"Word of God, Come Down on Earth"

Years ago, I wrote about some small features in "Word of God, Come Down on Earth," but when it was in a Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service recently (on the 4th), I noticed an-other small point.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier."  Here's the second-to-last phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "Word of truth, to all truth lead us."  The second "truth" is sung with a melisma (A G), giving a sense of the entirety of that modifying "all."

LSB #770 "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 7:7-8, Hebrews 4:15, John 15:14-16, 1 Peter 2:24

Matthew 7:7-8:  "7 'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.'"

Hebrews 4:15:  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

John 15:14-16:  "14 'You are my friends if you do what I command you.  15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.'"

1 Peter 2:24:  "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."

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The text is public domain:

1 What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Ev'rything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit;

Oh, what needless pain we bear -

All because we do not carry

Ev'rything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged -

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness -

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3 Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge -

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In His arms He'll take and shield thee;

Thou wilt find a solace there.

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The passage from Matthew 7 and the end of John 15:16 seem to appear in the recurring references to prayer ("What a privilege to carry / Ev'rything to God in prayer" in the first verse and "Take it to the Lord in prayer" in the second and third).

Hebrews 4:15 appears in the lines "Can we find a friend so faithful / Who will all our sorrows share? / Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness" in the second verse.

The passage from John 15 is the basis for the line "What a friend we have in Jesus," although there's a bit of overlap with Hebrews 4:15, and 1 Peter 2:24 appears in the following line:  "All our sins and griefs to bear!"

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The repeated reference to prayer may allude to "Be constant in prayer" from Romans 12:12.  The first half of the second verse also bears some similarity to Philippians 4:6:  "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

"With the Lord Begin Your Task"

I was looking at "With the Lord Begin Your Task" a couple months ago and found a number of instances of the same sort of feature.  The hymn is sung to the tune "Fang dein Werk."  Here are the first two musical phrases:

In the fifth verse, the text here is "Thus, Lord Jesus, ev'ry task / Be to You commended."  The phrase "ev'ry task" is sung to notes of all different pitches (A G E), giving a sense of breadth or entirety.

These musical phrases are repeated for the next two lines.  In the second verse, the text is "On the Lord cast ev'ry care; / He is your salvation," and the phrase "ev'ry care" is sung to the same group of notes (A G E), providing the same effect.

Here are the fifth and sixth musical phrases:

In the first verse, the text here is "Ev'ry morn with Jesus rise, / And when day is ended."  The same feature is here, too:  the phrase "ev'ry morn" is sung to notes of all different pitches (A B C), but now this articulation lends something more like a sense of number.

In the third verse, the text is "All your trust and hope repose / In the mighty Master."  Like the above, the phrase "all your trust" is sung to notes of all different pitches (A B C), giving a sense of entirety.

LSB #769 "Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:18; Luke 11:1-4; 22:42

Romans 8:26-27:  "26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of 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"

Luke 11:1-4:  "1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.'  2 And he said to them, 'When you pray, say:  Father, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come.  3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And lead us not into temptation.'"

Luke 22:42:  "saying, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.'"

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The passage from Romans 8 and the verse from Ephesians seem to be the basis for the hymn.  Part of Romans 8:26 is paraphrased in the first verse as "I know not how to ask or what to say."  The line "Come, pray in me the prayer I need this day" at the beginning of the second verse bears the closest resemblance to Ephesians 6:18.

The first part of the passage from Luke 11 is alluded to at the end of the first verse:  "And only You can teach me how to pray."  Both passages from Luke also seem to be referred to in the second verse:  Luke 22:42 in the line "Help me to see Your purpose and Your will" and Luke 11:1-4 (particularly verse 4) in the line "Held in forgiving love, let me be still."

Messiah: No. 36 Thou art gone up on high

I've been reading a German/English edition of Luther's Small Catechism, and recently, I found a text that's used in Handel's Messiah.  Among the Biblical citations under "What do the Scriptures testify concerning Christ's ascension into heaven?" in the explanation to the second article of the creed is Psalm 68:18:  "Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also."  In Handel's Messiah, this appears in Part II, No. 36 as "Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea even for thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them."

Previously, I'd noted that the Messiah text resembles Ephesians 4:8, but that verse is actually quoting Psalm 68:18.

In thinking about the movement, I realized that the music matches the text in that the repeated "Thou art gone up" is sung to phrases that generally ascend:

In some instances, particularly the third, "high" is sung to the highest pitch in the phrase, and this also illustrates the meaning.

