Hymns

Click on the following hymn titles to read them from your phone on the day of the festival.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

By Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing;

For still our ancient foe

doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

and, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabbaoth, His name,

from age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God has willed

his truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo! his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,

No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Through Him Who with us sideth;

Let goods and kindred go,

this mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God’s truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

Salvation Unto Us Has Come

“Es ist das Heil uns kommen her.” (or “Law and Gospel”).

By Paulus Speratus, 1484-1554

This, his most famous hymn, is founded on Rom. 3:28. It was probably written in the autumn of 1523, either during his imprisonment at Olmütz, or else during his stay at Wittenberg.

Speratus was the author of various works, but was best known as the Reformer of Prussia.

Salvation unto us has come
by God’s free grace and favor;
good works cannot avert our doom,
they help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
who did for all the world atone;
he is our one Redeemer.

What God did in his law demand
and none to him could render
caused wrath and woe on ev'ry hand
for man, the vile offender.
Our flesh has not the pure desires
the spirit of the law requires,
and lost is our condition.

It was a false, misleading dream
that God his law had given
that sinners could themselves redeem
and by their works gain heaven.
The law is but a mirror bright
to bring the inbred sin to light
that lurks within our nature.

Yet as the law must be fulfilled
or we must die despairing,
Christ came and has God’s anger stilled,
our human nature sharing.
He has for us the law obeyed
and thus the Father’s vengeance stayed
which over us impended.

Since Christ has full atonement made
and brought to us salvation,
each Christian therefore may be glad
and build on this foundation.
Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead
your death is now my life indeed,
for you have paid my ransom.

All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise

to Father, Son, and Spirit,

the God who saved us by his grace;

all glory to his merit!

O triune God in heav’n above,

you have revealed your saving love,

your blessèd name be hallowed!

Reformation Song

Bob Kauflin, Tim Chester

VERSE 1

Your Word alone is solid ground,

The mighty rock on which we build;

In every line the truth is found

And every page with glory filled.

VERSE 2

Through faith alone we come to You;

We have no merit we can claim.

Sure that Your promises are true,

We place our hope in Jesus’ name.

REFRAIN

Gloria, gloria, glory to God alone;

Gloria, gloria, glory to God alone.

VERSE 3

In Christ alone we’re justified;

His righteousness is all our plea;

Your law’s demands are satisfied;

His perfect work has set us free.

VERSE 4

By grace alone we have been saved;

All that we are has come from You.

Hearts that were once by sin enslaved

Now by Your pow’r have been made new.

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