LSB #830 "Spread the Reign of God the Lord"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 96:1-5; Matthew 22:9-10; Luke 10:2; 24:47-48; Romans 8:32; 10:15

Psalm 96:1-5:  "1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!  2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens."

Matthew 22:9-10:  "9 '"Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find."  10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good.  So the wedding halls was filled with guests.'"

Luke 10:2:  "And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"

Luke 24:47-48:  "47 'and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  48 You are witnesses of these things.'"

Romans 8:32:  "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?"

Romans 10:15:  "And how are they to preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"

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The text is public domain:

1 Spread the reign of God the Lord,

Spoken, written, mighty Word;

Ev'rywhere His creatures call

To His heav'nly banquet hall.

2 Tell how God the Father's will

Made the world, upholds it still,

How His own dear Son He gave

Us from sin and death to save.

3 Tell of our Redeemer's grace,

Who, to save our human race

And to pay rebellion's price,

Gave Himself as sacrifice.

4 Tell of God the Spirit giv'n

Now to guide us on to heav'n,

Strong and holy, just and true,

Working both to will and do.

5 Enter, mighty Word, the field;

Ripe the promise of its yield.

But the reapers, oh, how few

For the work there is to do!

6 Lord of harvest, great and kind,

Rouse to action heart and mind;

Let the gath'ring nations all

See Your light and heed Your call.

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The passage from Psalm 96 appears at the beginning of the first verse ("Spread the reign of God the Lord") and at the beginning of the second verse ("Tell how God the Father's will / Made the world, upholds it still").  The beginnings of the third and fourth verses ("Tell of our Redeemer's grace" and "Tell of God the Spirit giv'n") may be patterned on "tell of his salvation from day to day" in Psalm 96:2.

Matthew 22:9-10 appears at the end of the first verse:  "Ev'rywhere His creatures call / To His heav'nly banquet hall."

Luke 10:2 is referred to in the fifth verse, particularly the last two lines:  "But the reapers, oh, how few / For the work there is to do!"

Luke 24:47-48 overlaps a bit with Psalm 96 at the beginning of the first verse ("Spread the reign of God the Lord") and also appears at the end of the sixth verse:  "Let the gath'ring nations all / See Your light and heed Your call."

Romans 8:32 is the basis for the second half of the second verse ("How His own dear Son He gave / Us from sin and death to save") and all of the third verse.

Romans 10:15 also overlaps with Psalm 96 and Luke 24:47-48 at the beginning of the first verse ("Spread the reign of God the Lord, / Spoken, written, mighty Word").

"We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died"

"We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died" was the hymn in the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service on 11 April last year.  In it, I found yet an-other instance of a small feature I've been noting a lot lately.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Windham."  Here's the last musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here, describing the cross, is "And sweetens ev'ry bitter cup."  The phrase "ev'ry bitter cup" is sung to notes of all different pitches (A G F E D), giving a sense of this extent, especially since the pitches span a rather large interval.

LSB #829 "Christ the Eternal Lord"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 28:18-20; John 1:1-18; 14:6; 1 Peter 1:8-9

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.'"

John 1:1-18:  "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

"6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

"9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

"14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, 'This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me."')  16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

John 14:6:  "6 Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

1 Peter 1:8-9:  "8 Though you have not seen him, you love him.  Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

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Matthew 28:18-20 (specifically "'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations'" from verse 19) is alluded to in the third verse:  "Inspire our hearts, we pray, / To tell Your love abroad, / That all may honor Christ today / And follow Him as Lord."

The passage from John 1 is referred to at the beginning of the second verse ("Christ the unchanging Word"), at the beginning of the third verse ("Christ the redeeming Son, / Who shares our human birth"), and in the fourth verse ("Christ the unfading Light... That light of truth You give").

John 14:6 appears in the fourth verse (albeit in reverse order:  "The Life, the Truth, the Way," which the following lines expand upon), and the passage from 1 Peter 1 appears in the fifth verse ("Christ... Whom yet unseen we love").

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The lines "Enlighten all who read, / Within Your Word by faith to find / The bread of life indeed" at the end of the second verse refer to John 6, specifically verses 35 and 48, where Jesus calls Himself "the bread of life."

The title "Our Morning Star" in the fourth verse comes from Revelation 22:16.

