3rd Sunday Of Lent
This Sunday, we hear the scripture of Jesus in the temple, showcasing a rather angry side of himself. He was enraged when he saw his temple being used as a marketplace, with sheep, cattle, and doves being sold. He created a "whip of cords" and preceded to drive all the merchants out of the area. When the officials protested and asked what authority he had, he declared that they should destroy the temple which took 46 years to build, and he would then raise it up in three days.
This is an interesting scripture that doesn't really lend itself too well to choosing hymnody. There's very little in the repertoire that references this exact scripture, so in order to choose music, I have to go beyond to what I call my second and third levels. Rather than looking directly at the scripture, in this case I look towards the characteristics of the primary characters on display. Here, Jesus is showcasing his power, confidence, obedience, and his steadfast resolve in the Word of God. The music then derives from those characteristics.
HYMNS AND SONGS
God of Grace and God of Glory (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This well known hymn by Henry Emerson Fosdick is a great example of the power and grace of God being used against the evil in the world. Though the more familiar text with this tune is probably "Guide Me Now, O Great Redeemer," this text has found a home with CWM RHONDDA based on the popularity of Paul Manz's organ setting of this piece, incorporating fragments of the Hallelujah chorus.
The "hosts of evil" spoken of in stanza two could easily be the merchants in the temple. Though not inherently evil people, using the temple for financial gain was certainly evil in the eyes of Jesus. The talk of evil is picked back up in stanza four with the opening line, "Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore."
Each stanza ends with a petition for strength and courage ("Grant us wisdom, grant us courage..."). Each of those statements is followed by a qualifier that applies to each of the stanzas that precede it.
Holy God, Holy and Glorious (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
Our hymn of the day this Sunday is ELW 637: Holy God, Holy and Glorious. Each stanza touches upon a certain characteristic of God manifest in Jesus, beginning with glory, heading through power, beauty, and wisdom, and ending with “living.”
Each stanza concludes with the line, “… and we behold your ________” with the blank being filled with one of the five words from above. The ultimate message of the hymn is a portrayal of the fragile, weak, delicate nature of Jesus’ human body contrasted with his divine nature, power, and influence.
In stanza one, glory, the hymn writer Susan Briehl reminds us of this glory despite being amongst us in our human time. If one weren’t looking, they may not know whether or not Jesus was standing right next to them on a street or at a gathering. Yet despite this “normal” human appearance, we still delight in the glory.
In the power stanza, we are reminded that despite the glorious divine power that Jesus obtains, he still bends in weakness to us and acts as a servant. We still behold his glory though he offers himself to us as an empty vessel.
Despite the portrayal of Jesus’ beauty in stanza three, we are reminded that he was despised, scorned, and rejected by his betrayers and punishers, was flogged, and finally crucified. Ironically, this symbol of violence and hatred has now become Christianity’s symbol of hope and beauty.
The wisdom of Jesus is something that a lot of people relied on during his lifetime, and through the Gospel parables, this wisdom is passed on to all of us. In the hymn, Briehl contrasts this wisdom by choosing “the way of folly” in his crucifixion. If any of us offer ourselves up for such a brutal punishment, it may be viewed as a foolish act, but it was the divine wisdom of Jesus that resulted in the ultimate sacrifice that saved humanity.
There can be no greater contrast than that between life and death. While theoretically possible, it is difficult to find a gray area between living and dying. In the final living stanza, we see the contrast between the “life that never ends” and “dying for your friends,” which as a result, we now behold Jesus’ living.
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Your Word (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
In the context of the scripture this week, the text of this great German chorale is a statement by us as a congregation that promises that we will keep steadfast in the word while not repeating the sins of the past. We will resist the temptation of sin and debauchery, keeping close to us the knowledge of all that God has done for us and will continue to do as long as we keep him close.
In stanza two, we see evidence of Jesus defending the sanctity of the Holy Church (through his actions in this Gospel). By doing so, he gives us the hope and motivation to sing the eternal praise of the church of God.
O That The Lord Would Guide My Ways (Closing Hymn- 7:45 AM, Communion Hymn, 9:00 AM)
Just as the previous hymn calls us to stay steadfast in the Word of God, this one asks for guidance to stay on the road. The first stanza begs a bigger question... what exactly is the will of God? Maybe a better question to start with is, is there a TRUE will of God? All we have to really go on is the scriptures and materials that derive from scriptures, such as hymns. Unfortunately, this hymn doesn't really answer that question, nor does it shed any light on an answer, but it does provide a good amount of encouragement and motivation.
Particularly striking is the confession in stanza three that our soul is in fact apt to stray, and that we keep a stricter watch over ourselves. Should we happen to stray, we can only hope that the reliability and steadfast love of God will guide us back to the path.
CHORAL ANTHEM
By The Babylonian Rivers, arr. Richard Erickson (Offering- 9:00 AM)
This anthem is a paraphrase of the first verses of Psalm 137. Rather than focus on this week, it is a story of a more over-arching Lenten journey. It grows to a glorious climax on the word "resurrection," which is a wonderful foreshadowing for what is to come.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Before talking about my postlude this week, I wanted to mention that due to this being Lutheran Schools Week, we have a great deal of participation from many current and former St. Paul's school students. While as of this writing I don't know the official final line up, I can tell you that you will be hearing violinists, vocalists, a flute quintet, and our own Friends of the Lord choir singing, so it should be a great weekend!
Erhalt uns, Herr- J.S. Bach (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This is one of my favorite Bach chorale preludes. Rather than being a traditional "prelude," it's more of an extended, imitative work (short of being a fugue) with the tune being presented in fragments in the manuals and in its entirety in the pedals. It's a glorious, expansive statement of faith in the word of God.
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