Sing to the Lord

ELW 867 - In Thee Is Gladness // ɪɴ ᴅɪʀ ɪꜱᴛ ꜰʀᴇᴜᴅᴇ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // In Christ, we have “gladness” - or more accurately, joy - in the midst of difficulty. Our Lord comes not to remove sadness, but give us blessing in the midst of mourning. This is nothing less than the “gift of heaven” itself, and God’s promise - becuase we know Christ, the “true redeemer” we stand forever - in life and death.

Stanza 2 // Because we know Christ, Christians do not fear powers of this world - “earth, sin, and death.” We face these daily, but Jesus promises we have a reward in heaven beyond all of these troubles. When the hymn says Christ “blesses in worst distresses” we point particularly to the cross, where an instrument of death is made for us the means of forgiveness and new life. It is there Christ changes everything “with a breath” - that is, with a Word! Because of this blessing of forgiveness, we glory in the cross, and join with heaven in “rejoicing forever” at the “triumph” Christ has won. 

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• LBW 17 - How Blest Are Those Who Know Their Need of God
• ELW 428 - Give Thanks for Saints - ʀᴇᴘᴛᴏɴ
• ELW 607 - Come, Ye Disconsolate - ᴄᴏɴꜱᴏʟᴀᴛᴏʀELW 637 - Holy God, Holy and Glorious - ɴᴇʟꜱᴏɴ
• ELW 728 - Blest Are They - ʙʟᴇꜱᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ
• ELW 754 - Jesus, the Very Thought of You - ꜱᴛ. ᴀɢɴᴇꜱELW 786 - O Holy Spirit, Enter In - ᴡɪᴇ ꜱᴄʜöɴ ʟᴇᴜᴄʜᴛᴇᴛ
• ELW 840 - Now Thank We All Our God - ɴᴜɴ ᴅᴀɴᴋᴇᴛ ᴀʟʟᴇ ɢᴏᴛᴛ
• ELW 873 - Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart! - ᴍᴀʀɪᴏɴ
• ELW 884 - Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow - ᴏʟᴅ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅᴛʜ

ELW 309 - The Only Son from Heaven // ʜᴇʀʀ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛ, ᴅᴇʀ ᴇɪɴɪɢ ɢᴏᴛᴛꜱ ꜱᴏʜɴ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // We are gathered by the Holy Spirit to hear from God. Our “hearts [or souls] are stirred” and faith is made when the promises of God are given, and we are “drawn to heaven” - that is, sinners below are numbered with the saints above.

Stanza 2 // Just as those in Scripture sat “in darkness” until Christ, so we “lie in deepest darkness” until God’s Spirit breaks in to deliver the unclouded light of the Gospel. We know this light is Christ himself, and so the hymn addresses Jesus directly. When the hymn credits all “good thoughts” and “good living” as a gift from God, it simply means truly “good” works are only possible from a Christian - one who lives constantly in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Stanza 3 // When Christ arrives and the light dawns, it is because he is the radiance of God, the Father. Echoes of the Nicene Creed - “light of light” - “proceeding from God” - give way to a prayer. To ask that Christ would help and be pleased with our “hearing, speaking, heeding” is to acknowledge what God promises - nothing would please God more than to give us eternal life in His Son.

Stanza 4 // Out of all our prayers - stir our hearts, draw us to heaven, break the darkness, send your blessed light - we recognize the thing “most needed” is the consolation of the Gospel. That which Christ preached in the synagogue is still the message for which the Church exists today, whether anticipating Christ’s return on earth or rejoicing in heaven around the throne.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 308 - O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright! - ᴡɪᴇ ꜱᴄʜöɴ ʟᴇᴜᴄʜᴛᴇᴛ
• ELW 314 - Arise, Your Light Has Come - ꜰᴇꜱᴛᴀʟ ꜱᴏɴɢ
• ELW 507 - O God of Light - ᴀᴛᴋɪɴꜱᴏɴ
• ELW 511 - Thy Strong Word - ᴇʙᴇɴᴇᴢᴇʀELW 553 - Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies - ʀᴀᴛɪꜱʙᴏɴ
• ELW 665 - Rise, Shine, You People - wᴏᴊᴛᴋɪᴇᴡɪᴇᴄᴢ
• ELW 675 - O Christ Our Light, O Radiance True - ᴏ ᴊᴇꜱᴜ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴇ, ᴡᴀʜʀᴇꜱ ʟɪᴄʜᴛ
• ELW 688 - Lord of Light - ᴀʙʙᴏᴛ’ꜱ ʟᴇɪɢʜ
• ELW 696 - Jesus Calls Us; o'er the Tumult - ɢᴀʟɪʟᴇᴇ
• ELW 799 - Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spake - ᴍᴀᴄʜꜱ ᴍɪᴛᴛ ᴍɪʀ, ɢᴏᴛᴛ
• ELW 843 - Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness - ɴᴇᴛᴛʟᴇᴛᴏɴ

