My Soul Rejoices (Magnificat)

1.  My soul rejoices,

     My spirit voices—

          Sing the greatness of the Lord!

               For God my Savior

               Has shown me favor—

          Sing the greatness of the Lord!

     With praise and blessing,

     Join in confessing

          God, who is solely

          Mighty and holy—

               Oh, sing the greatness of God the Lord!

     His mercy surely

     Shall rest securely

          On all who fear Him,

          Love and revere Him—

               Oh, sing the greatness of God the Lord!

  2.  His arm now baring,

       His strength declaring—

            Sing the greatness of the Lord!

                 The proud He scatters,

                 Their rule He shatters—

            Sing the greatness of the Lord!

       Oppression halted;

       The meek exalted.

            Full are the hungry;

            Empty, the wealthy—

                 Oh, sing the greatness of God the Lord!

       Here is the token

       All that was spoken

            To Abr’am’s offspring

            God is fulfilling—

                 Oh, sing the greatness of God the Lord!

My Savior Has Shown Favor (Magnificat)

Nine months before Christmas, on March 25th, the Church Year pauses (in what is usually the midst of Lent) to recognize "The Annunciation of our Lord."  The angel Gabriel brought to Mary the startling news that she, a virgin, would give birth to the very Son of God!  Mary responds to the angel's message with faith:  "I am the Lord's servant...may it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38)  God had given Mary a sign of encouragement:  her elderly and previously childless relative, Elizabeth, was in the sixth month of her pregnancy. "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)  When Mary left her home to visit Elizabeth, she discovered the truth of the angel's message.  Mary's inspired song of response is known liturgically as "The Magnificat" found in Luke 1:46-55 :
And Mary said:
   "My soul glorifies the Lord
       and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
   for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
      for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
   His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
   He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
   He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
   He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
   He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
   to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers."


"My Savior Has Shown Favor" was my second attempt (2002) at the Magnificat after "My Soul Rejoices" (LSB 933) which was written in 1991.  "My Savior Has Shown Favor" is set to the hymn tune OASIS.


1.  My Savior has shown favor

        To me, of little fame;

    Now all those living hence shall

        My blessedness proclaim:

    For God has done great things

        And holy is His name—

                      Refrain:  O, magnify

                                   The Lord on high,

                                        O, magnify the Lord!

2.  To those who fear His greatness,

         His mercy He extends;

     Their children and their children

         His faithful love befriends;

     With deeds of great power

         His people He defends—

                     Refrain

3.  He scatters all the prideful

         And those who have rebelled;   

     The rulers are brought down

         While the humble are upheld;

     He fills all the hungry,

         The wealthy are expelled—

                     Refrain

4.   The Lord has helped His servant,

          His Israel, which He bore,

      Remembering His mercy

          Which long ago He swore

      To Abr’am and to his

          Descendants evermore.

                      Refrain

My Heart Is Now Thrilling

"And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  So he came by the Spirit into the temple.  And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 'Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.' "

(Luke 2:25-32)

The oldest member of my parish here (97 years) passed away early Sunday morning.  When I was with her on Saturday, one of the Scripture passages I read was Simeon's song in Luke 2.  This dear sister in Christ was certainly ready to go.  One wonders how many times she sang the Nunc Dimittis during her many, many years of faithful worship. 

I wrote the following text in 1994 to the tune, THE ASH GROVE, as a versification of the Nunc Dimittis.  

My heart is now thrilling

At Your Word's fulfilling,

     O Lord, let Your servant depart in Your peace.

I see Your salvation

Prepared for each nation,

     It shines with a radiance that never will cease:

A light that will brighten

Like dawn, to enlighten

     Both Gentiles and Jews from each tribe and each race.

What sin was concealing

Your love is revealing--

     The glory of Israel, the light of Your grace!

Sing Praise to the God of Israel

JUNE 24th is "The Nativity of St. John the Baptist" on the Church Year calendar.  Luke (1:5-25; 57-80) records the events surrounding the birth of John, son of Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth, his wife.  You'll recall that Zechariah was was struck dumb for his unbelieving response to Gabriel's announcement about the birth of a son to him and his wife.  Upon the birth of their son, when neighbors and relatives questioned Elizabeth's naming their newborn son John, Zechariah confirmed what she had said as he wrote on a tablet that their son was to be named John.  His tongue was loosed and he spoke words of praise and prophecy.  These words are known as the "Benedictus,"  the first word of this song of praise and prophecy in Latin.  The Benedictus is the alternate canticle at Matins.  Originally, the Te Deum was used at Matins (the first hour), and the Benedictus at Lauds (the second hour), but when the Reformers adapted these daily services to the needs of their times and decreased the number of the daily hours services, Lauds was combined with Matins and the use of the Benedictus retained.

This versification of the Benedictus set to the tune DEN SIGNEDE DAG is #936 in Lutheran Service Book and was written in 1992:

1.  Sing praise to the God of Israel!

        Sing praise for His visitation!

            Redeeming His people from their sin,

       Accomplishing their salvation,

            Upraising a mighty horn within

                 The house of His servant David!

2.  God spoke by the prophets long ago,

         His promise on oath recalling--

              To Abraham made in former years:

         Of vanquishing foes appalling,

              That those He delivered from their fears

                  Might gladly and truly serve Him.

3.  You, child, will go on before the Lord

          As prophet, His way preparing;

               To speak on behalf of God Most High,

         His counsel of truth declaring:

               Rich mercy and grace for all whereby

                   Iniquity is forgiven.

4.  O bright, rising Sun, now shine on us

          In need of illumination;

               Come scatter the shades of sin and death

          And shatter their domination.

               Be guiding our footsteps on the path

                   Of peace, in Your presence dawning!