What Kind of Love Is This?

This hymn originated in the early 1960's in Ethiopia, written by a 16-year-old girl, Almaz Belhu, who had submitted it for a hymn competition.  The original language was Amharic.  The English translation here is by Hartmut Schoenherr, with stanza four by Joe Herl.  The tune is also by Almaz Belhu.  The refrain asks the haunting question again and again.

When I behold Jesus Christ,

    True God who died for me,

I wonder much at His love

    As He hung on the tree.

Refrain:

What kind of love is this?

What kind of love is this?

    You showed Your love, Jesus,

    There to me on Calvary.

What kind of love is this?

What kind of love is this?

    You showed Your love, Jesus,

    There to me on Calvary.

For me You gave all Your love,

    For me You suffered pain;

I find no words, nothing can

    Your selflessness explain.  Refrain

You had no sin, holy Lord,

    But You were tortured, tried;

On Golgotha there for all

    My sins You bled and died.  Refrain

What love is this? Greater love

    No one has ever known.

My life with God— this I owe

    To You, and You alone.  Refrain

Lamb of God, Pure and Holy

Isaiah 50:5-10
The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
   and I was not rebellious;
   I turned not backward.
I gave my back to those who strike,
   and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
   from disgrace and spitting.
But the Lord GOD helps me;
   therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
   and I know that I shall not be put to shame.He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
   Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
   Let him come near to me.
Behold, the Lord GOD helps me;
   who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
   the moth will eat them up.
Who among you fears the LORD
   and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
   and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD
   and rely on his God.

Lamb of God, pure and holy,

    Who on the cross didst suffer,

Ever patient and lowly,

    Thyself to scorn didst offer.

All sins Thou borest for us,

Else had despair reigned o’er us:

    Have mercy on us, O Jesus! [O Jesus!]

Lamb of God, pure and holy,

    Who on the cross didst suffer,

Ever patient and lowly,

    Thyself to scorn didst offer.

All sins Thou borest for us,

Else had despair reigned o’er us:

    Have mercy on us, O Jesus! [O Jesus!]

Lamb of God, pure and holy,

    Who on the cross didst suffer,

Ever patient and lowly,

    Thyself to scorn didst offer.

All sins Thou borest for us,

Else had despair reigned o’er us:

    Thy peace be with us, O Jesus! [O Jesus!]

Exult Today, Jerusalem!

This text was written to the glory of God for the 25th anniversary of Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota, celebrating the occasion today, Palm Sunday, 2010.  The text is set to ZEHNDER, a new tune by Scott Hyslop.


1.   Exult today, Jerusalem!

     God comes to set you free!

     This royal son of Bethlehem   

     Fulfills all prophecy.

     This greater Jonah of renown

     God’s love and pow’r displays;

     He comes to tear God’s temple down

     And raise it in three days!

                                   

2.  With joy, the city resonates!

     O Zion’s daughter, sing!

     Lift up your heads, you mighty gates,

     And greet your coming King!

     He rides no horse with prancing strides,

     As kings before Him came,

     But on a donkey humbly rides,

     His office to proclaim:

3.   The Christ! A Prophet greater than  

     That giver of the Law;     

     A Priest, not born from Levi’s clan,

     But born without sin’s flaw;                 

     A King, one like that priestly king,

     Melchizedek of old,

     For Christ, as thorn-crowned King will bring

     God’s righteousness foretold.

4.  Christ’s glory is not seen by those

     Offended by the cross,

     For worldly wisdom never knows 

     How gain could come from loss;

     Yet, this the glory of the Christ:

     To claim our cross as throne—

     His perfect life He sacrificed

     That we might be His own!

5.  So wave your palms and fill the air

     With shouts of joy this day,

     The King of glory comes to bear

     Your sin and death away!

     Hosanna, Lord! Your people save!

     O come, Emmanuel,

     And by Your cross and shattered grave,

     Tear down the gates of hell!

What Grace is This!

This text from Christian Worship Supplement (CWS 715) is by Laurie F. Gauger, b. 1965.  A series of stanzas reflect different aspects of Christ's Passion and what it means for each individual Christian believer.  Yes, "God so loved the world...," but God also so loved...me!  What grace to love someone like me!  The tune WHAT GRACE, to which the text is wed in CWS, is by G. A. Hennig, b. 1966.

1.  What grace is this!

          My Lord and King

          Has set His face to suffering.

         My God eternal dies to bring

               Eternal life to me.

