For All the Saints

All Saints Day is November 1st.  It is a day to remember those who have departed the world before us and are in Christ's presence forever.  

My favorite departed saint to remember is my maternal grandmother, whose photos you will find scattered throughout.  In Lutheran thinking (following how the Bible uses the term), all Christians are "saints" because Christ has made us holy by saving us. We don't live it out perfectly (sadly, we often don't live it out well at all), but Christ is the Perfect One, the Holy One who makes us that way in God's eyes. 

For all the saints 

Who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith 

Before the world confessed;
Thy name, O Jesus, 

Be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, 

Their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain 

In the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, 

Their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, 

Fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, 

They in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, 

For all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But then there breaks 

A still more glorious day:
The saints triumphant 

Rise in bright array;
The King of Glory 

Passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth's wide bounds, 

From ocean's farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl 

Streams in the countless host,
in praise of Father, 

Son, and Holy Ghost.
Alleluia, Alleluia!  --William Walsham How, 1864

W.W. How was born in 1823 in England and died in 1897 in Ireland.  He was an Anglican priest who rose to be a bishop.  

A Mighty Fortress

 

     October 31st is Reformation Day for Lutherans*.  In honor of this, here is the best known hymn by Martin Luther for you to read as a poem.  It is based on Psalm 46 and was written around 1529.  Some people think Luther wrote it in remembrance of his friend Leonhard Kaiser, who was martyred due to the Reformation.   

     The translation from German included here is closer to the original German, a little less like the modern hymn.   It is based somewhat on literal translations and somewhat on the known translations, with adaptations by this blogger.

     The picture included is the Luther's Rose**, designed by him.  It is rich in symbolism.  

1) A mighty Fortress is our God,

A good Defense and Weapon.

He helps us free from every need.   

That has us now o'ertaken.

The old evil enemy

Works still more earnestly.

His pow'r and ploys are great;

His armor is cruel hate:

On earth is not his likeness.

2) With our own strength is nothing done,

Else quick our loss effected.

But for us fights the suitable One, 

Whom God Himself elected. 

You ask who is He who came?

Christ Jesus is His name,

Of heav'nly hosts the Lord, 

God's only Son adored:

The battlefield He must hold.

3)  Though all  the world with devils were filled

All threat'ning to devour us,

We would not fear, for God has willed

They cannot overpow'r us.

The prince of worldly power,

Howe'er he might glower,

We will not be budged:

Since he's already judged,

One little word can bring him down.

4) The Word they still shall let remain

And not be thankful for it.

He is with us according to plan

With His good gifts and Spirit.

Were they to take our life,

Goods, honor, child and wife,

Let them go away.

They still will have no sway:

The Kingdom shall remain for us.

     ---Martin Luther, c. 1529; translation by various; adapted c.m.b., 2023

*Reformation Day, October 31st.  Centuries before this, the Roman Catholic church had taken over the Druid observance of Samhain. The Druids believed the barrier between the worlds of dead and living was "thinnest" at midnight on October 31st. The Church repurposed November 1st as All Saints' Day. October 31st became known as "All Hallows' Eve" in English. Luther chose the day before All Saints Day, by tradition, to post his 95 Theses (statements) in German on a church door, calling for a debate among church leaders and scholars. These were translated and sparked the Protestant Reformation.

**Luther's Rose:  this was first sketched by Luther around 1516 to 1520 and fully designed at the request of Johann Friedrich, Elector of Saxony. The black cross represents Jesus' sacrifice, the blackness symbolizing our sin. The red heart symbolizes our faith; Luther said that because of our sin, the heart ought to be black, yet, due to Christ, the heart is not utterly destroyed.  The heart is on a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort and peace:  white is the color of angels and spirits.  The sky blue field symbolizes joy and that faith is the beginning of future heavenly joy.  The gold ring symbolizes precious eternity, which has no beginning and end.  