The lines "Your voice from heaven's throne / Shall call Your children home at last / To know as we are known" at the end of the fifth verse seem to draw from the second part of 1 Corinthians 13:12:  "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

"My Song Is Love Unknown"

Last year, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 10 April.  The hymn was "My Song Is Love Unknown," and I noticed a small feature in it.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Love Unknown."  Here are the last four musical phrases:

In the seventh verse, the text here is "This is my friend, / In whose sweet praise / I all my days / Could gladly spend!"  The phrase "all my days" is sung to notes of all different pitches (F# G A), lending a slight sense of this breadth or entirety.

LSB #828 "We Are Called to Stand Together"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Hebrews 11, Luke 24:48, Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Hebrews 11:  "1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.  3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

"4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.  And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.  5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.  Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.  6 And without faith is it impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.  7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

"8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.  11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of and by the seashore.

"13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  14 For people who speak this make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.  15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.  16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

"17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.'  19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.  20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.  21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.  22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

"23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.  24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.  27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.  28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

"29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.  30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven das.  31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those where were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

"32 And what more shall I say?  For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.  35 Women received back their dead by resurrection.  Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.  36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.  They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - 38 of whom the world was not worthy - wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

"39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."

Luke 24:48:  "'You are witnesses of these things.'"

Matthew 28:19-20:  "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.'"

2 Timothy 4:1-5:  "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

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Hebrews 11 appears in the first verse:  "We are called to stand together / With the saints of ages past, / With the patriarchs and prophets / In the faith they once held fast."

Luke 24:48 is the basis for the second verse, but the hymn provides more detail:  "Those whom Jesus called apostles / Journeyed with Him side by side, / Heard His teaching, felt His power, / Saw the way He lived and died."

Matthew 28:19 is alluded to at the end of the second verse ("Then the news of resurrection / They delivered far and wide"), in the third verse ("Round the world the Gospel spread"), and the fourth ("Now in many tongues and cultures / Songs of celebration ring").

The "teaching" in Matthew 28:20 and the "preach[ing]" in the passage from 2 Timothy 4 are combined at the beginning of the fifth verse:  "To each coming generation / Tell the truth, persuade, explain."

"A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth"

I found some small features to note in "A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth" but waited to write about them until the appropriate season.

The hymn is sung to the tune "An Wasserflüssen Babylon."  Here's the fourth musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "None else the burden sharing."  "Burden" is sung with a descending melisma (C Bb A), musically representing a sort of bending beneath this weight.

In the fourth verse, the text is "My joy beyond all measure!"  Here, "all" is sung with a melisma (Bb A), lending a slight sense of entirety.  Additionally, the phrase "all measure" is sung to notes of all different pitches (Bb A G F), also giving a sense of breadth.

The line "O Love, how strong You are to save!" near the end of the third verse bears some resemblance to part of Psalm 31:2:  "Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!"

LSB #827 "Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 6:8; 55:10-11; Luke 10:2

Isaiah 6:8:  "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?'  Then I said, 'Here am I!  Send me.'"

Isaiah 55:10-11:  "10 'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.'"

Luke 10:2:  "And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"

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Only the first stanza is public domain:

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling,

"Who will go and work today?

Fields are white and harvests waiting -

Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Loud and long the Master calleth;

Rich reward He offers thee.

Who will answer, gladly saying,

"Here am I, send me, send me"?

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The first verse is almost the same as the first verse of "Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying" (LSB #826), so my comments on it are basically the same, too:

Isaiah 6:8 appears in the first verse ("Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, / 'Who will go and work today?'... 'Here am I, send me, send me'").

The harvest imagery in Luke 10:2 [LSB #826 also cites Matthew 9:37-38] is used in the lines "'Fields are white and harvests waiting - / Who will bear the sheaves away?'" in the first verse, although these lines also borrow from John 4:35:  "'Do you not say, "There are yet four months, then comes the harvest"?  Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.'"

Isaiah 55:10-11 is paraphrased in the third verse.

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The second verse paraphrases the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16).

In the fourth verse, the lines "When with His angelic reapers / He in glory shall descend" borrow imagery from the explanation of the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13, specifically part of verse 39:  '''The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.'"  The lines "Soon the night, the final harvest; / Soon the time for work shall cease" may borrow from John 9:4:  "'We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.'"

