HYMN: Blessed Are You, O Lord, God of Our Fathers

I thought I was done with the Easter Vigil project. Then one of my circuit colleagues suggested I write a hymn text for the Song of the Three Young Men, which recounts the song of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego--also known as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah--as they are in the fiery furnace at the order of King Nebuchadnezzar. 

Here is the first draft. Feedback is love.

Oh, and I have a couple more texts to post once their intended purpose is met. One is submitted for a district convention, and the other is written in honor of a beloved mentor. One you might not see until next summer, and the other is waiting on an original tune from a colleague who suggested writing the text in our mentor's honor in the first place.

Blesséd Are You, O Lord, God of Our Fathers

1. Blesséd are you, O Lord, God of our fathers,
Worthy of honor and glory and praise.
Blest be Your name, be it holy forever:
Blest in Your Temple for uncounted days.

2. Blesséd are You, O Lord, gazing with wisdom 

Into the deep from Your cherubim throne.
Blesséd are You on the throne of Your kingdom.
Blesséd are You in the heavens alone.

3. Bless you the Lord! Bless Him, all of creation!
Bless you the Lord! Raise your voices and sing!
Bless Him, you heavens; exalt Him with anthems
Sung to the Lord, to our wonderful King.

4. Bless you the Lord, all the host of the angels!
Bless Him, you waters above and below.
Bless Him, you sun, moon, and stars in the heavens!
Bless Him, you powers, whose wonders you show.

5. Bless Him, you winds, with your powerful blowing!
Bless Him, you cold and you heat in your time,
Springtime and harvest and summer and winter,
Rain, dew, and snow: falling water sublime.

6. Earth, bless the Lord, oh you hills and you mountains.
All things that grow in the ground, bless His name!
Bless you the Lord, all you seas, springs, and rivers,
Whales, turtles, dolphins, your praises proclaim!

7. Bless Him, you airborne, you birds ever flying.
Bless Him, you cattle, you beasts of the field.
Bless Him, O Israel, you sons, priests, and prophets.
Bless Him, you righteous, whose souls He has healed.

8. Bless Him, you holy, you humble in spirit.
Bless Him, you martyrs, you saints, holy throng.
Bless Him who rescues from death and dread Hades!
Saved from the furnace, oh, praise Him with song.

9. Thanks be to God for His generous goodness!
Thank You for mercy, O God, without end.
Bless God the Lord in your sweet songs of worship.
Oh, bless the Lord! Let your praises ascend.


Alan Kornacki, Jr., b. 1974
11 10 11 10
MORNING STAR (LSB 400)
Easter Vigil; Song of the Three Young Men

The Easter VIgil Hymn Project

 For a year and a half now, I've been working on writing a hymn text for every reading in the Easter Vigil. It started as I wrote a hymn based on an ancient homily for Holy Saturday. After speaking to the Reverend Doctor John Fleischmann about his hymn text for the Exsultet chant for the Easter Vigil, we decided we would work on a text for every reading in the Vigil service. As I usually do, I leapt in head-first to take on the project, and late last month I wrote the final text.

I also decided upon completion of the final text that I wanted to have truncated versions of those texts, knowing that not everyone wants to sing numerous hymns with ten stanzas. This blog post is the result of that desire for shortened texts. I will list each reading, and then I will post the stanzas for each text that I feel would give a good summary without singing the whole of each text. I hope this is helpful for those of you who lead the Vigil or desire to take up this ancient and salutary service.

Each text is written in the 77 77D meter. While I'm debating whether to seek our new tunes, one particular new tune, or one or several familiar tunes to fit the texts, there are numerous familiar tunes associated with that meter.

The Easter Vigil

Exultet text by Rev. Dr. John Fleischmann

Exultet: Rejoice, You Choirs of Angels (with an original tune)

Homily text

The Earth Is Still and Silent

The Creation: Genesis 1:1-2:3

O Father of Creation

1. O Father of creation;
O Word, begotten Son;
O Holy Spirit, brooding:
By You is all begun.
By water You have washed us,
Creating us anew.
Now bless Your new creation.
Conform our lives to you.

9. The seventh day, God rested,
Creation’s work now stilled,
His mighty work completed,
Accomplished as He willed.
As we await the new Day,
The “very good” restored,
We praise You for creation,
Our great Creator Lord.


The Flood: Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13

O Lord, You Made the Waters

1. O Lord, You made the waters

And sent them to the earth.

