"Salvation unto Us Has Come"

In my post on the Biblical sources for "Salvation unto Us Has Come," I was unable to identify any specific sources since the citations in the hymnal overlapped so much.  Last month, however, I stumbled upon a few.

I was reading Titus and noticed that Titus 2:11 ("For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people") bears some resemblance to the first two lines of the hymn:  "Salvation unto us has come / By God's free grace and favor."

About a week later, KFUO tweeted the ninth verse, and I realized that the lines "And by its fruits true faith is known, / With love and hope increasing" echo the qualities listed in 1 Corinthians 13:13:  "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."  I also noticed that the lines "Works serve our neighbor and supply / The proof that faith is living" seem to refer to the last part of James 2.  Verse 17 is the most similar, although it has a slightly different point of view:  "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

LSB #658 "Preserve Your Word, O Savior"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Peter 1:5-7; Jude 3, 17, 20-21

1 Peter 1:5-7:  "5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Jude 3:  "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."

Jude 17:  "But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Jude 20-21:  "20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."

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The passage from 1 Peter appears in the first verse.  To some degree, the first two lines ("Preserve Your Word, O Savior, / To us this latter day") are a paraphrase of 1 Peter 1:5.  The "various trials" in 1 Peter 1:6 seem to be the context for the hymn's exhortation to the Lord to "keep our faith from failing; / Keep hope's bright star aglow. / Let nothing from truth turn us."

The verses from Jude are more difficult to distinguish, but they seem to appear in the first half of the fourth verse, which is worth quoting in full:

Preserve Your Word and preaching,

The truth that makes us whole,

The mirror of Your glory,

The pow'r that saves the soul.

Oh, may this living water,

This dew of heav'nly grace,

Sustain us while here living

Until we see Your face.

The lines "The mirror of Your glory" and "Until we see Your face" use language and imagery from 1 Corinthians 13:12:  "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

The "living water" refers to John 4:10, 13-14:  "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.'  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.'"

"Maldwyn" (TLH #278)

Transposed from G minor to A minor

"O Little Town of Bethlehem"

Shortly after I recorded "St. Louis" on recorders earlier this year, I was thinking about "O Little Town of Bethlehem," the text that's sung to it.  The first verse ends with the lines "The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight," sung to these phrases:

The pitches to which the phrase "all the years" is sung span nearly an octave (C Bb D).  Because of this breadth and because these are three different pitches, there's a sense of the entirety of that "all."

On a smaller scale, this feature is also present with the phrase "all the earth" (A G F) at the end of the second verse:  "And praises sing to God the king / And peace to all the earth!"

LSB #656, 657 "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 46:1, 7, 11; Revelation 19:11-16; Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 6:10-17

Psalm 46:1:  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 46:7:  "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Psalm 46:11:  "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Revelation 19:11-16:  "11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!  The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.  He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords."

Romans 8:31-39:  "31 What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  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?  33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?  It is God who justifies.  34 Who is to condemn?  Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.  35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  36 As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Ephesians 6:10-17:  "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"

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The hymn appears in different translations as LSB #656 and #657.  Only the text of #656 is public domain, however:

A mighty fortress is our God,

A trusty shield and weapon;

He helps us free from ev'ry need

That hath us now o'ertaken.

The old evil foe

Now means deadly woe;

Deep guile and great might

Are his dread arms in fight;

On earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done,

Soon were our loss effected;

But for us fights the valiant One,

Whom God Himself elected.

Ask ye, Who is this?

Jesus Christ it is,

Of Sabaoth Lord,

And there's none other God;

He holds the field forever.

Though devils all the world should fill,

All eager to devour us,

We tremble not, we fear no ill;

They shall not overpow'r us.

This world's prince may still

Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none.

He's judged; the deed is done;

One little word can fell him.

The Word they still shall let remain

Nor any thanks have for it;

He's by our side upon the plain

With His good gifts and Spirit.

And take they our life,

Goods, fame, child, and wife,

Though these all be gone,

Our vict'ry has been won;

The Kingdom ours remaineth.

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The verses from Psalm 46 appear in the first line:  "A mighty fortress is our God."

The text from Revelation 19 appears in the second verse:  "But for us fights the valiant One... Jesus Christ it is, / Of Sabaoth Lord."  The text from Romans 8, particularly the first few verses ("God is for us"), figures into this a bit too, and the second half (roughly verses 35 to 39) seems to appear in the third verse:  "We tremble not, we fear no ill; / They shall not overpowe'r us... He can harm us none."