This rendering has the triple phrase often used by Lutherans, sometimes written in Latin: sola fide, sola gratia, sola Scriptura.  A fourth could be added:  solus Christus, Christ alone.

Songs of Thankfulness & Praise

 

Happy New Year!  This is being posted in recognition of the upcoming Festival of Epiphany, the coming of the Wise Men, on January 6th.  Epiphany is a full season, and this hymn has many verses to reflect this.  I am only posting some more pertinent to the Wise Men and to things in nature.

Songs of thankfulness and praise,

Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise:

Manifested by the star

To the sages from afar.

Branch of royal David's stem  

In Thy birth at Bethlehem:

Anthems be to Thee addressed, 

God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,

Stars shall fall, the heav'ns shall flee;

Christ will then like lightning shine:

All will see His glorious sign.

All will then the trumpet hear,

All will see the Judge appear;

Thou by all wilt be confessed, 

God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,

Present in They holy Word--

Grace to imitate Thee now

And be pure, as pure art Thou,

That we might become like Thee

At Thy great epiphany

And may praise Thee, ever blest,

God in man made manifest.

--Christopher Wordsworth, 1862

What Child Is This*

 

1. What Child is this, who, laid to rest,

In Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King

Whom shepherd guard and angels sing.

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

2.  Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?**

Good Christian, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading. 

Nails, spears shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

Hail, hail, the Word made Flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh***

Come, peasant, king*** to own Him.

The King of Kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise the song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy, for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

--William Chatterton Dix, 1865

*usually sung to the English folk tune "Greensleeves"

**It's not known for sure what animals were present at Jesus' birth.  The Luke 2 account says He was laid in a manger, so people assume He was born in a stable where other animals were present.  Some people feel Mary rode a donkey down from Bethlehem to Nazareth, though the Bible doesn't say this either.  Still, these animals make it into much of the religious art and into Nativity scenes.  

***It seems the Magi (sometimes called "Wise Men") came later. They have sometimes been referred to as "kings", though they were not really rulers.  [Psalm 72 has similar thoughts and refers to "kings", though.]  This, as Christ's birth itself, shows the low & high of society worshipping HIm. 

O God, Our Help in Ages Past*

 

1. O God, our help in ages past,
   Our hope for years to come,
   Our shelter from the stormy blast,
   And our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
   Thy saints have dwelt secure;
   Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
   And our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
   Or earth received her frame,
   From everlasting Thou art God,
   To endless years the same.
4. Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
   “Return, ye sons of men”:
   All nations rose from earth at first,
   And turn to earth again.
5. A thousand ages in Thy sight
   Are like an evening gone;
   Short as the watch that ends the night
   Before the rising sun.
6. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
   With all their lives and cares,
   Are carried downwards by the flood,
   And lost in foll’wing years.
7. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
   Bears all its sons away;
   They fly, forgotten, as a dream
   Dies at the op’ning day.
8. Like flow’ry fields the nations stand
   Pleased with the morning light;
   The flow’rs beneath the mower’s hand
   Lie with’ring ere ’tis night.
9. O God, our help in ages past,
   Our hope for years to come,
   Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
   And our eternal home.  --Isaac Watts, 1708 (pub. 1719)

*A hymnodic version of Psalm 90.  (This Psalm and hymn are often used in liturgical churches on New Years' Eve, due to the discussion of "time.")

Light Shining Out of Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way,   

 His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,    

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines    

 Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,     

And works His sov’reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,  

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break    

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace.
Behind a frowning providence*
He hides a smiling face. 

His purposes will ripen fast,    

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,     

But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,     

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,   

And He will make it plain.

William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper"); English, 1779

*Lutherans would likely not express themselves in terms of a "frowning providence."  God is merciful, even when we cannot see it. The problem is we cannot see it.  Part of it is the sorrows and troubles of living in a broken world.  God does not automatically intervene at every turn. In addition, there are the blinders we have, such as Cowper's tendency towards depression (see below).  
     Gerard Manley Hopkins, also a poet of faith, also featured on this blog, once spoke of a heaven made of bronze, off of which his prayers bounced.  He was in circumstances that drained him and had that same sensation, though at some level, he always knew God loved him.

