For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
Thou, Lord their captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Lutheran Service Book #677
Lutheran Service Book
Hymn of the Day–“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need
That hath us now o’er taken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal. Lutheran Service Book #656
Happy Reformation Day!
Hymn of the Day–“At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from His pierced side. Alleluia!
Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, paschal bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above. Alleluia!
Easter triumph, Easter joy!
This alone can sin destroy;
From sins’s pow’r, Lord set us free,
Newborn souls in You to be. Alleluia!
Father, who the crown shall give,
Savior, by whose death we live,
Spirit guide through all our days:
Three in One, Your name we praise. Alleluia! Lutheran Service Book 633
Reproaches
To me, this is the most beautiful part of the Good Friday Chief Service–the Reproaches. The fact that, even with all the wrong we do, even though it was because of us that He was nailed to the cross, Christ still calls us His people, continually blows me away.
Thus says the Lord: What have I done to you, O My people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer Me. For I have raised you up out of the prison house of sin and death, and you have delivered up your Redeemer to be scourged. For I have redeemed you from the house of bondage, and you have nailed your Savior to the cross. O My people.
Thus says the Lord: What have I done to you, O My people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer Me. For I have conquered all your foes, and you have given Me over and delivered Me to those who persecute Me. For I have fed you with My Word and refreshed you with living water, and you have given Me gall and vinegar to drink. O My people.
Thus say the Lord: What have I done to you, O My people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer Me. What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? My people, is this how you thank your God? O My people. Lutheran Service Book