Though water brings destruction,

It also gives new birth.

Oh, pour on us a wellspring,

A great baptismal flood,

To drown old wretched Adam

In Christ’s own watered blood.

 

9. Oh, grant us faith, dear Father,

Through this baptismal tide,

To trust Your Word of promise

And in Your grace abide.

Protect Your chosen children

Who shelter in Your nave,

Who bear Your name forever,

Who trust Your might to save.

 

The Testing of Abraham: Genesis 22:1-18

The Sacrifice Appointed 

1. The Sacrifice appointed
Is Christ, the Paschal Lamb:
The Substitute most pleasing,
The self-appointed Ram.
He let Himself be captured
In thickets of our sin,
And in His cross and Passion
Our ransom He would win.

Israel's Deliverance at the Red Sea: Exodus 14:10-15:1

Lift Up Your Eyes, O People

1. Lift up your eyes, O people.
Your enemies draw near.
Cry out to God for mercy.
Fear not! The Lord is here!
He never will forsake you
To perish in the dust.
He hears your plea and answers,
In Him alone you trust.

Salvation Offered Freely to All: Isaiah 55:1-11

O Christ, the Living Water

1. O Christ, the living Water

Who satisfies our thirst,

Who cleanses hopeless sinners

By sin and death accursed,

Oh, bathe Your whole creation—

A great baptismal tide—

Where holy blood is mingled

With water from Your side.

 

4. “My thoughts and ways are higher

Than your ways,” says the Lord,

“For powerful in purpose

Shall be My holy Word.

Like rain to feed creation

From heav’n above shall spill,

My Word returns not empty,

But works My holy will.”

A New Heart and a New Spirit: Ezekiel 36:24-28

 

Oh, Draw Us from the Nations

 

1. Oh, draw us from the nations

And gather us to You.

Pour out baptismal waters

To cleanse like morning dew.

Create in us a new heart;

Cut out our heart of stone.

Remove our love of idols;

Lead us to You alone.

2. Within us put Your Spirit

To be Your dwelling place,

And make Your Law our pleasure,

Obeying by Your grace.

Grant us to be Your people;

Our God forever be!

Yes, gather us together

Unto eternity.

 

God's Faithfulness to Israel: Deuteronomy 31:19-29 (and 32:1-43)
 

The Lord Our God Is Faithful

 

1. The Lord our God is faithful.

His Word is sure and true;

It always will accomplish

What He sets out to do.

His people, as He promised,

At last to Canaan came,

The land of milk and honey.

All glory to His name!

 

8. O faithful God, we praise You.

Your sacred song we sing.

You blot out our transgression.

From You all graces spring.

Oh, lead us to that country

With milk and honey blest.

Christ’s holy blood and body:

Our endless Paschal Feast.

 

 

The Valley of Dry Bones: Ezekiel 37:1-14

The Word Gives Life and Spirit

 

1. The Word gives life and Spirit

To people dead in sin.

It draws us to the Church doors 

And welcomes us within.

Lord, breathe on Adam’s children,

That we may rise and live.

Send forth Your faithful prophets,

Your holy Word to give.

6. “These bones, O man, are Israel.

Oh, hear My children cry:

‘In exile we are hopeless;

Our bones are very dry.’

But I, their God, shall call them

To raise them from their graves

And bring my people homeward.

I am the Lord who saves.”

Job Confesses the Redeemer: Job 19:19-27

The World Is Full of Torments

1. The world is full of torments.
My allies seek my shame.
The hand of God has touched me;
My flesh sticks to my frame.
Have mercy! Oh, have mercy!
From sorrow do I flee.
Like God, their words pursue me;
Why do they follow me?

2. Pay heed to my confession.
With confidence I cry:
He lives, my great Redeemer!
And even when I die,
I know that I shall see Him.
Yes, I myself shall see!
On earth He will be standing.
How yearns my heart in me!

 

 

Jonah Preaches to Ninevah: Jonah 3:1-10

 

Send Forth Your Faithful Preachers

 

1. Send forth Your faithful preachers,

And call us to repent.

Grant faith that we may listen

And heed the one You sent.

With sackcloth and in ashes 

We call, O God, to You.

Oh, turn us from our evil;

Our steadfastness renew.

 

 

The Gathering of God's People: Zephaniah 3:12-20

 

Fear Not, Fear Not, O Zion

 

1. Fear not, fear not, O Zion! 

Rejoice! Oh, shout and sing!

