"O Christ, Our True and Only Light"

Earlier this year, one of the hymns I sang in church was "O Christ, Our True and Only Light."  I noticed a couple things about it.

It's sung to the tune "O Jesu Christe, wahres Licht," which is more or less the same title in German: "O Jesus Christ, true light."  Here's the first musical phrase:

In the fifth verse, the text here is "That they with us may evermore...."  (The "they" is "all those who walk apart" from the previous verse.)  "Evermore" is sung with a melisma (the last four notes).  Because the word is stretched out, there's something of a sense of its meaning.

There's a similar feature with the third musical phrase:

Still in the fifth verse, the text here is "And endless praise to You be giv'n."  This time, "praise" is sung with a melisma (the A and G in the second measure).  Because there's an extra syllable, there's something of a representation of the praise's being "endless."

LSB #425, 426 "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Galatians 6:14, Philippians 3:8

Galatians 6:14:  "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Philippians 3:8:  "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..."

+++

The text is public domain:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!

+++

The Biblical sources for this hymn are clear-cut.  Philippians 3:8, specifically "I count everything as loss," is in the first verse, rendered as "My richest gain I count but loss."

The first part of Galatians 6:14 is paraphrased in the first two lines of the hymn's second verse: "Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast / Save in the death of Christ, my God."

"Chesterfield" (TLH #66)

Compared to the version I'm familiar with, there's a slight melodic difference here, but I think I might like this one better.

"O Christ, Who Called the Twelve"

Early this year, one of the hymns I sang in church was "O Christ, Who Called the Twelve" (sung to the tune "Terra beata" [Latin: "prosperous earth"]).  I noticed two small things about it.

The first two lines are "O Christ, who called the Twelve / To rise and follow You," sung to this musical phrase:

"To rise" is sung to an ascending phrase with a melisma (E F# G), so there's a musical representation of that "ris[ing]."

The third verse ends with the lines "And help us climb the lonely hills / Where love is crucified."  The second of these two lines is sung to this phrase:

There's a cross inscription to represent "crucified."

LSB #424 "O Christ, You Walked the Road"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 2:18, 4:15

Matthew 4:1-11:  "1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  3 And the tempter came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread,'  4 But he answered, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."'  5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "He will command his angels concerning you," and "On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."'  7 Jesus said to him, 'Again it is written, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."'  8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  9 And he said to him, 'All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'  10 Then Jesus said to him, 'Be gone, Satan!  For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve."'  11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him."

Hebrews 2:18:  "For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

Hebrews 4:15:  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

+++

Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15 both seem to be present in the first two lines of the first verse (repeated as the first two lines of the fifth verse): "O Christ, You walked the road / Our wand'ring feet must go."  The "road" seems to symbolize the experience of temptation.  Of course, the cited verses from Matthew detail the temptation of Jesus, but they are referenced more specifically in the second verse: "No bread of earth alone / Can fill our hung'ring hearts. / Lord, help us seek Your living Word" comes from a section of Matthew 4:4: "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

The line "Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first" in the fourth verse comes from Matthew 6:33: "'But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.'"

"Wer weiss, wie nahe" (TLH #65)

I transposed this from Ab major to G major, which is a much better key for mandolin.  I wasn't familiar with this tune, so when I set a click track to record the parts to, I might have used a tempo that's too slow.

"Praise the Almighty, My Soul, Adore Him"

Last December, one of the tunes I recorded was "Lobe den Herren, o meine," used with "Praise the Almighty, My Soul, Adore Him" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#26).  I noticed a few connections between the tune and the text.

The first line of the third verse is "Blessed, yea, blessed is he forever," sung to this musical phrase:

The "forever" is sung with a melisma (C C B A), and since the syllables are stretched out, there's a musical sense of this long period of time.  Additionally, some of the syllables are sung to the notes with the longest values in this phrase (a half note and a dotted half note), which also gives a sense of this temporal span.

I also noticed that in the line "His rule is over rich and poor" in the fourth verse, "rule" really is above "rich and poor" as far as musical pitch.  "Rule" is sung to a B note (the highest note in the phrase), and "rich" and "poor" are sung to E and D notes, respectively:

LSB #423 "Jesus, Refuge of the Weary"

Biblical citations in the hymnal: Matthew 15:29-30; Isaiah 53:4-5, 11

Matthew 15:29-30:  "29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee.  And he went up on the mountain and sat down there.  30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them..."

Isaiah 53:4-5:  "4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Isaiah 53:11:  "Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities."

+++

The text is public domain:

Jesus, refuge of the weary,
Blest Redeemer, whom we love,
Fountain in life's desert dreary,
Savior from the world above;
Often have Your eyes, offended,
Gazed upon the sinner's fall;
Yet upon the cross extended,
You have borne the pain of all.

Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see You wounded, bleeding,
See Your thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Your sinless death has brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Your grace has taught us
Calms the sinner's deep distress.

Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for You;
May our eyes be ever turning
To behold Your cross anew
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessed Savior's side,
Graven in our hearts forever,
Dwell the cross, the Crucified.

+++

The verses from Matthew appear in the first verse, specifically the lines "Jesus, refuge of the weary" and "You have borne the pain of all."  While the contexts are different, the focus is the same:  Jesus' compassion for all.  "You have borne the pain of all" also resembles the first part of Isaiah 53:4: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows...."  For "refuge of the weary," Matthew 11:28 is also relevant: "'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'"

The verses from Isaiah both seem to be in the second verse.  The lines "We see You wounded, bleeding, / See Your thorn-encircled brow" recall the list of abuses in verses 4 and 5: "we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted... he was wounded... crushed... upon him was the chastisement...."  The lines "Your sinless death has brought us / Life eternal, peace, and rest" is present in both selections from Isaiah: "upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed" in verse 5 and "by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities" in verse 11.

