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Lutheranism’s Sweetest Voice Turns 400Paul Gerhardt’s beloved hymns were a product of sufferingMalcolm Muggeridge once called suffering the only method by which we have ever learned anything. Nothing corroborates this British author’s insight more profoundly than the poetry of Paul Gerhardt, who was born exactly four centuries ago, on March 12, 1607, in Gräfenhainichen near Wittenberg. For most of his childhood, youth and maturity, this Saxon pastor experienced one of the worst calamities that ever afflicted Central Europe – the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48). Yet “the religious song of Germany found its purest and sweetest expression in the hymns of...

"'Your Cross I Place Before Me': Contemplating Christ Crucified"(Sermon series on "The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt")We conclude our series on “The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt” tonight with two Passion hymns, which is only fitting as now we are just days from Holy Week, the time of Christ’s Passion, his suffering and death. The two hymns we look at tonight are “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” and “Upon the Cross Extended,” both of which help us to ponder the Passion. Pastor Gerhardt’s beautiful words focus our thoughts and fix our eyes on Jesus, so that as we sing we are caught...

"'This Lamb Is Christ, the Soul's Great Friend': The Father Sends His Willing Son"(Sermon series on "The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt")In this series on “The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt,” we’ve seen how Gerhardt’s hymns often deal with what we call the subjective experience of the believer. The feelings, the emotions, the experiences and circumstances of the individual Christian’s life quite often lead the way in these hymns: “Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing”; “Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me”; and so on. But at the same time we’ve seen that these subjective experiences and feelings always have their...

"'When Life's Troubles Rise to Meet Me’: Sifted in Satan's Sieve"(Sermon series on "The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt")Tonight marks the third in our series of midweek services on “The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt.” We are using the life and the hymns of this great Lutheran pastor and poet as an aid for our Lenten devotion. We began two weeks ago by seeing Gerhardt’s life as an example of how to live as a baptized child of God within your vocation. Last week we heard how Gerhardt’s hymns warm the believer’s heart by pointing us to God’s great love all around...

"'Oh, May Thy Love Possess Me Whole': A Heart Warmed with Love"(Sermon series on "The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt")During these midweek Lenten services we are using the hymns of Paul Gerhardt as our window to gain insight into the life of Christian devotion. Gerhardt’s hymns are rich resources for doing that. Generations of Christians have treasured these hymns and made them their own. But what is it about Gerhardt’s hymns that makes them so beloved? I think it is this: They speak to the heart of the Christian believer by expressing what is in the believer’s heart. We can identify...

"'Hymns That Adore Him': The Baptized Life within Your Vocation"(Sermon series on "The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt")On March 12, 1607, in a little village near Wittenberg, Germany, Paul Gerhardt was born. As we approach the 400th anniversary of his birth in less than two weeks, and throughout this year, celebrations are being held in his honor literally around the world: a concert in St. Louis; a conference in St. Catharines, Ontario; the list goes on and on. In Germany, the Gerhardt jubilee is a very big deal. But this is nothing new over there. For many years there have been...