Above:  Night Vision Scene

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text (1711) by Caspar Neumann (1648-1715)

English Translation (1912) by August Crull (1845-1923)

Hymn Source = Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (1912), German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States (now The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)

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God, from all eternity

In Thy Son Thou didst elect me;

Therefore, Father, graciously

In my course to heaven direct me;

Send to me Thy Holy Spirit

That His gifts I may inherit.

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Though alive, I’m dead in sin,

To all good things lost by nature;

Holy Ghost, change me within,

Make of me a new-born creature;

For the flesh deserves damnation

And can never gain salvation.

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Drive away the gloomy night

Of  my sinful meditation;

Quench all thoughts that are not right,

Reason hold in limitation;

Grant that I from Thee with yearning

Wisdom always may be my learning.

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All desires and thoughts of mine,

From my youth, are only evil;

Save me from Thy power divine

From myself and from the devil;

Give me strength in ample measure,

Both to will and do Thy pleasure.

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Such a heart create in me,

That in Thee, O God, believing,

At the base iniquity

Of my sins I may be grieving;

And when hours of woe betide me,

In the wounds of Jesus hide me.

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As a branchlet in the Vine,

In my blessed Lord, implant me;

Ever to my Head divine

To remain a member grant me;

Oh, let Him, my Lord and Savior,

Be my Life and Love forever!

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Faith and hope and charity

Graciously, O Father, give me;

Be my Guardian constantly

That no devil e’er may grieve me;

Grant me humbleness and gladness,

Peace and patience in my sadness.

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Help me speak what’s right and just,

And keep silence on occasion;

Help me pray, Lord, as I must;

Help me bear my tribulation;

Help me die and let my spirit

Everlasting life inherit.

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Above:  A King’s Burden

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text (1700) by Caspar Neumann (1648-1715)

English Translation (1863) by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

Hymn Source = Evangelical Lutheran Worship (1908), Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States (1818-1930)

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Lord, on earth I dwell sad-hearted,

Here I oft must mourn and sigh:

Wherefore hast Thou then departed,

Why didst Thou ascend on high?

Take me, take me hence with Thee,

Or abide, Lord, still with me;

Let Thy love and gifts be left,

That I be not all bereft.

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Leave Thy heart still inly near me,

Take mine hence where Thou art gone;

Open heav’n to me, and hear me,

When to Thee I cry alone;

When I cannot pray, O plead

With the Father in my stead;

Seated now at God’s right hand,

Help us here, Thy faithful hand.

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Worldly joys I cast behind me,

Let me choose the better part,

And though mortal chains yet bind me,

Heav’nward tend my thoughts and heart;

That my time through faith may be

Ordered for eternity;

Till we rise, all perils o’er,

Whither Thou hast gone before.

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Then return, the promise keeping,

That was made to us of old;

Raise the members that are sleeping,

Gnaw’d of death, beneath the mould;

Judge the evil world that deems

Thy sure words but empty dreams;

And for all our sorrows past

Let us know Thy joy at last.

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Above:  The Day of Judgment, by Fra Angelico

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America

Text (written in 1756 yet published in 1760) by Anne Steele

Steele wrote the original version (with seven stanzas) for the Public Fast, February 6, 1756, related to the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).

I read the third stanza and think of the use of religion and the Bible to justify the indefensible, including slavery, racism, “holy” wars, the burning of accused heretics, witch trials, and the range of -isms and phobias which teach us to denigrate and hate our fellow human beings.

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1.  Almighty Lord, before Thy throne,

Thy mourning people bend;

‘Tis on Thy grace in Christ alone

Our failing hopes depend.

2.  Dark judgments from Thy heavy hand

Thy dreadful pow’r display;

Yet mercy spares our guilty land,

And still w live to pray.

3.  How changed, alas, are truths divine

For error, guilt, and shame!

What impious numbers, bold in sin,

Disgrace the Christian name!

4.  Oh, turn us, turn us, mighty Lord;

Convert us by Thy grace!

Then shall our hearts obey Thy Word

And see again Thy face.

5.  Then, should oppressing foes invade,

We will not yield to fear,

Secure of all-sufficient aid

When God in Christ is near.

Above:  One of My Crucifixes, July 15, 2014

Image Source = Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923)

Original German words by Bishop Christian Gregor (1723-1801), the “Father of Moravian Music”

English Translation by Christian Ignatius LaTrobe (1758-1836), British Moravian minister and composer

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1.  Sing with awe and strains melodious,

Sing with awe:  “Behold the Man!”