"O Jesu Christ, mein's (TLH #64)

"Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings"

Many months ago, one of the hymns I sang in church was "Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings," sung to the tune "Holy Manna."  I noticed some connections between this tune and the text.

The third phrase of the text is sung to this musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "For Your mercies never ending" (which I think should be "never-ending"), and in the second verse, the text is "As we tend that endless treasure."  Both "never-ending" and "endless treasure" are sung with melismas (the string of eighth notes in the second measure), and because these words are stretched over these extra syllables, there's a musical sense of that extended period of time.

Similarly, there's a melisma for "unnumbered" in the refrain ("Lord, we pray that we, Your people / Who Your gifts unnumbered claim...").  Here's the music for just the second line:

Because "unnumbered" is sung with an extra syllable, there's a musical sense of the abundance of God's gifts.

LSB #422 "On My Heart Imprint Your Image"

Biblical citations in the hymnal: Romans 8:29, 2 Peter 1:4, Ephesians 4:24, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Romans 8:29:  "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

2 Peter 1:4 (with verse 3 for context):  "3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."

Ephesians 4:24:  "...and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

2 Corinthians 3:18:  "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

+++

The text is public domain:

On my heart imprint Your image,
Blessed Jesus, King of grace,
That life's riches, cares, and pleasures
Never may Your work erase;
Let the clear inscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope's foundation,
And my glory and salvation!

+++

The hymn's "imprint Your image" apparently combines sections of Romans 8:29 ("to be conformed to the image of his Son"), Ephesians 4:24 ("the new self, created after the likeness of God"), and 2 Corinthians 3:18 ("transformed into the same image").  The list of "my hope's foundation, / And my glory and salvation" seems to refer to "his precious and very great promises" in 2 Peter 1:4.  Similarly, "life's riches, cares, and pleasures" seem to rename "the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."

I'm not sure if it's intended as a reference, but the first line of the hymn also bears some resemblance to Deuteronomy 6:6: "'And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.'"

"Puer nobis nascitur" (TLH #63)

I transposed this from Eb major to D major.  Some notes in the harmony part sound a bit off to me, but I don't know if that's because they're written that way or because I made mistakes in my transposition.

I had to reference my Latin verb charts to confirm that "nascitur" is a passive form.  "Puer nobis nascitur" is "A child is born for us" (from Isaiah 9:6).

"Lord, We Come Before Thee Now"

Way back in October, my weekly hymn tune was "Vienna," paired with the text "Lord, We Come Before Thee Now" (The Lutheran Hymnal #18).  I noticed a couple instances where the tune connects to the text.

The end of the second phrase descends:

This descent musically represents "At Thy feet we humbly bow" in the first verse and "In compassion now descend" in the second.

LSB #421 "Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Isaiah 53:4-5:  "4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

1 Peter 2:24:  "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed."

1 Corinthians 10:13:  "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

2 Corinthians 1:3-7:  "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

+++

The text is public domain:

Jesus, grant that balm and healing
In Your holy wounds I find,
Ev'ry hour that I am feeling
Pains of body and of mind.
Should some evil thought within
Tempt my treach'rous heart to sin,
Show the peril, and from sinning
Keep me from its first beginning.

Should some lust or sharp temptation
Fascinate my sinful mind,
Draw me to Your cross and passion,
And new courage I shall find.
Or should Satan press me hard,
Let me then be on my guard,
Saying, "Christ for me was wounded,"
That the tempter flee confounded.

If the world my heart entices
With the broad and easy road,
With seductive, sinful vices,
Let me weigh the awful load
You were willing to endure.
Help me flee all thoughts impure
And to master each temptation,
Calm in prayer and meditation.

Ev'ry wound that pains or grieves me
By Your wounds, Lord, is made whole;
When I'm faint, Your cross revives me,
Granting new life to my soul.
Yes, Your comfort renders sweet
Ev'ry bitter cup I meet;
For Your all-atoning passion
Has procured my soul's salvation.

O my God, my rock and tower,
Grant that in Your death I trust,
Knowing death has lost its power
Since You crushed it in the dust.
Savior, let Your agony
Ever help and comfort me;
When I die be my protection,
Light and life and resurrection.

+++

The first two lines ("Jesus, grant that balm and healing / In Your holy wounds I find") seem to come from 2 Corinthians 1:5: "For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."  The comfort mentioned in this section of 2 Corinthians also seems to appear in the lines "When I'm faint, Your cross revives me, / Granting new life to my soul" in the fourth verse and "Savior, let Your agony / Ever help and comfort me" in the fifth.

Lines in the hymn like "Should some evil thought within / Tempt my treach'rous heart to sin, / Show the peril, and from sinning / Keep me from its first beginning" and "Should some lust or sharp temptation / Fascinate my sinful mind, / Draw me to Your cross and passion, / And new courage I shall find" echo "with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" from 1 Corinthians 10:13.

"Ev'ry wound that pains or grieves me / By Your wounds, Lord, is made whole" at the beginning of the fourth verse paraphrases the reversal of "with his stripes we are healed" in Isaiah 53:4-5 and "By his wounds you have been healed" in 1 Peter 2:24.