[Notation source]

"Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You"

I wrote about the Biblical sources for "Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You" a couple years ago, but when it was in the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service for 24 January, I found an-other one.  The last lines of the second verse are "The race well run, / Your long war won, / Your crown shines splendid as the sun."  As I noted before, the general situation here comes from 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, but the last line specifically ("Your crown shines splendid as the sun") alludes to Psalm 132:18, where the LORD says, "His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine."

LSB #768 "To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 16:13, Ephesians 4:3-6, Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 12:3

John 16:13:  "'When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.'"

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 8:26:  "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

1 Corinthians 12:3:  "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says 'Jesus is accursed!' and no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit."

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John 16:13 appears in the lines "To God the Holy Spirit let us pray / For the true faith needed on our way" in the first verse.  It also seems to appear, along with 1 Corinthians 12:3, in the line "Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright" in the fourth verse.

The passage from Ephesians 4 is the basis for the second verse, especially the lines "That with hearts united we love each other, / Ev'ry stranger, sister, and brother."

Romans 8:26 appears throughout the hymn but particularly in the line "To God the Holy Spirit let us pray" in the first verse and in all of the third verse, which describes "our weakness" ("in our ev'ry need, / Help us... That we may not falter nor courage fail us / When the foe shall taunt and assail us").

"The Day Is Surely Drawing Near"

A couple months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 22 November.  The hymn was "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near," and I noticed two instances of the same sort of feature.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Es ist gewisslich."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "And all the earth be shaken."  The phrase "all the earth" is sung to notes of all different pitches (B C D), giving a sense of that breadth.

Here's the fifth musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "And ev'ry heart be clearly seen."  Here, the phrase "ev'ry heart" is sung to notes of all different pitches (B A G), providing a similar effect as above.

LSB #767 "Jesus, Remember Me"

The text of this hymn is taken directly from Luke 23:42.  I'm including it anyway for the sake of completeness, but when I get to the Biblical Canticles and Liturgical Music sections, there will be some hymns I'll skip because they're just the Biblical texts set to music.

Luke 23:42:  "And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'"

"No Temple Now, No Gift of Price"

A couple months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 14 November.  The hymn was "No Temple Now, No Gift of Price," and I noticed a small feature in it.  It's sung to the tune "Kirkwood"; here's the third musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "Complete in ev'ry part" (it further describes the previous lines:  "The dying Lord our ransom paid, / One final full self-off'ring made").  The words "ev'ry part" are sung to notes of all different pitches (F E D), giving a sense of this entirety.

LSB #766 "Our Father, Who from Heaven Above"

Biblical citation in the hymnal:  Matthew 6:9-13

Matthew 6:9-13:  "9 'Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."'"

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Only some of the stanzas are public domain:

1 Our Father, who from heav'n above

Bids all of us to live in love

As members of one family

And pray to You in unity,

Teach us no thoughtless words to say

But from our inmost hearts to pray.

6 Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,

That they may trouble us no more;

We, too, will gladly those forgive

Who hurt us by the way they live.

Help us in our community

To serve each other willingly.

8 From evil, Lord, deliver us;

The times and days are perilous.

Redeem us from eternal death,

And, when we yield our dying breath,

Console us, grant us calm release,

And take our souls to You in peace.

9 Amen, that is, so shall it be.

Make strong our faith in You, that we

May doubt not but with trust believe

That what we ask we shall receive.

Thus in Your name and at Your Word

We say, "Amen, O hear us, Lord!"

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The hymn is an expansion of the text of the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6.  Along with the introduction and conclusion, each petition (as outlined in Luther's Small Catechism) has its own verse.

The last line of the fifth verse ("To care and greed no entrance give") may allude to Proverbs 30:8-9:  "8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God."

The line "That what we ask we shall receive" in the ninth verse refers to Matthew 7:7-8:  "7 'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.'"

"O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright"

Last year, I noticed a few features in "O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright."  Because it's an Epiphany hymn, though, I waited to write about it until it was seasonally appropriate.

It's sung to the tune "Wie schön leuchtet."  Here's the third musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "A ray of purest pleasure."  It's sung to a generally descending phrase, so there's a sense of its "fall[ing]," which is described in the previous line:  "At once there falls from God above."  (Years ago, I noted that the second half of the line "At once there falls from God above" also descends, matching the "fall[ing]" there.)

