HYMNFEST
This year's Hymnfest featured hymns which represented Christian hymnody as it progresses through the Church Year – Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and End Times. Every year, the Church repeats the life of Jesus who lived, suffered, died, and rose for the salvation of his Church. He sent his Holy Spirit to gather us together as his family of believers. By repeating the words and works of Jesus every year, we are reminded of his mercies, strengthened in the faith, and properly focused on what keeps us in the Christian faith. Our Hymnfest will not only allow us to sing a sampling of these hymns, but we will also consider the stories of the hymn writers, the background of the hymns, or ponder the message in them. (NOTE: These were written in the footnotes of the bulletin.)
Here are a few of the devotions from Hymnfest.
EPIPHANY John 2:1-11
When Jesus was born, the angels proclaimed to the shepherds that Jesus is Christ the Lord. Such angelic announcements did not continue to announce Jesus throughout his life. Nevertheless, Jesus revealed his identity with miraculous signs. Each sign proclaimed him to be Christ, the Lord.
The first such miraculous sign was at Cana, at a wedding. The celebration was about to come to an abrupt, shameful halt because they had run out of wine. Jesus graciously supplied what they needed and abundantly more.
Jesus is the one who supplies all that we need for salvation. He supplies in abundance. He does not forgive only a few bad sins. He does not merely pardon a bunch of sins which we do not feel are that bad. He takes all sins and pays for them all.
Jesus Christ has supplied all that we need to enter the heavenly wedding banquet. When our time on earth ends, even if it is abrupt, it will not be shameful. Rather, our place at the wedding feast has been secured by Jesus. That banquet will be everlasting. For, the Christ supplies all that we lack. At our baptism, the Lord has bestowed upon us our wedding garments. Therefore, our joy will be eternal as we and all the Church will feast with the heavenly bridegroom.
“He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” (Apostles' Creed) These are historical facts.
“Who for us men … became man.” (Nicene Creed) Jesus Christ did this for us. That is theological fact.
The agony of Jesus' sufferings and death was far beyond the cruelty of execution on a cross. It is that Jesus drinks the cup his Father gives him. That was the cup of God's wrath. It was given to Jesus who bore our sins and guilt. He, though innocent, died the death of the guilty so that we, who are guilty, would be forgiven and found innocent in God's sight.
Some ask occasionally why we have images of Jesus on a cross when he is risen. The idea is that we should think of the victorious resurrection and, therefore, live as victors. I suspect that some also think it means we should always be happy and prosperous throughout life. While we are always victors, life is not always happy. Jesus knew the bitterness that comes with sins. But rather than tell us to buck up, Jesus takes our sins and guilt away from us. The payment for your sins was at the cross. There is the propitiation, that is, the sacrifice which diverts God's wrath from you to Jesus. That is where God reveals love, mercy, and salvation. And that is why we preach Christ crucified, and proclaim Christ crucified for you.
ASCENSION Acts 1:1-11
“He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.” (Apostles' Creed) We are not confessing a literal place, but a position of authority. He who is a man has ascended into heaven, the presence of God. Wherever God's arm extends, there Jesus is. Therefore, Jesus rules over heaven, earth, and all things.
In ascending into heaven, Jesus shows what the future of his redeemed people is: We, too, will go to dwell in the presence of God forever. For all eternity, he will remain our Immanuel—God with man and men dwelling with God. For, our God loves and desires to be with us forevermore.
Until that day, Jesus lives and reigns over all things for our good. You and I may not understand why Jesus permits what he does in this world or in our lives. But nothing happens apart from Jesus' authority. And all of Jesus' authority is devoted to our eternal good.
Just as Jesus has ascended into heaven, so he will return to judge the living and the dead. Rather than dread his return and his judgment, we pray for it. For we shall be taken into glory with him, and we will live and reign with him forevermore.
PENTECOST Acts 2:1-21
At Babel, the arrogance of man was dealt with by God's judgment. He confused the languages of the people who were there, which caused them to be divided and to fill the world. He created nations, tribes, peoples, and languages. No longer does the world speak one language. And no longer is the world united for a common good. Now we know nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and race against race.
But when the day of Pentecost came, the Lord addressed the division of languages. Rather than reversing the curse entirely by bringing back the world to one language, the Lord blessed all the languages and brought them all into the Church. No longer was the Church to meet in one place to find God's presence among them, such as the Temple in Jerusalem. Now, the Lord dwells with people who gather in his name, where the word and the sacraments are. In fact, your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit—for, he dwells within you.
Therefore, all languages have been sanctified for the praise of the Lord. We still retain the language of the saints of the past. We share the Jews' “Hallelujah!” We speak with the Greeks, “Kyrie, eleison!” We repeat the Latin hymn, “Gloria in excelsis Deo!” And in order to declare the wonders of God to people of our own land, we speak American English so that the average person may know that the Savior of the Nations includes them.
When St. John caught a glimpse into Revelation, he heard your language. “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before them Lamb … and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God....!” (Revelation 7:9-10) For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord—no matter with what langauge they call—shall be saved.
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