"Just a Closer Walk with Thee"

Registration:

Upper:  88 8888 003

Lower:  00 7643 234

Pedal:  54

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

"Walder" (TLH #285)

Transposed from Ab major to G major

"Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise"

A couple years ago, I noticed some melodic shapes in the tune "Ellers" that match the text in the first verse of "Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise."

The first two lines of the hymn are "Savior, again to Thy dear name we raise / With one accord our parting hymn of praise," sung to these musical phrases:

The "rais[ing]" is metaphorical, but because these phrases ascend, there's a literal sense of it in the music, for both the verb ("we raise") and the direct object ("our parting hymn of praise").

The last line of the first verse is "Then, lowly bending, wait Thy word of peace," sung to this phrase:

The opposite effect is illustrated here:  the phrase "lowly bending" is sung to a descending group of notes (A G G E), providing a sense of that action.

LSB #664 "Fight the Good Fight"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Timothy 6:12, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 55:22

1 Timothy 6:12:  "Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

1 Corinthians 9:24-27:  "24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.  25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

1 Peter 5:7:  "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Psalm 55:22:  "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."

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The text is public domain:

Fight the good fight with all your might;

Christ is your strength, and Christ your right.

Lay hold on life, and it shall be

Your joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God's good grace;

Lift up your eyes, and seek His face.

Life with its way before us lies;

Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.

Cast care aside, lean on your guide;

His boundless mercy will provide.

Trust, and enduring faith shall prove

Christ is your life and Christ your love.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near;

He changes not who holds you dear;

Only believe, and you will see

That Christ is all eternally.

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The cited passages are easy to distinguish in the hymn text.  1 Timothy 6:12 appears in the first verse; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 appears in the second verse; and 1 Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22 both appear in the third verse.

The first half of the line "He changes not who holds you dear" in the fourth verse may be drawn from Hebrews 13:8:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

"Rock of Ages"

Registration:

Upper:  00 7856 321

Lower:  00 5432 222

Pedal:  44

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

"Bedford" (TLH #284)

"Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old"

Over the last two years, I found a couple small features to note in "Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old," sung to the tune "Kingsfold."

Near the end of the second verse, there's a line that describes God as "Almighty as before," sung to this musical phrase:

The "al-" of "almighty" is sung with a merism (G A), giving a sense of this entirety.

The last two lines of the third verse (and of the whole hymn) are "That whole and sick and weak and strong / May praise You evermore."  That last line is sung to this phrase:

"Evermore" is sung with a melisma (A G E E), and since it's drawn out, there's a sense of that duration.

LSB #663 "Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 25:5, 13; 26:41; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-9; Revelation 16:15

Matthew 25:5:  "'As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.'"

Matthew 25:13:  "'Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.'"

Matthew 26:41:  "'Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'"

1 Thessalonians 5:5-9:  "5 For you are all children of light, children of the day.  We are not of the night or of the darkness.  6 So then let us not sleep, as other do, but let us keep awake and be sober.  7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.  8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ"

Revelation 16:15:  "('Behold, I am coming like a thief!  Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!')"

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The text is public domain:

Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;

From your sleep awaken!

Be not by the evil day

Unawares o'ertaken;

For the foe,

Well we know,

Is a harvest reaping

While the saints are sleeping.

Watch against the devil's snares

Lest asleep he find you;

For indeed no pains he spares

To deceive and blind you.

Satan's prey

Oft are they

Who secure are sleeping

And no watch are keeping.

Watch! Let not the wicked world

With its lies defeat you

Lest with bold deceptions hurled

It betray and cheat you.

Watch and see

Lest there be

Faithless friends to charm you,

Who but seek to harm you.

Watch against yourself, my soul,

Lest with grace you trifle;

Let not self your thoughts control

Nor God's mercy stifle.

Pride and sin

Lurk within,

All your hopes to shatter;

Heed not when they flatter.

But while watching, also pray

To the Lord unceasing.

God protects you day by day,

Strength and faith increasing,

So that still

Mind and will

Shall unite to serve Him

And forever love Him.

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Much of the hymn is about staying awake and watchful.  All of the cited passages deal with at least one of these, so it's difficult to tell where or if the hymn draws from one passage more than an-other.  The first two verses, however, mention sleep, and this indicates a bit more influence from Matthew 25:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:5-9, and Revelation 16:15.

"My Faith Looks Up to Thee"

Registration:

Upper:  42 8875 543

Lower:  00 5645 322

Pedal:  44

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

"Reuter" (TLH #283)

Transposed from Eb major to F major

"Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten"

Two years ago, I noticed some small features in a line in "Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten," sung to the tune "Westminster Abbey."

About halfway through the first verse, there's the line "Full of truth and full of grace" (from John 1:14), sung to this musical phrase:

"Truth" and the second "full" are both sung with melismas (A B and G F#, respectively), and these articulations provide a sense of that abundance.

LSB #662 "Onward, Christian Soldiers"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Matthew 16:18; Psalm 145:13; Ephesians 4:4-6; 6:10-18

Matthew 16:18:  "'And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'"

Psalm 145:13:  "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.  The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works."

Ephesians 4:4-6:  "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."

Ephesians 6:10-18:  "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 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"

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The text is public domain:

Onward, Christian soldiers,

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Christ, the royal master,

Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle

See His banners go!

Onward, Christian soldiers,

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Like a mighty army

Moves the Church of God;

Brothers, we are treading

Where the saints have trod.

We are not divided,

All one body we,

One in hope and doctrine,

One in charity.

Onward, Christian soldiers,

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Crowns and thrones may perish,

Kingdoms rise and wane,

But the Church of Jesus

Constant will remain.

Gates of hell can never

'Gainst that Church prevail;

We have Christ's own promise,

And that cannot fail.

Onward, Christian soldiers,

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Onward, then, ye faithful,

Join our happy throng,

Blend with ours your voices

In the triumph song:

Glory, laud, and honor

Unto Christ, the king;

This through countless ages

Men and angels sing.

Onward, Christian soldiers,

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

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The martial imagery in the hymn, particularly in the first two verses and the refrain, seems to come from Ephesians 6:10-18.

Ephesians 4:4-6 appears at the end of the second verse:  "We are not divided, / All one body we, / One in hope and doctrine, / One in charity."

Psalm 145:13 and Matthew 16:18 both appear in the third verse:  "But the Church of Jesus / Constant will remain. / Gates of hell can never / 'Gainst that Church prevail."

The second half of the fourth verse may come from Revelation 5:11-14:  "11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'  13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!'  14 And the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' and the elders fell down and worshiped."