The mighty One will save you:

The Lord, your God and King.

Behold, the King is with you

To guard you in the fray.

No judgment stands against you.

Your foes He drove away.

2. Fear not, fear not, O Zion!

Let not your hands grow weak, 

For He shall be the refuge

Of all the humble, meek.

Their lips speak no deception.

Their deeds shall bring no shame.

No evil shall befall them

Who call upon His name.

3. Fear not, fear not, O Zion.

Oppressors meet their end.

The outcast He will gather.

On Him you may depend:

To praise you to the nations,

To calm your every fear,

To gather you together.

The Lord is with you here.

 

 

The Fiery Furnace: Daniel 3:1-30

 

The Evil Seek the Downfall

 

1. The evil seek the downfall 

Of all who will not kneel 

Before the golden idols

Of silicon and steel.

Man’s sin-perverted reason 

Confuses wrong from right. 

God’s children must be faithful 

To walk within the light. 

10. The day is surely coming 

When truth will be a crime. 

The Gospel, still a scandal, 

Remains our light sublime.

God grant that we be faithful 

To face the fiery test,

To stand in bold confession 

When faith is sore oppressed.

HYMN: O Lord, You Made the Waters

 For about a year and a half now, I’ve been working on writing a hymn text for each reading in the Easter Vigil. I’ve turned each reading into a metrical text, and for most of them I have included a stanza for an introduction and/or a conclusion. Now that I’ve completed the first draft of a text for every reading, I want to write a stanza of introduction and/or conclusion for any text that is missing one. That way, if someone wants to read the Biblical readings and sing just the introductory and concluding stanzas, it’s not a full repeat of every reading.

Here’s the last first draft, a text covering the Flood in Genesis 7-9. Feedback is love.

O Lord, You Made the Waters

for the Easter Vigil

The Flood—Genesis 7, 8, and 9

1. O Lord, You made the waters

And sent them to the earth.

Though water brings destruction,

It also gives new birth.

Oh, pour on us a wellspring,

A great baptismal flood,

To drown old wretched Adam

In Christ’s own watered blood.

2. The Lord said unto Noah,

“My faithful servant, heed:

Go, you and all your household,

The creatures I have made.

Now board the ark of gopher

And seal yourself inside,

For I will drown creation;

You only will abide.”

3. So Noah, as commanded,

With all his family

Did board with all the creatures,

Obeying God’s decree.

The heavens then were opened

With fountains from the deep.

God drowned His fouled creation,

But Noah did He keep.

4. The rain to earth descended.

For forty days it fell.

The ark, it rose and floated

Upon the mighty swell.

But Noah and his household

Were safe amidst the gale.

The boat which God commanded

By grace would never fail.

5. Then Noah sent a raven

To wing into the blue.

It rose into the heavens;

Above the deep it flew.

A dove he sent to flutter;

Of ground it found no trace.

On Noah’s hand it settled:

Its only resting place.

6. For seven days he waited,

Then sent the dove again.

An olive leaf she brought him;

The flood began to wane.

Once more, then, Noah waited,

And let the dove take flight.

She left, no more returning,

To Noah’s great delight.

7. Then Noah moved the cover,

The ark bared to the sky.

The water had subsided. 

He saw the ground was dry.

“Go forth,” God said to Noah.

“Bring out your sons and wife;

Bring out the living creatures

That they may bear new life.

8. “Now hear My word of promise;

Oh, hear My sure decree:

With you and all creation

My covenant shall be.

All flesh shall never perish

Nor floods the earth will raze.

Behold this sign, the rainbow:

My vow through endless days.”

9. Oh, grant us faith, dear Father,

Through this baptismal tide,

To trust Your Word of promise

And in Your grace abide.

Protect Your chosen children

Who shelter in Your nave,

Who bear Your name forever,

Who trust Your might to save.

HYMN: The Word Gives Life and Spirit

This is the second of the two hymn texts I wrote at a conference back in June. I wanted to take a little more time with this one, and I think it’s a better text for the delay. Written for the Easter Vigil project and based on the account of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37, it emphasizes the power of the Word of the Lord to give life. Feedback is love.

The Word Gives Life and Spirit

for the Easter Vigil

The Valley of Dry Bones—Ezekiel 37:1-14

1. The Word gives life and Spirit

To people dead in sin.

