Sing to the Lord

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The name of Jesus is “sweet” not simply because it has been set to pleasing music, but because by Christ’s name, we are given faith. In Holy Baptism, Christ removes all sorrow and fear in this world with His promise. Stanza 2 // In what can sound like a long list of blessings, Jesus’ name is always extended to meet the needs of those in the world. It is wholeness...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The book of Hebrews says we make a continual sacrifice to God. This means each day is one lived in the grace of God’s great sacrifice - one in which we sleep and rise in joy - for Christ has paid the price for our sin, and calls us to awake each day in His forgiveness. Stanza 2 // Just as Christ raises us from death to life in Jesus Christ, so we are given the gi...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The world God has made gives us many great gifts - all of which leave us unfilled apart from Jesus Christ. The call of Christ comes from one who has the “words of eternal life” - greater than all gifts of the world, even the most miraculous manna given to God’s people in the Old Testament. Stanza 2 // Those who know Jesus Christ have nowhere else to go! When we “...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // Christ’s words are sung by Christians to one another - perhaps most effectively when led by a choir, cantor, or small group of singers. Jesus gives us these words, and we come to Christ because God calls us to Himself. Stanza 2 // The bread Jesus gives is Himself for your life, which promises us life forever in God’s promise of resurrection. Stanza 3 // If we que...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // This hymn provides remarkable contrast between the questions in this weekend’s Gospel text. Here, Christ - enthroned in heavenly splendor - is the same Lord who comes down from heaven to give us “true and living bread!” This leads to shouts of “alleluia” meaning “praise the Lord!” Stanza 2 // The contrast between God enthroned in splendor and yet present is given...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // Those who wander hungry and thirsty in the wilderness are given a promise from our Lord. In Him, we neither hunger nor thirst, for Christ comes to feed us continually with His word of truth. When Christ gives heavenly food, we taste and see the goodness of God. Stanza 2 // Whether lost, scattered, strangers, or seeking answers to questions, all of these come to r...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // Beyond the now popular stories and miracles of Jesus’ earthly life, this hymn is a prayer seeking Christ’s promise “beyond the sacred page” that we would know God as the Living Word today. Stanza 2 // When Christ gives us His word of truth, we are both named sinners and named as God’s forgiven people forever. In this promise, we know God’s blessing not only in ab...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // Christ came to earth to make all people part of His Church - His beloved bride - as this hymn [and Scripture] say. Where Jesus’ promise of forgiveness is present, the Church exists, and those who are without a shepherd have the Good Shepherd in Jesus’ promise. Stanza 2 // When God gives His promise - whether through Christ or those He sends with the good news of...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // For a hymn listed to be sung in celebration of All Saints’ Day, this text has much to teach us about what it means to be named a saint. At all times - most especially when “all around seems bleak” - saints rely solely on “God’s good promise” in life and death. Stanza 2 // The hope of John the Baptist [and King Herod] is the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. This same...

