LSB #592 "Dearest Jesus, We Are Here"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Mark 10:13-16, John 3:3-6

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 3:3-6:  "3 Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'  4 Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?'  5 Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"

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The text is public domain:

Dearest Jesus, we are here,

Gladly Your command obeying;

With this child we now draw near

In response to Your own saying

That to You it shall be given

As a child and heir of heaven.

Your command is clear and plain,

And we would obey it duly:

"You must all be born again,

Heart and life renewing truly,

Born of water and the Spirit,

And My kingdom thus inherit."

Therefore we have come to You,

In our arms this infant bearing.

Truly here Your grace we view;

May this child, Your mercy sharing,

In Your arms be shielded ever,

Yours on earth and Yours forever.

Gracious Head, Your member own;

Shepherd, take Your lamb and feed it;

Prince of Peace, make here Your throne;

Way of Life, to heaven lead it;

Precious Vine, let nothing sever

From Your side this branch forever.

Now into Your heart we pour

Prayers that from our hearts proceeded.

Our petitions heav'nward soar;

May our hearts' desires be heeded!

Write the name we now have given;

Write it in the book of heaven!

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The text from Mark appears in the first and third verses, and the text from John appears in the second verse.

There are a multitude of references in the fourth verse.  "Gracious Head, Your member own" seems to refer to Ephesians 5:23:  "For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior."  "Shepherd, take Your lamb and feed it" refers to the Good Shepherd in John 10.  "Prince of Peace" comes from Isaiah 9:6; "Way of Life" from John 14:6 ("'I am the way, and the truth, and the life'"); and "Precious Vine, let nothing sever / From Your side this branch forever" from John 15.

"Write the name we now have given; / Write it in the book of heaven!" at the end of the fifth verse seems to come from Revelation 3:5:  "'The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.  I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.'"

"Farley Castle" (LSB #786)

I did this mostly as a test to see what a hymn tune would sound like if I did the higher three parts with recorders (soprano, alto, and tenor) and the lowest with electric bass.  I'm considered doing a project using this instrumentation.

"Nun danket alle Gott" (TLH #93)

"What God Ordains Is Always Good"

Last year, I noticed a small feature specific to the Lutheran Worship version of "What God Ordains Is Always Good" (#422).  One of the lines in the fourth verse is "Though many storms may gather," sung to this phrase from the tune "Was Gott tut":

"Storms" is sung with a melisma (A G), musically giving a sense of being "many."

"What God Ordains Is Always Good" is also present in The Lutheran Hymnal (#521) and in The Lutheran Service Book (#760), but both of those hymnals have a single quarter note (an A) where Lutheran Worship has two eighth notes (A G).

LSB #591 "This Is the Spirit's Entry Now"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Ephesians 5:25b-27, Romans 6:3-9

Ephesians 5:25b-27:  "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Romans 6:3-9:  "3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  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.

"5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.  8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him."

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The text from Ephesians appears in the first verse (specifically in the phrase "the water and the Word") and in the fourth (last) verse ("That washes us through all our days; / Lord, cleanse again this hour").

The text from Romans appears at the end of the second verse ("Our life comes through Christ's death") and perhaps even into the third verse.

"Aus meines Herzens Grunde" (TLH #75)

"Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest"

Near the beginning of the year, I noticed a few small features in the hymn "Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest," sung to the tune "Land of Rest."  Here's the first phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "Your daily mercies let them share."  "Share" is sung with a melisma (D C), and this gives a sense of its meaning since the word is "share[d]" between the two notes.

Here's the third musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "This golden ring that none may break."  Here, "break" is sung with a melisma (D C), giving a sense of its meaning.

In the fourth verse, the text is "By this their vow divide their care."  "Care" is sung with the same melisma, and this gives a sense of its being "divide[d]."

LSB #590 "Baptized into Your Name Most Holy"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:2-4, 11; Galatians 3:26-27; Psalm 51:10-12

Matthew 28:19:  "'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,'"

Romans 6:2-4:  "2 By no means!  How can we who died to sin still live in it?  3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  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."

Romans 6:11:  "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Galatians 3:26-27:  "26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

Psalm 51:10-12:  "10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."

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The text is public domain:

Baptized into Your name most holy,

O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

I claim a place, though weak and lowly,

Among Your saints, Your chosen host.

Buried with Christ and dead to sin,

Your Spirit now shall live within.

My loving Father, here You take me

To be henceforth Your child and heir.

My faithful Savior, here You make me

The fruit of all Your sorrows share.

O Holy Spirit, comfort me

When threat'ning clouds around I see.

My faithful God, You fail me never;

Your promise surely will endure.

O cast me not away forever

If words and deeds become impure.

Have mercy when I come defiled;

Forgive, lift up, restore Your child.

All that I am and love most dearly -

Receive it all, O Lord, from me.

Let me confess my faith sincerely;

Help me Your faithful child to be!

Let nothing that I am or own

Serve any will but Yours alone.