ELW 309 - The Only Son from Heaven // ʜᴇʀʀ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛ, ᴅᴇʀ ᴇɪɴɪɢ ɢᴏᴛᴛꜱ ꜱᴏʜɴ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // In this hymn, Jesus Christ appears not as a teacher, but as “the only Son from heaven” promised by the prophets and given by God the Father. The original text actually says Christ “sprung from the Father’s heart.” Like the disciples in this week’s reading, we look toward the many ‘bright lights’ of our time - but Christ - the “Morning Star” outshines them all.

Stanza 2 // As God’s Son, Christ arrives as the Lamb of God, who takes away our sin. This stanza refers to Christ as the “anointed” King, echoing Jesus title as “Messiah.” We name Christ in this way because he arrives on earth to “vanquish grim death” and “open heaven” before us. The remarkable picture we sing here is that Christ arrives as a child, and yet, even in this helpless form, He is here to help and save all people.

Stanza 3 // This stanza is a prayer. To ask that we would “know and love God more” might sound like measuring faith, but a literal translation is “to stay within faith’s limits, to do the Spirit’s will.” The Holy Spirit [like John the Baptist in this weekend’s text] points to Christ, so to love God more is to know more of Christ, to whom the Spirit guides.

Stanza 4 // To know Christ as Messiah is to be given faith by the Spirit. Through Christ, we know God the Father, and join with those in heaven and earth who sing the unending hymn: “Holy, holy, holy…”

Stanza 5 // The fifth stanza we sing replaced the original text with a doxological stanza. The poet’s original fifth stanza is not printed in the hymnal, perhaps because of its [at first] seemingly strange or even offensive language. It begins this way: “O kill us [or slay us] with your goodness and raise us with your grace…” God’s goodness is to take away everything we cling to in this life - teachers, time, family, friends - and leave us with nothing other than His grace. The stanza concludes with the result: “So here we may adore you with all our being praise you, and sing our thanks to you.”

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• LBW 83 - From God the Father, Virgin-Born - ᴅᴇᴜꜱ ᴛᴜᴏʀᴜᴍ ᴍɪʟɪᴛᴜᴍ
• LBW 177 - By All Your Saints in Warfare - ᴋɪɴɢ’ꜱ ʟʏɴɴ [See stanza 5 marked for St. Andrew, apostle]
• ELW 309 - The Only Son from Heaven - ʜᴇʀʀ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛ, ᴅᴇʀ ᴇɪɴɪɢ ɢᴏᴛᴛꜱ ꜱᴏʜɴ
• ELW 310 - Songs of Thankfulness and Praise - ꜱᴀʟᴢʙᴜʀɢ
• ELW 340 - A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth - ᴀɴ ᴡᴀꜱꜱᴇʀꜰʟüꜱꜱᴇɴ ʙᴀʙʏʟᴏɴ
• ELW 357 - Lamb of God, Pure and Sinless - ᴏ ʟᴀᴍᴍ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇꜱ
• LSB 401 - From God the Father, Virgin-Born - ᴅᴇᴜꜱ ᴛᴜᴏʀᴜᴍ ᴍɪʟɪᴛᴜᴍ
• LSB 402 - The Only Son from Heaven - ʜᴇʀʀ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛ, ᴅᴇʀ ᴇɪɴɪɢ ɢᴏᴛᴛꜱ ꜱᴏʜɴ
• LSB 409 - Hail, O Source of Every Blessing - ᴏ ᴅᴜʀᴄʜʙʀᴇᴄʜᴇʀ
• ELW 420 - By All Your Saints - ᴋɪɴɢ’ꜱ ʟʏɴɴ [See stanza 3 marked for Andrew, apostle]
• ELW 501 - Come with Us, O Blessed Jesus - ᴡᴇʀᴅᴇ ᴍᴜɴᴛᴇʀ
• ELW 507 - O God of Light - ᴀᴛᴋɪɴꜱᴏɴ
• ELW 510 - Word of God, Come Down on Earth - ʟɪᴇʙꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴊᴇꜱᴜ, ᴡɪʀ ꜱɪɴᴅ ʜɪᴇʀ
• ELW 514 - O Word of God Incarnate - ᴍᴜɴɪᴄʜ
• LSB 533 - Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure - ᴊᴇꜱᴜꜱ ɪꜱᴛ ᴋᴏᴍᴍᴇɴ, ɢʀᴜɴᴅ ᴇᴡɪɢᴇʀ ꜰʀᴇᴜᴅᴇ
• LBW 536 - O God of God, O Light of Light - ᴏ ɢʀᴏꜱꜱᴇʀ ɢᴏᴛᴛ
• ELW 737 - He Comes to Us as One Unknown - ʀᴇᴘᴛᴏɴ
• ELW 783 - Praise and Thanks and Adoration - ꜰʀᴇᴜ ᴅɪᴄʜ ꜱᴇʜʀ

