Because of the format we are using for worship right now, trying to worship together with music is a lot more complicated. But there is so much beauty and richness in music, that I hope to use this blog as a point of contact and connection right now.

During Lent, I’ve been using a devotional journal called When from Death I’m Free. If you’ve enjoyed the illustrations we include in our Sunday bulletins, this is a great resource for you! All of the coloring pages in it are provided through Visual Faith Ministry, which provides the bulletin art free to anyone to use. I’m a big fan of it.

While I doodle on the pages or color, I find myself singing through the hymns and songs in my head. In fact, of all of the hymns in our hymnal, Lenten hymns are my favorite. I’m a fan of music in minor keys anyway, but the richness of the language just makes my heart soar.

So here’s the plan: I’m going to share the words of each of these hymns, with a link to a video of the music when I can find one. I also have some praise team songs that I will share (can I tell you a secret? I love ALL the music we use in church. I adore the drums and guitars and joyful choruses that come from the front left of the sanctuary, and I also love the full power of the organ opened up to rattle the church coming from the back right. It’s all lovely). So here we go, starting with one that usually kicks off Lent: “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days” (LSB 418). Kind of seems appropriate right now, huh?

One more quick thing: “LSB” refers to Lutheran Service Book, which is our hymnal. So if you are musical and have a copy, feel free to open it up and sing/play to your heart’s content! Otherwise, listen here.

Verse 1

O Lord, throughout these forty days
You prayed and kept the fast;

Inspire repentance for our sin,
And free us from our past.

Verse 2

You strove with Satan, and You won;
Your faithfulness endured;

Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust
In God’s eternal Word.

Verse 3

Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed
And fixed Your mind above;

So teach us to deny ourselves,
Since we have known God’s love.

Verse 4

Be with us through this season, Lord,
And all our earthly days,

That when the final Easter dawns,
We join in heaven’s praise.

 

Oh, how appropriate these words are at this time. “Be with us through this season, Lord, and all our earthly days, that when the final Easter dawns, we join in heaven’s praise.” May that be our prayer today and throughout this time of great upheaval.