Occasionally I would like to use this space to give you a little book review of something in our library or tell you about something I’ve been reading. This month I commend to you a little book published for the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. It’s called 12 Reformation Hymns by Martin Luther, written by Rev. Gordon Waterman and published by Ambassador Publications (the AFLC’s publishing house).
Luther is well-known for his theological impact. But his musical reforms also had a profound influence on the worship life of the Church. For over a thousand years prior to the Lutheran Reformation, there was very little congregational singing during worship. This was inconsistent with the worship life of the earliest Christians, as well as the ancient Hebrews. Luther recognized the spiritual value of music and he worked to restore congregational singing to Christian worship. Because of the millennium-long silence, there was a vacuum of congregational music. If the people were to sing, they needed something to sing. So writing hymnody for congregational use became part of Luther’s work as a reformer. Any time a congregation raises their voices together in song, they have Luther to thank.
As the title of the book suggests, it is a study of twelve hymns, written by Martin Luther. To some of you, this might sound exciting. To others, I suspect it might sound like a bore. But for all of you, whether you can read music or not, I encourage you to use it as a devotional book. If you can’t read music, just read the hymns as poetry. It includes the text and music for twelve hymns, an introduction for each hymn, and additional devotional material.
You might be familiar with some of the hymns, but probably not all of them. Only four of the twelve are included in our Ambassador Hymnal. And even in those four, you will learn some new things. The book includes the original tune and a different translation of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” It also includes all fifteen stanzas of the Christmas hymn “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.” We have eight stanzas in our hymnal, which seems like a lot when we’re used to singing four stanzas. But the extra seven should be an encouragement in your devotional life. Altogether the hymn is a beautiful and poetic retelling of the Christmas story, along with the response of faith to the good news.
Whether you find the hymns to be familiar or not, you will be blessed by the continual focus on God’s gifts to us through Jesus Christ. There are several copies in the church library, so I encourage you to check it out. I trust it will be a blessing to you in your devotional life.
The peace of Christ be with you all,
Pastor Dan