Authentic Christianity, for both sides of the brain.
Text: Mark 1
Hymn: 532, The Head that Once Was Crowned With Thorns
Kretzmann Commentary: Mark 1
Bonus Bumper: Cherubini, Requiem, Sanctus
Guests: Anna Baseley and Cantor Jake Weber.
There’s no Christmas for Mark. He fast-forwards to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now.
Text: Matthew 1
Hymn: 512, At the Name of Jesus
Kretzmann Commentary: Matthew 1
Bonus Bumper: Handel, Messiah, Symphony
The pronunciation of the names in Matthew 1 were verified at netministries.org. If there’s a better source, I’d appreciate it.
Matthew 1 does have a lot of names, but one of the things that the list drives home is that the Christian (and Old Testament Judaism) faith is one set in history. Our faith wasn’t an attempt to explain or describe the universe. It starts and ends with Christ, prophesied from the beginning and fulfilled in real time.
The story of the Nativity is good, too. 
512, “At the Name of Jesus,” is one of the first hymns Cantor Beethe and I did together. The vocals have been reworked, with two years of lessons learned the hard way. It’s a cool hymn with Law and Gospel, resolve and hope.
Text: Zechariah 8
Hymn: TLH 609, Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying
Kretzmann Commentary: Zechariah 8
Bonus Bumper: WELS Honor Choir, Jerusalem the Golden
We wrap up our second pass through the Old Testament with Zechariah 8, a wonderful prophecy of peace and of God’s return to his remnant.
Words and lyrics for the “King of Chorales” can be found in the supplement for Episode 41. The vocals have been re-recorded, something I like to do for hymns that we recorded before Episode 83. With perhaps an exception where my voice dried up, I think the rework turned out well.
Text: Joel 3
Hymn: 585, Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide
Kretzmann Commentary: Joel 3
Bonus Bumper: Johnny Cash, American IV, “The Man Comes Around”
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near! Everyone will hear the Gospel, and those that believe shall be saved.
585 is a hymn of humility, praying for those things that we can’t possibly do ourselves. Let us keep the Word and never dim it. Let it unify the church.
Text: © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Podcast under OneLicense.Net A-718131.
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