by Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz Luther’s Reformation hymn, “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” (LSB 655) is one of his best known compositions. When it was published in 1542, it appeared with the subtitle, “A Children’s Hymn, to be Sung Against the Two Archenemies of Christ and His Holy Church, the Pope and Turk.”[1] … Read More >
“Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice” (A Text and Tune Hymn Analysis)
by Mr. Jonathan A. Swett In 1523 Martin Luther wrote his first hymn for congregational use, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice” (LSB 556). It appears as the first hymn in the first published collection of Lutheran hymns, Etlich Cristlich lider of 1523/24—known as the “Achtliederbuch” because it contained eight hymns—four of which were written… Read More >
“Though All Our Life Is Like a Scroll”
The beautiful hymn, winner of our Reformation Hymn competition, truly embodies the Reformation 2017 theme “It’s Still All About Jesus.” Author Rev. Dr. Wilfred L. Karsten made special use of the word “still” throughout his five-verse hymn text.
Lutheran Preaching
by Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz The Reformation was not just a movement among the cultural and religious elite. Ordinary people of Germany and beyond were captivated by the gospel, newly presented to them by Luther and the Reformers. The laity were engaged by the gospel in many different ways, through newly composed German hymns, the… Read More >
Worship and the Reformation: God’s Word Exercising Its Power Publicly
by Rev. A. Brian Flamme Luther writes in the Large Catechism, “Places, times, persons, and the entire outward order of worship have therefore been instituted and appointed in order that God’s Word may exert its power publicly.”[i] A modern reader who insists that he’s “spiritual but not religious” might be surprised that Luther would recommend… Read More >
Hymns Are Devotions
by Dcs. Carolyn Brinkley Our hymnal is a treasury of devotions. Although we mainly think of hymns in the context of corporate worship, they are also perfectly suited for devotional use in the home for both family and private daily worship. Hymns are prepackaged succinct poetic meditations that can be sung, spoken, and prayed. These… Read More >
“We All Believe in One True God”
by Mr. Jonathan Swett Allow me to be the first church musician you’ve heard instruct you NOT TO SING the hymns. Or perhaps you are one that ‘can’t carry a tune in a bucket’ and have had the unfortunate experience of being chastised for daring to lift your voice in praise to God, and thus… Read More >
Luther’s Morning Prayer – A Model for the Christian’s Daily Life
by Rev. Michael Schuermann “I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For… Read More >
Johann Walter
by Jonathan Swett Johann Walter lived through the early and late years of the Lutheran Reformation, and as the “first cantor of the Lutheran Church,” significantly shaped the musical life of the church of that period and the centuries that followed. Much like Martin Luther, Walter devoted considerable effort to developing a proper understanding of… Read More >
Why Luther’s Hymns Sound the Way They Do
by Katie Schuermann A composer can never escape his own style, and this is true even of amateur composers such as Martin Luther. Our beloved reformer was a competent musician in his own right. Embracing the musical arts in both his schooling and his cloistered life, Luther became a proficient instrumentalist on the lute and… Read More >