"Old Hundredth" (TLH #309)

"Christ High-Ascended, Now in Glory Seated"

A couple years ago, I noticed a handful of features in "Christ High-Ascended, Now in Glory Seated," sung to the tune "Iste confessor."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "Christ with His people evermore remaining."  "Remaining" is sung with a melisma (B C B A), and since it's stretched out, there's a sense of the duration of "evermore."

The third musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "To win disciples out of ev'ry nation."  "Nation" is sung with a melisma (A G F), giving a sense of amount, for "ev'ry."

In the fourth verse, the text is "Christ to all ages gloriously reigning."  Similar to the above, "ages" is sung with a melisma (C Bb A), giving a sense of the entirety of "all."

In the fifth verse, the text is "Filled with His Spirit, love and pow'r receiving."  Here, "Spirit" is sung with a melisma (C Bb A), giving a sense of the abundance that "filled" implies.

[I re-used notation excerpts I made for writing about "Lord of Our Life," which is sung to the same tune.  Both appear in the same key in The Lutheran Service Book, although the bar lines appear in different places.  "Lord of Our Life" #659 has four beats per measure where "Christ High-Ascended, Now in Glory Seated" #840 has eight.]

LSB #688 "'Come, Follow Me,' the Savior Spake"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Peter 2:21-25, Matthew 16:24, John 8:12, Matthew 10:38-39

1 Peter 2:21-25:  "21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.  24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

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.'"

John 8:12:  "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.'"

Matthew 10:38-39:  "38 'And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'"

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The text is public domain:

"Come, follow Me," the Savior spake,

"All in My way abiding;

Deny yourselves, the world forsake,

Obey My call and guiding.

O bear the cross, whateve'er betide,

Take My example for your guide.

"I am the light, I light the way,

A godly life displaying;

I bid you walk as in the day;

I keep your feet from straying.

I am the way, and well I show

How you must sojourn here below.

"My heart abounds in lowliness,

My soul with love is glowing;

And gracious words My lips express,

With meekness overflowing.

My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,

To God I yield, on Him I call.

"I teach you how to shun and flee

What harms your soul's salvation,

Your heart from ev'ry guile to free,

From sin and its temptation.

I am the refuge of the soul

And lead you to your heav'nly goal."

Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,

And take the cross appointed

And, firmly clinging to His Word,

In suff'ring be undaunted.

For those who bear the battle's strain

The crown of heav'nly life obtain.

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All of the cited passages deal with following Jesus, but the two from Matthew are a bit more prominent in the hymn text.  "'Let him deny himself'" from Matthew 16:24 appears in the first verse ("Deny yourselves, the world forsake"), and "'take (up) his cross and follow me'" from both passages appears in the first verse ("Come, follow Me... O bear the cross") and in the fifth verse ("Then let us follow Christ, our Lord, / And take the cross appointed").

The text from 1 Peter 2 appears generally in the line "Take My example for your guide" at the end of the first verse.  Part of verse 22 ("neither was deceit found in his mouth") may be the basis for "And gracious words My lips express, / With meekness overflowing" in the third verse, and part of verse 23 ("When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly") seems to appear in the fifth verse as "And, firmly clinging to His Word, / In suff'ring be undaunted."

"'I am the light of the world'" from John 8:12 appears at the beginning of the second verse.  The line "I bid you walk as in the day" seems to combine "that you might follow in his steps" from 1 Peter 2:21 and part of Ephesians 5:8:  "Walk as children of light."  "I am the way" from later in the verse comes from John 14:6 ("Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.'").

The last two lines of the hymn ("For those who bear the battle's strain / The crown of heav'nly life obtain.") seem to be drawn from part of Revelation 2:10:  "'Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'"

"I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord"

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Upper:  42 8875 543

Lower:  00 5645 322

Pedal:  44

Played with the "mellow" drawbar organ sound on my Hammond SKX, with the Hammond XPK-130G pedals

"Das walt' Gott Vater" (TLH #308)

Transposed from Eb major to D major

"Gracious Savior, Grant Your Blessing"

A couple years ago, I found a number of features in "Gracious Savior, Grant Your Blessing," sung to the tune "Hyfrydol."  Here's the sixth musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "And [defend them] from all that would destroy."  "All" is sung with a melisma (A Bb), giving something of a sense of entirety.

