John 3:16-18—The hymn of the Day is God Loved the World So that He Gave.—Here is a wonderful Gospel hymn. The first stanza restates the “Gospel in a nutshell,” John 3:16. The following four stanzas expand upon the first, proclaiming the love of God for sinners – a love so deep that He sacrifices His own Son in our stead that we might have everlasting life. It clearly proclaims Holy Baptism as the means by which our Lord grants forgiveness to us unworthy sinners. Stanza 6 expresses our grateful response to God’s grace poured out upon us in a hymn of praise to the Holy Trinity.
Johannes Olearius (b. Halle,
Germany, 1611; d. Weissenfels, Germany, 1684) Born into a family of Lutheran
theologians, Olearius received his education at the University of Wittenberg
and later taught theology there. He was ordained a Lutheran pastor and
appointed court preacher to Duke August of Sachsen-Weissenfels in Halle and
later to Duke Johann Adolph in Weissenfels. Olearius wrote a commentary on the
entire Bible, published various devotional books, and produced a translation of
the Imitatio Christi by Thomas a Kempis. In the history of church music
Olearius is mainly remembered for his hymn collection, which was widely used in
Lutheran churches.
August Crull who translated this
hymn was born January 27, 1845 in Rostock, Germany, where his father, Hofrat
Crull, was a lawyer. He was educated at the Gymnasium in Rostock, and at
Concordia College in St. Louis and Fort Wayne where he graduated in 1862. His
father died soon after he began studying at the Gymnasium. His mother then
married Albert Friedrich Hoppe, who later became the editor of the St. Louis
edition of Luther's Works. In 1865, Crull graduated from Concordia Seminary in
St. Louis. He became assistant pastor at Trinity Church in Milwaukee and also
served as Director of the Lutheran High School. Later he was pastor of the
Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From 1873 to 1915, he was professor
of the German language and literature at Concordia.[1]
Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent—Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whose
mercies are new unto us every morning, and who, though we have in no wise
deserved Thy goodness, dost abundantly provide for all our wants of body and
soul, give us, we pray Thee, Thy Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge
Thy merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Thy benefits, and serve
Thee in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who lives
and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.[2]
-13 March 2021
[2] Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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