     A slightly altered version of this hymn/poem has appeared on this blog before.  I have recently had reason to look more closely at the life of Cowper.

     Cowper, though a man of faith, was plagued by periods of deep depression. At his time, there were no effective medications or psychotherapy.  Friends did the best they could to intervene, and he had to be institutionalized occasionally.

     Cowper was probably born with a somewhat sensitive temperament.  His mother died when he was six, giving birth to his youngest brother.  William and this brother, John, were the only two of his siblings to survive to adulthood.  Compounding this, his mother's maids lied, saying his mother had just gone away for awhile. Though William first disbelieved this, the maids persisted, falsely raising his hopes. When the truth sank in, he crashed further.  On top of this, he changed schools frequently as a child and was bullied somewhat.

     In adulthood, Cowper counted John Newton as a friend.  Newton had been a reprehensible slave trader.  He had a true conversion and wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace."

     Other public figures counted Cowper as a favorite poet. One was the authoress Jane Austen, who mentions him in some of her works. Another was William Wilberforce, who spearheaded British efforts to make slavery illegal.

      Here are some links/resources for further guidance:

       

Ella, George.  William Cowper: Poet Of Paradise by George Ella, published by Evangelical Press 1993

Wikipedia: William Cowper

Austen Connection "Faith, Science, Joy, … and Jane Austen!" (Cox, Brenda S.)
The Olney Hymns (Blair, Bob)

God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand

(for Independence and other days)

1. God of our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand

Leads forth in beauty all the starry band.

Of Shining worlds in splendor through the skies

Our grateful songs, before thy throne arise.

2. Thy Love divine hath led us in the past.

In this free land by thee our lot is cast.

Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay.

Thy Word Our Law^, thy Paths our chosen ways*.

3. From wars alarms, from deadly pestilence,

Be thy Strong arm our ever sure defense*;

Thy true religion in our hearts increase,

Thy Bounteous goodness, nourish us in peace.

4. Refresh thy people on their toilsome way;

Lead us from night, to never ending day;

Fill all our lives, with love and grace^ divine*,

And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

  ----Fr. Daniel C. Roberts, 1876; a priest in the Episcopal church, honoring our nation's centennial.

*I don't believe in trying to create "a Christian nation" here in America. We weren't told to create a theocracy in the New Testament.  But I am grateful that we live in a country where we can freely practice and share our faith.  I am hopeful and prayerful that neither the foolishness nor extremism on either the Right or the Left will ruin that for us here.

^While a nice enough hymn in its way, this hymn speaks nothing about grace & love actually coming from the suffering and death of Christ for our sins.

Jesus, Refuge of the Weary

Jesus, Refuge of the weary,
Blest Redeemer Whom we love.
Fountain in life's desert dreary,
Savior from the world above.
Oh, how oft Thine eyes, offended
Gaze upon the sinner's fall;
Yet upon the cross extended,
You have born the pain of all.

Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see Thee wounded, bleeding,
See Thy thorn encircled brow?
Yet Thy sinless death has brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what your grace has taught us
Calms the sinner’s deep distress.

Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for Thee;
May our eyes be ever turning
To Thy cross of agony
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessed Savior’s side,
Carved into our hearts forever,
Dwell the cross, the Crucified.

By Girolamo Savonarola; translated by Lady Jane Wilde, adapted

Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar and preacher.  (In his zeal to reform the Roman Catholic Church, before Luther came along, he unfortunately destroyed some secular art in Italy.) He called for Christian renewal and expressed skepticism towards the culture of his day.

On Christmas Night All Christians Sing*

On Christmas night all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring:
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King’s birth.