It draws us to the Church doors 

And welcomes us within.

Lord, breathe on Adam’s children,

That we may rise and live.

Send forth Your faithful prophets,

Your holy Word to give.

2. Ezekiel to the valley

Was led by God’s own hand.

Dry bones were all around him,

But none could live or stand.

The Lord said to the prophet,

“Can these bones live, O man?”

“You know, O Lord,” he answered,

“Through Whom all life began.”

3. “Proclaim My Word, O prophet:

‘Dry bones, I am the Lord.

My breath will move within you

By power of My Word.

On you will I lay sinew

Enclosed in flesh and skin,

And when I breathe within you,

Your new life will begin.’”

4. He spoke as God commanded,

And with a mighty sound,

The bones now came together:

A rattle most profound.

The sinew, skin, and muscle 

Comprised a human frame.

Yet breath was not within them;

No life the bones could claim.

5. “Speak once again, O prophet,

And say unto the breath,

‘Oh, come from every corner

And breathe new life from death.’”

The wind received the message

He spoke by God’s command.

The bodies, now an army,

With breath now rose to stand.

6. “These bones, O man, are Israel.

Oh, hear My children cry:

‘In exile we are hopeless;

Our bones are very dry.’

But I, their God, shall call them

To raise them from their graves

And bring my people homeward.

I am the Lord who saves.”

HYMN: The Lord Our God Is Faithful

Back in June, while at a conference about Paul Gerhardt, Martin Luther, and JS Bach, I wrote early drafts for two hymns for the Easter Vigil project I’ve been working on. While all the hymns I post (and, indeed, even the hymns I published in my book, Rejoice, O Zion, Sing!) are works in progress, these two felt like they needed work before I shared them here. 

This first one is based on Deuteronomy 31, which discusses God’s faithfulness to Israel while Israel becomes increasingly faithless. Though it is not part of the text included in the Vigil, I also included some of Deuteronomy 32’s Song of Moses, because it seemed like something was missing from the hymn without it. Anyway, feedback is love.

The Lord Our God Is Faithful

for the Easter Vigil

God’s Faithfulness to Israel—Deuteronomy 31:19-29 (and 32:1-43)

1. The Lord our God is faithful.

His Word is sure and true;

It always will accomplish

What He sets out to do.

His people, as He promised,

At last to Canaan came,

The land of milk and honey.

All glory to His name!

2. The Lord said unto Moses

As Moses neared his end:

“My people will forget Me

On whom they did depend.

So write a song as witness 

Of all I gave by grace.

When false gods then consume them,

Their shame they must embrace.”

3. Said Moses, “Earth and heaven,

Oh, hear God’s holy name.

His work is just and perfect.

His ways are free from blame.

O crooked generation,

Why are you so unwise?

For this is God your Father

Who hears your faithless cries.

4. “Oh, listen as your fathers

Recall from days of old

How God made you His people

And heirs of grace untold.

Behold His servant Jacob,

The apple of His eye.

God gave him wine and cattle

And lifted him on high.

5. “The Lord will judge His people,

And though they turned away,

He shows His great compassion.

His love He will display.

Rejoice! Rejoice, O nations!

Rejoice, my people! Sing!

For God provides atonement.

Salvation He shall bring.”

6. To Joshua the faithful

The Lord God gave command.

“Be strong and of good courage, 

For into this new land

You, child, shall lead my people:

This land so rich and fair,

And know I will be with you

To see you safely there.”

7. Then Moses told the Levites,

“Receive this book of Law

And by the Ark now place it,

That you may see your flaw.

I know your sad rebellion.

I know that, when I die,

Your evil will befall you;

God’s Law you will deny.”

8. O faithful God, we praise You.

Your sacred song we sing.

You blot out our transgression.

From You all graces spring.

Oh, lead us to that country

With milk and honey blest.

Christ’s holy blood and body:

Our endless Paschal Feast.

HYMN: The World Is Full of Torments

As I said, I’ve drafted two texts for the Easter Vigil project while I’ve been on vacation. I head back to Faith and the kids tomorrow, so I’ll get the second one posted before I go. 

I’ve worried about what I’m going to do with the Job 19 text in the Vigil for a while. I mean, one doesn’t just rewrite “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” Some texts are just too iconic to mess with. So I didn’t try. I went for a nail-on-the-head paraphrase of Job 19. I’ll leave it to my readers to determine if they think I’ve succeeded. As always, feedback is love.

