On the 7nd Day of Christmas: The New Year Approaches

There are two options for celebrating today, one is for the coming New Year and the other is the Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus.

Today we will focus on the New Year, and tomorrow the Circumcision and Name of Jesus.

As the new year approaches, the church gathers together, as the collect for the day says,

...to commit to your mercies and forgiveness the year now ending

and commend to Your blessing and love the times yet to come.

One option might be to have Corporate Confession and Absolution at the beginning of the evening service.  It is also appropriate to receive the blessings of the Eucharist at this time as well.

New Year's Eve has themes that are similar to Advent and the close of the church year.  The Gospel lesson is from Luke 12:35-40 (ESV), where Jesus says,

"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 

and be like men who are waiting for their master

to come home from the wedding feast,

so that they may open the door to him at once

when he comes and knocks.

 Blessed are those servants

whom the master finds awake when he comes.

Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service

and have them recline at table,

and he will come and serve them.

If he comes in the second watch, or in the third,

and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!

 But know this, that if the master of the house had known

at what hour the thief was coming,

he would not have left his house to be broken into.

You also must be ready,

for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Another tradition that looks back on the past and forward to the future is the singing of "O God, Our Help in Ages Past." This hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 90, which happens to be the appointed Psalm for New Year's Eve.  Pardon the recording quality here, as All for Hymn makes room for Virgil Fox.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

The tune was irresistable to JS Bach, although the text came after his death.  Here's the fugue from BWV 552 based on the tune St. Anne.  This is not Virgil Fox, but it is a live recording! The melody is most prevalent in the opening motif, followed by the pedal parts.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone
And our defense is sure.

Time Out #42: Gaze We on those Glorious Scars!

This week on Time Out, the hymn, Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending is featured.

Hear the golden voice of Layman Dan plus the talented Southern Lutheran Kantor on the mighty hybrid organ of Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Also, comment on the featured text.  The hymns of Charles Wesley (at least the ones I am familiar with) tend to lean towards the Enthusiasts.  Peculiar words like "token," "wailing" and "rapture" make their way into this hymn.

This hymn stands in contrast to yesterday's Contemporary Advent feature.  Where "Days of Elijah" featured the positives of Christ's return, "Lo, He Comes" also discusses the negatives.  Check out the post and the comment section for more on this hymn.

Time Out #41: Now Come, Thou Blessed One

The latest Time Out episode features "Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying" from The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).

The broadcast is here, and the words and melody are here.

Special thanks to Layman Dan and Southern Lutheran Kantor for filling my request.  They had a few hurdles along the way, given the copyright of the LSB setting, and SLK provided the melody and words from TLH.

Gloria sei, wieder! Glory be, again!

Gloria sei dir gesungen

Glory to Thee be sung

Mit Menschen- und mit Engelzungen,

With singing folk and singing angels,

Mit Harfen und mit Zimbeln schön.

With harp and beautiful cymbals.

Von zwölf Perlen sind die Tore

Of twelve pearls are the doors

An deiner Stadt, wir stehn im Chore

In Thy city, we stand with the choir

Der Engel hoch um deinen Thron.

of angels high on the throne.

Kein Aug hat je gespürt,

No eye has yet seen,

Kein Ohr hat mehr gehört

No ear has ever heard

Solche Freude!

Such joy!

Des jauchzen wir und singen dir

So we rejoice and sing to Thee

Das Halleluja für und für!

That Alleluja forever and ever!

Gloria sei! Glory Be!

Now let all the heavens adore Thee,

Let saints and angels sing before Thee,

With harp and cymbal’s clearest tone;

Of one pearl each shining portal,

Where, joining with the choir immortal,

We gather round Thy radient throne;

No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might

Of Thy glory;

Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!

Zion hört! Zion hears!

Zion hears the watchmen singing,

And all her heart with joy is springing;

She wakes, she rises from her gloom;

For her Lord comes down all glorious,

The strong in grace, in truth victorious.

Her Star is risen, her Light is come.

Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son:

Hail! hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall

To eat the Supper at Thy call.

Wachet auf! Wake up!

"Wake, awake, for night is flying,"

The watchmen on the heights are crying;

"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"

Midnight hears the welcome voices

And at the thrilling cry rejoices;

"Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?

The Bridegroom comes, awake!

Your lamps with gladness take!

Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare

To meet the Bridegroom who is near."

+Paul Manz+ 1919-2009

Composer and organist Paul Manz passed away Wednesday Evening.  Southern Lutheran Kantor has some details here.

Perhaps his most well-known piece was E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.  You can learn the chilling background of this anthem here.

As stated in a previous post, this is an appropriate piece for this time of year, as we turn our focus to the end times.

Here it is, done by a small choir in an Episcopal Church.

Here is another version, adapted for an a-capella mens group.

Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming,
Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.

Sound of Majesty: October 22, 2009

In the Lutheran tradition, our church year begins with Advent, as we look forward to Christ becoming man, and ends with three Sundays that focus on the "end times."

In a typical year - including this one - the Sunday on or following November 1 marks All Saints' Sunday and is followed by the three End Times Sundays, preparing us for that glorious day when He returns to take us home.  As Christians, there is nothing to fear.  In contrast, we look forward to Christ's return with eager anticipation!

Today's installment of Sound of Majesty features many selections that deal with the end times.

The text for one, "Come, We That Love the Lord," can be found in Lutheran Service Book (#669, verses only - the refrain was added later).

Many of the selections is very American in style.

• In That Great Gettin' Up Morning (Gospel)
• My Lord, What A Mornin' (Spiritual - also called, "My Lord, What A Moanin' ")
• Three American Anthems (Early American, think pre-Great Wakening)
• At the River (think Great Awakening era, with a setting by Aaron Copeland)

Tangentially, a modern choral work in the Anglican tradition, "There Is a Stream," is included.

The direct link for the audio is here.

The playlist can be found here.

Perhaps a future post will deal with "Come to the Water."  The last line of each verse tends to put a twist on the rest of the text.  This requires going back to Scripture and comparing it to the setting.  I'll save that for another time...

Also, as I peruse the internet, look for links to featured sermons on the Sunday texts for the end of the church year, starting with Sunday, November 1.

Modern Lutheran Classics, Part I: "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come"

Pastor Peters over at Pastoral Meanderings has a post about the Paul Manz choral piece, E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.

You can head over there and find background information and links to the recordings as well.

This particular piece is wonderful for the coming weeks, as we head into All Saints Day and the Last Sundays of the Church Year.  This is the time of the church year where we focus on the second coming of Jesus.

Our focus as Christians, though, is not on the judgment, but that Christ is returning to take us home.  Christ already suffered our final judgment for us, so we look forward to the second coming with great hope and expectation!  We do not fear this, but long for it.  This second coming will put an end to wars and tribulation, and we will forever be with Jesus.

As the last section of the text states,

E'en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!