So in the hymn-sing before Advent service, I chose as our last piece "All My Heart Again Rejoices." I told the congregation I didn't know if they knew it or not, but I would like to use it as our first piece for the Midnight Divine Service on Christmas Eve. We sang through it and they sang it relatively well, I thought. So during our refreshments after Vespers, up comes Carl to tell me: "Pastor, when we were children we sang that every year. We know it well." SMILE. And here I'd withheld doing it for a number of years because I thought I had to TEACH it - and usually chickened out for years. Greater fool me! The old folks at any rate already know and love it. I'm trusting we can raise up a new generation to expect it as their first hymn on Christmas Eve too.
All my heart again rejoices,
As I hear
Far and near
Sweetest angel voices.
"Christ is born!"
Their choirs are singing
And the air
Everywhere
Now with joy is ringing.
Hear! The Conqueror has spoken:
"Now the foe,
Sin and woe,
Death and hell are broken!"
God is man, man to deliver,
And the Son,
Now is one,
With our blood forever.
Should we fear our God's displeasure,
Who, to save,
Freely gave
His most precious Treasure?
To redeem us
He has given
His own Son
From the throne
Of His might in heaven.
LSB 360:1-3
2 comments:
Lesson for me: Fear not that which the Holy Spirit has prompted. Equally happy shall my heart sing the other Gerhadt Christmas hymn (LSB 372):
O Jesus Christ, Thy manger is my paradise at which my soul reclineth. For there, o Lord, doth lie the Word made flesh for us; herein Thy grace forth shineth.
He whom the sea and wind obey doth come to serve the sinner in great meekness. Thou, God's own Son, with us art one, dost join us and our children in our weakness.
Bill,
Wonderful! I think there are 4 hymns that must be known by Lutherans for Christmas: From Heaven Above, All My Heart, Praise God the Lord, and O Jesus Christ, All Praise to Thee -- the best chorales for Christmas by our best hymn authors -- two by Luther, one by Herman and one by Gerhardt. I would also add O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is to that list.
In 2007, the "Gerhardt Year," our school and our Sunday School both sang this hymn. That makes it easy for the congregation, when they hear the children doing it.
I think it's significant that the old Children's Hymnal that went with TLH used 4 verses from "All My Heart" -- the 1st verse, the "Hark! A voice from yonder manger" verse -- which is the Christ Child Himself speaking -- the "Come then, banish" verse -- which is really the shepherds inviting -- and the last verse, the "funeral hymn verse."
It always cheers me up to hear news like yours, that this is known and loved not just by pastors but by the congregation.
Pastor Jerry Gernander
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