The armor of God from Ephesians 6 is referred to in the line "A trusty shield and weapon" in the first verse and perhaps also "He can harm us none" in the third verse.

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The lines "Ask ye, Who is this? / Jesus Christ it is, / Of Sabaoth Lord" in the second verse bear some resemblance to Psalm 24:8, 10:  "8 Who is the King of glory?  The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!  10 Who is this King of glory?  The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!"

The description of "devils... eager to devour us" at the beginning of the third verse is drawn from 1 Peter 5:8:  "Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

"Vox dilecti" (TLH #277)

I recorded this on Friday, and the next day, I stumbled upon what I think may be the source of the title.  In the Latin Vulgate, Song of Solomon 2:8 begins, "Vox dilecti mei" ("The voice of my beloved!").  In TLH, the accompanying text is "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say."

I think this is the only hymn tune I know of that switches from minor to major halfway through.

"Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus"

I recently found some notes about features in Advent hymns that I noticed a number of years ago.

In "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus," sung to the tune "Jefferson," there are a handful of melismas that provide a sense of duration:  "long-expected" (D F G Bb A G) in the title line, sung to this phrase:

"forever" (A G A G) in the line "Born to reign is us forever" in the second verse, sung to the same phrase (repeated as the third musical phrase), and "eternal" (D Bb A G)  in the line "By Thine own eternal Spirit" in the second verse, sung to this phrase:

In the lines "Dear desire of ev'ry nation, / Joy of ev'ry longing heart" at the end of the first verse, both "ev'ry"s are sung with melismas (Bb A G and D F G, respectively), giving a sense of number or amount.  Here are the corresponding musical phrases:

LSB #655 "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 119:5-10, 2 John 9, John 8:31, Ephesians 4:3-6

Psalm 119:5-10:  "5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!  6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.  7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.  8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!

"9 How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to your word.  10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!"

2 John 9:  "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God.  Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

John 8:31:  "31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples'"

Ephesians 4:3-6:  "3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  4 There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

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The text is public domain:

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;

Curb those who by deceit or sword

Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son

And bring to naught all He has done.

Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow'r make known,

For You are Lord of lords alone;

Defend Your holy Church that we

May sing Your praise eternally.

O Comforter of priceless worth,

Send peace and unity on earth;

Support us in our final strife

And lead us out of death to life.

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The first line of the hymn comes from the passages from Psalm 119:5-10, 2 John 9, and John 8:31.  The "unity on earth" in the third verse is drawn from Ephesians 4:3-6.

The title "Lord of lords" in the second verse comes from Revelation 19:16.

"Anthes" (TLH #276)

"Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens"

A couple months ago, one of the hymns in church was "Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens."  I noticed a Biblical source I'd missed in my post from last year and a small connection between the text and the tune ("Werde munter").

The third verse contains various metaphors of what the Lord's words are, and near the end of the verse, there's the line "Yes, they are my sword prevailing."  This description refers to part of Ephesians 6:17:  "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The hymn's fourth verse ends with the lines "May I daily sing Your praise, / From my heart glad anthems raise, / Till my highest praise is given / In the endless joy of heaven."  The line "Till my highest praise is given" is sung to this musical phrase:

The first syllable of "highest" is sung to the highest note in the phrase (Bb), so there's a sense of its meaning, although here it seems to be more metaphorical than literal.

LSB #654 "Your Kingdom, O God, Is My Glorious Treasure"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 13:24-33, 45

Matthew 13:24-33:  "24 He put another parable before them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.  26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.  27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have weeds?"  28 He said to them, "An enemy has done this."  So the servants said to him, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?"  29 But he said, "No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.  30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."'

"31 He put another parable before them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.  32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.'

"33 He told them another parable.  'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.'"

Matthew 13:45:  "'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls'"

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The illustrations in these verses from Matthew 13 appear in the opposite order in the hymn text.

The pearl in Matthew 13:45 (the citation should probably include verse 46 too:  "'who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it'") is at the beginning of the first verse:  "Your kingdom, O God, is my glorious treasure, / My pearl of incomp'rable worth."

The leaven in verse 33 and the mustard seed in verses 31-32 are in the hymn's second verse.  The leaven is near the beginning ("Like yeast, they [Your Word and Your Spirit] affect the whole measure of flour"), and the mustard seed is at the end ("And bring ev'ry planting to perfect fruition, / A mustard seed grown to a tree").

