PARODY: He's Walther! He's Walther!

According to the Reverend Edward A. Engelbrecht at the blog Lutheran Writer (and he should know, since he's an editor at CPH), the Professional and Academic Books arm of Concordia Publishing House is holding a contest to seek out research papers and sermons in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther, first President of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. I have no interest in writing a research paper, and if I write a sermon for the commemoration of CFW, it will be written probably the week of the commemoration in 2011.

However, I do write parodies. Walther's largest contribution to hymnody is the hymn "He's Risen, He's Risen", a hymn which one friend has likened to "the Dr. Seuss of the LCMS". I'd post the words to the original, but CPH holds the copyrights to them, and I have no interest in a lawsuit, so you can find them at hymn 480 in the Lutheran Service Book. In the spirit of this contest--though, sadly, I don't see any prizes for best parody--here is my humble contribution in honor of the "father of the LCMS".

He's Walther! He's Walther!
(to the tune "Walther" by CFW Walther)

1. He's Walther! He's Walther! He's Carl Ferdinand!
He stood at the altar, wrote sermons by hand.
He was President of the Synod, it's true,
But as for this gent, he did much more for you.

2. They fled Prussian union. At first Stephan led.
He left the communion, and Walther was head.
In clergy relations no bishop was he.
He saw congregations atop polity.

3. He fought pietism, at length lost his teeth,
But he made no schism, pure doctrine bequeathed.
The father of Synod gave witness to light,
Yet, toothless, he grin-ned and gave us a fright.

4. We give thanks to God for this most faithful man.
He spared not the rod of the Law, spoke the ban.
The Gospel's sweet pardon he strongly proclaimed.
Let not your heart harden: praise God's holy name!


(c) 2010