Monday, October 31, 2011

Reformation Day 2011


From the pen of the blessed Reformer, Dr. Martin Luther, written in 1524:

If God had not been on our side
And had not come to aid us,
The foes with all their pow’r and might
Would surely have dismayed us;
For we, His flock, would have to fear
The threat of men both far and near
Who rise in might against us.


Their furious wrath, did God permit,
Would surely have consumed us,
And as a deep and yawning pit
With life and limb entombed us.
Like men o’er whom dark waters roll
Their wrath would have engulfed our soul
And, like a flood, o’erwhelmed us.


Blest be the Lord, who foiled their threat
That they could not devour us;
Our souls, like birds, escaped their net,
They could not overpow’r us.
The snare is broken—we are free!
Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee,
Who madest earth and heaven. Amen.


Quoted from What Walther Says, p. 1200.

4 comments:

Peter said...

is this set to a particular tune?

Scott Diekmann said...

Here's a reference for the music:
http://openhymnal.org/Pdf/If_God_Had_Not_Been_On_Our_Side-Waer_Gott_nicht_mit_ans_Diese_Zeit_1524.pdf

Anonymous said...

The meter is 8-7-8-7-8-8-7. The hymn is in the TLH, no. 267. Not the most familiar tune. "All glory be to God on high" has a more familiar tune. I found 12 tunes in TLH with the meter, but as you know, the tunes might not work. I'll check LSB, also.

Joe Strieter

Anonymous said...

I checked the LSB, and there are 8 tunes with the 8-7-8-7-8-8-7 meter. I suggest that #819 "Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good" would be an excellent choice. Altho it's a 16th-17th century vintage, it's very singable, and no "German dirge," a term I personally detest. Not sure how that tune would work with an electric guitar and drums, but one never knows. The "back beat" would not be very worshipful, however, esp. as the tune is in 3/4 time.

Joe Strieter