Angels with joy sing in the air,
No music may with theirs compare;
While prisoners in their chains rejoice
To hear the echoes of that voice.

So how on earth can men be sad,
When Jesus comes to make us glad;
From sin and hell to set us free,
And buy for us our liberty?

When sin departs before His grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
Angels and men with joy may sing,
All to see our newborn King.

Then out of darkness we see light,
Which makes the angels sing this night
“Glory to God and peace to men
Now and forevermore. Amen.”

---A folk carol of rural England & Ireland, 
         *known in some versons as "The Sussex Carol"

Creations

(October 31, 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran/Protestant Reformation.  It is said that on this date, Dr. Martin Luther posted 95 Theses, statements of discussion, on a church door. At any rate, we do know that these 95 Theses, first written in Latin, were quickly distributed among the populace in German.  Luther wrote a lot of hymns. This one, while not as well-known as "A Might Fortress", makes suitable poetry on a nature-lover's, creation-oriented page.) 


We all believe in one true God,
Who created earth and heaven,
The Father, who to us in love
Hath the right of children given.
He both soul and body feedeth,
All we need He doth provide us;
He through snares and perils leadeth,
Watching that no harm betide us.
He careth for us day and night,
All things are governed by His might.

We all believe in Jesus Christ,
His own Son, our Lord, possessing
An equal Godhead, throne, and might,
Source of every grace and blessing.
Born of Mary, virgin mother,
By the power of the Spirit,
Made true man, our elder Brother,
That the lost might life inherit;
Was crucified for sinful men
And raised by God to life again.

We all confess the Holy Ghost,
Who sweet grace and comfort giveth
And with the Father and the Son
In eternal glory liveth;
Who the Church, His own creation,
Keeps in unity of spirit.
Here forgiveness and salvation
Daily come through Jesus' merit.
All flesh shall rise, and we shall be
In bliss with God eternally. Amen.

--by Martin Luther, 1525

A Secular Take on Luther & Viral Trends

God Bless Our Native Land

God bless our native land;
Firm may she ever stand
Through storm and night:
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of wind and wave,
Do Thou our country save
By thy great might.

For her our prayers shall rise
To God, above the skies;
On Him we wait.

Thou who art ever nigh,
Guarding with watchful eye,
To Thee aloud we cry,
God save the state!

And not to us alone, 
But be Thy mercies known
From shore to shore.

 

 
Lord, make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world o'er.

Verses 1-2, Siegfried A. Mahlmann, 1815;
Verse 3, William E. Hickson, 1835

(sung to the tune "America")

Salve Feste Dies

("Hail Thee, Festival Day", select Easter verses)


Refrain: Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein Christ arose,
breaking the kingdom of death.

 Lo, the fair beauty of earth,
From the death of the winter arising,
Every good gift of the year
Now with its Master returns. Refrain

He who was nailed to the Cross
 Is God and the Ruler of all things;
 All things created on earth
 Worship the Maker of all. Refrain

God of all pity and power,
Let Your word assure those who doubt;
Light on the third day returns:
Rise, Son of God, from the tomb! Refrain

Rise now, O Lord, from the grave
And cast off the shroud that enwrapped You;
You are all that we need:
Nothing without You exists. Refrain

They mourned as they laid You to rest,
O, Author of life and creation;
Treading the pathway of death,
You give life to us creations. Refrain

Show us Your Face once more,
That we may enjoy Your brightness;
Give us the light of day,
Darkened on earth at thy Death. * Refrain

 Jesus has harrowed hell;
 He has led captivity captive;
 Darkness and chaos and death
 Flee from the Face of the Light. Refrain

---

*The Sun was darkened ("obscured") from the "sixth to the ninth hours" (~ noon to ~ 3 PM) on the Friday Jesus was crucified.
--Venantius Fortunatus (530-609);
trans.  Fr. Maurice Frederick Bell (Anglican), 1906, adapted cmb