ELW 304 - Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized // ʟᴏʙᴛ ɢᴏᴛᴛ, ɪʜʀ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴇɴ 

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // The dove appears as “peaceful” and “urgent” as a flame. These are both images of the Spirit in Scripture, but in this context, the Spirit is “peaceful” because of the promise spoken - “you are my beloved Son” - yet “urgent” because of the work of ministry to save and redeem the world.

Stanza 2 // Christ comes to do “God’s holy will” - that is, to fulfill what we, as sinners, cannot. He is sent to “proclaim the reign/kingdom of heaven” - to give mercy wherever sinners are found.

Stanza 3 // From baptism, a seemingly picturesque moment, Jesus moves “straightway and steadfast unto death.” This is what it means to be a servant - to die in this world, and be clothed in the righteousness given/fulfilled by our Lord. The hymnal 1982 originally reads “...obeyed [his] call” - meaning the call of God, the Father. Christ is “well-pleased” with the Son as the one who is obedient or “steadfast” to death.

Stanza 4 // The fourth stanza is a prayer. Finding “perfect freedom in God’s service” can sound like the Law, but to be a servant in the kingdom of Christ is to be named as a sinner, and forgiven as one of God’s own children - as stanza two says - to hear the “reign of heaven proclaimed.” The cross is signed on us with the promise God gives - “you are my beloved child.” The “perfect freedom” we find in the cross is God’s righteousness given to sinners.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• LBW 79 - To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord - ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛ, ᴜɴꜱᴇʀ ʜᴇʀʀ
• LBW 192 - Baptized into Your Name Most Holy - ᴏ ᴅᴀꜱꜱ ɪᴄʜ ᴛᴀᴜꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴢᴜɴɢᴇɴ ʜÄᴛᴛᴇ
• ELW 305 - When Jesus Came to Jordan - ᴋɪɴɢ’ꜱ ʟʏɴɴ
• LSB 404 - Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered - ᴍɪꜱꜱɪꜱꜱɪᴘᴘɪ
• LSB 405 - To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord - ᴡɪɴᴄʜᴇꜱᴛᴇʀ ɴᴇᴡ
• ELW 442 - All Who Believe and Are Baptized - ᴇꜱ ɪꜱᴛ ᴅᴀꜱ ʜᴇɪʟ
• ELW 447 - O Blessed Spring - ʙᴇʀɢʟᴜɴᴅ
• ELW 448 - This Is the Spirit’s Entry Now - ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇꜱᴛ
• ELW 449 - We Know That Christ Is Raised - ᴇɴɢᴇʟʙᴇʀɢ
• ELW 450 - I Bind unto Myself Today - ꜱᴛ. ᴘᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴋ’ꜱ ʙʀᴇᴀꜱᴛᴘʟᴀᴛᴇ
• ELW 454 - Remember and Rejoice - ꜱᴛ. ᴛʜᴏᴍᴀꜱ
• ELW 456 - Baptized in Water - ʙᴜɴᴇꜱꜱᴀɴ
• ELW 458 - Praise and Thanksgiving Be to God - ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴇ ꜱᴀɴᴄᴛᴏʀᴜᴍ
• LSB 594 - God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It - ʙᴀᴄʜᴏꜰᴇɴ
• LSB 600 - Mark How the Lamb of God’s Self-Offering - ʀᴇɴᴅᴇᴢ À ᴅɪᴇᴜ

"Next to the word of God, the art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." -Martin Luther. 

Luther House of Study's Mason Van Essen and Lars Olson sit down with Zachary Brockhoff to introduce Sing to the Lord—LHOS' podcast to understand the importance of hymnody in the Lutheran church. 

Each week, Zachary, Lars, and Mason will discuss the lectionary's hymns, their meaning and history, and how the music preaches the Gospel.