Time Out

Text: Daniel 7
Hymn: 853, How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord
Kretzmann Commentary: Daniel
Bonus Bumper: The Fourth Man in the Fire

When the book of Daniel was covered in Sunday School, we learned more about the handwriting on the wall, the lion’s den, and the fourth man in the fire, but the actual prophecies of Daniel got less attention. Daniel 7 has some crazy imagery in it, but it’s another one of those examples of the gospel in the Old Testament. Dominion, glory, and a kingdom without end are given to one like a son of man by the Ancient of Days. The enemies of God will devour the earth for a time, but they will be consumed and destroyed. The kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High, and their dominion will be forever.

How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord is one I was asked to sing at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX. The text and music together provide some mechanical challenges; one can slur like a lounge singer if one isn’t careful. The last verse is a nice prayer: may we not cease to look to Christ in all we are given to do, Christ having done what he was sent to do.

Text: © 1982 Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Podcast under OneLicense.Net A-718131.
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Text: Ezekiel 3
Hymn: 825, Rise, Shine, You People
Kretzmann Commentary: Ezekiel
Bonus Bumper: Ezekiel Saw De Wheel

In Ezekiel 3, God holds Ezekiel accountable for the preaching of repentance and deliverance of his people. These are stern words for both the person who would speak for God words that God did not deliver and the person who was given words to say by God in his word and did not deliver his message.

Hymn 825, in the Mission and Witness section of the Lutheran Service Book, ties into this by reminding us that we are to celebrate and spread the good news about the triune God that saves us.

 
Text and music: © 1967 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Podcast under OneLicense.Net A-718131.
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Text: Lamentations 3:22-66
Hymn: 834, O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth
Kretzmann Commentary: Lamentations
Bonus Bumper: Thomas Tallis – Lamentations I

This hymn has a tricky tune, Wittenberg New, by Jan O. Bender. One either chooses to grab a big breath after the first line and sing the next four lyrical phrases in one breath, or one steals a break here and there. On the first and fourth verses, I broke after “mote” and “men,” respectively.

Higher Things has chosen O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth to be their conference hymn at their two “Given” conferences at Utah State University and Vanderbilt University this summer. I hope they enjoy singing it as much as I have. Pastor George Borghardt and conference music director Chris Loemker discuss the lyrics on the weekly Higher Things podcast.

 
Text and tune: © 1967 Augsburg Fortress.
Setting: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Podcast under OneLicense.Net A-718131.
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Text: Jeremiah 31:1-34
Hymn: 846, Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old
Kretzmann Commentary: Jeremiah
Bonus Bumper: There is a Balm in Gilead

I originally wanted to put all of Jeremiah 31 on the program. The chapter has all sorts of good stuff: the prophecy of the new covenant, the prophecy of the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, Israel and Judah reunited and reseeded, et cetera.

The hymn is also quite catchy. Sing it through a couple of times, and it’ll get rid of a lot of bad ear worms.

 
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