Populus Zion

Each Divine Service, as the liturgical year unfolds, reveals its own character. Populus Zion, with its focus upon the End, is yet in striking contrast to the Sundays that focus upon the End toward the close of the Church Year. It breathes more deeply the spirit of the early Church with her joyous cry "Maranatha!" than the doomsday motif that became popular in the middle ages (think Dies Irae). It rings through in introit (Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your salvation comes!), in OT (the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings), in Gradual (Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth!), in Epistle (so that you may abound in hope!), in Alleluia (they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory), in Gospel (Straighten up, raise your head, your redemption is drawing near!), in Hymn of the Day (Yea, amen, let all adore Thee!), and in other hymns as well. Pastor Gleason closed his homily today by citing the last stanza of "Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers" as capturing the spirit of the Epistle reading (and of this whole day):

Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O'er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth's redemption
That sets Your people free! (LSB 515:4)