Above:  Trinity Church and Church Yard, Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, 1890

Image Source = Library of Congress

Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsc-08870

Original Greek Text by St. Joseph the Hymnographer (d. 886)

English Translation (1862) by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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The things of earth in the earth let us lay;

The ashes with ashes, the dust with the clay;

But lift up the heart, and the eyes, and the love,

O lift up the soul to the regions above!

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Since He, the Immortal, hath entered the gate,

So shall we mortals, or sooner or late:

Then stand we with Christ; let us mark Him ascend,

For His is the glory and life without end.

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On earth with His own once the Giver of good,

Bestowing His blessing, a little while stood;

Now nothing can part us, nor distance, nor foes,

For lo! He is with us, and who can oppose?

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So Lord, we commit this our loved one to Thee,

Whose body is dead, but whose spirit is free:

We know that through grace, when our life her is o’er,

In bliss we shall be with the Lord evermore.

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Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

Paraphrase (1924) of Psalm 139:23 and 24 by Claus August Wendell (1866-1950)

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Search me, God, and know my heart,

Lord of truth and mercy;

Try me, Thou who from afar

Knowest all my secrets;

And if any wicked way

Should be found within me,

Blessed Saviour, lead Thou me

In the way eternal.

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The Service Book and Hymnal (immediate predecessors of the American Lutheran Church [1960] and the Lutheran Church in America [1962], 1958) also contains the above text verbatim.

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The Lutheran Book of Worship (immediate predecessors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [1987], 1978) modernizes the text and makes it the second verse of a composite hymn, with a new first verse (beginning with “Wondrous are your ways, O God!”) by Joel W. Lundeen.  The modernized version of the text by Wendell follows:

Search me, God, and know my heart,

Lord of truth and mercy.

From afar, O Lord, you know

All my thoughts and secrets.

And if any wicked way

Should be found within me,

Cleanse, forgive me by your grace;

Grant me life eternal.

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Christian Worship:  A Lutheran Hymnal (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 1993) also modernizes the Wendell text and uses it as the second verse of a composite hymn.  However, this hymn book alters the Lundeen text.

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The text by Wendell is absent from the current Lutheran  denominational hymnals in my collection:

1. Ambassador Hymnal for Lutheran Worship (The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, 1994),
2. Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (The Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1996),
3. Worship Supplement 2000 (Church of the Lutheran Confession, 2000),
4. Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2006), and
5. Lutheran Service Book (The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, 2006).

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KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JUNE 11, 2016 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE, COWORKER OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE

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Above:  Augustus Nelson

Image Source = The Escanaba Daily Press, Escanaba, Michigan, June 27, 1924, Page 4

Accessed via newspapers.com

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

Original Text (1571) by Martin Mikael Schalling (1532-1608)

Swedish Text (1818) by Johann Olaf Wallin (1779-1839)

English Translation by Augustus Nelson (1863-1949)

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O Lord, devoutly love I Thee;

Come, Jesus, and abide with me,

And grant me e’er Thy favor.

In this wide world of anxious care

Vain glory find I everywhere,

But peace with Thee, my Saviour.

E’en though, in woeful agony,

My soul and body pine away,

Thou art my Comfort, ever blest,

I safely on Thy bosom rest.

Lord Jesus Christ, my Saviour dear,

Thy saving hand is ever near.

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Almighty God, for what I own,

Receive, and am, to Thee alone

I ought my thanks to render.

Teach me to use Thy gifts, I pray,

To aid the poor, and never stay,

O Lord, Thy mercies tender.

Make known to me, O God, Thy will,

And purge my soul of every ill;

Yea, make my patient and content,

Nor let my soul to earth be bent.

Lord Jesus Christ, for Thy death’s sake

The bonds of my affliction break.

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Send, Lord, Thine angels forth at last

To bear my soul, when life is past,

Where heavenly joy aboundeth;

And let my weary body rest

In peace, where’er Thou seest best,

Until Thy voice resoundeth.

Then lo! in holy raiment clad,

I shall behold my Lord and God;

His grace and glory then shall be

My joy in all eternity,

Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer fulfill;

In life, in death, Thine am I still.

Above:  Icon of Christ Pantocrator

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Swedish Text by Johann Olaf Wallin (1779-1839)

English Translation (1891) by Augustus Nelson (1863-1949)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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Jesus, Lord and precious Saviour,

All my comfort and my joy!

Graciously extend Thy favor,

Let Thy Word My soul employ.

Jesus, come, abide with me,

Let me ever be with Thee.

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All I do, O let me ever,

Jesus, in Thy Name, begin;

Give success to my endeavor,

Final victory therein.

Jesus, come, abide with me,

Let me ever be with Thee.

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Let my words and thoughts, O Saviour,

To Thy praise and glory tend;

Help me, Lord, that I may gather

Treasures that shall never end.

Jesus, come, abide with me,

Let me ever be with Thee.

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When my days on earth are over,

Let me enter into rest.

Bear me home, O blessed Saviour,

When to Thee it seemeth best.

Jesus, come, abide with me,

Let me ever be with Thee.

Above:  Icon of the Holy Trinity, by Andrei Rublev

Image in the Public Domain

Swedish Text (1530) by Olavus Petri (1493-1552)

English Translation (Before 1925) by Augustus Nelson (1863-1949)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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Our Father, merciful and good,

Who dost to Thee invite us,

O cleanse us in our Saviour’s blood,

And to Thyself unite us!

Send unto us Thy holy Word,

And let it guide us ever;

Then in this world of darkness, Lord,

Shall naught from Thee us sever:

Grant us, O Lord, this favor!

