Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

This was one of our Communion hymns today, sung as the congregation proceeded to and from the altar.

The words are very old, from the Liturgy of St. James, from the 4th century. The tune is listed as a 17th century French folk song.

Notice the several words beginning with "v"........vesture, vanguard, veil, vanquish. Also, picture these in your mind's eye: "the six-winged seraph"......"cherubim with sleepless eye"......."rank on rank the host of heaven"......."Light of Light descending"......."realms of endless day". Quite the amazing images are conjured by this unhurried, majestic hymn!

Verse 1 urges us to "Ponder nothing earthly-minded". Is that possible, with our earthly minds?

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Verse 1:

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Let all mortal flesh keep silence

And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly-minded,

For with blessing in his hand

Christ our God to earth descending

Comes our homage to demand.

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Verse 2:

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King of kings yet born of Mary,

As of old on earth he stood,

Lord of lords in human vesture,

In the body and the blood,

He will give to all the faithful

His own self for heavenly food.

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Verse 3:

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Rank on rank the host of heaven

Spreads its vanguard on the way

As the Light of Light, descending

From the realms of endless day,

Comes the powers of hell to vanquish

As the darkness clears away.

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Verse 4:

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At his feet the six-winged seraph,

Cherubim with sleepless eye,

Veil their faces to the presence

As with ceasless voice they cry:

"Alleluia, alleluia,

Alleluia, Lord Most High!"

AMEN

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Cyberhymnal link: www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/letallmf.htm

To Jordan's River Came Our Lord

Definitely, this blog has gone on hideout.

Sunday was The Baptism of Our Lord, for churches that follow the traditional Church Year calendar. Thus, in our Lutheran church, one of the hymns we sang was "To Jordan's River Came Our Lord", written by the main man himself, Martin Luther, in 1541.

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Verse 1:

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To Jordan came the Christ, our Lord,

To do his Father's pleasure;

Baptized by John, the Father's Word

Was given us to treasure.

This heavenly washing now shall be

A cleansing from transgression

And by His blood and agony

Release from death's oppression.

A new life now awaits us.

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Verse 2:

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Oh, hear and mark the message well,

For God himself has spoken.

Let faith, not doubt, among us dwell

And so receive this token.

Our Lord here with his Word endows

Pure water, freely flowing.

God's Holy Spirit here avows

Our kinship while bestowing

The baptism of His blessing.

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Verse 3:

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These truths on Jordan's banks were shown

By mighty word and wonder.

The Father's voice from heaven came down,

Which we do well to ponder:

"This man is my beloved Son,

In whom my heart has pleasure.

Him you must hear, and Him alone,

And trust in fullest measure

The word that He has spoken."

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Verse 4:

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There stood the Son of God in love,

His grace to us extending;

The Holy Spirit like a dove

Upon the scene descending;

The triune God assuring us,

With promises compelling,

That in our baptism He will thus

Among us find a dwelling

To comfort and sustain us.

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Verse 5:

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To His disciples spoke the Lord,

"Go out to every nation,

And bring to them the living Word

And this my invitation:

Let everyone abandon sin

And come in true contrition

To be baptized and thereby win

Full pardon and remission

And heavenly bliss inherit."

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Verse 6:

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But woe to those who cast aside

This grace so freely given;

They shall in sin and shame abide

And to despair be driven,

For born in sin, their works must fail,

Their striving saves them never;

Their pious acts do not avail,

And they are lost forever,

Eternal death their portion.

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Verse 7:

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All that the mortal eye beholds

Is water as we pour it.

Before the eye of faith unfolds

The power of Jesus merit.

For here it sees the crimson flood

To all our ills bring healing;

The wonders of His precious blood

The love of God revealing,

Assuring His own pardon.

AMEN

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Quite a wordy hymn, and explains well the Lutheran belief that baptism saves. The infant being baptized is in a state of contrition by proxy.......the congregation speaks in place of the child, confessing his sinful state for him, so that he can be baptized and receive faith. Infant baptism has been difficult for me to swallow, although my children were baptized as babies.

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Verse 7 contains the words "the eye of faith"........something to ponder. Do you see with the "eye of faith"? Do I ?

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Cyberhymnal link: www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/j/c/tjct/colo.htm