The field in verses 24-30 appears in the first half of the third verse:  "Your kingdom, O God, is a field for the growing / Of seeds that Your mercy has sown; / But still in our midst is the enemy sowing / The weeds that imperil Your own."

"Wo Gott zum Haus" (TLH #275)

Transposed from Eb major to F major

"We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God"

A couple months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 13 September.  The service was Matins (although not all of it is included in the video), but "We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God" (LSB #941) was substituted for the "Te Deum."  I wrote about some musical features before, but I found a new one to note.

The second line in the first verse is "The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored," sung to this phrase from the tune "Thaxted":

The phrase "all the earth" is sung to notes of all different pitches (D C Bb), and this provides a sense of the entirety of that "all."

LSB #653 "In Christ There Is No East or West"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Galatians 3:26-29, Colossians 3:11-17, John 10:16; 17:11

Galatians 3:26-29:  "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.  28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."

Colossians 3:11-17:  "11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

"12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  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 10:16:  "'And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.'"

John 17:11:  "'And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.'"

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Only some of the stanzas are public domain:

1 In Christ there is no east or west,

In Him no south or north,

But one great fellowship of love

Throughout the whole wide earth.

4 Join hands, disciples of the faith,

Whate'er your race may be;

Who serves my Father as His child

Is surely kin to me.

5 In Christ now meet both east and west;

In Him meet south and north.

All Christian souls are one in Him

Throughout the whole wide earth.

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To some degree, all of the cited passages appear throughout the hymn with the exception of the third verse.  The first two verses draw a bit more from Galatians 3:26-29 and Colossians 3:11-17 (particularly Galatians 3:27 and Colossians 3:11), but all of the hymn's verses (again, with the exception of the third) and all of the cited passages deal with unity in Christ.

The third verse is a response to this unity ("So, brothers, sisters, praise His name / Who died to set us free"), and it seems to come from Colossians 3:12-17, which also flows out of a recognition of being united.  The closest resemblance, however, is between the forgiveness mentioned in verse 13 and the freedom "From sin, division, hate, and shame, / From spite and enmity!"

"Swabia" (TLH #274)

"Thou Who the Night in Prayer Didst Spend"

A couple months ago when I recorded "St. Petersburg," I found a couple connections between the tune and the text "Thou Who the Night in Prayer Didst Spend" (TLH #493).

Here are the last two musical phrases:

The second verse ends with the lines "To tend Thy flock, and thus to prove / How dearly they [pastors] the Shepherd love."  "Dearly" is sung with a melisma (C B A), musically giving a sense of degree (for "how").

The fourth verse ends with the lines "With all the bright celestial host [singing], / To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."  Here, "host" is sung with a melisma (C B), giving something of a sense of the entirety of "all."

LSB #652 "Father, We Thank Thee"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 6:22-58, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

John 6:22-58:  "22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.  23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

"25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, 'Rabbi, when did you come here?'  26 Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you are your fill of the loaves.  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.'  28 Then they said to them, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?'  29 Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'  30 So they said to him, 'Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?  What work do you perform?  31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."'  32 Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'  34 They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.'

"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.  36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.  37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.  38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.  39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.  40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.'

"41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven.'  42 They said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How does he now say, "I have come down from heaven"?'  43 Jesus answered them, 'Do not grumble among yourselves.  44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.  45 It is written in the Prophets, "And they will all be taught by God."  Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me - 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.  47 Truly, truly, I saw to you, whoever believes has eternal life.  48 I am the bread of life.  49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.  And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.'

"52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'  53 So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.  58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died.  Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.'"

1 Corinthians 10:16-17:  "16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?  17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

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In The Lutheran Service Book, there's a note at the bottom of the page saying that the text comes from the Didache.  Earlier this year, the Daily Dose of Greek went over a small part of the Didache.  This is my only familiarity with it, but it allowed me to recognize at least that the end of the second verse ("As grain, once scattered on the hillsides, / Was in this broken bread made one, / So from all lands Thy Church be gathered / Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.") is from Didache 9:4.  The cited text from 1 Corinthians 10 also seems to be incorporated here.

The passage from John 6 (particularly verses 35-40 and 47-51) appears in the first verse, specifically "life immortal / Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts" and "Thou, Lord... Didst give us food for all our days, / Giving in Christ the Bread eternal."

The context may be a bit different, but the first lines of the hymn ("Father, we thank Thee who hast planted / Thy holy name within our hearts") use the same sort of imagery that's in Jeremiah 31:33:  "'But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD:  I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.  And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'"

"Das walt' Gott Vater" (TLH #273)

Transposed from Eb major to D major

"Father, We Praise Thee"

Last year, I noticed two instances in "Father, We Praise Thee" where a melisma provides a sense of entirety for an "all."

