Sing to the Lord

ZACHARY'S NOTES

Stanza 1 // Across four stanzas, we see the Trinity at work to calm the sea. God, the Father “bound the restless wave” and set limits for the “mighty ocean.” Sometimes, a miracle like Christ’s walking on water seems like something only Jesus can accomplish. This stanza reminds us our “eternal Father” [or “Almighty Father”] has power to command the sea.

Stanza 2 // This stanza mixes this weekend’s Gospel reading with the account of Christ’s sleeping amidst and calming the storm. Our prayer to Christ: “O hear us when we cry to thee…” is not unlike Peter’s call to Jesus. We cry out to our Lord because we trust His “almighty Word” is able to still the “wind and waves” in our life.

Stanza 3 // The Holy Spirit’s entry into this hymn is also a reference to creation:  “...And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The peace the Spirit brings us today is peace in the midst of “chaos” and “wild confusion.” This peace is always in Christ’s Word: “Do not be afraid.”

Stanza 4 // The result of this prayer is not simply a calming of the sea, but trust in the God who protects us in all times of trial: “rock and tempest, fire and foe.” Though some of these sound like [and are] references to the difficulties of the disciples, we don’t have to live long to know these challenges. We can be stuck between a rock and a hard place, thrown into the tempest or fire of challenging family relationships, and deal with the doubt the devil brings. Yet, in these dangerous hours, we place our trust in God, our protection and hope. Because we have God’s protection, we are freed to sing “hymns of praise” whether on “land or sea.”

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 756 - Eternal Father, Strong to Save - ᴍᴇʟɪᴛᴀ
• ELW 468 - From God Can Nothing Move Me - ᴠᴏɴ ɢᴏᴛᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ɪᴄʜ ɴɪᴄʜᴛ ʟᴀꜱꜱᴇɴ
• ELW 755 - Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me - ᴘɪʟᴏᴛ ᴍᴇ
• ELW 766 - Lord of Our Life - ɪꜱᴛᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴇꜱꜱᴏʀ
• ELW 769 - If You But Trust in God to Guide You - ᴡᴇʀ ɴᴜʀ ᴅᴇɴ ʟɪᴇʙᴇɴ ɢᴏᴛᴛ
• ELW 794 - Calm to the Waves - ᴄᴀʟᴍ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // We are guests at the Lord’s table because He extends an invitation - and even more - He gives a command. “Take and eat; take and drink.” We sing this song of thanks because of the “living bread” and “cup of healing” God gives. With this gift, we have God’s blessing in the midst of woe and strife.

Stanza 2 // The gift of the Sacrament depends completely on Christ. It is Christ who leads us in faith and feeds us with faith. The hymn draws an important distinction between those in today’s Gospel reading who were “filled” and the gift our Lord gives in the Sacrament. The crowds returned home, filled for the day. We leave the Lord’s Supper with death behind us, filled with a promise: “Now you shall not die.”

Stanza 3 // The third stanza shifts to the response of those who receive the Sacrament. To suggest we receive “all we want” in bread and wine is because of the result. It speaks not to our desire, but to God’s doing. Because “death is destroyed” and “endless joy” is given by God, we “want” for nothing - we have everything we need! Even the hymn-writer knows “we do not merit” or deserve what our Lord offers. We spend our lives “wanting” so many other things. The gift of life Jesus offers means we have everything needed in this life and the next.

Stanza 4 // The gift of life we receive from Christ is not simply for our benefit. Filled and nourished with this promise, this stanza says our “course on earth is lengthened to serve” our Lord. While we do this in many ways, such service is given purpose next to Jesus’ words in this weekend’s Gospel reading: “Give them something to eat…bring them here to me.” Service in God’s name is bringing others to Christ, that they might be fed with the “living bread of heaven” and be given a place in God’s house.

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 542 -  O Living Bread from Heaven - ᴀᴜʀᴇʟɪᴀ
• ELW 461 - All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly - ʜᴏʟʏ ᴍᴀɴɴᴀ
• ELW 515 - Break Now the Bread of Life - ʙʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏꜰ ʟɪꜰᴇ
• ELW 658 - O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts - ᴡᴀʟᴛᴏɴ
• ELW 681 - We Plow the Fields and Scatter - ᴡɪʀ ᴘꜰʟüɢᴇɴ
• ELW 746/747 - Our Father, God in Heaven Above - ᴠᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴜɴꜱᴇʀ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

A German chorale first published in 1653 with six stanzas - Johann Franck was poet and lawyer. To go with the second stanza - in the world, but with a promise from Christ - Bach combined the words of the chorale with the first 10 verses of Romans 8, which read in part:  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Stanza 1 // In a parable which tells us Christ comes to find us as his most important treasure, giving up his own life, we sing a hymn about Christ as our treasure. Though this may sound backwards, we refer to Christ as the treasure knowing our hopeless situation as those in need of Christ - who fashions us into His greatest treasure - His beloved Church. The original German chorale is stronger in its language - calling Christ “God’s Lamb” who is our “bridegroom.” As Scripture [and other hymns] often reference, it is Christ who comes that we might be his “holy bride” - the treasure Christ would make His own.