ZACHARY'S NOTES  Stanza 1 // God’s Word comes in the flesh to those who are bound to the ways of the earth to give a promise that will “pierce the darkness” - even to those who would reject Jesus Christ. Stanza 2 // This promise is not new, but one of mercy God consistently gave to those who were both “blind and willful” - much as described in this weekend’s Gospel reading. Christ continually...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // Though the crowds and leaders attempt to push Christ’s promise of life aside, nothing will stop our Lord from delivering this gift to sinners. This hymn is an invitation that nothing would stand in our way to sing the “glories of [our] God and King” and “the triumphs of His grace” over all that brings us fear. Stanza 2 // We may admire the faith of those in this...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // Though this one stanza may seem to be a trite retelling of this weekend’s Gospel reading, Scripture proves we need to hear this word more than once! Jesus’ calming of the sea [and storms of our life] are done in the same way - with His Word of peace. Christ both rebukes the waves and His followers in this weekend’s reading - “Why are you afraid? Have you still no...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // This is a prayer that the reign or kingdom of God would spread throughout the earth. The stanzas to follow make clear this is God’s work - not our own. We do not pray to ourselves, but to God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is God - our “Creator” - who calls us by name and bestows the “gifts” of “heaven.” Stanza 2 // This stanza reminds us of the insignificanc...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:   Stanza 1 // When Christ “enters” our “human story” he comes to destroy all of the stories we tell ourselves and one another. The Pharisees who placed limits on God’s action in the Law - Jesus comes that we might know “unbounded grace” in His Word. Stanza 2 // We rise, shine, and sing to Christ because of what He comes to accomplish. Our Lord comes to those “surrounded by de...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The day of rest is the Sabbath - made for those who rest in the presence of Almighty God! It is a day of rest because we know and worship the Triune God, who brings us a “balm for care and sadness.” Stanza 2 // This day of rest is not something invented for the benefit of congregations, member engagement, or hymn-singing! In what can sound like a litany to the “d...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // When Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit - like the wind - “blows where it chooses” and “[we] do not know where [He] comes from or where [He] goes…” we may have as many questions as Nicodemus, or even a few more! This hymn calms the questions of our mind and heart with a Word:  “This” - here - “is the Spirit’s entry” - the “water and the Word.” The Holy Spirit is foun...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // After Jesus tells his disciples he must depart that the Holy Spirit would arrive, it is easy to imagine the disciples' confusion and fear. In our fear, we turn to God’s Holy Spirit in prayer, that we would be restored as those without sin. Stanza 2 // The Holy Spirit is named in many ways throughout Scripture. This hymn says we cry to the One who brings us “...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // On this final Sunday of Easter, the “vault of heaven resounds now” - today! - with the good news of Jesus’ “triumph” over death! We join in singing not only with the [now smaller] crowd of Christians gathered to worship, but with the “choirs of angels” who sing a song of glory around the throne of the Risen One. Stanza 2 // The gift of Easter is not simply to rep...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The “divine love” of Christ exceeds all love we can imagine - a love and joy that must “come down from heaven.” It is the crown of all God’s “faithful mercies” because it is the commandment Christ says will grow out of faith in our Lord! Christ’s love, which knows no boundaries, can enter even the “trembling hearts” of sinners, that we might be given salvation. ...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:   Stanza 1 // This hymn connects the promises Christ speaks in this weekend’s Gospel text with the promise we are given in Holy Baptism. “Embraced into Christ the vine” we are joined to be “a branch of [the] life-giving Tree” of Christ. Stanza 2 // The sequence of summer, autumn, and winter is compared to seasons of life. Just as Christ says we are pruned to bear more fruit,...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // In this brief stanza, we are given purpose for singing - to “offer praise full of love” specifically to the “paschal victim” - that is, the victim of our Easter celebration, who laid his life down for our sake. The celebration of Easter is the two-fold nature of what it means to have a Good Shepherd - one who lays his life down and takes it up again. Stanza 2 //...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The good news of Easter is not only that Christ rose from the dead, but that God’s people are brought forth “joy from sadness” - just as He promised throughout all of Scripture. It is the “faithful” who raise the “strain of triumphant gladness” this Easter day - those “full of faith” that God has worked throughout history, and is at work today in the good news of...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:  Stanza 1 // The peace of God is a peace given by the Risen Christ to his frightened followers. In him, we have the peace of God and the good news our Lord brings during the Easter season. This is particularly in contrast with the peace the world gives - and Christ points out - He does not give as the world gives! Sometimes, this comes from stereotypical ideas of peace, or po...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:   Stanza 1 // The Risen Lord is celebrated not only because He rose from the dead - though this is a miracle! - but because He is the same who “suffered to redeem our loss.” This makes Easter “our triumphant, holy day” and the reason Christians gather to celebrate each Sunday. Stanza 2 // The reason for our singing and exuberant praise is for and because of Christ, who “endur...

ZACHARY'S NOTES:   Stanza 1 // Christ was crucified not only by enemies or “foes” but by His own! This echoes the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel - the Word was not received by His own people. It is this lack of offense [save for our sin] which demands the poet begin this chorale not with a text of praise or prayer, but of wonder. Stanza 2 // It is easy to listen to the Passion account and...