The first instance is in the first line of the second verse.  "Monarch of all things, fit us for Thy mansions" is sung to this phrase from the tune "Christe sanctorum":

Here, "all" itself is sung with a melisma (F# E).

The second instance is in the last line of the third verse (also the last line of the hymn):  "Through all creation," sung to this phrase:

Here, "creation" is sung with a melisma (G F# E D), giving a sense of that modifying "all."  Since each syllable is sung to a different pitch and since the last note has a longer value, there's an additional sense of this entirety.

LSB #651 "I Love Your Kingdom, Lord"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 26:8, Colossians 3:15-16, Ephesians 6:18, Isaiah 30:19

Psalm 26:8:  "O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells."

Colossians 3:15-16:  "15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Ephesians 6:18:  "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints"

Isaiah 30:19:  "For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more.  He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry.  As soon as he hears it, he answers you."

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The text is public domain:

I love your kingdom, Lord,

The place of Your abode,

The Church our blest Redeemer saved

With His own precious blood.

Beyond my highest joy

I prize its heav'nly ways,

Its sweet communion, solemn vows,

Its hymns of love and praise.

I love Your Church, O God,

Your saints in ev'ry land,

Dear as the apple of Your eye

And graven on Your hand.

For them my tears shall fall;

For them my prayers ascend;

For them my cares and toils be giv'n

Till toils and cares shall end.

Sure as Your truth shall last,

To Zion shall be giv'n

The brightest glories earth can yield

And brighter bliss of heav'n.

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Psalm 26:8 appears in the first verse and again at the beginning of the third verse.

Colossians 3:15-16 seems to appear in the second verse, particularly the line "Its hymns of love and praise."

The fourth verse is drawn from Ephesians 6:18.  The anaphora there (the repeated "for them") even mirrors the anaphora in the Bible verse (the repeated "all").  In both texts, this anaphora provides a sense of constancy.

The last verse comes from Isaiah 30:19.

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The phrase "the apple of Your eye" in the third verse occurs a few times in the Bible.  In Deuteronomy 32:10, Moses describes how God "kept him [Jacob] as the apple of his eye," and in Psalm 17:8, the Psalmist writes, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

The line "And graven on Your hand" in the same verse comes from Isaiah 49:16:  "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me."  The context may be a bit different, but the Lutheran Worship version of this hymn may incorporate "your walls are continually before me" too.  In that version, this verse is:

I love your Church, O God!

Its walls before you stand,

Dear as the apple of your eye

And graven on your hand.

"Was frag' ich nach der Welt" (TLH #272)

"All Christians Who Have Been Baptized"

Many years ago, I wrote about some melisma'd "forever"s in "All Christians Who Have Been Baptized."  When I wrote about the Biblical sources for the hymn last year, I found a couple more features to note.

Near the end of the first verse, there's the line "The gifts He gives to ev'ryone," sung to this phrase from the tune "Nun freut euch":

The three syllables of "ev'ryone" are each sung to a different pitch (A G F), and this gives a sense of that breadth.

There's a similar feature in the third verse.  In the middle, there are the lines "The water of your Baptism day / Restored again whatever / Old Adam and his sin destroyed."  The line "Restored again whatever" is sung to this phrase:

"Whatever" is sung with a melisma, and each syllable is sung to a different pitch (G D E F).  This too gives a sense of breadth.

LSB #650 "Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Genesis 1:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 3:7-9

Genesis 1:1-2:  "1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

1 Corinthians 12:12-14:  "12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

"14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many."

Ephesians 3:7-9:  "7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power.  8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things"

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The text is public domain:

Holy Spirit, ever dwelling

In the holiest realms of light;

Holy Spirit, ever brooding

O'er a world of gloom and night;

Holy Spirit, ever raising

Those of earth to thrones on high;

Living, life-imparting Spirit,

You we praise and magnify.

Holy Spirit, ever living

As the Church's very life;

Holy Spirit, ever striving

Through us in a ceaseless strife;

Holy Spirit, ever forming

In the Church the mind of Christ:

You we praise with endless worship

For Your gifts and fruits unpriced.

Holy Spirit, ever working

Through the Church's ministry;

Quick'ning, strength'ning, and absolving,

Setting captive sinners free;

Holy Spirit, ever binding

Age to age and soul to soul

In communion never ending,

You we worship and extol.