Stanza 2 // When we know Christ as our treasure, the foes we face in the world cannot reach us. This does not mean we will not experience hardship and difficulty - the hymn tells us the earth will shake, our hearts will quake [or tremble] in fear, and hell will assail us. Christ, our treasure, comes to calm all fear and give a promise:  though we have our failings, Jesus Christ will never fail us.

Stanza 3 // The final stanza tells us not how we see God - our Savior, our Redeemer - but instead how God sees His people. “God, who dearly loves us, from all trial saves us, gives sweet peace within.” Though we may be of little or no value to the world - “scorned” - Christ treasures us above all things, and so is our dearest treasure.

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 775 -  Jesus, Priceless Treasure - ᴊᴇꜱᴜ, ᴍᴇɪɴᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴜᴅᴇ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // When God’s people are gathered for worship, we sing as His “thankful people” - this hymn gives us two reasons. God provides all we need in this life - the third phrase makes this clear. Even more, the song we sing is one of “harvest home.” Christ says the harvest is the “end of the age” - and so we raise our voices in thanks that God also provides a home where we know the our end as God’s people!

Stanza 2 // Like the parable, the second stanza helps us begin to make sense of this weekend’s parable:  “All the world of God’s own field.” Because this world belongs to God, He uses those in the world to produce fruit - praise to God for his work in Christ. This does not remove us from the work of the devil - “wheat and tares” are sown together! Because the seed has nothing to say about the matter, we pray: “Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.”

Stanza 3 // The “song of harvest home” about which we sing in the first stanza is given further specificity in the opening words of stanza three. The Lord will take his harvest home - those who know the gracious work of God in Christ. When Jesus appears, all offenses - both those of wheat and weed - will be taken away.

Stanza 4 // The final stanza is a prayer, beginning with words from the book of Revelation. “E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come!” Where it is easy to hear the end of this parable and hymn as a text of judgement with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” we pray for Christ’s return because of what our Lord has promised: “[freedom] from sorrow, [freedom] from sin!” In contrast to the parable, where the angels are sent to “collect all causes of sin and evildoers” the hymn tells us we join with the angels in the song of heaven.

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 693 -  Come, Ye Thankful People, Come - ꜱᴛ. ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ’ꜱ, ᴡɪɴᴅꜱᴏʀ
• ELW 679 - For the Fruit of All Creation - ᴀʀ ʜʏᴅ ʏ ɴᴏꜱ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Dangerous couple weeks for church musicians - seeds, sun, the outdoors. We’re used to being stuck in practice rooms - but we get to sing a hymn about such matters. It’s a hymn and hymn-writer we know very little about. It was written by John Cawood, a priest living in England in 1819. Meant to go with the parable - marked “after the sermon.” Though a short, four stanza, two line hymn, it’s significant enough that many hymnals include this prayer based on Christ’s teaching.

We trust God’s promise to work even - and perhaps most especially - in those places and ways we cannot see. This - really - is living by faith! And so, in the first stanza of the hymn, we pray:  “Almighty God, your Word is cast like seed into the ground; now let the dew of heaven descend and righteous fruits abound.” It’s a prayer that God’s Word might accomplish what God promises by God’s hand - and so we sing together in faith.

Stanza 1 // The first three stanzas are a paraphrase of the parable, with words of prayer interspersed. Jesus says: “A sower went out to sow...” // Stanza 1 of the hymn begins: “Almighty God, your Word is cast like seed into the ground...” The second half of this stanza are words of prayer and trust  that God’s Word might accomplish what God promises by God’s hand. We sing these words together in faith.

Stanza 2 // Christ says: “[Those] on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.” // Stanza two begins: “Let not the sly satanic foe this holy seed remove…”

Stanza 3 // Later, Jesus says:  “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.” // Stanza three helps us pray: “Let not the world’s deceitful cares the rising plant destroy…” While this can sound like other-worldy concerns, we are reminded to place our trust in what God has promised rather than what we see.

Stanza 4 // Where the seed - God’s Word - takes root, notice what the hymn tells us. In place of “the sly satanic foe” and the “world’s deceitful cares” we are given the fruits of “love, peace, and joy” - the “life-giving grace” of our risen Lord. 

