Did Not Brave Esther Speak

Esther's courage is needed by Christians today!  We are given so many fine examples of faith and faith active in love by faithful women in Holy Scripture.

1.  Did not brave Esther speak to free
     Her people from their doom?
     She dared confront a treachery
     That would her race entomb.
     Has God not brought you to this place
     For such a time as this,
     To speak His Word of light and grace
     So none its truth dismiss?

2.  What tender care the women showed
     When Christ was crucified!
     With tears and prayers their love bestowed
     As Jesus bled and died.
     Those faithful Marys shared the gloom
     Of Jesus' bitter strife;
     They came with spices to the tomb,
     Yet found Him raised to life!

3.  O sing of Anna, prophetess,
     The temple was her home;
     Of Phoebe, faithful deaconess,
     Who brought Paul's words to Rome;
     Of Lydia, whose cloth was dyed
     With hospitality;
     Their lives of service magnified
     The Holy Trinity.

4.  God summons you to truly care,
     To weep with those who cry,
     To take your cross and for Christ dare
     To live and self deny,
     To give till wealth is sacrificed
     For those in pressing need,
     That all may see in you the Christ--
     His love your living creed.

Bring All Your Fear

Written in 1994 and set to the tune EARTH AND ALL STARS.

1.  Bring all your fear,
     Bring all your sadness,
     Bring all your doubt and despair to the tomb.
     See the great stone
     Rolled from the entrance,
     Points to the end of our dark night of gloom!
Refrain:  Alleluia!  Alleluia!
             Christ has arisen!  Alleluia!

2.  Hear the good news--
     Jesus is living!
     Do you remember the words He once said:
     "Be crucified,
     Rise on the third day."
     He is not here in the graves of the dead!  Refrain

3.  God's rising Son
     Mourning eclipses,
     Shining on all those who sorrow and grieve;
     Calling by name
     All who are weeping,
     So they the light of His love might receive.  Refrain

4.  Where doors are locked
     And hearts are broken,
     Bruised and in need of the One crucified,
     Jesus appears;
     "Peace!" He says gently,
     Showing the marks in His hands and His side!  Refrain

5.  Sing to the Lord,
     Sing of His triumph:
     "Worthy is Jesus, the Lamb that was slain!"
     Jesus--our song,
     Jesus--our gladness,
     Jesus--our joyful and endless refrain!  Refrain

Rest, O Christ, from All Your Labor

By the late Herman G. Stuempfle.

1.  Rest, O Christ, from all Your labor;
     Sleep within Your borrowed tomb.
     Foes have crucified and bound You
     Fast within death's narrow room.
     Pilate's guards stand watching, waiting
     Where they rolled the sealing stone.
     All unseen another watches:
     God will not forsake His own.

2.  Peace at last from all Your anguish,
     Wounds in hands and feet and side.
     Enemies no longer mock You,
     Scourged, abandoned, crucified.
     Faithful women gather spices,
     Weep for You whom sin has slain.
     Though they mourn, the God who guards You
     Will not let Your death be vain.

3.  Help us keep this solemn sabbath
     As we wait for Easter dawn.
     Earth's dark night of sin is passing;
     Death's long reign will soon be gone.
     Christ, in whom the new creation
     Rises brighter than the sun:
     May we, as we watch for morning,
     Trust the vict'ry You have won.

4.  As, through parting Red Sea waters,
     Israel marched to liberty,
     So we pass through baptism's water,
     Washed by grace, from sin set free.
     Jesus, risen, living, reigning
     Now and through eternity:
     Grant that, through Your life undying,
     We may live victoriously.

The Word of God Is Spoken

Hymn writer Mark Preus recently penned this fine Holy Communion text and composer Stephen Johnson recently composed a wonderful, and as yet unnamed, tune for it.  Our Lord be praised for His ongoing gifts to His Church!  "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.'  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."  (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

1.  The Word of God is spoken,
     And angels bend to see
     How hearts, once bound and broken,
     Are set a liberty.
     For Christ, the Lord of Glory,
     Proclaims His death again;
     No doubt can dim the story
     That pardons all our sin.

2.  With bread and wine are given
     Christ's body and His blood;
     The earthly hides the heaven
     As flesh encloses God;
     The right hand of the Father
     Is now the Holy Place
     Where Christ, our God and Brother,
     Bestows on sinners grace.

3.  Depart each unbeliever
     And those who live to sin!
     Nor let a false deceiver
     Dare here to enter in.
     Discern this gift of Jesus,
     His body and His blood,
     Lest righteous judgement seize us
     For not believing God.

4.  Blest is the hungry spirit,
     Who has no good to give,
     But clings to Jesus' merit--
     By faith this soul shall live;
     The Lord will not deceive him,
     As sin and Satan do,
     Nor will his Savior leave him,
     Whose Word cries out, "for you!"

5.  And kneeling at the altar
     United we shall be,
     Though we are weak, and falter,
     Strong is our unity.
     For Jesus' precious preaching
     Dispels the devil's pow'r,
     Nor will He let false teaching
     To ever win the hour.

6.  So we with gladness enter,
     And we with gladness leave;
     Christ's cross is at the center
     Of all that we believe.
     This sacrament will give us
     Abundant joy and peace
     Till angels will receive us
     In heaven's Holy Place.

Exalt Today, Jerusalem!

This text was written in 2010 for the 25th anniversary of Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN to the vibrant tune, ZEHNDER, by Scott Hyslop of St. Lorenz in Frankenmuth, MI.  A blessed Holy Week to you!

1.  Exalt 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!