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Genesis 1:1-2 appears in the first verse ("Holy Spirit, ever brooding / O'er a world of gloom and night").  Ephesians 3:7-9 seems to be present in the second verse and in the first half of the third verse, and 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 appears in the lines  "Holy Spirit, ever binding / Age to age and soul to soul" in the third verse.

"Sieh, hier bin ich" (TLH #271)

Transposed from B minor to D minor

"Sing to the Lord of Harvest"

Last year, I noticed a small feature in "Sing to the Lord of Harvest," sung to the tune "Wie lieblich ist der Maien."  Near the end of the second verse, there are the lines "God fills them [hills and valleys] with His fullness, / All things with large increase."  That second line is sung to this phrase:

The phrase "large increase" is sung with melismas (C B | A G A), and this articulation provides a sense of that abundance.

LSB #649 "Blest Be the Tie That Binds"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Ephesians 4:3-6; Romans 12:4-5; John 17:11, 20-23; Psalm 133

Ephesians 4:3-6:  "3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  4 There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Romans 12:4-5:  "4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

John 17:11:  "'And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.'"

John 17:20-23:  "20 'I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.'"

Psalm 133:  "1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!  2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!  3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!  For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore."

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The text is public domain:

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

Before our Father's throne

We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,

Our mutual burdens bear,

And often for each other flows

The sympathizing tear.

When here our pathways part,

We suffer bitter pain;

Yet, one in Christ and one in heart,

We hope to meet again.

From sorrow, toil, and pain,

And sin we shall be free

And perfect love and friendship reign

Through all eternity.

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All of the cited passages deal with unity or one-ness.  This is also the theme of the hymn, but there's very little in the hymn text that bears any strong resemblance to these passages.  The clearest similarity I can find is between the lines "The fellowship of kindred minds / Is like to that above" and the passages from John 17 ("'that they may be one, even as we are one.'").

"Stuttgart" (TLH #270)

"Lord Jesus Christ, the Children's Friend"

Last year, I noticed a small feature in "Lord Jesus Christ, the Children's Friend," sung to the tune "Wareham."  The last line of the third verse is "To find in Christ their all in all," sung to this musical phrase:

The first "all" is sung with a melisma (A G), giving a sense of that entirety.

LSB #648 "Glorious Things of You Are Spoken"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 87; 48:1-14; 132:13-18; Isaiah 33:20-21; Exodus 13:21-22

Psalm 87:  "1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.  3 Glorious things of you are spoken O city of God.

"4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush - 'This one was born there,' they say.  5 And of Zion it shall be said, 'this one and that one were born in her'; for the Most High himself will establish her.  6 The LORD records as he registers the peoples, 'This one was born there.'

"7 Singers and dancers alike say, 'All my springs are in you.'"

Psalm 48:1-14:  "1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!  His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.  3 With her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.

"4 For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together.  5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight.  6 Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as a woman in labor.  7 By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish.  8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever.

"9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.  10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.  Your right hand is filled with righteousness.  11 Let Mount Zion be glad!  Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgements!  12 Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, 13 consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation 14 that this is God, our God forever and ever.  He will guide us forever."

Psalm 132:13-18:  "13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place:  14 'This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.  15 I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.  16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.  17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.  18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.'"

Isaiah 33:20-21:  "20 Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!  Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.  21 But there the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass."

Exodus 13:21-22:  "21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.  22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people."

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The text is public domain:

Glorious things of you are spoken,

Zion, city of our God;

He whose word cannot be broken

Formed you for His own abode.

On the Rock of Ages founded,

What can shake your sure repose?

With salvation's walls surrounded,

You may smile at all your foes.

See, the streams of living waters,

Springing from eternal love,

Well supply your sons and daughters

And all fear of want remove.

Who can faint while such a river

Ever will their thirst assuage?

Grace, which like the Lord, the giver,

Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hov'ring,

See the cloud and fire appear

For a glory and a cov'ring,

Showing that the Lord is near.

Thus deriving from their banner

Light by night and shade by day,

Safe they feed upon the manna

Which God gives them on their way.

Savior, since of Zion's city

I through grace a member am,

Let the world deride or pity,

I will glory in Your name.

Fading are the world's vain pleasures,

All their boasted pomp and show;

Solid joys and lasting treasures

None but Zion's children know.

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The first two lines ("Glorious things of you are spoken, / Zion, city of our God") come directly from Psalm 87:3.  The next two lines ("He whose word cannot be broken / Formed you for His own abode.") seem to come from both Psalm 87:1 and Psalm 132:13-14.  The rest of the first verse, which describes the impervious nature of Zion, seems to come from Psalm 48:1-14 and Isaiah 33:20-21.