The seventh musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "There You fill the empty vessels."  "Fill" is sung with a melisma (Bb G), providing something of a sense of the abundance that the word implies.

The eighth musical phrase:

In the last (fifth) verse, the text here is "[Bring us] To the endless wedding feast."  "Endless" is sung with a melisma (D C Bb), and since it's stretched out, there's a sense of duration.

In the fourth verse, the text is "Without wrinkle, spot, or stain," with "wrinkle" sung to the same melisma.  This may give a sense of the word's meaning (despite the sort of negation of "without"), but I'm not as convinced of this as I am of the others.

LSB #687 "Thine Forever, God of Love"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Malachi 3:17, John 10:27-30, John 6:39

Malachi 3:17:  "'They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.'"

John 10:27-30:  "27 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  30 I and the Father are one.'"

John 6:39:  "'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.'"

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The text is public domain:

Thine forever, God of love!

Hear us from Thy throne above;

Thine forever may we be

Here and in eternity!

Thine forever! Oh, how blest

They who find in Thee their rest!

Savior, guardian, heav'nly friend,

O defend us to the end!

Thine forever, Lord of Life!

Shield us through our earthly strife.

Thou, the life, the truth, the way,

Guide us to the realms of day.

Thine forever! Shepherd, keep

These Thy frail and trembling sheep;

Safe alone beneath Thy care,

Let us all Thy goodness share.

Thine forever! Thou our guide,

All our wants by Thee supplied,

All our sins by Thee forgiv'n;

Lead us, Lord, from earth to heav'n.

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All three passages could be cited for the phrase "Thine forever" that appears at the beginning of each verse:  "'They shall be mine'" in Malachi 3:17, "'who has given them to me'" in John 10:29, and "'all that he has given me'" in John 6:39.  The verse from Malachi is probably the primary source though; it bears the closest resemblance, and the verses from John appear elsewhere in the hymn.

The sheep imagery from John 10:27-30 is in the fourth verse, and "'los[ing] nothing of all that he has given me'" in John 6:39 seems to be referred to in the lines "Guide us to the realms of day" at the end of the third verse and "Lead us, Lord, from earth to heav'n" at the end of the fifth.

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The lines "Oh, how blest [are] / They who find in Thee their rest!" in the second verse seem to refer to Matthew 11:28:  "'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'"

The titles in the line "Thou, the life, the truth, the way" in the third verse come from John 14:6 ("Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.'"), and the title "Shepherd" in the fourth verse could come from John 10:11, 14 ("'I am the good shepherd'" appears in both verses) or Psalm 23:1 ("The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.").

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The line "Let us all Thy goodness share" in the fourth verse could be understood two different ways, depending on what "all" modifies (either "us" or "Thy goodness").  It could mean either "Let all of us share Thy goodness" or "Let us share the entirety of Thy goodness."

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The phrase "Thine forever" is repeated at the beginning of each verse in a rhetorical effect called anaphora.  Here, this repetition provides a sense of the constancy and duration of "forever."

"Faith of Our Fathers"

Registration:

Upper:  40 8888 004

Lower:  00 6535 241

Pedal:  42

Played with the "mellow" drawbar organ sound on my Hammond SKX, with the Hammond XPK-130G pedals

"Old 124th" (TLH #307)

"Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun"

A couple years ago, I noticed a few features in the hymn "Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun," sung to the tune "Morning Hymn."  Here's the first musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept" (the sense is continued into the second line:  "And hast refreshed me while I slept").  "All" is sung with a melisma (G A), giving something of a sense of entirety.

The third musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise."  "Shake" is sung with a melisma (D E), giving a sense of its meaning, and the phrase generally ascends, illustrating that "ris[ing]."

The fourth musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "[Grant that] I may of endless light partake."  "Endless" is sung with a melisma (G B D C), and since it's stretched out, there's a sense of duration.