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 516 -  Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast - ꜱᴛ. ꜰʟᴀᴠɪᴀɴ
• ELW 550 - On What Has Now Been Sown - ᴅᴀʀᴡᴀʟʟ’ꜱ 148ᴛʜ
• ELW 533 - Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty - ᴜɴꜱᴇʀ ʜᴇʀʀꜱᴄʜᴇʀ
• ELW 181-184 - Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful, Lord

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // For all those wondering, “what does the Bible have to say to me?” Christ’s invitation “come unto me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest” is lived out in this hymn. Christ’s words are no doubt comforting - but they are comfort because of the world and situations in which we live today! The hymn is not only a quotation of Jesus’ most comforting words and greatest hits, but an acknowledgement of our helpless condition: “I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn, and sad…” This is not unlike the words Christ speaks in the earlier portion of today’s text. Apart from hearing Christ’s words for us, we are left without hope.

Stanza 2 // In what might feel like something of a time machine, this stanza contains Jesus’ words from St. John’s Gospel we heard earlier this year during the season of Lent. In this case, we should remember the one to whom Christ addresses - the woman at the well - who is lost in sin. When sinners come to Christ and drink of the “life-giving stream” he offers, our “thirst is quenched, our soul revived, and now [we] live in him.” In each stanza, our life is heard in the “voice of Jesus” who has something to say to us today.

Stanza 3 // Again, the Gospel of John is paraphrased in this final stanza. For those wandering in darkness without Christ’s voice, this stanza contrasts the darkness of sin with the “light, star, [and] sun” of our Lord. In this light, we walk through the most challenging circumstances the world gives today until Christ fulfills this invitation - “come to me” - and we rest in the comforting voice of Christ forever.

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 332 // ELW 611 -  I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say - ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴍᴏᴅᴇ ᴍᴇʟᴏᴅʏ // ᴋɪɴɢꜱꜰᴏʟᴅ
• ELW 607 - Come, Ye Disconsolate - ᴄᴏɴꜱᴏʟᴀᴛᴏʀ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // Blessings in Christ are not only an eternal reward, but given to God’s people today. When God’s Word is given, those speaking against Christ’s promise “fly confounded.” We sing these words with confidence because Christ is our “head and master” - the One who brings the favor of God to sinners.

Stanza 2 // The foundation on which the work of the Church is built is “Jesus and His blood” because Christ has promised “salvation and eternal good” - a reward beyond anything we can imagine! Those who receive the Word pastors, prophets, and those made righteous bring have this reward today.

Stanza 3 // In Christ, this stanza says we have “splendor, sun, and light.” Sometimes, we might think of this as the glory of heaven - something to be enjoyed when we’ve suffered through the difficulties of this life and have a final reward. Here, we are reminded there is no reason to wait for God’s favor and mercy - we have both in Christ. For pastors, musicians, and congregations wondering what the work or mission of the Church should be today, the hymn tells us to freely preach this good news.

Stanza 4 // The reason we sing this week [and every week] is heard in stanza four. Again, Christ is the “sun that cheers [our] spirits.” Our reward is in Christ and the heaven we inherit - all because we belong to Christ and know God our Lord is for us!

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 788 -  If God My Lord Be for Me - ɪꜱᴛ ɢᴏᴛᴛ ꜰüʀ ᴍɪᴄʜ
• ELW 526 - God Is Here! - ᴀʙʙᴏᴛ’ꜱ ʟᴇɪɢʜ
• ELW 665 - Rise, Shine, You People - wᴏᴊᴛᴋɪᴇᴡɪᴇᴄᴢ
• LBW 788 -  Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode - ᴡᴀꜱ ᴍᴇɪɴ ɢᴏᴛᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // This weekend’s Gospel reading is full of seemingly difficult words. We are told to fear the one who can “destroy body and soul in hell” and asked to forsake all things for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At first, it might seem like Jesus has lost his mind. Jesus’ words are certainly striking, but they also admit what we know about this world. Life is difficult. When this hymn was written, Phillip [the poet] wrote to his brother that this hymn “referred to the state of the Church [at the time] - a Church he described as “assailed from without, enfeebled and distracted within.” Christ reminds us the Church can become distracted by many things - including other gods or even the gift of family! In this context, we pray to the Lord of life: “receive our supplication” or “receive our earnest and faithful prayer, for we trust you are the Lord of life.” In this stanza, we know the One who can destroy and save body and soul - Jesus Christ.

Stanza 2 // When the world attacks the faith God has given, we place our trust in Christ, who alone can preserve us through all difficulty. Sometimes, such attacks come from outside the Church; at other times, from within. Yet, Christ promises to preserve us through all of these, for he knows more than our closest family members. Even the hairs on our head are numbered by Almighty God!

Stanza 3 // When Christ speaks of denying those who deny Him, He acknowledges the difficult reality of earthly life. The armor we build for ourselves - a storehouse of memorized Catechism passages, our good works, our knowledge - can and will fail us in times of temptation and trial. Through all of these failings, God promises He will not fail us! Because of Christ, we pray: “Grant us your peace, Lord.”