Here's the last musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here, apparently still describing the Morning Star, is "Rule and might o'er all possessing!"  Pitch-wise, "Rule" (sung to a D) and "might" (sung to a B) really are over "all" (sung to a G).

LSB #765 "God Moves in a Mysterious Way"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 11:33, Isaiah 38:17, Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11

Romans 11:33:  "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!"

Isaiah 38:17:  "Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back."

Romans 8:28:  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Jeremiah 29:11:  "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

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The text is public domain:

1 God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

2 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

Faith sees a smiling face.

3 His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding ev'ry hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flow'r.

4 Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

5 You fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds you so much dread

Are big with mercy and will break

In blessings on your head.

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Romans 11:33 (particularly "how inscrutable his ways") appears in the first two lines:  "God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform."

Isaiah 38:17 seems to appear in the third verse; the hymn uses a similar description ("a bitter taste").

Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11 seem to be combined in the second half of the second verse ("Behind a frowning providence / Faith sees a smiling face") and the entirety of the fifth verse.

"From God the Father, Virgin-Born"

Last year, I noticed a handful of small features in "From God the Father, Virgin-Born," but since it's an Epiphany hymn, I had to wait until it was seasonally appropriate to write about.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Deus tuorum militum."  Here's the first musical phrase:

In the sixth verse, the text here is "To You, O Lord, all glory be."  The phrase "all glory" is sung to notes of all different pitches (F Eb D C), and "glory" is sung with a melisma (Eb D C), and both of these features provide a sense of the entirety of that "all."

The third musical phrase:

In the sixth verse, the text here is "To God, whom all His hosts adore," and it exhibits the same sort of feature:  "hosts" is sung with a melisma (Eb D), giving a sense of that "all."

The fourth musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "And take away the stain of sin."  "Away" is sung with a melisma (Bb F Eb), giving a sense of movement, although more metaphorical than literal.

In the fifth verse, the text is "From ev'ry harm Your people shield."  The phrase "ev'ry harm" is sung with a melisma and to all different pitches (G A Bb | F Eb), so as with "all glory" above, there's a sense of entirety or breadth.

LSB #764 "When Aimless Violence Takes Those We Love"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 4:12-14, 19; Psalm 9:9-10

2 Corinthians 1:3-5:  "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."

1 Peter 2:21-24: "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."

1 Peter 4:12-14:  "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.  14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

1 Peter 4:19:  "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."

Psalm 9:9-10:  "9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."

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The suffering mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 and 1 Peter 4:12-14, 19 appears throughout the hymn, but especially in the first verse, and the comfort in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 is referred to at the ends of the fourth and fifth verses ("Your loving presence [is] near, always the same" and "To rest our souls in Your supporting love, / And find our hope within Your mercy sure.").  The passage from 1 Peter 2 is the basis for the fourth verse ("Because Your Son knew agony and loss..."), and the last part of Psalm 9:10 appears throughout:  "We know, O God, You leave us not alone" at the end of the first verse, "Dear Lord, You do not stand from us apart" at the end of the second, "Yet You, O God, are with us in our pain" in the third, and "We know You will be with us, come what may" in the fourth.  1 Peter 4:19 and Psalm 9:9-10 (specifically "entrust[ing] their souls" and "put their trust in you") both appear in the fifth verse:  "help us, dear Lord, / To trust Your grace for courage to endure."

"Let Our Gladness Have No End"

Last month, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from the 11th, which had a lessons and carols sort of format.  One of the hymns was "Let Our Gladness Have No End," and I noticed a small feature in it.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Narodil se Kristus Pán."  Here's the second phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!"  The first half of the phrase descends, giving a sense of the text's meaning.

LSB #763 "When Peace, like a River"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 26:3, Luke 2:29, Romans 5:1, Colossians 3:15

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

Luke 2:29:  "'Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word'"

Romans 5:1:  "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Colossians 3:15:  "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful."

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The text is public domain:

1 When peace, like a river, attendeth my way;

When sorrows, like sea billows, roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

3 He lives - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought;

My sin, not in part, but the whole,

Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

4 And, Lord, haste the day when our faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,

The trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend;

Even so it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

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All of the cited passages mention peace, which appears in the first line and more generally in the refrain.  Romans 5:1 may also appear (but only generally) in the second and third verses.  The simile in the title line ("peace, like a river") seems to come from part of Isaiah 66:12:  "For thus says the LORD:  'Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream....'"

Parts of the fourth verse come from Revelation 6:14 ("The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.") and 1 Corinthians 15:52 ("in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.").