Wunderbarer Gnadenthron …

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber
  1. Wunderbarer Gnadenthron, Gottes und Marien Sohn, Gott und Mensch, ein kleines Kind, das man in der Krippen find’t, großer Held von Ewigkeit, dessen Macht und Herrlichkeit rühmt die ganze Christenheit:
  2. Du bist arm und machst zugleich uns an Leib und Seele reich. Du wirst klein, du großer Gott, und machst Höll und Tod zu Spott. Aller Welt wird offenbar, ja auch deiner Feinde Schar, dass du, Gott, bist wunderbar.
  3. Lass mir deine Güt und Treu täglich werden immer neu. Gott, mein Gott, verlass mich nicht, wenn mich Not und Tod anficht. Lass mich deine Herrlichkeit, deine Wundergütigkeit schauen in der Ewigkeit.

Johann Olearius 1665

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3rd Day of Christmas: Holiday of St.John

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Holiday of St. John, the apostle and evangelist

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. (Isaiah 52:7)

Introit from Psalm 22:  I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

 Epistle from St. John’s first letter chapter one: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The holy Gospel for this holiday of the apostle and evangelist Saint John the 21st chapter: Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?  This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

1 By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist:

2 For Your belov’d disciple
Exiled to Patmos’ shore,
And for his faithful record,
We praise You evermore.
Praise for the mystic vision
Through him to us revealed;
May we, in patience waiting,
With Your elect be sealed.

(Horatio Bolton Nelson 1823-1913)

 

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3rd Day of Christmas: Holiday of St.John

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber
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Holy days of Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Watchword for Christmas: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [St. John 1:14]

Introit from Psalm 2

 

1  Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Micah 5:2-4a  “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.  4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

Titus 3:4-7  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Luke 2:1-20 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  2 This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3 And everyone went to his own town to register.  4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”] 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

“From Heaven Above to Earth I Come”
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

1. “From heaven above to earth I come
To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing:

2. “To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
This little child, of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all the earth.

3. “This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free.

4. “He will on you the gifts bestow
Prepared by God for all below,
That in His kingdom, bright and fair,
You may with us His glory share.

5. “These are the tokens ye shall mark:
The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;
There ye shall find the Infant laid
By whom the heavens and earth were made.”

6. Now let us all with gladsome cheer
Go with the shepherds and draw near
To see the precious gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

7. Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this child, so young and fair?
The blessed Christ-child lieth there.

8. Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com’st to share my misery;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?

9. Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How weak art Thou, how poor and small,
That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed
Where humble cattle lately fed!

10. Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
It yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

11. For velvets soft and silken stuff
Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great,
As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

12. And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee
To make this truth quite plain to me,
That all the world’s wealth, honor, might,
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

13. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

14. My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep;
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

15. Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto us His Son hath given!
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #85
Text: Luke 2: 1-18
Author: Martin Luther, 1535
Tune: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1855, alt.
1st published in: “Geistliche Lieder” Leipzig, 1539

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Rejoice, He’s coming soon!

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

God’s holy Word for the fourth Sunday in Advent:

Watchword: “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (Phillipians 4:4-5)

From the 102nd Psalm for this Sunday in Advent:

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death. (Verses 13.15.19f)

The Old Testament reading from his prophet Isaiah 52:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (Verses 7-10)

The holy Epistle from the apostle Saint Paul to the Philippians in the 4th chapter

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Verses 4-7)

The holy Gospel accourding to the evangelist St. Luke the 1st chapter:

(And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.)

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

(And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.) Verses (39-45) 46-55 (56)

Sermon text is from the evangelist Saint Luke the 1st chapter:

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

(Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.)

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Here is a link to Bach’s version of the Magnificat in D major.

And a translation of Luther’s exegesis and sermon on the Magnificat.

The liturgical colour is violet. (Or blue!)

