Text: 2 Timothy 2. Hymn: 655, Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word.
It pains me that the hymn is so short, but as was pointed out to me, it is Trinitarian.
Last November this hymn was discussed on the blog of Pr. Stephen Starke, a major contributed to the Lutheran Service Book.
In the comments, it was noted that in the original German, the second line, “Curb those who by deceit or sword,” is written, “Und steur des Papsts and Türken Mord,” or “And curb the Turks’ and papists’ sword.” While we may not receive threats from Roman Catholics any more, Christians continue to be persecuted and martyred around the world.
TURRIE on 
Dan
Thanks for upping the bass. I guess soft 32′ stops may not be the easiest to hear on a recording. It might be interesting for people to know that those soft 32′ stops were rattling the rafters of the sanctuary as I played it. That really scares my choir.
Oh, ha! It released a day early. I didn’t have a calendar handy to check Thursday.
No problem on the bass…may do it again for next week.
More bass on that hymn would be great, especially on st. 3.
Soft 32′s really add to the eeriness of the hymn and tune. It sends chills up my spine! How ’bout covering “O Darkest Woe” – the TLH setting – during Holy Week?
On another note, the comment in this post about the persecuted Church was touched on in Episode 30, Built on the Rock.
Around the world, every day Christians are persecuted for their faith. In Vietnam, you can be a Christian, but you can be arrested for sharing your faith. In China, the house church movement came about because of government interference with the Church.
Here in the US, Satan takes more subtle approaches. Unscriptural teaching and practice creeps in the back door a little at a time until it becomes normal. Pop culture embraces eastern philosophy over God’s Word and wraps it in slick, almost benign packaging as though it is compatible with Christianity. Atheists mock the Church with humor and flaunt the sins of Christians to lure the weak away. On the home front, Christians publish books that reduce the Gospel to a bunch of how-to’s which strip the Gospel of its real “purpose.”
Yet – thanks be to God! – His Word remains sure, stable and unmoving! When we fall sway to trendy, post-modern movements, God calls us back to His Word, chiding us for our error, and offering full forgiveness to the repentant heart.
Bernard of Clairvoix writes,
When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
There’s going to be some more of those soft 32′s next week. Kr. Beethe has a very nice intro.
Go, Kantor! Go Kantor!