Lutheran Kantor » Advent

Another Christmas Season Ending

Chris — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:24:53 +0000

As the twelfth night of Christmas comes to a close, I’m organizing the Christmas sheet music back into the music filing cabinet and reminded of favorites played, new found friends, and much that will await another year. So many wonderful hymns. So many instrumental pieces that sing these hymns. But more important, I am comforted by the Word made incarnate in the flesh for us, the Word in worship for us, and the Word that will come again for us.

The Christmas season seems like a blip on the church year calendar (with respect to the amount of time observed) sandwiched between two “sprawling” seasons of Advent and Epiphany and often reduced further to observe Epiphany on the 2nd Sunday after Christmas. So much compressed, and yet so much heard and received during these last two weeks. These words from Jaroslav Vajda’s hymn “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt” seemed fitting for the close of the last day of Christmas.

Can I, will I forget how Love was born, and burned
Its way into my heart unasked, unforced, unearned,
To die, to live, and not alone for me,
To die, to live, and not alone for me? (LSB 369, st 4)

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Fourth Sunday in Advent

Chris — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:56:42 +0000

The Fourth Sunday in Advent, especially if we are in Series B of the lectionary, is a Sunday that has special memories for me. Nine years ago my dad was planning to preach a sermon on the Gospel text Luke 1:26-38. But God had different plans for him on that Fourth Sunday in Advent. God was calling him home to be with Him.

The sermon was never preached, although it had been written. Over the years I’ve read and reread that sermon. This sermon wasn’t intended to be a “farewell”. Yet, it has provided me comfort then, as it still does today.

As my dad reflected on the message the angel Gabriel gave to Mary, he wrote:

It is truly wonderful. God would become flesh. This “Son of the Most High” would deliver us from the power of sin, death, and the devil, and give to us a kingdom that is forever. Though King Herod would try to kill this baby Jesus, he would live that he might suffer and die for the whole world. May our hearts praise God as those of old did. God be praised for giving us a Savior.

I think my dad would have gladly joined in on that Advent Sunday with these words of Paul & Ruth Manz.

Rejoice in heaven all ye that dwell therein, Rejoice on earth ye saints below, For Christ is coming, is coming soon, For Christ is coming soon!

E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, And night shall be no more; They need no light nor lamp nor sun, For Christ will be their All!

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LSB 334: O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

Chris — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:57:26 +0000

Some of you may have already discovered this, but I'll pass it along for those that don't know. The stanza numbering for O, Lord, How Shall I Meet You (LSB 334) is incorrect in the LSB pew edition (or at least the copies I have seen). The six stanzas are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, but omit 5. The Hymn Accompaniment edition and the Guitar Chord edition have the stanzas numbered as 1-6. If you ever choose to sing selected stanzas of this hymn, you should verify the stanza numbers in your editions to minimize confusion during singing. Continue reading →

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