The sheep/shepherd imagery
is carried forth also into the Hymn of the Day, The King of Love My Shepherd Is (LSB #709). This is a hymnic
version of the Twenty-third Psalm, married to a pretty Irish tune.
What a lovely paraphrase of
Psalm 23! The author, Henry Williams Baker, was eager to write and publish
hymns that reflected greatness and majesty in worshipping God. His first
edition was published in 1861 under the title of Hymns Ancient and Modern. An amusing
anecdote is recorded about this. The book became known in Britain by its
initials: H.A. and M. Because people knew how fastidiously Henry Baker had
worked on each hymn, with much changing and deleting, some referred to it as
Hymns Asked for and Mutilated! However, it became the leading Anglican
hymnbook, and sold over 150 million copies. The King of Love appeared only
later, in the 1868 revision’s appendix.[2]
Prayer for pastors and their people:
O almighty God, by Your Son, our Savior, You have always given to Your Church
on earth faithful shepherds to guide and feed Your flock. Therefore we pray,
make all pastors diligent to preach Your holy Word and to administer Your means
of grace, and grant Your people wisdom to follow in the way that leads to life
eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[1]Image of The Good Shepherd copyright © Google Images
[3] Prayers for pastors and their people, For comfort in hop of the resurrections, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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