Hymn Stories

Columns from Grace's biweekly newsletter, Grace Notes. 

March 10, 2010
"Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me"
Bruce Cordes

The Hymn of the Day on March 21, "Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me" (LBW 336), is a prayer initiated with praise and thanks reflecting the endless love which Jesus has for "me." The desires of the heart are expressed by one who wants to be drawn closer to Jesus in all aspects, through words, deeds, thoughts, hopes, through the sad storms of life, so that ultimately he will draw "me" closer and closer until the end of this earthly life. This hymn was written by the German hymn writer Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676). Gerhardt's poetry shows deep devotion with no sentimentality, but with fine sensitivity, and at the same time, it is sturdy with meaning.

Gerhardt wrote 123 hymns. Three of his most well-known are: "Awake, My Heart with Gladness," "Now All the Woods Are Sleeping," and "All My Heart This Night Rejoices." He was no stranger to grief. Four of his five children died very young. His wife also died after years of sorrow from the loss of so many children, and she left him with one son to raise, a son six years in age. Throughout all of this crushing turmoil, he remained strongly resilient in his faith.

In 1628, Gerhardt enrolled at the University of Wittenberg where Luther had done much of his work a century before. He moved to Berlin around 1642. There he was a highly influential, revered minister. His poetry came to the attention of Johann Crüger (1598-1662), the cantor and organist at the Nicolaikirche. They collaborated in their work and had a friendship which endured many years.

John Wesley (1703-1791) translated the hymn. Wesley was the founder of the Methodist movement in England which encouraged people to experience Jesus Christ personally.

The tune to which "Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me" is set is entitled Ryburn.  (The Ryburn River flows through West Yorkshire, England.) It was composed by Norman Cocker (1889-1953). He was born in Yorkshire, was a chorister at Magdelene College, Oxford, and in 1920 became the assistant organist at Manchester Cathedral. Interestingly, Cocker was an amateur conjurer.  

February 24, 2010
"The God of Abraham Praise"
Carlos Messerli

Other than the hymns based on the Psalms, there are not many hymns in our Lutheran Book of Worship based on Jewish texts. One of our greatest hymns and one with a distinctly Jewish heritage is "The God of Abraham Praise," the Entrance Hymn for February 28, the Second Sunday in Lent. We should not be dismayed by its length (11 stanzas!) for it is a hymn with a great history that has much to say to us. Here is the story:

Long ago, in the 12th century, the brilliant Jewish scholar, physician and teacher, Moses Maimonides of Spain and later Egypt, created the 13 articles of the Hebrew Creed, a statement as foundational for Jews as our own Apostles' Creed is for us. These articles were then cast in the metrical form of a hymn (the "Yigdal") by either Daniel ben Judah or Immanuel ben Solomon, both 14th century poets.

When Thomas Olivers (1725-1799) heard the Yigdal sung in a Jewish synagogue in London, he was so moved by the depth of its thought and beauty that he prepared a Christian paraphrase of it and set it to a tune transcribed from the Hebrew Yigdal for Olivers by Meyer Lyon, a Jewish cantor and opera singer.

This long hymn extols the virtues of the God of Abraham, and traces God's powerful hand of creation and guidance of all that is and is to come. We bow to acknowledge his love for us throughout our earthly journey, at last to be borne on eagles' wings to see his face and "sing the wonders of his grace." The scriptural allusions of each stanza are rich and poignant, well served by the stirring poetic language.

Some congregations have found that a hymn of this length requires singing stanzas in alternation between congregation and choirs or soloists - placed in various recesses of the nave - to give the people time to catch their breath and pause for reflection. Whether sung that way or by the people throughout, this is truly a great hymn with a historic past, a paean of praise to the Almighty, a pledge of trust in his mercy, full of relevance and meaning for the present. A magnificent hymn with which to begin worship.

February 10, 2010
"O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days"
Len Berghaus
 
As we begin our Lenten journey to the cross, the Entrance Hymn for February 21, the first Sunday in Lent, calls our attention to the example Jesus set for us.

