"With High Delight Let Us Unite"

A few weeks ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 30 April, which was a lessons and carols sort of service with an Easter theme.  One of the hymns was "With High Delight Let Us Unite."  I wrote about some features in this hymn before, but I found a new one.

The first verse ends with the lines "Forever, He / Is ris'n and sends / To all earth's ends / Good news to save ev'ry nation."  The phrase "all earth's ends" is sung to notes of all different pitches (F# G A), giving a sense of this breadth.  Here's the musical phrase to which that line is sung, from the tune "Mit Freuden zart":

LSB #786 "Lord of All Good"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 4:10-11

Romans 12:1:  "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

1 Peter 4:10-11:  "10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:   11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen."

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1 Peter 4:10-11 appears in the first two verses of the hymn, most clearly in the first line of the first verse ("Lord of all good, our gifts we bring You now") and the last line of the second ("Thus for Your glory all our pow'rs combine"), and Romans 12:1 is paraphrased in the last line of the third verse ("To You [the Trinity] with grateful hearts ourselves we give").  The image of the body as a "living sacrifice" from Romans 12:1 and the various gifts and service from 1 Peter 4:10-11 are also combined in the second verse:  "We give our minds to understand Your ways; / Hands, eyes, and voice to serve Your great design; / Hearts with the flame of Your own love ablaze."

"O Sons and Daughters of the King"

A few weeks ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 29 April.  The hymn was "O Sons and Daughters of the King" (LSB #471, paired with the tune "O filii et filiae"), and I noticed a couple small features to note.

Here's the first musical phrase:

In the ninth verse, the text here is "On this most holy day of days."  "Holy" is sung with a melisma (D C Bb), giving a sense of the modifying "most" (more notes for the superlative degree).

The third musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is what the angel says to the women at the tomb:  "Your Lord will go to Galilee."  "Go" is sung with a melisma (G F), giving a slight sense of this movement.

LSB #785 "We Praise You, O God"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 107:31-32; Psalm 44:1-8; 95:1-7

Psalm 107:31-32:  "31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders."

Psalm 44:1-8:  "1 O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:  2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; 3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.

"4 You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob!  5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.  6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.  7 But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.  8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever."

Psalm 95:1-7:  "1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.  5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

"6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!  7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.  Today, if you hear his voice,"

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The text is public domain:

1 We praise You, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;

In grateful devotion our tribute we bring.

We lay it before You, we kneel and adore You;

We bless Your holy name, glad praises we sing.

2 We worship You, God of our fathers, we bless You;

Through trial and tempest our guide You have been.

When perils o'ertake us, You will not forsake us,

And with Your help, O Lord, our struggles we win.

3 With voices united our praises we offer

And gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.

With You, Lord, beside us, Your strong arm will guide us.

To You, our great Redeemer, forever be praise!

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The passages from the Psalms have similar themes (thanksgiving and praise), but there are some elements in the hymn that can be traced to a specific passage.

The title "Creator" in the first verse alludes to Psalm 95:5 ("The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."), and the kneeling ("we kneel and adore You") comes from Psalm 95:6 ("let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!").  The title "God of our fathers" in the second verse seems to allude to Psalm 44:1 ("O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old."), and the "trial and tempest" and "perils" in the second verse and God's "strong arm" in the third also come from the passage from Psalm 44, especially verses 2-3.  The "voices united" in "songs of thanksgiving" at the beginning of the third verse come from Psalm 95:1-2 ("let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise... with thanksgiving").

The passage from Psalm 107 seems to appear only generally.

"Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds"

A couple weeks ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 28 April, in which the hymn was "Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds."  I noticed a small feature in the line "All the glory, never ending!" near the end of the fourth verse, sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Lasst uns erfreuen":

The phrase "All the glory" is sung to notes of all different pitches (Ab G F Eb), providing a sense of this entirety.

LSB #783, 784 "Take My Life and Let It Be"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 12:1-2, Romans 6:13, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:15

Romans 12:1-2:  "1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  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."

Romans 6:13:  "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness."

1 Corinthians 6:20:  "for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body."

2 Corinthians 5:15:  "and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

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The text is public domain:

1 Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3 Take my voice and let me sing

Always, only for my King;

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect and use

Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store;

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

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All of the cited passages have a similar theme, which is summarized in the first two lines of the hymn:  "Take my life and let it be / Consecrated, Lord to Thee."  Romans 6:13 is a bit more prominent than the other texts; the hymn expands on "present... your members to God as instruments for righteousness" and provides specific examples:  "Take my hands... Take my feet..." and so on.

The lines "Take my feet and let them be / Swift and beautiful for Thee" refer to Isaiah 52:7:  "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'"

"God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It"

A number of years ago, I wrote a post about some small features in "God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It," but when it was the hymn in a Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service recently (on 16 April), I found more to add.  The third line of the fourth verse is "When I die, I leave all sadness," sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Bachofen":

"All" is sung with a melisma (G F), and the phrase "All sadness" is sung to notes of all different pitches (G F E C).  Both of these articulations provide a sense of breadth or entirety.

LSB #782 "Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 John 3:16-18, Matthew 5:16

Lamentations 3:22-23:  "22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

1 Peter 4:10-11:  "10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:  11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen."

1 John 3:16-18:  "16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Matthew 5:16:  "'In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.'"

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The passage from Lamentations 3 appears in the first verse:  "Gracious God, You send great blessings / New each morning all our days. / For Your mercies never-ending, / For Your love we offer praise."

1 Peter 4:10 appears in the lines "As we tend that endless treasure / May our care encircle all" in the second verse and in the line "Who Your gifts unnumbered claim" in the refrain.  1 Peter 4:11 is combined with Matthew 5:16 in the rest of the refrain:  "Lord, we pray that we... Through the sharing of Your blessings / May bring glory to Your name."

The text from 1 John 3 is the basis for the third verse, especially the second half:  "May our deeds of dedication / Offer love that never ends."

"O Lord, We Praise Thee"

"O Lord, We Praise Thee" was one of the hymns in a church service I attended a couple weeks ago, and I noticed a small feature in it.  Near the end of the second verse, there's the line "All our debt Thou hast paid," sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet":

The phrase "All our debt" is sung to notes of all different pitches (E F G), giving something of a sense of this entirety.