LSB #489 "Hail Thee, Festival Day"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 118:13-24, Ephesians 1:19b-23, Romans 6:4, Acts 2:1-4

Psalm 118:13-24:  "13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.

"14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: 'The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, 16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!'

"17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.  18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

"19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.  20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.  21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.  22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.  23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.  24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Ephesians 1:19b-23:  "according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

Romans 6:4:  "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Acts 2:1-4:  "1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  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 and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

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This hymn is formatted a bit differently, and it has three sets of initial two verses - one set for Easter, one for Ascension, and one for Pentecost.  Romans 6:4 is the text for the Easter verses, the text from Ephesians 1 is the basis for the Ascension verses, and Acts 2:1-4 is the text for the Pentecost verses (and perhaps also the fifth verse, which begins:  "Spirit of life and of pow'r, / Now flow in us, fount of our being").

That leaves only the text from Psalm 118.  There are some small connections between it and the specific verses for Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, but I think it appears most clearly in the refrain.  "Hail thee, festival day! / Blest day to be hallowed forever" has the same feeling as verse 24:  "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Messiah: No. 20 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd

The text is from Isaiah 40:11:  "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." and from Matthew 11:28-29:  "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.'"

"O Durchbrecher" (TLH #129)

"Father Welcomes"

A little over a year ago, I noticed a small feature in the refrain of "Father Welcomes."  The first line is "Father welcomes all His children," sung to this musical phrase (the title of the tune is also "Father Welcomes"):

"All" is sung with a melisma (F G), musically giving a sense of entirety.

LSB #488 "He Is Arisen! Glorious Word"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-23

1 Corinthians 15:3-8:  "3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:  that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.  7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me."

1 Corinthians 15:12-23:  "12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.  17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

"20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  23 But each in his own order:  Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."

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The text is public domain:

He is arisen! Glorious Word!
Now reconciled is God, my Lord;
The gates of heav'n are open.
My Jesus did triumphant die,
And Satan's arrows broken lie,
Destroyed hell's fiercest weapon.
O hear what cheer!
Christ victorious,
Rising glorious,
Life is giving.
He was dead but now is living!

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Roughly, the first half of the hymn (which is only one verse) is from verses 3-8, and the second half is from verses 12-23.

The first Biblical citation deals mainly with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, and it appears in the hymn in the lines "He is arisen!" and "My Jesus did triumphant die."

The second citation deals mainly with Christ's resurrection and victory over death, which is basically the whole second half of the hymn.  

Messiah: No. 19 Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened

The text is from Isaiah 35:5-6a: "5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy."

"Morning Star" (TLH #128)

"Crown Him with Many Crowns"

Last year, I noticed a small thing about "Crown Him with Many Crowns" when I watched the One LSB Hymn a Week video for it:

In the fourth verse, there's the line "Who died and rose on high," sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Diademata":

"High" is sung to the highest note in the phrase (and there's a rather large interval [a sixth] between it and the preceding note, which emphasizes this), musically giving a sense of its meaning.

The week after I noticed this, "Crown Him with Many Crowns" was one of the distribution hymns in church, and I noticed a second thing.  In the third verse, the line "But downward bend their wond'ring eyes" (describing the angels who cannot "fully bear that sight" of Jesus' wounds) is sung to a (generally) descending melody, illustrating that "downward bend[ing]" musically:

LSB #487 "Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Exodus 15:1-21, John 20:19-21, Romans 6:9-11

Exodus 15:1-21:  "1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, 'I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.  2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.  3 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.

"'4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.  5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.  6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.  7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.  8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.  9 The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.  I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them."  10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

"'11 Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?  Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?  12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.

"'13 You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.  14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.  15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.  16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.  17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands have established.  18 The LORD will reign forever and ever.'

"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.'"

John 20:19-21:  "19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'  20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  21 Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.'"

Romans 6:9-11:  "9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.  11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

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The text is public domain:

Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh's bitter yoke
Jacob's sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.

'Tis the spring of souls today:
Christ has burst His prison
And from three days' sleep in death
As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom is giv'n
Laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
Jesus' resurrection!

For today among His own
Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
Nor the tomb's dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
Hold Him as a mortal.

Alleluia! Now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb's dark portal.
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness!

