The Lutheran church enjoys a long tradition of identifying one “Hymn of the Week” for every Sunday of the church year. Such a hymn should reflect the unifying theme of the service, and is intended to be sung on that Sunday every year. In this series, Pastor Nathanael Mayhew gives us a brief overview of the Hymns of the Week for the coming month.
In November we come to the end of the Trinity Season and of the church year. How fitting then, that in these final weeks we focus on the end of all things, the certainty of the Lord’s return on the Last Day, and how the Holy Spirit prepares the Christian for eternity.
- November 2 – On November 1st (or the first Sunday in November), the Christian Church celebrates All Saints‘ Day. This reminds us that though we are part of the Church Militant now, one day we will be called out of the Church Militant and into the Church Triumphant through physical death. The hymn “For All the Saints” (TLH 463; LSB 677) reminds us of the victory that has been realized by those who have gone before us, and of the victory that we also look forward to, giving us motivation to live for the Lord “while it is day.”
- November 9 – God’s work of delivering us from all evil is the theme for the Third to Last Sunday in Trinity. By His resurrection, Jesus has defeated death once and for all. Through His Word and Sacrament, the Lord is at work to carry out His work of salvation and deliverance from evil. Our hymn for this weekend is “Preserve Thy Word, O Savior” (TLH 264; LSB 658). This hymn is a prayer that the Lord would carry out His promise to deliver us from evil, by preserving His Word and His people through the dangers and evils of this life until we “reach the harbor in Thine eternal light.”
- November 16 – On the Second to Last Sunday in Trinity our thoughts are directed to the end of this present world. The Scripture readings will often highlight the events related to the Lord’s final return on Judgment Day. While some of these events can be frightening, Jesus reminds His people that “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) “The Day is Surely Drawing Near” (TLH 611; LSB 508) is based on Jesus’ holy week sermon which speaks about the end of the world. Because Jesus has paid our debt of sin, we can face the end of the world with confidence and with the prayer, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
- November 23 – As we come to the Last Sunday in Trinity, we contemplate the judgment of that final Day and the eternal blessedness of the Christian. Many blessings are ours as redeemed children of God, but the blessings of heaven are greater. We have great joy as we look forward to the perfect and eternal completion of God’s promises to us in Christ. Philipp Nicolai’s great hymn, “Wake, Awake, For Night is Flying” (TLH 609; LSB 516) reminds us of the Church’s imminent joy as we look for the coming of Jesus, our Bridegroom.
- November 27 – The Trinity season often closes with a service of Thanksgiving. While the date chosen to mark Thanksgiving as a national holiday was not chosen based on our church year calendar, it is most certainly fitting. How appropriate to set aside such an opportunity to give thanks to God for all of His wonderful blessings, both of body and soul, as we come to the end of a church year, and as we prepare to enter another! In the hymn, “We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator” (TLH 568; LSB 785), we praise the Lord for His presence and protection throughout our lives and the year past.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your many blessings through this past year and Your gracious promises for our eternal future!
is a pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota.