Today marks the beginning of All Saints-tide, the final part of the long Trinity season. As we end the Church Year looking to the Eschaton (the Last Day), we have chosen LSB 949, Heavenly Hosts in Ceaseless Worship, as our seasonal hymn. This hymn is a versification of the Dignus es (“Worthy are You”) canticle, which in turn is drawn from the song of praise sung by the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders (Revelation 4,5 [also Isaiah 6]) and all the company of heaven (Revelation 7). The hymn is similar to LSB 950, which we studied together as a congregation and sang during Eastertide (for further detail please see the notes at https://catalinalutheran.org/blog/2020/03/27/lsb-950-splendor-and-honor/). In our singing of this hymn (as well as in our singing of the Gloria and the Sanctus), we join our voices with those of the angels, the archangels, and all the company of heaven, in their ceaseless praise of God! When we do so, we are reminded in this time of pandemic, unrest and temporal uncertainty, “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). We can rejoice and be glad, knowing that we will sing these very same songs of praise into eternity, as we take our places, along with those who have gone before us and have died in The Faith, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matthew 22/Luke 14; Matthew 25; Revelation 19). The 20th century tune Love’s Light (also used for LSB 416) echoes the strains of early American folk music, note for example the similarity to the 1825 tune Holy Manna (LSB 540, 584 and 782). We are pleased that you have joined us today and pray God’s blessings on you as you receive His gifts in our midst.
Gospel Preaching – Bible Teaching – Tucson, AZ