The second verse begins with the line "See, the streams of living waters," and while Psalm 87:7 and Isaiah 33:21 may figure into this, the primary source seems to be 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.'"

The passage from Exodus 13 appears in the third verse, which begins "Round each habitation hov'ring, / See the cloud and fire appear."  Near the end of the third verse, there are the lines "Safe they feed upon the manna, / Which God gives them on their way," which refer to Exodus 16.

"Herzliebster Jesu" (TLH #269)

Transposed from G minor to A minor

"Onward, Christian Soldiers"

I usually don't write about the arrangements of hymn tunes, but a few months ago, I noticed something in the LSB arrangement of "St. Gertrude" (the tune for "Onward, Christian Soldiers") that I felt was worth commenting on.

Here's the melody and the bass part in the first line of the refrain:

In each of the first three measures here, the bass part alternates between two pitches.  Musically, this gives an impression of the "marching" that's in the text:  "Onward, Christian soldiers, / Marching as to war."

This feature is also present in the Lutheran Worship arrangement (#518), but it's not in The Lutheran Hymnal arrangement (#658).

LSB #647 "Lord Jesus Christ, the Church's Head"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Ephesians 2:19-21; Matthew 16:16-18; Ephesians 4:3-6, 15-16

Ephesians 2:19-21:  "19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."

Matthew 16:16-18:  "16 Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'  17 And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'"

Ephesians 4:3-6:  "3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  4 There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Ephesians 4:15-16:  "15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

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Most of the cited passages appear in the first verse.  The line "Lord Jesus Christ, the Church's head," comes from Ephesians 4:15-16, and the line "You are her one foundation" from Ephesians 2:19-21.  The lines "Built on this rock secure, / Your Church shall endure" come from Matthew 16:16-18.

Ephesians 4:3-6 appears in the second verse:  "O Lord, let this Your little flock... Continue in Your loving care, / True unity possessing."  This may overlap a bit with "being joined together" in Ephesians 2:21 and "joined and held together" in Ephesians 4:16.

The line "Teach us to bear Your blessed cross" in the fourth verse may refer to Matthew 16:24 ("Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'") or Luke 9:23 ("And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"), although the hymn has "Your blessed cross" where these passages have "his cross."

"Zion klagt" (TLH #268)

In order to make this easier to play on mandolin, I transposed it up a minor third, but I don't know if it was technically D major to F major or B minor to D minor.

"Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go"

In The Lutheran Service Book, "Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go" is sung to the tune "Angelus."  In Lutheran Worship, however, (where the title is shortened a bit to just "Forth in the Peace of Christ"), the hymn is sung to the tune "Lledrod."  I noticed a small feature specific to this tune.

Near the end of the second verse, there's the line "With Christ the Servant-Lord of all," sung to this musical phrase:

"All" is sung with a melisma (Db C Bb), musically giving a sense of that entirety.

LSB #646 "Church of God, Elect and Glorious"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Peter 2:9-10; Ephesians 2:19-22; 5:8-10; Revelation 5:9-10

1 Peter 2:9-10:  "9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Ephesians 2:19-22:  "19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

Ephesians 5:8-10:  "8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."

Revelation 5:9-10:  "9 And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'"

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These passages are pretty clear to see in the hymn text.  1 Peter 2:9-10 appears in the first verse and at the beginning of the second verse.  In the second verse, there's also some overlap with Ephesians 5:8-10.  Ephesians 2:19-22 appears in the third verse, and Revelation 5:9-10 appears in the fourth verse, although 1 Peter 2:9-10 overlaps a bit here too.

"St. Gertrude"

This was the most difficult of the tunes I recorded for this project, which is why I skipt over it initially.  The tune is in Eb major in The Lutheran Service Book (#662) and in Lutheran Worship (#518) but in E major in The Lutheran Hymnal (#658), so I had to transpose it so that all three would match.  At first, I was going to try F major, but this was too high, and either of the original two keys would have been too difficult for me.  Eventually, I decided on transposing it down to D major, although this was too low and some parts fell beneath the instruments' ranges.  To work around this, I played the first phrase of the refrain on alto recorder, and I had to tune down the lowest string on my bass to get the one low D note in the refrain in the TLH arrangement.

In order, the arrangements are LSB, LW, and TLH.  Except for the refrain, the LSB and TLH arrangements are the same.  At the beginning of the tenor part in the LW arrangement, there's the same arpeggiation that appears in the soprano part later.

