LSB #730 "What Is the World to Me"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 John 2:15-17, Philippians 3:7-9, Psalm 73:25, Romans 12:2

1 John 2:15-17:  "15 Do not love the world or the things in the world, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  16 For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father but is from the world.  17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

Philippians 3:7-9:  "7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith"

Psalm 73:25:  "Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."

Romans 12:2:  "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

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The text is public domain:

1 What is the world to me

With all its vaunted pleasure

When You, and You alone,

Lord Jesus, are my treasure!

You only, dearest Lord,

My soul's delight shall be;

You are my peace, my rest.

What is the world to me!

2 The world seeks to be praised

And honored by the mighty

Yet never once reflects

That they are frail and flighty.

But what I truly prize

Above all things is He,

My Jesus, He alone.

What is the world to me!

3 The world seeks after wealth

And all that mammon offers

Yet never is content

Though gold should fill its coffers.

I have a higher good,

Content with it I'll be:

My Jesus is my wealth.

What is the world to me!

4 What is the world to me!

My Jesus is my treasure,

My life, my health, my wealth,

My friend, my love, my pleasure,

My joy, my crown, my all,

My bliss eternally.

Once more, then, I declare:

What is the world to me!

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All of the cited passages have the same basic idea, which is rendered in the hymn as "What is the world to me!"  Psalm 73:25 and especially Philippians 3:8 are a bit more prominent than the other passages, though; like these two verses, the second half of each hymn verse and most of the fourth declare the superiority that Jesus has over the world.  Some elements of the passage from 1 John 2 also show up in the second verse ("they are frail and flighty" seems to be drawn from "the world is passing away along with its desires" in verse 17) and in the third (the "wealth" and "gold... fill[ing] its coffers" are examples of the "desires" in verse 16).

"Clairvaux" (TLH #350)

Transposed from E flat major to D major

"Westminster Abbey"

After I went through James Bastien's Great Hymns Arranged for Organ last year, I thought I would try to come up with my own arrangements of hymn tunes that were in the same sort of simple style.

I used Melodia 8' and Flute 4' on the lower manual (and added Trompette 8' for the second verse), Open Diapason 8', Gedeckt 8', and Hautbois 8' on the upper manual, and Sub Bass 16' + Gedeckt 8' for the pedals.

Played with the pipe organ sound on my Hammond SKX, with the Hammond XPK-130G bass pedals

(Part of the reason I'm posting this now is that I've run out of musical features to write about in hymns, aside from those in hymns that are seasonally specific.)

LSB #729 "I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 12:2, Matthew 28:18-20, Isaiah 26:3

Isaiah 12:2:  "'Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.'"

Matthew 28:18-20:  "18 And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

Isaiah 26:3:  "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

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The text is public domain:

1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

Trusting only Thee;

Trusting Thee for full salvation,

Great and free.

2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;

At Thy feet I bow,

For Thy grace and tender mercy

Trusting now.

3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing

In the crimson flood;

Trusting Thee to make me holy

By Thy blood.

4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;

Thou alone shalt lead,

Ev'ry day and hour supplying

All my need.

5 I am trusting Thee for power;

Thine can never fail.

Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me

Must prevail.

6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;

Never let me fall.

I am trusting Thee forever

And for all.

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The two verses from Isaiah appear in "I am trusting Thee," which begins every verse.  Parts of Isaiah 12:2 also appear elsewhere:  "God is my salvation" in the line "Trusting Thee for full salvation" in the first verse and "the LORD GOD is my strength" in the line "I am trusting Thee for power" in the fifth.

"'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me'" from the Matthew 28 passage overlaps a bit with Isaiah 12:2 in the line "I am trusting Thee for power," and "'And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age'" seems to be referred to in the lines "Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me" in the fifth verse and "I am trusting Thee forever" in the sixth (with the "forever" echoing Jesus' "'always'").

"Vater unser" (TLH #349)

Like last time I did this tune, I played it a whole step higher than it is in the hymnal, but I'm still not sure what the key is.

"Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide"

Last year, I noticed a small feature in "Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide," sung to the tune "Ach bleib bei uns."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the sixth verse, the text here is "Preserve our faith our whole life through."  "Whole" is sung with a melisma (G F), musically giving a sense of that entirety.

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I also noticed a Biblical source I'd missed when I wrote about the hymn a few years ago.  The fourth verse mentions "The bright sword of Your mighty Word," which comes from part of Ephesians 6:17:  "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

LSB #728 "How Firm a Foundation"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 28:16, 41:10, 43:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:9

Isaiah 28:16:  "therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: "Whoever believes will not be in haste."'"

Isaiah 41:10:  "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 43:1-7:  "1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:  'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.  4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.  5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.  6 I will say to the North, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.'"

2 Corinthians 12:9:  "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

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The text is public domain:

1 How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He has said

Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2 "Fear not!  I am with you, O be not dismayed,

For I am your God and will still give you aid;

I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

3 "The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose

I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!

4 "When through fiery trials your pathway will lie,

My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply.

The flames will not hurt you; I only design

Your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

5 "Throughout all their lifetime My people will prove

My sov'reign, eternal, unchangeable love;

And then, when gray hairs will their temples adorn,

Like lambs they will still in My bosom be borne."

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Isaiah 28:16 is referred to in the first verse, and Isaiah 41:10 is paraphrased in the second verse (although "Fear not... I am with you" also appears in Isaiah 43:5).

Isaiah 43:1-7 and 2 Corinthians 12:9 both appear in the fourth verse.  The first line and part of the third ("'When through fiery trials your pathway will lie'" and "'The flames will not hurt you...'") come from Isaiah 43:2, and the second line ("'My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply.'") comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9.  There are similar images of testing done by fire in Psalm 66:10 and 1 Peter 4:12 (and in Jeremiah 6:29-30 in a more negative context).