Stanza 4 // The final stanza tells us where peace is needed, and we sing a comprehensive list. We pray for peace “in our hearts, in [our Lord’s] Church, where kindred souls are raging, in the world, and in heaven.” It might seem strange to pray for peace where Christ promises to bring a sword [and equally odd to pray for peace in heavenly perfection], but this peace assuages [or lessens] our most troubling circumstances. It brings forgiveness to us - giving us new hearts, peace among those in our Lord’s Church - because this peace is the only thing we have to give, and forgiveness in broken family relationships. In such peace, we have comfort as war rages around us, and peace forever in heaven.

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 766 -  Lord of Our Life - ɪꜱᴛᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴇꜱꜱᴏʀ
• ELW 781 - Children of the Heavenly Father - ᴛʀʏɢɢᴀʀᴇ ᴋᴀɴ ɪɴɢᴇɴ ᴋᴀʀᴀ
• ELW 806 - O God, My Faithful God - ᴡᴀꜱ ꜰʀᴀɢ ɪᴄʜ ɴᴀᴄʜ ᴅᴇʀ ᴡᴇʟᴛ
• ELW 769 - If You But Trust in God to Guide You - ᴡᴇʀ ɴᴜʀ ᴅᴇɴ ʟɪᴇʙᴇɴ ɢᴏᴛᴛ

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // When we read this weekend’s Gospel text, it can sound like Jesus’ sending of the disciples belongs in a movie. We know each by name, and our Lord gives these disciples authority to do many things in His name. This hymn reminds us God has given us this same work! Our authority comes from Christ Himself, who gives the “great commission” - “heal the sick and preach the word.” If we still feel unqualified for such a mission, this stanza reminds us it is the work of Christ and those called by the Spirit into the Church - even such sinners and betrayers as Judas were sent in this way. To “witness with renewed integrity” means to hear again the purpose of the Church - that the Word of Christ might be given and sinners [or the sick] healed.

Stanza 2 // The remaining stanzas of this hymn give purpose to our work as congregations and Christians today. What can seem like a distant Bible story in Bible times is given purpose here and now. Here, the focus is baptism and teaching. The hymn reminds us we do not do these things because “Jesus said so” - like some parents might say - or even because the hymn tells us to do this, but because of the words we pray: “...that the world may trust your promise.” This promise gives “abundant life” to each/all who hear Christ’s Word. We might quibble with the concluding words of this stanza: “Give us all new fervor, draw us closer in community.” In baptism, we are made members of Christ’s Church, baptized into a fellowship that cannot be broken. We sing these words of community in light of the tremendous promise given to us in Holy Baptism. As one person has said: “Water is thicker than blood.”

Stanza 3 // The third stanza addresses the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Christ’s words to “go to the lost sheep” are connected in this stanza, as we recall the Lord’s Supper, given to betrayers. Christ’s words are meant for those who betray him - those who are lost. There is nothing more liberating than the good news of new life in Christ, and so we pray in this stanza that the world would know the freedom Christ gives, where betrayers are forgiven, and sinners are made saints of Almighty God.Stanza 4 // Words of Christ - words of love and forgiveness - are placed in our mouth to sing! At times, this can be dangerous as we confuse our words with God’s. In the context of this hymn, we are reminded Christians are sent into the world with nothing more than the love of God in Jesus Christ - the forgiveness of sin. The second half of this stanza is one of confession. We “hoard as private treasure all that [Christ] so freely gives.” In this stanza, to be empowered by God’s Spirit is to hear again the promise given to us in Baptism - “you are forgiven” - and to freely give this promise to others as God gives us opportunity.

Stanza 5 // Though we sing these words of encouragement together, they are a promise from Jesus Christ! Christ is with us to the end of life, and in the promise of baptism, to the end of all time! Because our Lord promises faith, gives us hope, and shows us unending love, we serve now “holding in mind eternity” - that is, knowing we belong to God today.

Refrain // As a refrain, these words are a prayer. They should be sung in the context of each stanza. The “Spirit’s gifts” are many, but in this hymn, we have in mind the Spirit’s giving of Christ to those lost and in need of a Shepherd. This is the ministry and mission of the Church in Jesus’ day and for all time.

SUGGESTIONS:

• ELW 579 -  Lord, You Give the Great Commission - ᴀʙʙᴏᴛ’ꜱ ʟᴇɪɢʜ
• ELW 843 - Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness - ɴᴇᴛᴛʟᴇᴛᴏɴ
• ELW 799 - Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spake - ᴍᴀᴄʜꜱ ᴍɪᴛᴛ ᴍɪʀ, ɢᴏᴛᴛ

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