2.  What grace is this--

         That very God

          Would stoop to lift a cross of wood

          And walk a road of rock and blood,

               A sinner's road, for me.

3.  What grace is this!

          Though Lord of all,

          He yields to Pontius Pilate's law

          And lets the Roman hammers draw

               A rush of blood for me.

4.  What grace is this!

          Rude agonies!

          With common thieves He hangs and bleeds.

          The sinless Son bears each misdeed.

               He pays for all, for me.

5.  What grace is this! 

          Once wrapped in cloths

          And gently laid in manger trough,

          He's taken dead, from wretched cross

              And wrapped again for me.

6.  What grace is this?

          How can it be?

          He wears this raw humility

          To lift me to eternity.

               Such grace--sweet grace--for me.

          

The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord

Haquin Spegel (1645-1714) wrote this Communion hymn, originally ten stanzas long.  Lutheran Worship omitted the ninth stanza, which reads:

     O Jesus Christ, our Brother dear,

     Unto Thy cross we now draw near;

        Thy sacred wounds indeed make whole

        A wounded and afflicted soul.

Lutheran Service Book omitted two more stanzas, the fifth and seventh of the remaining nine stanzas, which read:

     A precious food is this indeed--

     It never fails us in our need--

        A heav'nly manna for our soul

        Until we safely reach our goal.

     The guest who comes with true intent

     To turn to God and to repent,

        To live for Christ, to die to sin,

        Will thus a holy life begin.

The fifth stanza is not remarkable; the seventh stanza, it was felt by the Hymnody Committee, focused the communicant far too much on what he/she brings to the Sacrament.  Instead, one's thoughts ought to center more on the promise of forgiveness given in the Sacrament.  Thus, a new stanza was penned by Joe Herl and myself to reflect the catechism's answer to the question concerning the worthiness of the communicant:  "That person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: 'Given and shed for the forgiveness of sins.' " 

That left the Hymnody Committee with seven stanzas of the original with a new stanza.  A few word changes were made, most notably in what is now stanza seven.  The concluding stanzas were slightly reordered, to end the hymn on a more evangelical note.

1.  The death of Jesus Christ, our Lord,

     We celebrate with one accord;

       It is our comfort in distress,

       Our heart's sweet joy and happiness.

2.  He blotted out with His own blood

     The judgment that against us stood;

       For us He full atonement made,

       And our debt He fully paid.

3.  That this forever true shall be

     He gives a solemn guarantee:

       In this His holy Supper here

       We taste His love so sweet, so near.

4.  His Word proclaims and we believe

     That in this Supper we receive

       His very body, as He said,

       His very blood for sinners shed.

5.  We dare not ask how this can be,

     But simply hold the mystery

       And trust this word where life begins:

       "Given and shed for all your sins."

6.  They who this word do not believe

     This food unworthily receive,

       Salvation here will never find--

       May we this warning keep in mind!

7.  But blest is each believing guest

     Who in these promises finds rest;

       For Jesus shall in love remain

       With all who here His grace obtain.

8.  Help us sincerely to believe

     That we may worthily receive

       Your Supper and in You find rest.

       Amen!  They who believe are blest.

In Silent Pain the Eternal Son

Today's Bible reading from the LSB daily lectionary (John 19:1-22) gives us another opportunity to meditate upon the crucifixion of our Lord on Calvary.  The text, "In Silent Pain the Eternal Son" was written by Christopher M. Idle (b. 1938) and was included in the synodical hymn resource, Hymnal Supplement 98.  In both HS98 and in Lutheran Service Book, the text is wed to the tune REALITY by John L. Bell (b. 1949).  The images in stanza three are particularly striking.

1.  In silent pain the_eternal Son

        Hangs derelict and still;

     In darkened day His work is done,

        Fulfilled, His Father's will.

     Uplifted for the world to see

     He hangs in strangest victory,

     For in His body on the tree

        He carries all our ill.

2.  He died that we might die to sin

        And live for righteousness;

     The earth is stained to make us clean

        And bring us into peace.

     For peace He came and met its cost;

     He gave Himself to save the lost;

     He loved us to the uttermost

        And paid for our release.

3.  For strife He came, to bring a sword,

        The truth to end all lies;

     To rule in us, our patient Lord,

        Until all evil dies:

     For in His hand He holds the stars,

     His voice shall speak to end our wars,

     And those who love Him see His scars

        And look into His eyes.