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"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty!" | Second Sunday after Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES:
Stanza 1 // The first stanza is a call to praise the Lord. This might seem somewhat generic and appropriate for any Sunday in the Church Year, and to some extent, the hymnal even acknowledges this. But, we join in praise because Christ is “our health and salvation!” This echoes our Lord’s words to call “not the righteous, but sinners” - those in need of salvation and new life. Further, this stanza places our gathering in the context of what Christ promises. The second half of this stanza is a prayer - “let all who hear now to his temple draw near.” As St. Paul witnesses in Romans 10, faith comes through what is heard, and so we gather to hear God’s Word in Christ which “makes us well” [heals us] and gives us life [salvation].
Stanza 2 // In cases where we find someone irredeemable, our Lord reigns. In places where we find a situation hopeless, our Lord reigns. In both scenarios, we are sustained by His Almighty hand, which we trust to “uplift, sustain” and heal those “in need of a physician.” When we cannot see it, this hymn helps us confess: God gives all things needed for life in this world and the next.
Stanza 3 // This stanza begins with words of confidence. Christ’s mercy and goodness is with us daily. Drawing upon Christ’s words from today’s Gospel reading, our Lord desires “mercy” - and daily provides this in Christ! While this is no doubt good news, in one sense, this stanza leaves us with a question. To paraphrase the second portion of this text: “If God befriends us in love, think of what God can accomplish!” The translation here [and in most hymnals] is poor. The original text read: “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do who with his love befriends you.” We can speak of God as a friend because of what the final stanza tells us.
Stanza 4 // The final stanza begins: “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!” This works well as far as generic praise, but this is not what the poet had in mind! Instead, the original text read: “All that has breath praise with Abraham’s seed.” Abraham sticks out in this hymn because it breaks the general “Praise and Thanksgiving” - appropriate for any Sunday - assigned to this hymn. Yet, this connects us with the promise given to Abraham in Genesis: “...through your seed all nations will be blessed…” and later in Galatians, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Abraham’s offspring are the faithful - those with ears to hear - sinners made children of God. With such a promise, we sing these words of praise and adoration forever.
SUGGESTIONS:
- ELW 858 - Praise to the Lord, the Almighty! - ʟᴏʙᴇ ᴅᴇɴ ʜᴇʀʀᴇɴ
- ELW 588 - There’s a Wideness In God’s Mercy - ꜱᴛ. ʜᴇʟᴇɴᴀ // ʟᴏʀᴅ, ʀᴇᴠɪᴠᴇ ᴜꜱ
- ELW 607 - Come, Ye Disconsolate - ᴄᴏɴꜱᴏʟᴀᴛᴏʀ
- ELW 610 - O Christ the Healer, We Have Come - ᴅɪꜱᴛʀᴇꜱꜱ
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By Luther House of Study
5
55 ratings
ZACHARY'S NOTES:
Stanza 1 // The first stanza is a call to praise the Lord. This might seem somewhat generic and appropriate for any Sunday in the Church Year, and to some extent, the hymnal even acknowledges this. But, we join in praise because Christ is “our health and salvation!” This echoes our Lord’s words to call “not the righteous, but sinners” - those in need of salvation and new life. Further, this stanza places our gathering in the context of what Christ promises. The second half of this stanza is a prayer - “let all who hear now to his temple draw near.” As St. Paul witnesses in Romans 10, faith comes through what is heard, and so we gather to hear God’s Word in Christ which “makes us well” [heals us] and gives us life [salvation].
Stanza 2 // In cases where we find someone irredeemable, our Lord reigns. In places where we find a situation hopeless, our Lord reigns. In both scenarios, we are sustained by His Almighty hand, which we trust to “uplift, sustain” and heal those “in need of a physician.” When we cannot see it, this hymn helps us confess: God gives all things needed for life in this world and the next.
Stanza 3 // This stanza begins with words of confidence. Christ’s mercy and goodness is with us daily. Drawing upon Christ’s words from today’s Gospel reading, our Lord desires “mercy” - and daily provides this in Christ! While this is no doubt good news, in one sense, this stanza leaves us with a question. To paraphrase the second portion of this text: “If God befriends us in love, think of what God can accomplish!” The translation here [and in most hymnals] is poor. The original text read: “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do who with his love befriends you.” We can speak of God as a friend because of what the final stanza tells us.
Stanza 4 // The final stanza begins: “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!” This works well as far as generic praise, but this is not what the poet had in mind! Instead, the original text read: “All that has breath praise with Abraham’s seed.” Abraham sticks out in this hymn because it breaks the general “Praise and Thanksgiving” - appropriate for any Sunday - assigned to this hymn. Yet, this connects us with the promise given to Abraham in Genesis: “...through your seed all nations will be blessed…” and later in Galatians, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Abraham’s offspring are the faithful - those with ears to hear - sinners made children of God. With such a promise, we sing these words of praise and adoration forever.
SUGGESTIONS:
- ELW 858 - Praise to the Lord, the Almighty! - ʟᴏʙᴇ ᴅᴇɴ ʜᴇʀʀᴇɴ
- ELW 588 - There’s a Wideness In God’s Mercy - ꜱᴛ. ʜᴇʟᴇɴᴀ // ʟᴏʀᴅ, ʀᴇᴠɪᴠᴇ ᴜꜱ
- ELW 607 - Come, Ye Disconsolate - ᴄᴏɴꜱᴏʟᴀᴛᴏʀ
- ELW 610 - O Christ the Healer, We Have Come - ᴅɪꜱᴛʀᴇꜱꜱ