"From All That Dwell Below the Skies"

Months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 21 November.  The processional hymn was "From All That Dwell Below the Skies," and I noticed two small features in it.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Lasst uns erfreuen."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Let the Creator's praise arise," and the ascending melody portrays this "aris[ing]," albeit a bit more literally.

Here's the fifth musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Through ev'ry land by ev'ry tongue" (it continues the sense from the previous line:  "Let the Redeemer's name be sung").  The phrase "ev'ry tongue" is sung to notes of all different pitches (F# G A), giving a sense of breadth or entirety.

LSB #826 "Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 6:8, Luke 10:2, Matthew 9:37-38, Colossians 4:3-4

Isaiah 6:8:  "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?'  Then I said, 'Here am I!  Send me.'"

Luke 10:2:  "And he said to them [the seventy-two He sent out], 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"

Matthew 9:37-38:  "37 Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"

Colossians 4:3-4:  "3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison - 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak."

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The text is public domain:

1 Hark, the voice of Jesus crying,

"Who will go and work today?

Fields are white and harvests waiting -

Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Loud and long the Master calleth;

Rich reward He offers thee.

Who will answer, gladly saying,

"Here am I, send me, send me"?

2 If you cannot speak like angels,

If you cannot preach like Paul,

You can tell the love of Jesus,

You can say He died for all.

If you cannot rouse the wicked

With the judgement's dread alarms,

You can lead the little children

To the Savior's waiting arms.

3 If you cannot be a watchman,

Standing high on Zion's wall,

Pointing out the path to heaven,

Off'ring life and peace to all,

With your prayers and with your bounties

You can do what God commands;

You can be like faithful Aaron,

Holding up the prophet's hands.

4 Let none hear you idly saying,

"There is nothing I can do,"

While the multitudes are dying

And the Master calls for you.

Take the task He gives you gladly,

Let His work your pleasure be;

Answer quickly when He calleth,

"Here am I, send me, send me!"

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Isaiah 6:8 appears in the first verse ("Hark, the voice of Jesus crying, / 'Who will go and work today?'... 'Here am I, send me, send me'") and in the fourth ("'Here am I, send me, send me!'").

The harvest imagery in Luke 10:2 and Matthew 9:37-38 is used in the lines "'Fields are white and harvests waiting - / Who will bear the sheaves away?'" in the first verse, although these lines also borrow from John 4:35:  "'Do you not say, "There are yet four months, then comes the harvest"?  Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.'"

Colossians 4:3-4 seems to be the basis for the second and third verses.

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The lines "You can lead the little children / To the Savior's waiting arms" at the end of the second verse allude to an event recounted in Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, and Luke 18:15-17.

The lines "You can be like faithful Aaron, / Holding up the prophet's hands" at the end of the third verse refer to Exodus 17:11-12:  "11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.  12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side.  So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

The lines "Take the task he gives you gladly, / Let His work your pleasure be" in the fourth verse bear some resemblance to 1 Corinthians 7:17 ("Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.  This is my rule in all the churches.") and Ecclesiastes 3:22 ("So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot.  Who can bring him to see what will be after him?").

"Abide with Me"

A couple weeks ago, I read the clause "the darkness deepens," and it occurred to me that the repetition involved in the alliteration lends a slight sense of this greater degree.  I remembered that this clause also appears in "Abide with Me" (specifically the second line of the first verse:  "The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide"), so I thought I would note it here, too.

LSB #825 "Rise, Shine, You People"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Ephesians 5:14, Colossians 2:13-15, Isaiah 60:1, Matthew 28:18-20

Ephesians 5:14:  "for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

Colossians 2:13-15:  "13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

Isaiah 60:1:  "1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you."

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.'"

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Ephesians 5:14 and Isaiah 60:1 are combined at the beginning of the first line ("Rise, shine, you people!").

The passage from Colossians 2 is the basis for the second verse, and Matthew 28:18-20 (particularly, "'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations'") appears at the end of the third verse ("To all the world go out and tell the story / Of Jesus' glory") and throughout the fourth verse.

"Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure"

Last week, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 23 January.  The hymn was "Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure," and I noticed in particular the first line:  "Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal."  It may allude to the last part of Psalm 16:11:  "at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

LSB #823, 824 "May God Bestow on Us His Grace"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 67:1-2; 96:10-13; Isaiah 55:10-11; 62:1-2

Psalm 67:1-2:  "1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations."

