What
makes a hymn a “Lutheran” hymn?
When
I think of Lutheran hymns, I think of texts from our tradition that were
written by Lutheran pastors or theologians, follow Lutheran theology, and might
also come from ethnic groups with largely Lutheran populations – such as
Germany and parts of Scandinavia.
I
am not suggesting we should only sing Lutheran hymns, but I am suggesting we
should pay special attention to the ones from our heritage. I am also not suggesting that we should
ignore hymns from other traditions, because we sing many of them! I don’t refer to these hymns as
“non-Lutheran” to exclude them, but rather to honor the traditions they came
from. I particularly love to sing
English hymns. They soar with long
phrases and wide unexpected intervals where Lutheran hymns (at least the ones
that haven’t been modified to an isometric form) tend to dance with accents
that occur off the beat.
Not
all hymns I would call “Lutheran” hymns are old. Wonderful texts and tunes are being written
by people who are alive today. Sometime,
check the index in Evangelical Lutheran
Worship for texts by Susan Palo Cherwien and Jaroslav Vajda.
We
have designated May 18th as Lutheran Heritage Sunday. A big part of that day will be a hymn
festival with a service filled exclusively with Lutheran hymns interspersed
with readings by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great Lutheran pastor and theologian
who dared to speak out against the Nazi regime.
In
case you want to start warming up, the festival will include:
We
All Are One in Mission (ELW 576)
Lord,
Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word (ELW 517)
Salvation
unto Us Has Come (ELW 590)
Oh,
That I Had a Thousand Voices (ELW833)
O
Sacred Head, Now Wounded (ELW 351)
Evening
and Morning (ELW 133)
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The
service hymns for the day will also be Lutheran hymns, including:
Dearest
Jesus, At Your Word (ELW 520)
A
Mighty Fortress Is Our God (ELW 504)
Lord,
Thee I Love With All My Heart (ELW 750)
Now
Thank We All Our God (840)
This
also marks the beginning for the summer worship schedule at St. Mark’s, so
there is one service at 10:00 a.m.
Singing
together has always been an important part of Lutheran worship. We sing
together as one community, or, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it, “It is the voice
of the church that is heard in singing together. It is not you that sings, it is the church
that is singing, and you, as a member of the church, may share its song.” Amen.
Photos
Top: Philipp Melancthon baptizing an infant
Top: Philipp Melancthon baptizing an infant
Bottom: Hymn singing is for all ages as evidenced by these two young girls singing at a hymn festival at St. Mark's.
