O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing;
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name. Lutheran Service Book # 696
Hymns
Hymn of the Day
For the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist:
By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.We praise You for the Baptist,
Forerunner of the Word,
Our true Elijah, making
A highway for the Lord.
The last and greatest prophet,
He saw the dawning ray
Of light that grows in splendor
Until the perfect day.And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
And praise to God alone. Lutheran Service Book #518, verses 1, 18, and 3
And a bonus canticle, from the service of Morning Prayer, based on the Song of Zechariah in Luke 1:68-79:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has come to His people and redeemed them.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of His servant David.
Through His holy prophets He promised of old
that He would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant.
This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship Him without fear,
holy and righteous in His sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,
to give His people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God,
the dawn from on high shall break upon us
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Hymn of the Day
Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!Lo, the apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the church the song goes on.Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery. Lutheran Service Book #940
Hymn of the Day–Good Friday
Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross didst suffer,
Ever patient and lowly,
Thyself to scorn didst offer.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Have mercy on us,
O Jesus! O Jesus!Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross didst suffer,
Ever patient and lowly,
Thyself to scorn didst offer.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Have mercy on us,
O Jesus! O Jesus!Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross didst suffer,
Ever patient and lowly,
Thyself to scorn didst offer.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Thy peace be with us,
O Jesus! O Jesus! Lutheran Service Book #434
Hymn of the Day–Palm Sunday
Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.Ride on, ride on majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign. Lutheran Service Book #441
Hymn of the Day–Confirmation
Let me be Thine forever,
My faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never
Nor wander from Thy Word,
Lord, do not let me waver,
But give me steadfastness,
And for such grace forever
Thy holy name I’ll bless.Lord Jesus, my salvation,
My light, my life divine,
My only consolation,
O make me wholly Thine!
For Thou hast dearly bought me
With blood and bitter pain.
Let me, since Thou hast sought me,
Eternal life obtain.And Thou, O Holy Spirit,
My comforter and guide,
Grant that in Jesus’ merit
I always may confide,
Him to the end confessing
Whom I have known by faith.
Give me Thy constant blessing
And grant a Christian death. Lutheran Service Book #689
Hymn of the Day–Baptism
“God’s own child, I gladly say it:
I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it,
Gave my full redemption price.
Do I need earth’s treasures many?
I have one worth more than any
That brought me salvation free
Lasting to eternity!Sin, disturb my soul no longer:
I am baptized into Christ!
I have comfort even stronger:
Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.
Should a guilty conscience seize me
Since my Baptism did release me
In a dear forgiving flood,
Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?Satan, hear this proclamation:
I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation,
I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I’ve traveled,
All your might has come unraveled,
And, against your tyranny,
God, my Lord unites with me!Death, you cannot end my gladness:
I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness
To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes
Faith’s assurance brightly flashes:
Baptism has the strength divine
To make life immortal mine.There is nothing worth comparing
To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open eyed my grave is staring:
Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ:
I’m a child of paradise!” Lutheran Service Book #594
Hymn of the Day–The Annunciation
Yes, I know we’re still in Lent. But, today is also the day of The Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel was sent to the virgin Mary, to bring the message that she was to give birth to the Son of God. So, even in the midst of Lent, an Advent hymn can still be appropriate!
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame;
“All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady.” Gloria!“For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady.” Gloria!Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady.” Gloria! Lutheran Service Book #356
Hymn of the Day
Today is the commemoration of St. Joseph, Guardian of Jesus, and there happens to be a verse for this occasion in the hymn, “By All Your Saints in Warfare.” It’s also a great verse for parents to take instruction from!
By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.We sing our thanks for Joseph,
The guardian of our Lord,
Who faithfully taught Jesus
Through craft and deed and word.
Grant wisdom, Lord, and patience
To parents ev’rywhere
Who guide and teach the children
Entrusted to their care.Then let us praise the Father
And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
And praise to God alone. Lutheran Service Book #517, verses 1, 14, and 3
Hymn of the Day–Transfiguration Sunday
I love Transfiguration Sunday. It’s kind of a bittersweet day. We get to look upon Jesus in all His glory, but just for a moment. And we know the path He must take that begins with the season of Lent this coming Wednesday. Like His disciples, we wish to stay with Jesus on the mountain, to ignore everything else but His majesty. But, we know that it isn’t time yet, and so we must leave the peak, and return to our daily lives.
Yes, “‘Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here” is an obvious choice for today, but it’s my favorite Transfiguration hymn…especially the last lines of the last verse: “But since Thou bidst us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain.” This so perfectly states how the disciples, (and we), felt…if we can’t be with Jesus in His glory (yet) we beg Him to be with us in our weaknesses, which, of course, He always is!
‘Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.‘Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.Fulfiller of the past
And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.‘Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain. Lutheran Service Book #414