"Wär' Gott nicht mit uns" (TLH #267)

"Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain"

Last year, I noticed a small feature in "Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain."  The hymn is sung to the tune "Herr Jesu Christ, mein's."  Here's the first musical phrase:

The first line is, of course, "Lord, help us ever to retain."  (The direct object is in the next line:  "The Catechism's doctrine plain.")  "Ever" is sung with a melisma (E F# G), and since it's stretched out, there's a sense of duration.

LSB #645 "Built on the Rock"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 16:13-18, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Corinthians 3:11-16, Acts 17:24

Matthew 16:13-18:  "13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?'  14 And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'  15 He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'  16 Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'  17 And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'"

Ephesians 2:19-22:  "19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

1 Corinthians 3:11-16:  "11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

"16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"

Acts 17:24:  "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man"

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The text is public domain:

Built on the Rock the Church shall stand

Even when steeples are falling.

Crumbled have spires in ev'ry land;

Bells still are chiming and calling,

Calling the young and old to rest,

But above all the souls distressed,

Longing for rest everlasting.

Surely in temples made with hands

God, the Most High, is not dwelling;

High above earth His temple stands,

All earthly temples excelling.

Yet He who dwells in heav'n above

Chooses to live with us in love,

Making our bodies His temple.

We are God's house of living stones,

Built for His own habitation.

He through baptismal grace us owns

Heirs of His wondrous salvation.

Were we but two His name to tell,

Yet He would deign with us to dwell

With all His grace and His favor.

Here stands the font before our eyes,

Telling how God has received us.

The altar recalls Christ's sacrifice

And what His Supper here gives us.

Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim

Christ yesterday, today, the same,

And evermore, our Redeemer.

Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,

That, when the church bells are ringing,

Many in saving faith may come

Where Christ His message is bringing:

"I know My own; My own know Me.

You, not the world, My face shall see.

My peace I leave with you.  Amen."

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The first three cited passages (Matthew 16:13-18, Ephesians 2:19-22, and 1 Corinthians 3:11-16) are all present in the first line:  "Built on the Rock the Church shall stand."  The passage from Ephesians 2 is also present in the lines "Yet He who dwells in heav'n above / Chooses to live with us in love, / Making our bodies His temple" in the second verse (overlapping with 1 Corinthians 3:16) and in the line "We are God's house of living stones" in the third verse.

Acts 17:24 appears in the lines "Surely in temples made with hands / God, the Most High, is not dwelling" at the beginning of the second verse.

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The lines "Were we but two His name to tell, / Yet He would deign with us to dwell" in the third verse refer to Matthew 18:20:  "'For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.'"

The lines "Christ yesterday, today, the same, / And evermore, our Redeemer" at the end of the fourth verse come from Hebrews 13:8:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

In the fifth verse, the line "'I know My own; My own know Me'" is from John 10:14 ("'I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me'"), and "My peace I leave with you" is from John 14:27 ("'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.'").

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The version of this hymn in Lutheran Worship is a bit different, and at the beginning of the fourth verse, there's a reference to Jesus' blessing the little children (Mark 10:13-16):  "Yet in this house, an earthly frame, / Jesus the children is blessing."

"St. Thomas"

The arrangements in The Lutheran Hymnal and The Lutheran Service Book are the same, so I didn't do both.  I did the arrangements from Lutheran Worship (#12) and The Lutheran Hymnal (#68).  The last phrase of the tenor part is a bit high, and I cheated a bit and did just that phrase with alto recorder.

"O Herre Gott" (TLH #266)

"O God of Light"

I noticed a couple small features in "O God of Light," sung to the tune "Atkinson."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here, describing the "summons You are sending" from the previous line, is "Through all the earth, to ev'ry land and race."  The notes to which "Through all the earth" is sung encompass an octave (D B G D), and this span provides a sense of the entirety of "all."  (The previous line has the same feature, with "To all the world" sung to the same four notes.)  "Land" is sung with a melisma (A G), musically giving a sense of the breadth of "ev'ry."

LSB #644 "The Church's One Foundation"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Ephesians 2:20; 4:4-6; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; Revelation 7:14b-17

Ephesians 2:20:  "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone"

Ephesians 4:4-6:  "4 There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

1 Corinthians 10:16-17:  "16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?  17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

Revelation 7:14b-17:  "And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

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

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The text is public domain:

The Church's one foundation

Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;

She is His new creation

By water and the Word.

