Today’s Word from Pastor Katrina
On October 26th, our church calendar celebrates three wonderful hymn writers, and I’d love to share a little bit about one of them with you all, including one of his well-known hymns, O Christ, Our Light, O radiance True, #675 in the red book.
Imagine that you’re a week into your post as an associate pastor when your boss dies. Then the plague arrives in your town and kills 50% of the population. Then your town is devastated by fire, and the next year your young wife dies. And then a war breaks out due to religious conflict from the Reformation. You have to run for your life multiple times because you’re a Lutheran, and throughout this thirty years war, all of your possessions are repeatedly plundered.
This is the backdrop to the life of Johann Heermann, a Hymn wrter who, despite multiple tragedies and illnesses, was able to write beautiful lyrics and hymns that expressed hope and trust in God.
Johann Heermann was born in 1585, and was the fifth and only surviving child of his poor parents. He suffered illness as a child, and his mother vowed that she would make sure he had a good theological education if he survived. Not only did he survive but he lived through very hard times and wrote many hymns that are still sung over 500 years later.
Karl and I looked at a few different writers and tunes, and were really happy to work on this hymn to share with you. The lyrics included prayers for those who were persecuting them, and feel particularly poignant today. We hope you enjoy!
V1- O christ our light, O Radiance true, shine forth on those estranged from you, and bring to them your home again, where their delight shall never end.
V2- Fill with the radiance of your grace the wanderer’s lost in error’s maze. Set free all those whose hearts and minds, some deep delusion haunts and binds.
V3- Lord, open all reluctant ears and take away the needless fears of those who tremble to express the faith their inmost hearts confess.
V4- Lord, let your mercy’s gentle ray shine down on others strayed away. To those in conscience wounded sore show heaven’s waiting open door.
V5- Make theirs with ours a single voice uplifted ever to rejoice with wondering gratitude and praise to you, O Lord, for boundless grace.
Our voices with and for you,
Pastor Katrina & Minister of Music Karl