The hymn was written by Claudia Frances Hermann (1838-1898) who was born in Addlestone, Surrey, a county bordering greater London. She wrote about 150 hymns and translated others from Latin. Many of these were included in her "Child's Book of Praise; A Manual of Devotion in Simple Verse" (1873). "O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days" was one of those published in this book. The hymn was written with five stanzas. Between the time Gilbert E. Doan (b.1930) paraphrased the original text and the inclusion of this hymn in Lutheran Book of Worship, the fourth stanza was omitted.*

The tune, “Caithness,” was first published in "The Psalmes of David in Prose and Meeter" (Edinburgh, 1635). The setting is from The English Hymnal (1906). Caithness is a county in far northeast Scotland bordered by the Pentland of Firth and the North Sea.

*Omitted stanza:
And through these days of penitence,
And through thy Passion,
Yea, evermore, in life and death,
Jesus! with us abide.
 

January 27, 2010
"Isaiah in a Vision of Old"
Hans G. Dumpys
 
The Old Testament reading for the 5th Sunday after Epiphany (February 7) is the call narrative of the prophet Isaiah (6:1-8). Isaiah experienced a vision of God's awesome holiness and majesty in the temple where the seraphim (literally, "fiery ones," the Lord's attendants) were ceaselessly calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (6:3). The triple holy is an intensive superlative. This text from Isaiah together with the text of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem - "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord" (Mark 11:9) - constitutes the text of the Sanctus in our liturgy of the Great Thanksgiving.
 
On this Sunday we sing an alternative Sanctus that is closely related to the Old Testament lesson: it is Luther's majestic hymn "Isaiah in a Vision of Old" ("Jesaia, dem Propheten"; LBW 528), a paraphrase of  Isaiah 6:3. This version is rarely incorporated in the liturgy due to its unfamiliarity, though it enriches our worship of God in an alternative manner.
 
The text of Luther's German Sanctus was included in his German Mass and the order of worship, Wittenberg, 1526. "Ulrich Leupold notes that in later 16th century agendas it was suggested that the part of the hymn beginning 'Holy, Holy, Holy' be sung with special gravity and dignity, and that in city churches it was customary for three altar boys to intone that section while kneeling before the altar." The translator of the hymn is Martin H. Franzmann (1907-1976).
 
The tune Jesaia dem Propheten was adapted by Luther from an 11th century plainsong which was used on Sundays during Advent and Lent. The LBW version of this melody was included in Gystliche Lieder, Leipzig, 1545. The harmonization for the LBW was prepared by Carl Schalk.
 

January 13, 2010
"O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright"
by Stacy Deibler
 
What we tend to think of today as the most joyous of hymns, “O  Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” (LBW 76), the entrance hymn for Jan. 17, was born of tragedy.
 
The text and tune are both the work of Philip Nicolai (1556-1608), a Lutheran pastor in Germany. During his years in Unna, Westphalia, bubonic plague killed hundreds of Nicolai’s parishioners. To comfort worshippers, Nicolai wrote a series of meditations which he called Freudenspiegel dess Ewigen Lebens (“The Joyous Mirror of Eternal Life”). To this he appended two uplifting hymns, both of which became world-famous.
 
The first was the Advent favorite, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying” (LBW 31). The second, “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright,” is filled with rich imagery hailing Christ as our light and our deliverer, celebrating the hope of eternal life in “that happy place beyond all tears and sinning.”
 
Used in Germany for many years at weddings and funerals, this hymn is now sung most often at Epiphany due to the images of light in the text. At Epiphany, we celebrate the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus, the morning star (Rev: 22:16) who triumphs over darkness, shining “with God’s own truth and light, aglow with grace and mercy.” The journey of the Magi, who followed Christ’s star, is a major biblical theme of Epiphany.
 
The earliest English version was by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), of Manchester, England, a well-known translator of German hymns who published several hymn collections.
 