LSB #686 "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 4:14, 1 Samuel 7:3-12, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Ephesians 1:13-14

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.'"

1 Samuel 7:3-12:  "3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, 'If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'  4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.

"5 Then Samuel said, 'Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.'  6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, 'We have sinned against the LORD.'  And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.  7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel.  And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.  8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, 'Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.'  9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD.  And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.  10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel.  But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel.  11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

"12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, 'Till now the LORD has helped us.'"

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."

Ephesians 1:13-14:  "13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquired possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

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The text is public domain:

Come, Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

While the hope of endless glory

Fills my heart with joy and love,

Teach me ever to adore Thee;

May I still Thy goodness prove.

Here I raise my Ebenezer,

Hither by Thy help I've come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wand'ring from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be;

Let that grace now like a fetter

Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love,

Here's my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

Oh, that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in the blood-washed linen,

How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace!

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry;

Take my ransom'd soul away;

Send Thine angels soon to carry

Me to realms of endless day.

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John 4:14 appears in the first verse as "Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing" and "Streams of mercy, never ceasing."

The passage from 1 Samuel 7 is cited as context for the line "Here I raise my Ebenezer" in the second verse.

The passage from 1 Peter 1, specifically "the precious blood of Christ" in verse 19, appears at the end of the second verse:  "He, to rescue me from danger, / Interposed His precious blood."

The passage from Ephesians 1 appears at the end of the third verse:  "Here's my heart, O take and seal it, / Seal it for Thy courts above."

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Perhaps coincidentally, the lines "Jesus sought me when a stranger, / Wand'ring from the fold of God" in the second verse recall the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:3-7.

The line "Clothed then in the blood-washed linen" in the fourth verse refers to Revelation 7:13-14:  "13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?'  14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.'  And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'"

"Glory Be to the Father"

Because this is a doxology, not really a hymn, I went through it only once.

Registration:

Upper:  42 8875 543

Lower:  00 5645 322

Pedal:  44

Played with the "mellow" drawbar organ sound on my Hammond SKX, with the Hammond XPK-130G pedals

"Herr Jesu Christ, du hast bereit't" (TLH #306)

Transposed from Bb major to C major

"Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved"

A couple years ago, I noticed a small feature in "Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved," sung to the tune "Známe to, pane bože náš."  Here are the first two musical phrases of the congregation's part:

In the first verse, the text here is "Your heart, O God, is grieved, we know, / By ev'ry evil, ev'ry woe."  The second "ev'ry" is sung with a melisma (B A G#), musically giving a sense of amount.

LSB #685 "Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 16:24; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Matthew 10:38-39; Romans 6:2-5, 8

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.'"

1 Peter 4:12-13:  "12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

Matthew 10:38-39:  "38 'And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'"

Romans 6:2-5:  "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.

"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."

Romans 6:8:  "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."

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The first three cited texts appear in the first two verses.  The two passages from Matthew appear at the end of the first verse ("I shall follow where You guide") and near the beginning of the second ("And with patience bear our cross").  The passage from 1 Peter 4 appears at the beginning of the second verse ("Let us suffer here with Jesus") and perhaps also in the lines "Through a world that would deceive us / And to sin our spirits lure" in the first verse.

The hymn's title line seems to come from Romans 6:5 ("we too might walk in newness of life"), but the verses from Romans 6 appear primarily throughout the hymn's third and fourth verses ("Let us gladly die with Jesus..." and "Let us also live with Jesus...").  The lines "Jesus here with You I die, / There to live with You on high" at the end of the third verse also seem to draw on "'whoever loses his life for my sake will find it'" in Matthew 10:39.

In the fourth verse, the lines "Jesus, You are now our head. / We are Your own living members" seem to come from Ephesians 5:23, 30 ("Christ is the head of the church, his body... we are members of his body"), and the line "Where You live, there we shall be" seems to refer to John 14:3 ("'And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.'").

"Fairest Lord Jesus"

Registration:

Upper:  00 7856 321

Lower:  00 5432 222

Pedal:  44

Played with the "mellow" drawbar organ sound on my Hammond SKX, with the Hammond XPK-130G pedals

"Schmücke dich" (TLH #305)