Thursday, November 24, 2016

Anna Hoppe: Thanksgiving Day

November 24, 1929 
Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day! My God, what shall I say
To voice the thoughts that rise within my heart? 

How shall Thy loving kindness I portray,
The streams of love Thy mercy doth impart? 

Can humble words add to the message clear 
That sun and moon and stars and nature tell? 
The autumn blooms in praise their petals rear, 
The harvest-­‐fields in adoration swell.

Thanksgiving Day! O gracious Father mine, 
The tear-­‐drops fall when on Thy love I dwell, 
All that I am and have it only Thine,
Safe in Thy hands I know that all is well.

For home and friends, for bread and raiment now 
My prayer of thanks arises to Thy throne,
For strength to labor in the sweat of brow,
For peaceful slumber when the day is done.


Thanksgiving Day! Not only for the sweet,
But for the wormwood let my thanks arise.
My heart would psalms of grateful praise repeat 

For clouded days, as well as sunny skies.
Thy fruitful soil needs winds and showers too,
No sheaves of grain spring forth from desert-­‐lands. 

Thy rainbow still, in rays of glorious hue

Assures me that Thy cov’nant firmly stands.

Thanksgiving Day! For all Thy wealth of good, 
For gifts unnumbered, for Thy grace divine,
For all the mercies of Thy Fatherhood
I laud and bless Thee, gracious Father mine! 

Thou knowest well the path that leads me Home, 
In light and shadow hold my hand, I pray; 
Without Thy guidance I would vainly roam
And miss the landmarks to the realms of day.

Thanksgiving Day! I thank Thee for Thy Son, 
The Christ Who died for me on Calv’ry’s hill. 
His precious Blood complete redemption won, 
Now at Thy throne He pleadeth for me still. 
Thy Perfect Gift! Forgiveness, peace, and rest, 
The sweet assurance of eternal bliss
Are mine in Him, the loveliest, and best,
My One and All, what need I more than this?


Thanksgiving Day! I thank Thee for Thy Word, 
That beams more brightly than the sun and noon, 
And for the promptings of Thy Spirit, heard 
When in the stillness I with Thee commune.
Thy gifts in streams abound and overflow.
As Thy dear child thus let me give, I pray.
That other hearts Thy saving grace may know 

Make all my life a blest Thanksgiving Day!

Anna Hoppe.
Anna Hoppe, “Thanksgiving Day,” Northwestern Lutheran XVI, no. 24 (November 24, 1929): 369. 

Isn't that a beautiful collection of thoughts?  Anna brings up many good and gracious gifts of God which we do so often overlook (I know I do), but are most deserving of praise.  

For myself this past year, just considering all that has happened should indeed overwhelm me with praise and thanks.

- Right after the new year, I took the GRE and passed - Verbal 157/Quantitative 146.  Just right for my PhD application!
- I completed my Master of Arts in Lutheran Theological Studies thesis - 864 pages long.  The essay itself was perhaps one-tenth that size; the rest hymns I retyped.  It was successfully defended and passed in April.
- My PhD in Historical Theology application was accepted, much to my disbelief!  I found out while on the phone with my mom, clicking the "refresh" button on my application status webpage.  In a split-second, it changed from "pending" to "accepted."  Naturally, I lost it...
- I graduated in May with my MA degree.  GPA:  3.41.
- In June, I completed my Master of Church Music thesis, submitted it, and successfully performed my organ recital.  GPA:  3.72.  
- I obtained several new jobs as accompanist for vocal/ instrumental music and dance.  
- With the help of my MCM advisor, my MA thesis was accepted to be published!  It will be printed in 2017.
- I passed comprehensive exams for my MCM degree! Graduation will take place in December.  

What shall I render to the Lord, for all His benefits toward me?  I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LordI will pay my vows to the LordNow in the presence of all His people.  Psalm 116:12-14


Thursday, November 3, 2016

Anna Hoppe: "O Come, Let Us Sing Unto The Lord"

I'd like to share with you all possibly my favorite Anna Hoppe hymn (though it is so hard to select just one!).  Considering the poetic offerings of women such as Anna is an important aspect of history.  The fact that her hymns are doctrinally comprehensive, but nonetheless energetic, states something significant about parish education in her day.

Confessions of faith in verse, though they may seem to belong only to practical theology, might be the closest women come to doctrinal writing.  But that's a discussion for another day.  Hope you enjoy this hymn as much as I do!