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We cry to Thee with one accord,

‘Tis all that can avail us;

We cannot hear nor keep Thy Word,

If grace divine doth fail us.

Behold our lot, we humbly pray,

For our dear Saviour’s merit,

How Satan soweth tares alway,

And send, O Lord, Thy Spirit,

That we may life inherit.

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O God and man, Christ Jesus blest!

Our sorrows Thou didst carry,

Our wants and cares Thou knowest best,

For Thou with us didst tarry.

O Jesus Christ, our Brother dear,

To us and every nation

Thy Spirit send, let Him draw near

With truth and consolation,

That we may see salvation.

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Come, Holy Ghost, Thy grace impart,

Tear Satan’s snares asunder.

The Word of God keep in our heart,

That we its truth may ponder.

Then, sanctified, for evermore

In Christ alone confiding,

We’ll sing His praise and Him adore,

His precious Word us guiding

To heavenly joys abiding!

Above:  Title Page of the Gustav Vasa Bible (1541)

Image in the Public Domain

Swedish Text by Olavus Petri (1493-1552)

English Translation by Ernst W. Olson (1870-1958)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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Thy sacred Word, O Lord, of old

Was veiled about and darkened,

And in its stead were legends told,

To which the people harkened;

Thy Word, for which the faithful yearned,

The worldlings kept in hiding,

And into human fables turned

Thy truth, the all-abiding.

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Now thanks and praise be to our Lord,

Who boundless grace bestoweth,

And daily through the sacred Word

His precious gifts forthshoweth.

His word is come to light again,

A trusty lamp to guide us;

No strange and divers teachings then

Bewilder and divide us.

Above:  The High Altar, Grace Episcopal Cathedral, San Francisco, California

Image Source = Marlith

Text (1922) by George Henry Trabert (1843-1931)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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With deep humility, O Lord,

We come before Thy face;

We are unworthy, but Thy Word

Assures us to Thy grace.

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This Sacrament Thou hast prepared,

In which Thy love shines forth,

It shows how richly Thou hast cared

For Thy redeemed on earth.

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Here we receive, through bread and wine,

Thy body and Thy blood,

We are refreshed by grace divine

With this most precious food.

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This is a wondrous mystery,

But we believe Thy Word;

All who confess their sins will see

How Thou dost life afford.

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This is post #1700 of GATHERED PRAYERS.

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Above:  Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York, New York, 2006

Image in the Public Domain

Danish Text (1645) by Elle Andersdotter (1600-1650?)

English Translation (Before 1899) by George Henry Trabert (1743-1931)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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In hope my soul, redeemed to bliss unending,

To heaven’s glorious height by faith ascending,

Is mindful ever

That Christ did sever

The bonds of death, that I might live forever.

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In Him I have salvation’s way discovered,

The heritage for me He hath recovered.

Though death o’ertakes me,

Christ ne’er forsakes me,

To everlasting life He surely wakes me.

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More radiant there than sun e’er shone in brightness,

My soul shall shine before God’s throne in whiteness,

My God, who knows me,

In glory clothes me,

As He declared when for His own He chose me.

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O may I come when strife and grief are ended,

Where all thy saints shall meet, with peace attended!

Lord, grant Thy favor

And mercy ever,

And turn my sorrow into joy forever.

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Lord Jesus Christ, keep me prepared and waking,

Till from the vale of tears Thy bride Thou’rt taking

To dwell in heaven,

Where joy is given,

And clouds of darkness are forever riven.

Above:  Europe After World War I

Image Source = Ralph S. Tarr and Frank M. McMurry, World Geographies–Second Book (1920)

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (1922) by George Henry Trabert (1843-1931)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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Here we often are perplexed,

And still our spirit oft is vexed;

Sorrows still afflict the soul;

Who but Christ can make us whole?

Jesus does His promise give,

Ask in faith, ye shall receive.

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Jesus, we believe Thy Word;

We Thy saving Truth have heard,

Thou dost save us when in distress

Those relying on Thy grace.

We Thy holy Name adore,

And Thy saving grace implore.

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Great the promise Thou hast given,

For it lifts the soul to heaven;

Whatsoever we can claim–

If we ask it in Thy Name–

From the Father we receive,

If we in Thy Word believe.

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We must tribulation face,

But if we Thy Truth embrace,

Though the world is full of sin,

Thy salvation we shall win.

Thou who didst the world o’ercome

Givest victory to Thine own.

Above:  Icon of the Resurrection

Image in the Public Domain

Swedish Text (1536) by Olavus Petri (1493-1552)

English Translation (Before 1899) by George Henry Trabert (1843-1931)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

Some hymnals contain a shortened and altered version of the hymn, listing it as “O Paschal Feast, What Joy is Thine.”

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Blest Easter Day, what joy is thine!

We praise, dear Lord, Thy Name divine,

For Thou hast triumphed o’er the tomb;

No more we need to dread its gloom.

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The tree where Thou was offered up

Now bears the fruit of life and hope:

Thy precious blood for us is shed,

Now we may feed on heavenly bread.

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We thank Thee, Jesus, that Thy hand

Has freed us from sin’s galling band;

No more its thralldom we need fear;

The year of liberty is here.

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O Jesus Christ, God’s Son elect,

Our Paschal Lamb without defect,

To us Thou givest strength indeed,

In all our conflicts, all our need.

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O grant, that as Thou didst arise,

We, too, with joy, may heavenward rise,

First from our sin, to love Thy way,

Then from the grave on that great Day.

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All praise to Thee who from death’s might,

From carnal lust and sin’s dark plight

Redeemest me, that even I

May reach eternal life on high.