“O Morning Star” is sometimes called the “queen of chorales.” The harmony we know is by J.S. Bach (circa 1731). Bach’s cantata “How Beautifully Shines the Morning Star” (Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern), composed in 1725, includes the words of Nicolai’s hymn in movements 1 and 6.
 
Though written over 400 years ago, “O Morning Star. How Fair and Bright” still speaks powerfully to us today!
 

December 30, 2009
“Oh, Love, How Deep”                          
by Bruce Cordes

The hymn is supported by a majestic tune, Deo Gracias, or the “Agincourt Hymn,” “Carol,” or “Song” as it is variously called. The original Latin text was set to an anonymously composed melody in 1415 for the celebration of the decisive victory of the English over the French at Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). The French lost some 6000 knights and men-at-arms while the English lost fewer than 450 men.

John Dunstable (1385-1453), an English composer, greatly influenced early Renaissance music. He lived at the time of Joan of Arc (1412-1431). He may have been the composer of the tune and the well-known organ work based on the tune.



Thomas á Kempis (1380-1471), a medieval Catholic monk, is credited with the writing of the text. He was born in Germany but lived mostly in the Netherlands. He is best known for his Christian books on devotion. The translation of the text was done by Benjamin Webb (1819-1885). He was educated at Cambridge University and ordained in the Church of England.

December 9, 2009
"Savior of the Nations Come"
by Carlos Messerli

November 25, 2009
"On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry" by Len Berghaus

"On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry" is the Hymn of the Day for December 6, the second Sunday in Advent. All four Gospel writers introduce John as the Baptizer who appears in the wilderness of Judea to announce that the Lord's coming is near. The prophet Isaiah says: "A voice is calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make the paths straight for Him.'"

The first stanza of this hymn is like a trumpet fanfare that explodes into the whole world and into each one of our hearts the long awaited announcement of the birth of the world's Savior. Wake up! The news is great! And through the inner stanzas we invite each other to prepare for this welcomed guest and to honor Him. We ask for the Lord's blessing upon our lives, that we be favored with good health and strength to endure until life's end. The concluding stanza praises the triune God for the freedom we have gained through the gift of his Son.

Charles Coffin is the author of this great hymn. He was born in Buzancy, Ardennes, France, on October 4, 1676. In 1736, the majority of his hymns, including this one, appeared in the Paris Breviary (a liturgical collection of services for the Roman Catholic Church). Stanzas 1-3 were translated from Latin into English by John Chandler; stanzas 4-5, the translator is unknown. Charles Coffin died on June 20, 1749, in Paris and was forbidden by the rector of his parish to receive the last rites or to have a Christian burial because of his persistence in appealing against the papal Constitution Unigenitas of 1713.

November 11, 2009
"Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" by Hans Dumpys

The sending hymn for the first Sunday in Advent is the majestic chorale by Philip Nicolai  "Wake, awake, for night is flying" LBW #31, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme. He wrote both the German text and the music for this hymn. Nicolai (1556-1608) was a Lutheran pastor in several towns and cities in Germany, ending his pastoral work in Hamburg where he was renowned for his preaching ("the second Chrysostom").
 
Within six months in 1597-1598, 1300 of his church members died of the Bubonic plague which swept across Germany. It was one of the worst times in European history. To be able to live with the awful suffering all around him, Pastor Nicolai wrote meditations on eternal life, Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens (Joyful mirror of eternal life), published in 1599. In the worst moments of his life he composed a hymn and attached it to his meditations. The hymn was "Wake, awake, for night is flying", also known as "the King of Chorals".
 
The author uses several biblical images to convey the message of the hymn:  a watchman on a city wall, Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:8), the parable of the bridesmaids welcoming the Bridegroom to the marriage feast (Matthew 25:1-13), and the song of triumph in heaven (Revelation 19:6-9).
 
The three stanzas of the hymn are like a drama in three acts. The first stanza conveys a stern message of preparation for the coming of the Bridegroom, both public, the city of Jerusalem, and personal, the wise virgins: "Wake up, stay alert, the night is coming to an end and a new day is dawning." (From what do we need to be awakened and stay alert in this Advent season for the coming of the Blessed One?)
 