Together with the holy Christian Church we pray with this collect: Lord, purify our hearts that they may be worthy to become your dwelling place. Let us never fail to find room for you, but come and abide with us that we also may abide in you, for you were born into the world for us and now live and reign, King of kings and Lord of lords, for evermore. Amen.

And with the Lutheran Church we sing:

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Hymn # 31 from Lutheran Worship
Author: French Processional
Tune: Veni Emmanuel
1st Published in: 1854

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the triune God give you joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight – and the true words and pictures to preach his holy will faithfully according to his most precious revelation of his will and promises in both the Old and New Testament! However if you are not preaching, but listening – then listen as if God is talking to you + His precious gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16 NIV)

 

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3rd Sunday in Advent

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

God’s holy Word for the third Sunday in Advent:

Watchword: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, for behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand.” (Isaiah 40:3.10)

The 85th Psalm for this 3rd Sunday in Advent: Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us forever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

The Old Testament reading is from his prophet Isaiah 40:1-8 (9-11)

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

The holy Epistle is from the apostle Saint Paul  in the 4th chapter 1-5 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

The holy Gospel accoording to the evangelist St. Matthew chapter 11:2-6 (7-10) Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Sermon text is from the evangelist Saint Luke the 3rd chapter: Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

The liturgical colour is violet. (Or blue!)

Together with the holy Christian Church we pray with this collect: LORD Jesus, our Light and our Salvation, you alone are the one who was to come to save us. We thank you for your coming and for your will to perform in us again your saving work. Rule us by your Holy Spirit, that henceforth we may wait for none other and put our trust in nothing in heaven or earth except you alone, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever one God, world without end. Amen.

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the triune God give you joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight – and the true words and pictures to preach his holy will faithfully according to his most precious revelation of his will and promises in both the Old and New Testament! However if you are not preaching, but listening – then listen as if God is talking to you + His precious gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16 NIV)

 

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Posted on December 5, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Warum willst du draußen stehen,
du Gesegneter des Herrn?
Laß dir bei mir einzugehen
wohlgefallen, du mein Stern!
Du mein Jesus, meine Freud,
Helfer in der rechten Zeit,
hilf, o Heiland, meinem Herzen,
von den Wunden, die mich schmerzen.

Will ich denn mein Elend lindern
und erleichtern meine Not
bei der Welt und ihren Kindern,
fall ich nur in neue Not:
da ist Trost, der mich betrübt,
Freude, die mein Unglück liebt,
Helfer, die mir Herzleid machen,
gute Freunde, die mein lachen.

In der Welt ist alles nichtig,
nichts ist, das nicht kraftlos wär.
Hab ich Hoheit, die ist flüchtig;
Hab ich Reichtum, was ists mehr
als ein Stücklein armer Erd?
Hab ich Lust, was ist sie wert?
was ists, das mich heut erfreuet,
das mich morgen nicht gereuet?

Aller Trost und alle Freude
ruht in dir, Herr Jesus Christ:
dein Erfreuen ist die Weide,
da man immer fröhlich ist.
Leuchte mir, o Freudenlicht,
ehe mir mein Herze bricht,
laß mich, Herr, an dir erquicken,
Jesus, komm, laß dich erblicken.

Freu dich, Herz, du bist erhöret,
jetzo zeucht er bei dir ein;
sein Gang ist zu dir gekehret,
heiß ihn nur willkommen fein
und bereite dich ihm zu,
gib dich ganz zu seiner Ruh,
öffne dein Gemüt und Seele,
klag ihm, was dich drück und quäle.

Was du Böses hast begangen,
das ist alles abgeschafft;
Gottes Liebe nimmt gefangen
deiner Sünden Macht und Kraft.
Christi Sieg behält das Feld,
und was Böses in der Welt
sich will wider dich erregen,
wird zu lauter Glück und Segen.

