Weinachtslieder: The Ones I Didn't Know

There were a couple of German carols Sunday Night that I didn't know.

These are probably well-known in some circles (plenty of youtube videos available), but I think even those fluent in German struggled with this one.

Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier,

O Jesu du mein Leben;

Ich komme, bring und schenke dir,

Was du mir hast gegeben.

Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn,

Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin

Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.

I remain here by Your cradle,

O Jesus my Life;

I come and bring and give to you

What you would have me give

Take it, it is my spirit and senses,

Heart, soul and strength, take all of it

And leave what is pleasing to you.

I believe this it the tune they used Sunday evening.

I am more familiar with this tune, which you might know as "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near." It's an interesting mix for me, a "baby Jesus" text with an "end times" tune. It places one both at the manger and at the second coming. His incarnation and His return meet up this way.

Weinachtslieder: German Christmas Songs

Lieder von "Liederfest zu Weihnachten," Sankt Johannes Kirche, Chicago, Illinois.

Songs featured at the German Christmas Hymnfest at St. John's Lutheran Church (LCMS) Chicago, IL.

These are rough translations. Corrections are welcome in the comment box.

~~~~~

Ihr Kinderlein, kommet, o kommet doch all!

Zur Krippe her kommet in Bethlehems Stall

und seht, was in dieser hochheiligen Nacht

der Vater im Himmel für Freude uns macht!

You little children, come! O come all of you

to the cradle here in Bethlehem's stall! Come

and see, in this holiest night, what

joy the Father in heaven makes for us!

~~~~~

Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her,

Ich bring euch gute neue Maehr;

Der guten Maehr bring ich so viel,

Davon ich sing unt sagen will.

I come here from high heaven,

I bring you good new message;

I bring such a good message

That I will say and sing it!

Es ist der Herr Christ, unser Gott,

Der will euch führ'n aus aller Not,

Er will eu'r Heiland selber sein,

Von allen Sünden machen rein.

This is the Lord Christ, our God,

Who will for you fulfill all needs,

He will always be our Savior

From all sins He makes [us] pure.

~~~~~

Still, still, still,

Weil's Kindlein schlafen will.

Die Englein tun schön jubilieren,

Bei dem Kripplein musizieren.

Still, still, still,

Weil's Kindlein schlafen will.

Quiet, quiet, quiet,

Because baby wants to sleep.

The angels carol beautifully,

Making music by the cradle.

Quiet, quiet, quiet,

Because baby wants to sleep.

~~~~~

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,

Alles schläft; einsam wacht

Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.

Das im stalle zu Bethlehem war,

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Quiet night, holy night,

All are sleeping; there is a lone watch

Only by the faithful, holiest couple.

You, in that stall at Bethlehem,

Sleep in heavenly peace!

Sleep in heavenly peace!

~~~~~

Advent II: On Jordan's Bank with "Winchester New"

The English hymnals of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod have adapted the tune "Puer Nobis" for the hymn, "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry."

Here's the Praetorius version of the tune sung to the text "Puer Nobis."

The other tune for this text is "Winchester New." You can find the tune in Lutheran Service Book, numbers 405 and 441.

Here it is, courtesy of our friends at HiFiHymnbook.

Here is how the words and music fit together, although this one features a different translation.

Advent II: Jordan's Bank, LSB and a Banjo

Advent II: Getting a Handel on Malachi 3

Haggai 2:6-7; Malachi 3:1

Malachi 3:2

Malachi 3:3

Contemporary LSB: Radical Grace Radio and LSB Hymn 347

Some shows have a theme song, Radical Grace Radio has a theme hymn.  This classic Advent hymn is based on Isaiah 40:1-5.

You can catch a more traditional singing of this hymn over at Lutheran Time Out.  It is the third hymn in their Advent Bonus Edition.

Comfort, comfort my people,

says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

that her warfare is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

that she has received from the LORD's hand

double for all her sins.

A voice cries:

In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;

make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill made low;

the uneven ground shall be level,

and the rough places plain.

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 40:1-5 (ESV)

Introducing Radical Grace Radio

Radical Grace Radio, the show founded on the idea that "the Lutheran Church makes a Christian Difference," can be heard on terrestrial radio stations and internet podcasts alike.

The current broadcast helps us weed through the health-and-wealth, blab-and-grab, name-and-claim teachings of modern evangelists so we can focus on the important thing in life, JESUS!

Special thanks go out to one of the show's hosts, Matthew Pancake, who is helping me figure some things out in terms of recording, midi, mp3 files, etc.  These things are probably not that complicated, but I am very green at it and I appreciate his help.  Matthew, much like John Records Landecker, will tell you, "Yes, that is my real name."  The difference is, that really is his real name!

Check out their current broadcast here.

Check out the bios of the show's hosts plus more about the show here.

The podcast archive is here.

I am looking forward to the November 18th podcast titled, "2012! And Jesus was a Meanie."  Click here to download that particular episode.