"Lord of Light" | Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Artwork

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.

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Sing to the Lord

"Lord of Light" | Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

November 13, 2023

ZACHARY'S NOTES:

Stanza 1 // Because God gives us any gift, ability, or money in this life, we pray in this hymn God would use us in all of these ways as servants of God to our neighbor’s good. The true purpose of these gifts from God are that God’s Son - Jesus Christ - might be made known.

Stanza 2 // No work we do in God’s name - whether in “some far outlying field” - “suffering” - “reproach” - or “courage” is forgotten by our Lord. To do these works - large or small - are themselves gifts of Almighty God.

Stanza 3 // There is no limit to the “talents” and gifts God gives His people. This stanza lists many: knowledge, triumphs, and zeal. No matter the blessing, we pray in this stanza God would use these to “lift the nations from the shadows to the gladness of the sun” - that all might know God’s love in Christ through the gifts God has given.

Stanza 4 // This is the work of [and gifts given to] the Church: to pray without ceasing, to give the cross of Christ and the forgiveness He brings, and to bring the love [and peace] that passes all human understanding. In this, we are united in faith - recklessly sharing the gifts God has given with the world.

Refrain // More than a quotation of the Lord’s Prayer, this refrain is itself a prayer - asking that the kingdom of heaven be brought to all people through the blessings God gives us as His people.

SUGGESTIONS:

ELW 688 - Lord of Light - ᴀʙʙᴏᴛ’ꜱ ʟᴇɪɢʜ
ELW 497 - Strengthen for Service Lord, the Hands - ʙᴜᴄᴋʜᴜʀꜱᴛ ʀᴜɴ
ELW 655 - Son of God, Eternal Savior - ɪɴ ʙᴀʙɪʟᴏɴᴇ
ELW 669 - Rise Up, O Saints of God! - ꜰᴇꜱᴛᴀʟ ꜱᴏɴɢ
ELW 685 - Take My Life That I May Be - ᴘᴀᴛᴍᴏꜱ
ELW 687 - Come to Us, Creative Spirit - ᴄᴀꜱᴛʟᴇᴡᴏᴏᴅ
ELW 688 - Lord of Light - ᴀʙʙᴏᴛ’ꜱ ʟᴇɪɢʜ
ELW 695 - As Saints of Old - ꜰᴏʀᴇꜱᴛ ɢʀᴇᴇɴ
LBW 383 - Rise Up, O Saints of God! - ꜰᴇꜱᴛᴀʟ ꜱᴏɴɢ
LBW 404 - As Saints of Old - ʀᴇɢᴡᴀʟ
ELW 783 - Take My Life That I May Be - ᴘᴀᴛᴍᴏꜱ
LSB 842 - Son of God, Eternal Savior - ɪɴ ʙᴀʙɪʟᴏɴᴇ
RH 233 - Take My Life That I May Be - ᴘᴀᴛᴍᴏꜱ