Alles dient zu deinem Frommen,
was dir bös und schädlich scheint,
weil dich Christus angenommen
und es treulich mit dir meint.
Bleibst du dem nur wieder treu,
ists gewiß und bleibt dabei,
daß du mit den Engeln droben
ihn dort ewig werdest loben.

Paul Gerhardt 1653

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Ihr lieben Christen, freut Euch nun…

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber
1. Ihr lieben Christen, freut euch nun,
bald wird erscheinen Gottes Sohn,
der unser Bruder worden ist,
das ist der lieb Herr Jesus Christ.

2. Der Jüngste Tag ist nun nicht fern.
Komm, Jesu Christe, lieber Herr!
Kein Tag vergeht, wir warten dein
und wollten gern bald bei dir sein.

3. Du treuer Heiland Jesu Christ,
dieweil die Zeit erfüllet ist,
die uns verkündet Daniel,
so komm, lieber Immanuel.

4. Der Teufel brächt uns gern zu Fall
und wollt uns gern verschlingen all;
er tracht’ nach Leib, Seel, Gut und Ehr,
Herr Christ, dem alten Drachen wehr!

5. Ach lieber Herr, eil zum Gericht.
Lass sehn dein herrlich Angesicht,
das Wesen der Dreifaltigkeit.
Das helf uns Gott in Ewigkeit.


(Endzeitlied, Autor: Erasmus Alber (1500 – 1553))

Und hier eine Fassung von Dietrich Buxtehude: Ihr lieben Christen freut Euch nun… 

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Second Sunday in Advent

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

God’s holy Word for the Second Sunday in Advent:

Watchword: “Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luk 21:28 NIV)

From Psalm 80 verses 2-3.18-19: Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth… stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved … quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

 The Old Testament reading from God’s holy prophet Isaiah 63:15-64:3

15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and beautiful[a] habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
are held back from me.
16 For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
18 Your holy people held possession for a little while;[b]
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
like those who are not called by your name.

64 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 [c] as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

The holy Epistle is by the holy apostle St.James the 5th chapter verses 7-8

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

The holy Gospel accourding to the holy evangelist St. Luke chapter 21:25-33

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

The liturgical colour is violet (or blue).

Together with the holy Christian Church we pray with this collect: LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so pre pare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever one God, world without end. Amen.

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the triune God give you joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight – and the true words and pictures to preach his holy will faithfully according to his most precious revelation of his will and promises in both the Old and New Testament! However if you are not preaching, but listening – then listen as if God is talking to you + His precious gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16 NIV)

 

 

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Maria durch einen Dornenwald ging…

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Hier ist das bewegende Adventsliedchen nach eingängiger Volksweise mit alten Instrumenten.

Maria durch ein’ Dornwald ging.
Kyrieleison!
Maria durch ein’ Dornwald ging,
der hatte in sieben Jahr’n kein Laub getragen!
Jesus und Maria.

Was trug Maria unterm Herzen?
Kyrieleison!
Ein kleines Kindlein ohne Schmerzen,
das trug Maria unter ihrem Herzen.
Jesus und Maria.

Da haben die Dornen Rosen getrag’n;
Kyrieleison!
Als das Kindlein durch den Wald getragen,
da haben die Dornen Rosen getragen!
Jesus und Maria.

Wie soll dem Kind sein Name sein?
Kyrieleison!
Der Name, der soll Christus sein,
das war von Anfang der Name sein!
Jesus und Maria.

Wer soll dem Kind sein Täufer sein?
Kyrieleison!
Das soll der Sankt Johannes sein,
der soll dem Kind sein Täufer sein!
Jesus und Maria.

Was kriegt das Kind zum Patengeld?
Kyrieleison!
Den Himmel und die ganze Welt,
das kriegt das Kind zum Patengeld!
Jesus und Maria.

Wer hat erlöst die Welt allein?
Kyrieleison.
Das hat getan das Christkindlein,
das hat erlöst die Welt allein!
Jesus und Maria.

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