Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship that we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our worship service, beginning with the history of Christian worship itself. The word liturgy means “service.” In our worship services, liturgy refers to the order in which we… The Roman Mass Read More

A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing – TLH Hymn 72, WS 703, LSB 515 “It’s late.” As children, we didn’t like to hear those words. It meant that it was time for bed and whatever we still wanted to do would have to wait until the next day. As adults, we don’t always like… Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Other than what God has told us in His Word, we do not know what the future holds. Several years ago we did not know that the whole world would essentially shut down for an entire year. We did not know that churches would be closed, and we… TLH Hymn 481 “Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING One of Martin Luther’s greatest contributions to Christian worship was his effort to collect and produce hymns for the congregation in their own language. He was insistent that people should become active participants in learning and proclaiming the Gospel through singing. For the Festival of Pentecost he wrote… WS 224, LSB 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Folk music is noteworthy for its repetitive, straightforward lyrics and its easily remembered tunes. What Wondrous Love Is This has these characteristics and is rightly called an American folk hymn. As is usually the case with songs passed down through oral tradition, the original author or authors are… “What Wondrous Love Is This” WS 723, LSB 543 Read More

Martin Schalling’s (1532-1608) Lutheran roots were deep. A graduate of the University of Wittenberg where Luther had once taught, he had been a student of Luther’s dear friend Philip Melanchthon. He was also a close friend of Nicolaus Selnecker, one of the authors of the “Formula of Concord”. Surrounded by such “Reformation royalty,” Schalling was… “Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart” TLH 429, LSB 708 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING The most famous hymn Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1874) ever wrote was Abide with Me! Fast Falls the Eventide, but not far behind is Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven. With this poem, Lyte gave the world a text that not only praises God with high alleluias but… WS 742, LSB 793 “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Thomas Kelly’s hymn reflects how Jesus exchanged His crown of thorns for a crown of glory. If you are one who thinks this world already has enough lawyers, then you should smile whenever the Lord turns one of them into a preacher. We all know about Martin Luther,… TLH 219, LSB 532 “The Head that Once was Crowned with Thorns” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING In the three decades following Luther’s death in 1546, the biblical doctrines he had struggled to teach and uphold came under severe attack. No less than six significant church controversies marked this period in Lutheranism. At issue were matters such as justification by faith, conversion, original sin, good… TLH Hymn 292 “Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide” Read More

If there is an institution in the world needing our prayers more than the institution of marriage, I can hardly think what it could be. Among the households of my children’s schoolmates, I often feel as if ours is in a distinct minority—a man and a woman married to each other and living in the… WS 791 or LSB 859 “Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest” Read More

“It was he [Jesus] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV84) In the summer of 1996, the Lord sent Paul… The Retirement of Professor Paul Schaller Read More

Because of editing deadlines, I am writing this Easter piece for the Spokesman today, though Easter itself lies many weeks in the future. Looking out my office window, I see nothing but snow, the thermometer stands at -9° F, and most schools in the state are closed for the next two days. It’s the end… Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain TLH 204, WS 726, LSB 487 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING For most, the turning of the year is a time of personal reckoning. We look at where we have been, where we are now, and where we hope to be in the future. Often, this yearly appraisal can be discouraging because we notice how many things we have… “Evening and Morning” WS 782; LSB 726 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-FIFTH IN A SERIES) On what is now known as Maundy Thursday, Jesus gathered in an upper room with His disciples to celebrate the Passover with them before He died. In the course of that evening, He said to them, “I give you a new command: Love one… LSB 845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-Third IN A SERIES) History indicates that nations or governments almost never last more than five hundred years. By that measure, the United States of America today would be considered middle-aged. Although she may seem a great power that can never be toppled, so did the Roman Empire… TLH Hymn 577 “God Bless Our Native Land” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-NINTH IN A SERIES) Several years ago on a family vacation, we were traveling Highway 401 between Toronto and Montreal around one o’clock in the morning. The children were drifting in and out of restless sleep when the headlights illuminated a blue and white sign announcing the “Joseph… “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” TLH 457, LSB 770 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-SIXTH IN A SERIES) It was on the second day of creation that God made the expanse of the sky, and since then He has used it from time to time as something of a billboard for important announcements. Abraham, for example, was told to look up into… WS Hymn 717 “Bright and Glorious Is the Sky” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-Third IN A SERIES) SOLA Gratia Although there was some congregational singing before Martin Luther’s time, there is no disagreement that during the Reformation in Germany, the laity were transformed into the “singing church.” New hymnals were published as fast as printers could set up their Gutenberg presses.… TLH 377, LSB 555 “Salvation unto Us Has Come” Read More

Listen to hymn at: http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/493.mp3 Hymn Text: Luke 6:12 ff. Author: Christopher Wordsworth, 1862, cento, alt. Composer: Dimitri S. Bortniansky, 1822, ad. Tune: “St. Petersburg” Public ministers of God’s Word are faced with a challenging task. They bring that Word to bear in a world that increasingly resents it. They must deal with many different… Hymn 493 “Thou Who the Night in Prayer Didst Spend” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (SEVENTEENTH IN A SERIES) Death seems final to us. Leaving the room where a loved one has just drawn that last breath, we don’t expect to turn around and meet him for lunch the next day. Our general experience is that the dead stay dead. Yet it has… “This Joyful Eastertide” WS 733, LSB 482 Read More