Psalm 96:10-13:  "10 Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns!  Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.'

"11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it!  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness."

Isaiah 55:10-11:  "10 'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.'"

Isaiah 62:1-2:  "1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.  2 The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give."

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The text is public domain:

1 May God bestow on us His grace,

With blessings rich provide us;

And may the brightness of His face

To life eternal guide us,

That we His saving health may know,

His gracious will and pleasure,

And also to the nations show

Christ's riches without measure

And unto God convert them.

2 Thine over all shall be the praise

And thanks of ev'ry nation;

And all the world with joy shall raise

The voice of exultation.

For Thou shalt judge the earth, O Lord,

Nor suffer sin to flourish;

Thy people's pasture is Thy Word

Their souls to feed and nourish,

In righteous paths to keep them.

3 O let the people praise Thy worth,

In all good works increasing;

The land shall plenteous fruit bring forth,

Thy Word is rich in blessing.

May God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Spirit bless us!

Let all the world praise Him alone,

Let solemn awe possess us.

Now let our hearts say, "Amen!"

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Psalm 67:1-2 is paraphrased in the first verse, and the passage from Isaiah 62 is also incorporated near the end ("And also to the nations show / Christ's riches without measure").

The passage from Psalm 96 is paraphrased in the second verse, and Isaiah 55:10-11 appears near the beginning of the third verse, particularly in the lines "The land shall plenteous fruit bring forth, / Thy Word is rich in blessing."

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The end of the second verse ("Thy people's pasture is Thy Word / Their souls to feed and nourish, / In righteous paths to keep them") alludes to Psalm 23:2-3:  "2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  3 He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

"In Adam We Have All Been One"

A few months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 27 October, where the hymn was "In Adam We Have All Been One."  The last verse ends with the lines "Where with the Father evermore / And Spirit Thou art one," sung to these musical phrases from the tune "The Saints' Delight":

"Evermore" is sung with a melisma (G G F# E), and this drawing out of the word lends a slight sense of duration.

LSB #822 "Alleluia! Let Praises Ring"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Revelation 19:1, Psalm 145:15-16, Revelation 7:9-17, Titus 3:4-7

Revelation 19:1:  "1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, 'Hallelujah!  Salvation and glory and power belong to our God'"

Psalm 145:15-16:  "15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.  16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing."

Revelation 7:9-17:  "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!'  11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'

"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.

"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.'"

Titus 3:4-7:  "4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

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The text is public domain:

1 Alleluia!  Let praises ring!

To God the Father let us bring

Our songs of adoration.

To Him through everlasting days

Be worship, honor, pow'r, and praise,

Whose hand sustains creation.

Singing, ringing:

Holy, holy,

God is holy;

Spread the story

Of our God, the Lord of glory.

2 Alleluia!  Let praises ring!

Unto the Lamb of God we sing,

In whom we are elected.

He bought His Church with His own blood,

He cleansed her in that blessed flood,

And as His bride selected.

Holy, holy

Is our union

And communion.

His befriending

Gives us joy and peace unending.

3 Alleluia!  Let praises ring!

Unto the Holy Ghost we sing

For our regeneration.

The saving faith in us He wrought

And us unto the Bridegroom brought,

Made us His chosen nation.

Glory!  Glory!

Joy eternal,

Bliss supernal;

There is manna

And an endless, glad hosanna.

4 Alleluia!  Let praises ring!

Unto our triune God we sing;

Blest be His name forever!

With angel hosts let us adore

And sing His praises evermore

For all His grace and favor!

Singing, ringing:

Holy, holy

God is holy;

Spread the story

Of our God, the Lord of glory!

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Revelation 19:1 seems to appear in the recurring line "Alleluia!  Let praises ring!" at the beginning of each verse.

The passage from Psalm 145:15-16 seems to be the basis for the line "Whose hand sustains creation" in the first verse and possibly also the line "There is manna" in the third verse.

The passage from Revelation 7 appears throughout the hymn but especially in the first verse, the lines "He bought His Church with His own blood, / He cleansed her in that blessed flood" in the second verse, and "With angel hosts let us adore / And sing His praises evermore" in the fourth verse.

The passage from Titus 3 is combined with Revelation 7:14 in the lines "He bought His Church with His own blood, / He cleansed her in that blessed flood" in the second verse and is also alluded to in the lines "Unto the Holy Ghost we sing / For our regeneration" in the third verse.

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The lines "Holy, holy, / God is holy" in the first and fourth verses may refer to the "Holy, holy, holy" in Isaiah 6:3 or Revelation 4:8.

The title "the Lamb of God" in the second verse comes from John 1:29, 36.

The line "Made us His chosen nation" in the third verse may refer to 1 Peter 2:9:  "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."

"Our Father, Who from Heaven Above"

A few months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 21 October.  The hymn was "Our Father, Who from Heaven Above," and I noticed three instances where phrases are sung to notes of all different pitches, lending a sense of breadth or entirety.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Vater unser."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Bids all of us to live in love" (the subject is "Our Father" from the previous line).  The phrase "all of us" is sung to the notes G F Bb.

In the seventh verse, the text, describing temptation, is "Where our grim foe and all his horde" (the sense carries over into the next line:  "Would vex our souls on ev'ry hand").  Here, the phrase "all his horde" is sung to the notes Eb F G.

Here's the fifth musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "Curb flesh and blood and ev'ry ill," and the phrase "ev'ry ill" is sung to the notes G F Eb.

LSB #821 "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Revelation 7:9-14; Hebrews 9:11-28; John 6:31-35, 48-51; 14:18-19

Revelation 7:9-14:  "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!'  11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'

"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.'"

Hebrews 9:11-28:  "11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

"15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.  16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.  17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.  18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.  19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.'  21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.  22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

"23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.  But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

John 6:31-35:  "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.'"

John 6:48-51:  "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.'"

John 14:18-19:  "18 'I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.  Because I live, you also will live.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 Alleluia!  Sing to Jesus;

His the scepter, His the throne;

Alleluia!  His the triumph, His the victory alone.

Hark!  The songs of peaceful Zion

Thunder like a mighty flood:

"Jesus out of ev'ry nation

Has redeemed us by His blood."

2 Alleluia!  Not as orphans

Are we left in sorrow now;

Alleluia!  He is near us;

Faith believes, nor questions how.

Though the cloud from sight received Him

When the forty days were o'er,

Shall our hearts forget His promise:

"I am with you evermore"?

3 Alleluia!  Bread of heaven,

Here on earth our food, our stay;

Alleluia!  Here the sinful

Flee to You from day to day.

Intercessor, Friend of sinners,

Earth's Redeemer, hear our plea

Where the songs of all the sinless

Sweep across the crystal sea.

4 Alleluia!  King eternal,

Lord omnipotent we own;

Alleluia!  Born of Mary,

Earth Your footstool, heav'n Your throne.

As within the veil You entered,

Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,

Here on earth both priest and victim

In the euchatistic feast.

5 Alleluia!  Sing to Jesus;

His the scepter, His the throne;

Alleluia!  His the triumph,

His the victory alone.

Hark!  The songs of peaceful Zion

Thunder like a mighty flood:

"Jesus out of ev'ry nation

Has redeemed us by His blood."

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Revelation 7:9-14 and Hebrews 9:11-28 appear at the end of the first verse (repeated as the fifth verse):  "'Jesus out of ev'ry nation / Has redeemed us by His blood.'"  Hebrews 9:11-28 is also referred to in the second half of the fourth verse.

The two passages from John 6 are the basis for the third verse, especially the title "Bread of heaven."

The passage from John 14, particularly verse 18, is referred to at the beginning of the second verse:  "Alleluia!  Not as orphans / Are we left in sorrow now."

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The line "His the scepter, His the throne" in the first and fifth verses may refer to Psalm 45:6:  "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.  The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness."  This passage is also cited in Hebrews 1:8.

The lines "Though the cloud from sight received Him / When the forty days were o'er" in the second verse refer to the account of the Ascension in Acts 1, specifically verses 3 (the forty days) and 9 ("a cloud took him out of their sight").

The line "Earth Your footstool, heav'n Your throne" in the fourth verse borrows descriptions from Matthew 5:34-35:  "34 'But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.'"

"To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord"

Last week, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from the 13th, in which the hymn was "To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord."  I've written about this hymn before, but I noticed an-other small feature in it.