Yea, repeat in tones harmonious,

“Ah! behold, behold the Man!”

On Thy dying look, dear Saviour,

I will fix my eyes forever:

I am never tired to gaze

At Thy lovely, bleeding face.

2.  O, this makes me think with sighing,

I’m the cause:  “Behold the Man!”

But His love which I’m enjoying,

Comforts me:  “Behold the Man!”

Ah, that cruelly abased

Countenance, so marred and bruised,

Makes my eyes with tears o’erflow,

Till to Him I’ve leave to go.

3.  Wounded head, back ploughed with furrows,

Visage marred:  “Behold the Man!”

Eyes how dim, how full of sorrows,

Sunk with grief:  “Behold the Man!”

Lamb of God, led to the slaughter,

Melted, poured out like water;

Should not love my heart inflame,

Viewing Thee, Thou Paschal Lamb!

Above:  One of My Crucifixes, July 15, 2014

Image Source = Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Original German Words by Christian Gregor (1723-1801), the “Father of Moravian Music”

English Translation (1801) by Frederick William Foster (1760-1835), British Moravian bishop and hymnal editor

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923), of the Moravian Church in America

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1.  O Thou, Whose human life for us

Did happiness obtain;

Thou Who, expiring on the Cross,

God’s image didst regain;

2.  We  bless Thee for the gift restored

Through Thy humanity;

Beneath Thy shadow, Son of man,

‘Tis good a man to be.

Above:  Church of the Common Ground, Atlanta, Georgia, April 5, 2012

(The Church of the Common Ground is a ministry to homeless people.)

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

(https://picasaweb.google.com/114749828757741527421/CommonGroundFootwashingAndEucharist#5728362228570780674)

Hymn Source = The Church Hymnal (1935), of the Church of the United Brethren, a predecessor body of The United Methodist Church (1968-)

Words (1768) by the Reverend Joseph Hart (1712-1768)

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1.  That solemn night before his death,

The Lamb, for sinners slain,

Did, almost with his dying breath,

This solemn feast ordain.

2.  To keep the feast, Lord, we have met,

And to remember thee;

Help each each poor trembler to repeat,

For me, he died, for me.

3.  Thy suff’rings, Lord, each sacred sign

To our remembrance brings;

We eat the bread and drink the wine,

But think on nobler things.

4.  Oh, tune our tongues, and set in frame

Each heart that pants for thee,

To sing, Hosanna to the Lamb,

The Lamb that died for me.

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Cumming, Georgia, June 12, 2011 

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

(https://picasaweb.google.com/114749828757741527421/EpiscopalChurchOfTheHolySpirit#5617438065359600834)

Hymn Source = The New Psalms and Hymns (1901), of the Presbyterian Church in the United States

Words (1759) by the Reverend Joseph Hart (1712-1768)

Words revised in 1776 by the Reverend Augustus Toplady (1740-1778), a Calvinistic Anglican who criticized John Wesley strongly

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1.  Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Let Thy bright beams arise;

Dispel the darkness from our minds,

And open Thou our eyes.

2.  Revive our drooping faith,

Our doubts and fears remove,

And kindle in our breasts the flame

Of never-dying love.

3.  Convince us of our sin;

Then lead to Jesus’ blood;

And to our wondering view reveal

The secret love of God.

4.  ‘Tis Thine to cleanse the heart,

To sanctify the soul,

To pour fresh life on every part,

And new create the whole.

5.  Dwell therefore in our hearts;

Our minds from bondage free;

Then shall we know, and praise, and love,

The Father, Son, and Thee.

A Crucifix on a Church Wall

Image Source = Marlith

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cross_on_Church.JPG)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1982, of The Episcopal Church

Words by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

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1.  When I survey the wondrous cross

where the young Prince of Glory died,

my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride.

2.  Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

save in the cross of Christ, my God:

all the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to his blood.

3.  See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

or thorns compose so rich a crown!

4.  Were the whole realm of nature mine,

that were an offering far too small;

love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all.

http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/thirty-ninth-day-of-lent-good-friday/

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (1651-1715), Archbishop of Cambrai

Image in the Public Domain

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Lord, take my heart, for I cannot give it to you.  And when you have it, keep it, for I would take it from you.  And save me in spite of myself, for Christ’s sake.

–Quoted in The Communion of Saints:  Prayers of the Famous, edited by Horton Davies (Grand Rapids, MI:  Eerdmans, 1990), p. 19.