,

Never grudging for the lost ones

That tremendous sacrifice.

Give us faith to trust You boldly,

Hope, to stay our souls on You;

But, oh, best of all Your graces,

With Your love our love renew.

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1 John 3:16 and Romans 8:32 are combined in the first half of the first verse (repeated as the first half of the fourth verse).  The second half of the first verse also comes from Romans 8:32.

The rest of the passage from 1 John 3 and Hebrews 13:16 are the basis for the second verse, and Matthew 25:40 is quoted in the third verse.

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The lines "That more happy and more blessed / 'Tis to give than to receive" come from Acts 20:35:  "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

LSB #850 "God of Grace and God of Glory"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 80:14-19, 2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 15:13, Luke 12:32

Psalm 80:14-19:  "14 Turn again, O God of hosts!  Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15 the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.  16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face!  17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!  18 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!

"19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!  Let your face shine, that we may be saved!"

2 Timothy 1:7:  "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

Romans 15:13:  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Luke 12:32:  "'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 God of grace and God of glory,

On Your people pour Your pow'r;

Crown Your ancient Church's story;

Bring its bud to glorious flow'r.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

For the facing of this hour,

For the facing of this hour.

2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us

Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!

From the fears that long have bound us

Free our hearts to faith and praise.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

For the living of these days,

For the living of these days.

3 Cure Your children's warring madness;

Bend our pride to Your control;

Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,

Rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

Lest we miss Your kingdom's goal,

Lest we miss Your kingdom's goal.

4 Save us from weak resignation

To the evils we deplore;

Let the gift of Your salvation

Be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

Serving You whom we adore,

Serving You whom we adore.

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The first part of the passage from Psalm 80 (verses 14-16) is condensed into the lines "Lo, the hosts of evil round us / Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!" at the beginning of the second verse.  The rest of the passage appears more generally in the call to God in the first half of the first verse, which also continues the plant imagery from the Psalm:  "Bring its bud to glorious flow'r."

2 Timothy 1:7 appears partially in the lines "God of grace and God of glory, / On Your people pour Your pow'r" at the beginning of the hymn ("God gave us a spirit... of power") and partially in the lines "Save us from weak resignation / To the evils we deplore" at the beginning of the fourth verse ("God gave us a spirit... of... self-control").

The verse from Romans (specifically "by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope") overlaps with 2 Timothy 1:7 in the hymn's opening lines.

"'Fear not'" from Luke 12:32 seems to be the basis for the lines "From the fears that long have bound us / Free our hearts to faith and praise" in the second verse and for the recurring clause "Grant us courage."

LSB #849 "Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 4:16-21; Mark 10:13-16; John 1:1, 14, 29; 4:5-14

Luke 4:16-21:  "16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.  And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.  17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,  18 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'  20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  21 And he began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'"

Mark 10:13-16:  "13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.  14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.'  16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them."

John 1:1:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:29:  "The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

John 4:5-14:  "5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.  It was about the sixth hour.

"7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.'  8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)  9 The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?'  (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)  10 Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink," you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.'  11 The woman said to him, 'Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.  Where do you get that living water?  12 Are you greater than our father Jacob?  He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.'  13 Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'"

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The passage from Luke 4 is the basis for the first half of the first verse:  "Praise the One who breaks the darkness / With a liberating light; / Praise the One who frees the pris'ners, / Turning blindness into sight."

Similarly, the passage from Mark 10 is the basis for the beginning of the second verse:  "Praise the One who blessed the children / With a strong, yet gentle, word."

John 1:14 appears at the beginning of the third verse:  "Let us praise the Word Incarnate, / Christ, who suffered in our place. / Jesus died and rose victorious / That we may know God by grace."  John 1:1 seems to be cited just to give John 1:14 some more context.

John 1:29 seems to be referred to in the lines "Seeing what our God has done; / Let us praise the true Redeemer" near the end of the third verse.

The passage from John 4 is alluded to at the end of the second verse:  "Praise the One who brings cool water / To the desert's burning sand; / From this Well comes living water, / Quenching thirst in ev'ry land."

LSB #848 "Lord, Whose Love through Humble Service"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 25:34-40, Galatians 6:10, Romans 12:1

Matthew 25:34-40:  "34 'Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."  37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirst and give you drink?  38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?"  40 And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."'"

Galatians 6:10:  "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

Romans 12:1:  "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

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As with the previous hymn, all of the cited passages have a similar theme (doing good works), and this appears throughout the hymn, particularly in the lines "We, your servants, bring the worship / Not of voice alone, but heart, / Consecrating to Your purpose / Ev'ry gift that You impart" at the end of the first verse, "Stirring us to tireless striving" near the end of the third, and "Called by worship to Your service, / Forth in Your dear name we go, / To the child, the youth, the aged, / Love in living deeds to show" at the beginning of the fourth.

Some of the conditions in the passage from Matthew 25 are also present near the beginning of the second verse:  "Still the hungry cry for bread; / Still the captives long for freedom."

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The lines "As we worship, grant us vision, / Till your love's revealing light / In its height and depth and greatness, / Dawns upon our quickened sight" at the beginning of the third verse are drawn from Ephesians 3:17-19:  "17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Both the Biblical passage and the hymn text derived from it exhibit polysyndeton ("breadth and length and height and depth" and "height and depth and greatness"), and this provides an additional sense of that vastness (beyond just the listing of the various directions).

"O Christ, Our True and Only Light"

Last week, I finally caught up on watching the last couple summer chapel services from Concordia University Wisconsin.  In the service from 17 June, the hymn was "O Christ, Our True and Only Light," and while I've written about small features in it twice before, I found two more.

Both are in the third musical phrase (the tune is "O Jesu Christe, wahres Licht"):

In the third verse, the text here is "Let ev'ry conscience sore oppressed" (the sense continues into the next line:  "In You find peace and heav'nly rest").  "Conscience" is sung with a melisma, giving a sense of the range of "ev'ry" (especially since the notes are all different pitches:  A G F#).

In the fourth verse, the text is "Unite all those who walk apart."  Similar to the above, "those" is sung with a melisma (A G), hinting at the entirety of "all."

LSB #847 "Christ, Our Human Likeness Sharing"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Titus 3:4-8, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:11-14, Romans 12:1-2

Titus 3:4-8:  "4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.  These things are excellent and profitable for people."

Ephesians 2:10:  "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Titus 2:11-14:  "11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

Romans 12:1-2:  "1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

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All of the cited passages have a similar theme (doing good works), which appears throughout the hymn, particularly the second verse:  "Hear the word that Christ has spoken, / Help the weak, the hungry feed... Christ the Savior, Christ the Servant, / Help us meet our neighbor's need."

Parts of the two passages from Titus also appear in the line "In His death our ransom paid" in the first verse.

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The lines "Come, O living Christ, renew us, / As of old in wind and flame" at the beginning of the fourth verse refer to Acts 2, especially verses 2-4:  "2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit...."