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The first verse of the hymn summarizes the events recounted in the text from Exodus, and "raise the strain / Of triumphant gladness" seems to come from the singing mentioned in verse 1:  "Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, 'I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously....'"

The text from Romans might appear in the second verse - particularly the line "Christ has burst His prison" - but I think it shows up more clearly in the last verse.  The lines "Who, triumphant, burst the bars / Of the tomb's dark portal" give a better sense of the finality of Christ's victory over death from verse 9:  "We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him."

The text from John appears at the beginning of the fourth verse:  "For today among His own / Christ appeared, bestowing / His deep peace."  The relative clause describing that "deep peace" ("which evermore / Passes human knowing") comes from Philippians 4:7:  "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Messiah: No. 18 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion

The text is from Zechariah 9:9-10:  "9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."

"Dix" (TLH #127)

"Dives and Lazarus"

In church last week for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, one of the readings was Luke 16:19-31, the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  (Apparently this is a departure from the lectionary, but it's an appropriate text because Lazarus "was carried by the angels to Abraham's side" after he died.)

The reading reminded me of the song "Dives and Lazarus," which is derived from this particular text and which was included in Roger McGuinn's Folk Den a few years ago.  More recently, a different version also appeared on Worship Anew.

I wrote about the song about a year ago, when I discovered that Dives' name comes from a Latin word that means "rich."  In thinking about all of this again, I realized a second thing about the song.  A couple times, the rich man is called "Rich man Dives."  Since Dives means "rich [man]" in Latin, this is a redundant "rich man Rich [Man]."  This redundancy illustrates the excessive nature of the man's wealth, which is described in the first verse of the text: "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day."

LSB #486 "If Christ Had Not Been Raised from Death"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Corinthians 15:12-26, Job 19:25

1 Corinthians 15:12-26:  "12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.  17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

"20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  23 But each in his own order:  Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.  24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.  25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

Job 19:25:  "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth."

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Each verse of the hymn follows the structure and content of the text from 1 Corinthians; the first four lines are drawn from verses 12-19, and the last four lines are drawn from verses 20-26.  Each hymn verse starts with an "if" statement - "If Christ had not been raised from death..." "If Christ still lay within the tomb..." and "If Christ had not been truly raised...."  Following these are hopeless descriptions, paraphrasing and expanding upon verse 14:  "our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."  Halfway through each verse, however, there's shift, and - like verse 20 - the Lord's resurrection is affirmed and emphasized:  "But now the Lord is ris'n indeed," "But now the Savior is raised up," and "But now our great Redeemer lives."

Job 19:25 appears at the tonal shift in the third verse:  "But now our great Redeemer lives."

Messiah: No. 17 Glory to God in the highest

The text is from Luke 2:14:  "'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

There are actually two things here that emphasize the distance between "the highest" and "on earth."  The "highest" is at a higher pitch than "on earth," but it's also sung by the higher registers (sopranos and altos [and also tenors]) where "on earth" is sung by the lower registers (tenors and basses).

"O Welt, ich muss dich lassen" (TLH #126)

"Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken"

Because Sunday was the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, one of the hymns in church was "Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken."  I think this was the first time I'd sung it, and I noticed a small feature in it.

The fifth line of the first verse is "Conquers sin and death forever," sung to this phrase from the tune "Fortunatus New":

"Forever" is sung with a melisma (G Bb A A), and because it's stretched out, there's a musical sense of duration.

LSB #485 "Long before the World Is Waking"

Biblical citation in the hymnal:  John 21:1-17

John 21:1-17:  "1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.  2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.  3 Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.'  They said to him, 'We will go with you.'  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

"4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  5 Jesus said to them, 'Children, do you have any fish?'  They answered him, 'No.'  6 He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.'  So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.  7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!'  When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.  8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

"9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.  10 Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.'  11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them.  And although there were so many, the net was not torn.  12 Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.'  Now none of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?'  They knew it was the Lord.  13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.  14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

"15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?'  He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.'  He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'  16 He said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'  He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.'  He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.'  17 He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'  Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.'  Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"

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The first three verses of the hymn simply paraphrase the text from John, although only verses 4 to 12.  The hymn's last two verses are more of a reflection of what Jesus' resurrection means for us.

The lines "All the soul's dark night is past, / Morning breaks in joy at last" at the end of the fourth verse seem to come from Psalm 30:5:  "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."