Near the end of the sixth verse, there's the line "And they are lost forever," referring to "those who cast aside / This grace so freely given" from earlier in the verse.  It's sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Christ, unser Herr":

"Forever" is sung with a melisma (Eb F Eb D C), lending a sense of this extended duration.

LSB #820 "My Soul, Now Praise Your Maker"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 103; Isaiah 40:6-8; 57:15-16; Psalm 119:89-90

Psalm 103:  "1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!  2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

"6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.  7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.  8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.  10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.  14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.  15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.  17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.  19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

"20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!  21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!  22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion.  Bless the LORD, O my soul!"

Isaiah 40:6-8:  "6 A voice says, 'Cry!'  And I said, 'What shall I cry?'  All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.  7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.  8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."

Isaiah 57:15-16:  "15 For this says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:  'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.  16 For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.'"

Psalm 119:89-90:  "89 Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.  90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast."

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The text is public domain:

1 My soul, now praise your Maker!

Let all within me bless his name

Who makes you full partaker

Of mercies more than you dare claim.

Forget Him not whose meekness

Still bears with all your sin,

Who heals your ev'ry weakness,

Renews your life within;

Whose grace and care are endless

And saved you through the past;

Who leaves no suff'rer friendless

But rights the wronged at last.

2 He offers all His treasure

Of justice, truth, and righteousness,

His love beyond all measure,

His yearning pity o'er distress;

Nor treats us as we merit

But sets His anger by.

The poor and contrite spirit

Finds His compassion nigh;

And high as heav'n above us,

As dawn from close of day,

So far, since He has loved us,

He puts our sins away.

3 For as a tender father

Has pity on His children here,

God in His arms will gather

All who are His in childlike fear.

He knows how frail our powers,

Who but from dust are made.

We flourish like the flowers,

And even so we fade;

The wind but through them passes,

And all their bloom is o'er.

We wither like the grasses;

Our place knows us no more.

4 His grace remains forever,

And children's children yet shall prove

That God forsakes them never

Who in true fear shall seek His love.

In heav'n is fixed His dwelling,

His rule is over all;

O hosts with might excelling,

With praise before Him fall.

Praise Him forever reigning,

All you who hear His Word -

Our life and all sustaining.

My soul, O praise the Lord!

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For the most part, the hymn text is a paraphrase of Psalm 103.  Roughly, the hymn's first verse is from verses 1-6; the second verse from verses 6-12; the third verse from verses 13-16; and the fourth verse from verses 17-22.

The passage from Isaiah 40 is combined with Psalm 103:15-16 in the third verse:  "We flourish like the flowers, / And even so we fade...."

The passage from Isaiah 57 appears in the lines "The poor and contrite spirit / Finds His compassion nigh" in the second verse.

The passage from Psalm 119 is combined with Psalm 103:19 in the fourth verse:  "In heav'n is fixed His dwelling."

"If God Himself Be for Me"

Last week, I discovered an-other Biblical source for "If God Himself Be for Me."  The first two lines of the hymn are "If God Himself be for me, / I may a host defy," which seem to paraphrase the first half of Psalm 18:29:  "For by you I can run against a troop."

[Here are links to my original post on the Biblical sources and a later addendum.]

LSB #819 "Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Deuteronomy 32:3, Psalm 96:1-8, Ephesians 1:3-8, John 11:27-28

Deuteronomy 32:3:  "For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!"

Psalm 96:1-8:  "1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!  2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

"7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!  8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!"

Ephesians 1:3-8:  "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight"

John 11:27-28:  "27 She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'

"28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, 'The Teacher is here and is calling for you.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 Sing praise to God, the highest good,

The author of creation,

The God of love who understood

Our need for His salvation.

With healing balm our souls He fills

And ev'ry faithless murmur stills:

To God all praise and glory!

2 What God's almighty pow'r has made,

In mercy He is keeping.

By morning glow or evening shade

His eye is never sleeping.

Within the kingdom of His might

All things are just and good and right:

To God all praise and glory!

3 We sought the Lord in our distress;

O God, in mercy hear us.

Our Savior saw our helplessness

And came with peace to cheer us.

For this we thank and praise the Lord,

Who is by one and all adored:

To God all praise and glory!

