Sing to the Lord
"Next to the word of God, the art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." -Martin Luther. To understand the importance of hymnody in the Lutheran church, Luther House of Study's Mason Van Essen and Lars Olson sit down with Zachary Brockhoff each week to discuss the lectionary's hymns, their meaning and history, and how the music preaches the Gospel.
Episodes
95 episodes
"How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” | Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The name of Jesus is “sweet” not simply because it has been set to pleasing music, but because by Christ’s name, we are given faith. In Holy Baptism, Christ removes all sorrow and fear in this world with...
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11:00
"Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun” | Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The book of Hebrews says we make a continual sacrifice to God. This means each day is one lived in the grace of God’s great sacrifice - one in which we sleep and rise in joy - for Christ has paid the pri...
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14:49
"O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts” | Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The world God has made gives us many great gifts - all of which leave us unfilled apart from Jesus Christ. The call of Christ comes from one who has the “words of eternal life” - greater than all gifts o...
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10:29
"I Am the Bread of Life” | Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // Christ’s words are sung by Christians to one another - perhaps most effectively when led by a choir, cantor, or small group of singers. Jesus gives us these words, and we come to Christ because Go...
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13:25
"Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor” | Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // This hymn provides remarkable contrast between the questions in this weekend’s Gospel text. Here, Christ - enthroned in heavenly splendor - is the same Lord who comes down from heaven to give us “...
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11:11
"All Who Hunger Gather Gladly” | Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // Those who wander hungry and thirsty in the wilderness are given a promise from our Lord. In Him, we neither hunger nor thirst, for Christ comes to feed us continually with His word of truth. When ...
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11:41
"Break Now the Bread of Life” | Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // Beyond the now popular stories and miracles of Jesus’ earthly life, this hymn is a prayer seeking Christ’s promise “beyond the sacred page” that we would know God as the Living Word today.Stanza 2...
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12:54
"The Church’s One Foundation” | Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // Christ came to earth to make all people part of His Church - His beloved bride - as this hymn [and Scripture] say. Where Jesus’ promise of forgiveness is present, the Church exists, and those who are wit...
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12:41
"Give Thanks for Saints” | Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // For a hymn listed to be sung in celebration of All Saints’ Day, this text has much to teach us about what it means to be named a saint. At all times - most especially when “all around seems bleak”...
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11:40
"O God of Light” | Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES Stanza 1 // God’s Word comes in the flesh to those who are bound to the ways of the earth to give a promise that will “pierce the darkness” - even to those who would reject Jesus Christ.Stanz...
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12:00
"Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” | Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // Though the crowds and leaders attempt to push Christ’s promise of life aside, nothing will stop our Lord from delivering this gift to sinners. This hymn is an invitation that nothing would stand in our w...
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12:03
"Calm to the Waves” | Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // Though this one stanza may seem to be a trite retelling of this weekend’s Gospel reading, Scripture proves we need to hear this word more than once! Jesus’ calming of the sea [and storms of our life] are...
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10:02
"Spread, Oh, Spread, Almighty Word” | Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // This is a prayer that the reign or kingdom of God would spread throughout the earth. The stanzas to follow make clear this is God’s work - not our own. We do not pray to ourselves, but to God - Father, S...
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10:01
"Rise, Shine, You People!” | Third Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // When Christ “enters” our “human story” he comes to destroy all of the stories we tell ourselves and one another. The Pharisees who placed limits on God’s action in the Law - Jesus comes that we might kn...
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13:01
"O Day of Rest and Gladness” | Second Sunday After Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The day of rest is the Sabbath - made for those who rest in the presence of Almighty God! It is a day of rest because we know and worship the Triune God, who brings us a “balm for care and sadness.”<...
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12:46
"This Is the Spirit’s Entry Now” | The Holy Trinity
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // When Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit - like the wind - “blows where it chooses” and “[we] do not know where [He] comes from or where [He] goes…” we may have as many questions as Nicodemus, or even a few m...
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15:26
"Creator Spirit, Heavenly Dove” | Day of Pentecost
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // After Jesus tells his disciples he must depart that the Holy Spirit would arrive, it is easy to imagine the disciples' confusion and fear. In our fear, we turn to God’s Holy Spirit in prayer, that we wou...
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17:24
"Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds” | Seventh Sunday of Easter
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // On this final Sunday of Easter, the “vault of heaven resounds now” - today! - with the good news of Jesus’ “triumph” over death! We join in singing not only with the [now smaller] crowd of Christians gat...
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15:00
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” | Sixth Sunday of Easter
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The “divine love” of Christ exceeds all love we can imagine - a love and joy that must “come down from heaven.” It is the crown of all God’s “faithful mercies” because it is the commandment Christ says w...
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13:33
"O Blessed Spring” | Fifth Sunday of Easter
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // This hymn connects the promises Christ speaks in this weekend’s Gospel text with the promise we are given in Holy Baptism. “Embraced into Christ the vine” we are joined to be “a branch of [th...
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14:43
"Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia!” | Fourth Sunday of Easter
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // In this brief stanza, we are given purpose for singing - to “offer praise full of love” specifically to the “paschal victim” - that is, the victim of our Easter celebration, who laid his life ...
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14:40
"Come, You, Faithful, Raise the Strain” | Third Sunday of Easter
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The good news of Easter is not only that Christ rose from the dead, but that God’s people are brought forth “joy from sadness” - just as He promised throughout all of Scripture. It is the “faithful” who ...
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12:09
"Peace, to Soothe Our Bitter Woes” | Second Sunday of Easter
ZACHARY'S NOTES: Stanza 1 // The peace of God is a peace given by the Risen Christ to his frightened followers. In him, we have the peace of God and the good news our Lord brings during the Easter season. This is particularly in con...
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12:05