Stanza two describes the coming of the Bridegroom from heaven to be with us,  culminating in the celebration of the Holy Communion/Heavenly Banquet (Abendmal halten). Stanza three describes the adoration of the Blessed One, both communal and cosmic. "May gloria be sung to you...and hallelujahs eternally," as the original German version has it.
 
The translation is by Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878), in Lyrica Germanica, second series, 1858. It is altered for the LBW. The translation does not always capture the exact image or the meaning of the text. The tune appears to be based on the Silberweise by Hans Sachs. J.S. Bach based cantata #140 on Nicolai's hymn and also arranged a movement of that cantata as one of the Schuebler Chorales for organ.
 

October 28, 2009
"Jesus, Still Lead On" by Stacy Deibler

The richly melodic “Jesus. Still Lead On” (LBW 341), the sending hymn for Sunday, Nov. 15, speaks eloquently of the roadblocks and the rewards of following Christ. The author, Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760) was intimately acquainted with both.
 
Born into aristocracy and wealth, von Zinzendorf inherited a great estate in the German province of Saxony. There he provided a haven for persecuted Moravians. A devout Christian himself, Zinzendorf joined them in establishing a model community of saints (the village of Hernhut) devoted to prayer, praise, Bible study and mutual support. In 1738, John Wesley visited “this happy place,” and was so impressed that he commented in his journal: “I would gladly have spent my life here…oh, when shall this Christianity cover the earth as the waters cover the sea?”
 
Zinzendorf wrote some 2,000 hymns. The Moravians translated many into other languages for use in their wide-reaching mission work. The English version of “Jesus, Still Lead On” comes to us courtesy of Jane Borthwick (1813-1897), a Scot who aided the Moravians in their mission efforts. Borthwick and her sister, Sarah Findlater, co-produced a book of translations of German hymns called “Hymns from the Land of Luther,” first published in 1854.
 
The tune (Seelenbrautigan), is by Adam Drese (1620-1701), a German musician. Once Kapellmeister to royalty, by the late 17th century he was devoting his talents to the Pietist movement.
 
The LBW includes a second beloved hymn by von Zinzendorf, “Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness” (302).
 

September 30, 2009
"All My Hope on God Is Founded" by Bruce Cordes

The Sending Hymn for Sunday, October 11, is “All My Hope on God Is Founded” (WOV 782), a powerful statement of faith which calls us to trust God rather than “mortal pride” or “earthly glory.”  We are reminded that “sword and crown betray our trust.”  It calls us to praise the God whose “great goodness e’er endureth.”

Joachim Neander (1650-1680) wrote the words later paraphrased by Robert Bridges (1844-1930). Neander was a German Reformed Church teacher, theologian and hymn writer whose most famous hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation” is generally regarded as one of the greatest hymns of the Christian church. Neander wrote about 60 hymns and provided tunes for many of them. An interesting fact is that a valley in Germany was named after Neander. It became famous in 1856 when the remains of the Neanderthal Man were found there. (‘Thal‘ means valley.)  Thus the Neanderthal Man was named indirectly after a hymn writer.

The tune, “Michael,” was named after Herbert Howells’ son who died suddenly of polio. Howells (1892-1983), born in England, was recognized at an early age as one with strong musical talents.  He became famous as a composer and organist.  At an early age, he suffered from a severe case of hyperthyroidism. As the first person to receive radium as a treatment, Howells successfully overcame the disease and lived 70 years longer.  His great remorse upon his son’s death led him to compose the tune “Michael” for “All My Hope on God Is Founded.”

September 16, 2009
"In Thee Is Gladness" by Len Berghaus

This delightful hymn truly deserves the more appropriate title of “Chorale”! One can easily trace its text and tune into the Baroque era from whence came many of these hymns so familiar to the Christian church. The text of “In Dir ist Freude,” or as we know it, “In Thee is Gladness,”  is found as early as 1594 in a collection of 20 Christmas carols first printed in Erfurt (Germany) with its sacred text. The text of “In Dir ist Freude” replaced the secular one with its Fa la la la las for the author/composer’s balletti , a vocal dance by Giovanni Gastoldi, printed in Venice in 1591.

The tune, also by Gastoldi, with the harmonization as we know it, has remained basically unchanged from its original setting. If Martin Luther once said that the devil should not get all the good tunes, here, certainly is one case about which there can be no debate: the Church has found favor with an exceptional example of the secular crossing the line into the sacred.

From my perspective and experience, this chorale finds its ultimate success when the congregation sings it as if it were the last song to sing in its life. We at Grace know how to do this; the opportunity comes to us again on September 27. This is the last or “sending hymn” of the service. J.S Bach composed only one setting of this chorale and it will serve as the postlude following the dismissal. Stay for 2-1/2 minutes and savor the bursts of joy that exude from this organ prelude.
 

September 2, 2009
"Children of the Heavenly Father" by Stacy Deibler

The Hymn of the Day for Sunday, September 20, "Children of the Heavenly Father" (LBW 474), recalls the rich Swedish heritage of the Lutheran Church.
 
Karolina Wilhelmina (Lina) Sandell-Berg (1832-1903), who wrote the words, was the daughter of Jonas Sandell, a Lutheran pastor in Froderyd, Smaland, Sweden. A poet and devout Christian, she dedicated her life to spreading the Gospel. Known as the Fanny Crosby of Sweden, Sandell-Berg wrote hundreds of hymns, many later brought to this country.  The heartfelt words of "Children of the Heavenly Father" flow from I John 3:1 ("Behold what matter of love the Father has bestowed on, that we should be called children of God!"). The hymn was translated into English by hymnal editor Ernst W. Olson (1870-1958), a Swede who'd emigrated to America. It was first published in 1925.

Sandell-Berg's hymns owed much of their popularity to the efforts of Oskar Ahnfelt (1813-1882), known as Sweden's "Spiritual Troubadour." Ahnfelt composed or arranged the music for all of Sandell-Berg's hymns. "Children of the Heavenly Father" is based on Swedish folk melody. Ahnfelt traveled through Scandinavia singing Sandell's hymns, accompanying himself on a 10-string guitar.

The hymn is often sung at baptisms and funerals in Sweden and the U.S. Legend has it that Sandell-Berg wrote the touching text following the tragic death of her father in a boating accident.
 
"I once sang the bass line of ‘Children of the Heavenly Father' in a room with about 3,000 Lutherans in it, and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other." Garrison Keillor

August 19, 2009
"O God, My Faithful God" by Carlos Messerli

On Sunday, August 30, we will hear in the second lesson (James 1:17-27) the command: "Be doers of the word and not merely hearers." Later, in the Holy Gospel Jesus lays out principles for a holy life. The Hymn of the Day, "O God, My Faithful God" (LBW 504), reinforces these thoughts with advice for daily living, all set to memorable poetry and a venerable tune. The four stanzas of the hymn focus on our total reliance on God and provide a prayer for strength to love and serve others in specific thoughts and actions. The hymn provides strong daily motivation for living out the Gospel of Christ. The original hymn text contained eight stanzas. The stanzas omitted in LBW describe how a dedicated Christian life naturally leads to a peaceful death in Christ.

The text was written by Johann Heermann (1585-1647), a German Lutheran pastor who suffered greatly during the ravages of the Thirty Years' War, even to losing his personal possessions three times. The present hymn reflects his great faith and strength of character in the midst of adversity.

The composer of the hymn tune is unknown, although the melody first appeared in a hymn collection edited in 1679 by Ahasverus Fritsch. Pastor Fritsch was another German Lutheran pastor who suffered greatly in the Thirty Years' War, but through the early guidance of a persevering mother received a good education and ultimately became the Chancellor of the University of Jena. The LBW tune may be familiar to some because it was sung to the words "What is the World to Me" in The Lutheran Hymnal.