From heav'n He came and sought her

To be His holy bride;

With His own blood He bought her,

And for her life He died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,

Yet one o'er all the earth;

Her charter of salvation:

One Lord, one faith, one birth.

One holy name she blesses,

Partakes one holy food,

And to one hope she presses

With ev'ry grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder

The world sees her oppressed,

By schisms rent asunder,

By heresies distressed,

Yet saints their watch are keeping;

Their cry goes up, "How long?"

And soon the night of weeping

Shall be the morn of song.

Through toil and tribulation

And tumult of her war

She waits the consummation

Of peace forevermore

Till with the vision glorious

Her longing eyes are blest,

And the great Church victorious

Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth has union

With God, the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion

With those whose rest is won.

O blessèd heav'nly chorus!

Lord, save us by Your grace

That we, like saints before us,

May see You face to face.

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Ephesians 2:20 appears in the first two lines:  "The Church's one foundation / Is Jesus Christ, her Lord."  Ephesians 4:4-6 may figure into this too, but this passage (specifically verse 5) appears more clearly in the hymn's second verse:  "Her charter of salvation: / One Lord, one faith, one birth."

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 appears in the line "Partakes one holy food" in the second verse and in the lines "Yet she on earth has union / With God, the Three in One, / And mystic sweet communion / With those whose rest is won" in the last verse.

Revelation 7:14b-17 seems to be referred to at the end of the fourth verse:  "Till with the vision glorious / Her longing eyes are blest, / And the great Church victorious / Shall be the Church at rest."

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"She is His new creation / By water and the Word" in the first verse seems to come from 2 Corinthians 5:17:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

"With His own blood He bought her, / And for her life He died" at the end of the first verse bears some resemblance to 1 Peter 1:18-19:  "18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

The second half of the third verse ("Yet saints their watch are keeping; / Their cry goes up, 'How long?' / And soon the night of weeping / Shall be the morn of song") combines elements from various Psalms.  The question "How long?" appears in Psalm 13:1-2 ("1 How long, O LORD?  Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?") and in Psalm 74:10 ("How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?  Is the enemy to revile your name forever?").  The image of keeping watch until the morning appears in Psalm 130:5-6 ("5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.").  The contrast between "night of weeping" and "morn of song" is similar to Psalm 30:5b ("Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.").

The "blessèd heav'nly chorus" in the last verse seems to come from Revelation 7:9-10:  "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!'"

The lines "That we, like saints before us, / May see You face to face" at the end of the last verse come from 1 Corinthians 13:12:  "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

"St. Savior"

As with the last tune I did for this project, this appears in only one of the three hymnals I've been using (The Lutheran Hymnal #434).  I transposed it from Bb major to C major and went through the arrangement twice.

"Erhalt uns, Herr" (TLH #265)

I recorded this tune about a month ago, and to make this recording different, I used a faster tempo (maybe a bit too fast).  I also transposed it from E minor to G minor.  I'd hoped that this would make it a bit easier to play, but I still had some difficulties.  It would have been better to transpose it down to D minor, but then the bass part would be too low.

"Spread the Reign of God the Lord"

Last year, I noticed a detail in "Spread the Reign of God the Lord," sung to the tune "Gott sei Dank."  Here's the third phrase:

In the first verse, the text here, describing where the reign of God is to be spread, is "Ev'rywhere His creatures call."  "Ev'rywhere" is sung with a melisma (G C B A), and each syllable is sung to a different pitch.  Both of these features provide a sense of breadth.

LSB #643 "Sent Forth by God's Blessing"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 8:39, Colossians 3:17, Numbers 6:26, 1 Corinthians 10:16

Luke 8:39:  "'Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.'  And he [the formerly demon-possessed man] went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him."

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."

Numbers 6:26:  "the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

1 Corinthians 10:16:  "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?"

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"God's blessing" in the first few lines ("Sent forth by God's blessing, / Our true faith confessing, / The people of God from His dwelling take leave") seems to refer to Numbers 6:26.  The situation the hymn describes is the same as what's in Luke 8:39.

Colossians 3:17 appears at the beginning and end of the second verse ("With praise and thanksgiving / To God ever-living, / The tasks of our ev'ryday life we will face" and "Then may all the living / With praise and thanksgiving / Give honor to Christ and His name that we bear").

1 Corinthians 10:16 seems to appear in the line "With Your feast You feed us" in the second verse.  Shortly after this is the line "Unite us as one in this life that we share," which bears some resemblance to 1 Corinthians 10:17:  "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."