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.

          

Our Lord a Prayerful Vigil Kept

This text was written in 1991 for our Lenten worship at Grace Lutheran Church in Middletown, Connectictut, where I served as pastor from 1985-2000.  It is set to the tune CONSOLATION.

1.  Our Lord a prayerful vigil kept

         Within an olive grove;

     Three chosen friends in weakness slept

          While fervently He strove.

2.  His solitary figure lies

          With face upon the ground,

     And to His holy Father cries

          In sorrow so profound:

3.  "My Father, if there yet may be

          A way this cup be shunned,

      Then let this suff'ring pass from Me--

          Your will, not Mine, be done."

4.  The anguish of His soul unknown,

          His sweat, like drops of blood;

     Sin's burden bearing all alone,

          An overwhelming flood!

5.  A torch-lit mob His vigil ends

          With sign that none could miss:

     A friend still loyalty pretends,

          Betraying with a kiss.

6.  The Son of Man is led away

          By those with club and sword;

     The pow'rs of darkness have their prey!

          Will no one help afford?

7.  The timeless plan has now begun

          Unfolding as it should--

     The Father offers up His Son

          To suffer for our good.

In Faithful Silence Take Your Stand

This text by Lutheran Church-Canada pastor, Kurt E. Reinhardt, speaks of the power of God at work in Holy Baptism to defeat our enemies and enable us to walk through life's terrible circumstances on dry ground.   "In Faithful Silence Take Your Stand" is found in a book of Pastor Reinhardt's texts entitled "My Light and My Salvation," (ISBN:  978-1-934328-02-6) published in 2008 by Redeemer Press.  (Go to www.redeemer-fortwayne.org for additional information and to order.) For permission to use this text in worship, please contact Pastor Kurt Reinhardt at prkreinhardt@gmail.com

1.  In faithful silence take your stand,

     Be still and watch My saving hand,

          As surging waters heed My cry

         That you might pass and never die.

2.  The Prince of Hell is at your back,

     With hatred straining to attack,

          My mighty arm keeps him at bay;

          He shall not conquer you today.

3.  Pass through the water, do not fear;

     I will not fail you, I am near.

          Though sin and death will follow in,

          The distant bank they shall not win.

4.  A thund'rous wave will charge them down

     And they will flounder, they will drown;

          Yet you shall stand upon the shore

          To sing My praise forevermore.

5.  The edge of these baptismal seas,

     All littered with dead enemies,

          Throughout your life shall daily stand

          A tribute to My saving hand.

The Tree of Life

1.  The tree of life with ev'ry good

     In Eden's holy orchard stood,

          And of its fruit so pure and sweet

          God let the man and women eat.

     Yet in this garden also grew

     Another tree, of which they knew;

          Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned

          Against whose eating God had warned.

2.  The stillness of that sacred grove

     Was broken, as the serpent strove

          With tempting voice Eve to beguile

          And Adam too by sin defile.

     O day of sadness when the breath

     Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,

          Its awful poison first displayed

          Within the world so newly made.

3.  What mercy God showed to our race,

     A plan of rescue by His grace:

          In sending One from woman's seed,

          The One to fill our greatest need--

     For on tree uplifted high

     His only Son for sin would die,

          Would drink the cup of scorn and dread

          To crush the ancient serpent's head!

4.  Now from that tree of Jesus' shame

     Flows life eternal in His name;

          For all who trust and will believe,

          Salvation's living fruit receive.

     And of its fruit so pure and sweet

     The Lord invites the world to eat,

          To find within this cross of wood

          The tree of life with ev'ry good.   

You Satisfy the Hungry Heart

This hymn unites the work of composer, Robert Kreutz, and hymn text writer, Omer Westendorf.  It was among 200 texts submitted for possible use at the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia in 1976 and "You Satisfy the Hungry Heart" was selected as the official hymn of that gathering.  First embraced by Roman Catholics, this hymn has since become well-known and a favorite in many denominations.  The hymn was first published in We Celebrate with Song (1979) with the tune name FINEST WHEAT substited for the original tune name given by the composer, BICENTENNIAL.

Refrain:

     You satisfy the hungry heart  

         With gift of finest wheat.  

              Come give to us, O saving Lord,

         The bread of life to eat.

1.  As when the shepherd calls his sheep,

         They know and heed his voice;

              So when You call Your fam'ly, Lord,

         We follow and rejoice.   Refrain

2.  With joyful lips we sing to You

          Our praise and gratitude

               That You should count us worthy, Lord,

          To share this heav'nly food.   Refrain

3.  Is not this cup we bless and share

          The blood of Christ outpoured?

               Do not one cup, one loaf, declare

          Our oneness in the Lord?   Refrain

4.  The myst'ry of Your presence, Lord,

          No mortal tongue can tell:

              Whom all the world cannot contain

          Comes in our hearts to dwell.   Refrain

5.  You give Yourself to us, O Lord;

          Then selfless let us be,

               To serve each other in Your name

          In truth and charity.  Refrain