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Matthew 28:19 appears in the first two lines, and the two passages from Romans 6 appear at the end of the first verse:  "Buried with Christ and dead to sin, / Your Spirit now shall live within."

The passage from Galatians 3 mentions being "sons of God," and this is primarily in the second verse ("My loving Father, here You take me / To be henceforth Your child and heir"), but it's also referred to in the third and fourth verses.

Psalm 51:11 is clearly the source for the line "O cast me not away forever" in the third verse.  The cited verses from Psalm 51 may also inform the lines "Your Spirit now shall live within" (in the first verse) and "O Holy Spirit, comfort me" (in the second).

"O Jesu Christ, dein Kripplein" (TLH #81)

I transposed this from Eb major to F major and went through it three times.

"Faith and Truth and Life Bestowing"

When I wrote a post about the Biblical sources in "Faith and Truth and Life Bestowing" last month, I noticed a few significant melismas.  The hymn is sung to the tune "Holy Manna."  Here are the third and fourth phrases:

In the first verse, the text here is "Seed to life eternal sowing, / Scattered on the wind abroad."  "Eternal" is sung with a melisma (F G G F), giving a sense of duration, and "Scattered" is sung with a melisma (C C D), giving something of a sense of its meaning.  In the second verse, the text here is "Daily in our hearts increasing, / Bearing fruit that shall remain."  "Increasing" is sung with a melisma (G F A G F D), so there's a sense of the word's meaning.

LSB #589 "Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Samuel 3:10; 1 Peter 1:23-25; John 6:63; 15:7-8

1 Samuel 3:10:  "And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel!  Samuel!'  And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

1 Peter 1:23-25:  "23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls,  25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.'  And this word is the good news that was preached to you."

John 6:63:  "'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.'"

John 15:7-8:  "7 'If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.'"

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The text is public domain:

Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens,

Let Your Word to me come near;

Newborn life and spirit give me,

Let each promise still my fear.

Death's dread pow'r, its inward strife,

Wars against Your Word of life;

Fill me, Lord, with love's strong fervor

That I cling to You forever!

Oh, what blessing to be near You

And to listen to Your voice;

Let me ever love and hear You,

Let Your Word be now my choice!

Many hardened sinners, Lord,

Flee in terror at Your Word;

But to all who feel sin's burden

You give words of peace and pardon.

Lord, Your words are waters living

When my thirsting spirit pleads.

Lord, Your words are bread life-giving;

On Your words my spirit feeds.

Lord, Your words will be my light

Through death's cold and dreary night;

Yes, they are my sword prevailing

And my cup of joy unfailing!

As I pray, dear Jesus, hear me;

Let Your words in me take root.

May Your Spirit e'er be near me

That I bear abundant fruit.

May I daily sing Your praise,

From my heart glad anthems raise,

Till my highest praise is given

In the endless joy of heaven.

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The first line of the hymn comes from 1 Samuel 3:10.

John 6:63 seems to appear in the third verse, but there are other Bible verses that bear a stronger resemblance to the hymn.  "Lord, Your words are waters living / When my thirsting spirit pleads" could come from John 4:14 ("'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'") or Revelation 7:17 ("'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.'").  "Lord, Your words are bread life-giving" seems to point to John 6:35 ("Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'").  "Lord, Your words will be my light" resembles Psalm 119:105 ("Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path") and possibly even John 8:12 ("Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'").

John 15:7-8 appears in the last verse, particularly in the lines "May Your Spirit e'er be near me / That I bear abundant fruit."

1 Peter 1:23-25 could be cited throughout the hymn.  Verse 23 bears the most resemblance to the line "Newborn life and spirit give me" in the first verse, but like the third verse, this passage mentions the life-giving word of God, and like the fourth verse, it uses agricultural imagery (imperishable seed).

"Fröhlich soll mein Herze" (TLH #77)

I transposed this from Eb major to F major, and because it's a shorter tune, I went through it three times.

"Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness"

More than once over the last year, I noted some significant melismas in "Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness," sung to the tune "Beach Spring."

The title line is, of course, "Praise the One who breaks the darkness," sung to this phrase:

Although the sense is more metaphorical, that "darkness" is sung with a melisma (G F D) gives a sense of that "break[ing]."

Near the end of the first verse, there's the description "Calming storms, and feeding thousands," sung to this phrase:

Here, "thousands" is sung with a melisma (also G F D), giving a sense of amount.

LSB #588 "Jesus Loves Me"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 19:14, Titus 3:4-7, John 15:9, Ephesians 3:17b-19

Matthew 19:14:  "but Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'"

Titus 3:4-7:  "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."

John 15:9:  "'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.'"

Ephesians 3:17b-19:  "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."

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The text is public domain:

Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me!  He who died

Heaven's gates to open wide.

He has washed away my sin,

Lets His little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

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Both John 15:9 and Ephesians 3:17b-19 could be cited for the recurring "Jesus loves me!"

Matthew 19:14 appears in both verses:  "Little ones to Him belong" in the first and "Lets His little child come in" in the second.  Titus 3:4-7 appears in the second verse, most clearly in the line "He has washed away my sin."