4 He never shall forsake His flock,

His chosen generation;

He is their refuge and their rock,

Their peace and their salvation.

As with a mother's tender hand,

He leads His own, His chosen band:

To God all praise and glory!

5 All who confess Christ's holy name,

Give God the praise and glory.

Let all who know His pow'r proclaim

Aloud the wondrous story.

Cast ev'ry idol from its throne,

For God is God, and He alone:

To God all praise and glory!

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Deuteronomy 32:3 seems to appear in the recurring line "To God all praise and glory!" and the similar line "Give God the praise and glory" in the fifth verse.

Sections from the passage from Psalm 96 appear throughout the hymn:  verses 1-2 in the line "Sing praise to God, the highest good" in the hymn's first verse, verses 4-5 in the lines "Cast ev'ry idol from its throne, / For God is God, and He alone" in the hymn's fifth verse, and part of verse 7 ("ascribe to the LORD glory and strength") overlaps with Deuteronomy 32:3 in the line "To God all praise and glory!"

In a general way, Ephesians 1:3-8 and John 11:27-28 seem to be the basis for the lines "The God of love who understood / Our need for His salvation. / With healing balm our souls He fills / And ev'ry faithless murmur stills" in the first verse, "Our Savior saw our helplessness / And came with peace to cheer us" in the third verse, and most of the fourth verse.

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The lines "By morning glow or evening shade / His eye is never sleeping" seem to be drawn from Psalm 121:4:  "Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."

"Hail, O Source of Every Blessing"

Years ago, I noticed a small feature in "Hail, O Source of Every Blessing."  I neglected to write about it at the time, but I ran across it again recently.

About halfway through the first verse, there's the line "Grateful now, we fall before You," sung to this musical phrase from the tune "O Durchbrecher":

The melody descends, musically illustrating this "fall[ing]."

LSB #818 "In Thee Is Gladness"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 16:20-22, 1 Peter 1:6-9, Psalm 30:11-12, Romans 8:38-39

John 16:20-22:  "20 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.  You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.  21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.'"

1 Peter 1:6-9:  "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.  8 Though you have not seen him, you love him.  Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Psalm 30:11-12:  "11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"

Romans 8:38-39:  "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."

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The text is public domain:

1 In Thee is gladness

Amid all sadness,

Jesus, sunshine of my heart.

By Thee are given

The gifts of heaven,

Thou the true Redeemer art.

Our souls Thou wakest,

Our bonds Thou breakest;

Who trusts Thee surely

Has built securely;

He stands forever:

Alleluia!

Our hearts are pining

To see Thy shining,

Dying or living

To Thee are cleaving;

Naught can us sever:

Alleluia!

2 Since He is ours,

We fear no powers,

Not of earth nor sin nor death.

He sees and blesses

In worst distresses;

He can change them with a breath.

Wherefore the story

Tell of His glory

With hearts and voices;

All heav'n rejoices

In Him forever:

Alleluia!

We shout for gladness,

Triumph o'er sadness,

Love Him and praise Him

And still shall raise Him

Glad hymns forever:

Alleluia!

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The first three citations (John 16:20-22, 1 Peter 1:6-9, and Psalm 30:11-12) have a similar theme (rejoicing or gladness) that appears throughout the hymn but especially in the first line ("In Thee is gladness") and the end of the second verse ("All heav'n rejoices... We shout for gladness... And still shall raise Him / Glad hymns forever").  Additionally, Psalm 30:11 seems to be the basis for the line "He can change them with a breath" in the second verse.

The passage from Romans 8 bridges the end of the first verse and the beginning of the second:  "Dying or living / To Thee are cleaving / Naught can us sever: / Alleluia! // Since He is ours, / We fear no powers, / Not of earth nor sin nor death."

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The lines "Who trusts Thee surely / Has built securely" in the first verse seem to refer to Matthew 7:24, where Jesus says that "'Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.'"

"God Loves Me Dearly"

"God Loves Me Dearly" was one of the hymns in the Christmas Eve service I attended, and I noticed a couple small features about it.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Gott ist die Liebe," and this title is taken from 1 John 4:8, 16:  "God is love."

The refrain is:

Therefore I'll say again:

God loves me dearly,

God loves me dearly,

Loves even me.

The recurring nature of the refrain relates to the "again" in the text.  Both involve repetition.