November 2, 1924
“O Come, Let Us Sing Unto The Lord”
1524 - - - 1924
“But be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God, and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Ephesians 5:18-20. 

O Triune God of Glory,
Unnumbered legions sing Thy praise,
And bow in awe before Thee,
To laud Thy Name, Ancient of Days!
The hosts by thee created,
The bright angelic choirs,
With holy joy elated,
Tune their celestial lyres,
And sing Thee songs eternal,
While sweet-strained harps of gold
Flood Salem’s realm supernal
With melodies untold.

Beyond the pearly portals
Cherub and Seraph raise the strain,
With glorified immortals.
How could earth mute and still remain?
Ah no, since dawned creation,
Thy creatures here below
Have sung of Thy salvation
Who lovest mankind so!
With cymbal, harp, and psalter
Thy chosen Israel
Drew near Thy Temple’s altar,
O blest Immanuel!

Glad Miriam glorified Thee (Ex. 15:20)
In hymns of sweet, melodious flow.
There is no God beside Thee!
All vain the boast of Pharaoh!
And Zion’s loyal daughters
Joined in the triumph-strain.
Beneath Egyptian waters
The scattered foes lay slain!
Thy Moses would adore Thee (Ex. 15)
In praise-filled anthem strong;
Deborah gave Thee glory (Judges 5)
In sweetest choral-song.

In holy fervor singing,
Hannah of grace divine could tell!  (1 Sam 2.)
With praise her heart was ringing
For Thy love’s gift, her Samuel!
Down through the generations
Sweet hymns of praise and prayer,
And holy jubilations
Soared to the regions where
Thy wondrous glory dwelleth!
O gracious God of Love,
The tidings Zion telleth
Thy boundless mercy prove.

And David, king anointed,
The psalmist after Thine Own heart,
In moments, Heav’n-appointed,
The sweetest solace could impart.
In song Thy grace confessing
Toward man with sin defiled;
In psalms Thy kindness blessing,
Thy love’s compassion mild.
His harp to Thee would render
The sweetest harmonies,
And to Thy glory tender
Divinest melodies!

Down through the by-gone ages
Resounds the Song of Solomon,
And Scripture’s hallowed pages
Reveal in song what Thou hast done
Thy people to deliver
From sin, and hell, and death,
Through Thy dear Son, our Savior,
The Christ of Nazareth!
Thy Simeon and Anna
Praised Thee in sweet accord,
The children’s glad Hosanna
Thy glorious Name adored!

The song of Virgin Mother (Luke 1:46-55)
Thy boundless love and mercy praised.
No earth-born din could smother
The voice glad Zacharias raised (Luke 1:68-79)
To Thee in adoration!
How sweet the strains came forth,
When Jesus, our Salvation,
In song proclaimed the worth
Of faith in Thee, dear Father,
With His beloved Own!  (Mark 14:26)
When saints in worship gather
Sweet anthems reach Thy throne.

When Nero’s hosts decried Thee
With persecution’s hell-born wrongs,
Thy Zion glorified Thee
In psalms, and hymns, and sacred songs! (Col. 3:16)
Upon Thy Word relying,
Thy Church braved fire and sword,
Triumphant martyrs, dying,
Sang praise to Thee, dear Lord!
And magnified the Savior
Who bought them with His Blood!
Now, crowned with life, forever
Thy glorious grace they laud!

The songs of Luther blended
With Seraphim’s celestial strain,
And Gerhardt’s hymns ascended
Like incense sweet to Thy domain!
Sweet anthems, Spirit-given,
Still reach Thy throne to-day,
As on the path to Heaven
Thy Zion wends her way.
Saved by Thy grace in Jesus,
Clothed in His righteousness,
Cleansed by His Blood so precious
Thy mercy she doth bless.

Accept while here we wander,
O God of Love, our hymns of praise,
Till in the Homeland yonder
The song of victory we raise.
O glorious consummation,
Perfected, glorified,
Our hymns of adoration
Shall laud the Lamb Who died,
The risen, mighty Savior,
Our glorious Lord and King!
Forever and forever
The Heav’ns with song shall ring!
                                                                                          Anna Hoppe.
(Penned in commemoration of the Quadricentennial of the first congregational Hymnal in Christendom, published at Wittenberg, Germany in 1524.)


Anna Hoppe, “O Come, Let Us Sing Unto The Lord,” Northwestern Lutheran XI, no. 22 (November 2, 1924):  337.