The World Is Full of Torments

1. The world is full of torments.
My allies seek my shame.
The hand of God has touched me;
My flesh sticks to my frame.
Have mercy! Oh, have mercy!
From sorrow do I flee.
Like God, their words pursue me;
Why do they follow me?

2. Pay heed to my confession.
With confidence I cry:
He lives, my great Redeemer!
And even when I die,
I know that I shall see Him.
Yes, I myself shall see!
On earth He will be standing.
How yearns my heart in me!

HYMN: The Evil Seek the Downfall

At the urging of my wife—and because I really needed it and needed to do it—I’ve taken some vacation time and have returned to my childhood home to spend time with my mom. Between my father’s death in February and my father-in-law’s death this past August, it had been about a year since I’d taken a real vacation. So Faith sent me off on my own, and I’ve enjoyed my time back in Western New York so far, hanging out with Mom, spending time with friends, and enjoying not having to think very hard for a few days.

I’ve also been somewhat productive. I won’t be posting a sermon this week, but I’ve drafted another two hymn texts for the Easter Vigil project. I’m not quite ready to debut the second one, but the first is one I’ve been working on since the Southern Illinois District Convention in February, where I wrote the first verse. Life happened, and so the progress stopped for a while. Then I wrote the second verse during the Southern Illinois District Pastors Conference (funny how that works!), and I thought maybe it would work better as a short stand-alone hymn text instead of part of the Vigil project  Then I decided that it needed more than just the two verses (even if I divided the two verses into four verses), and I reverted back to the original idea, a hymn based on the Daniel 3 text in the Easter Vigil. If you look at verses 1 and 10, you can probably see what made me think they might stand along as a text, especially considering the virulent protests for the right to murder infants in the womb after the leak of the Supreme Court document which could undo Roe v. Wade. And with events like the supermarket shooting in Buffalo yesterday, we see evil manifested clearly in the acts of sinful mankind. 

Because this is a project I’m working on with another writer, I haven’t done anything about tunes yet. That’s something that can be worked on when the texts are all completed. Anyway, here it is. Feedback is love.

The Evil Seek the Downfall

1. The evil seek the downfall 

Of all who will not kneel 

Before the golden idols

Of silicon and steel.

Man’s sin-perverted reason 

Confuses wrong from right. 

God’s children must be faithful 

To walk within the light. 

2. The king produced an idol,

An image formed of gold.

He ordered his officials

This idol to behold.

The king said, ”O my peoples,

Bow down at my command

And praise the golden image

Commissioned by my hand.”

3. The people knelt in worship.

But three did not pay heed.

Three Jews refused the order

The king himself decreed.

Chaldeans then came forward.

“O king,” they said with zeal, 

“These Jews refused to listen.

These men refused to kneel.”

4. The king called out with fury,

“Young men, now answer me.

You saw my god, all golden;

Did you not bend the knee?

What other god could save you?”

The king commanded, stern:

“Now kneel before my idol,

Or you will surely burn.”

5. “O king,” the young men answered,

“Our God is strong to save. 

The flames will not consume us.

We shall not face the grave.

Our God will guard and keep us;

His might He shall reveal. 

We will not bow to idols.

O king, we will not kneel.”

6. The king became indignant. 

The men he ordered tied. 

The soldiers stoked the furnace

And threw the men inside.

Those soldiers died in torment,

By heat and flame were doomed;

The Jews, instead of burning,

By grace were not consumed. 

7. The king was thus astonished.

“Did we condemn just three?

Behold the great inferno:

Now four men do I see.

The flames have failed to harm them. 

What is this awesome sign? 

My people, see this wonder:

The fourth man looks divine!

8. “Come forth, young men, I pray you,

Who serve the Lord Most High.”

The governors, the prefects

And council gathered by.

They saw, unburnt, the clothing.

They smelled no smoke or flame.

The hair, not singed, bore witness

Unto the young men’s claim.

9. “My people, hear my order. 

Pay heed to my decree:

The Jews in flesh gave service

To God most faithfully.

The Lord has sent His angel

To spare them from the rod.

 Give honor to their master; 

Blest be their mighty God.”

10. The day is surely coming 

When truth will be a crime. 

The Gospel, still a scandal, 

Remains our light sublime.

God grant that we be faithful 

To face the fiery test,

To stand in bold confession 

When faith is sore oppressed.