I was looking for a hymn that merges the themes of prayer and the Lord’s Supper for our Postures of Prayer series but found nothing that fully encompassed both. So, I wrote one: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God.” This hymn brings together the power of Christ’s presence in prayer and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, tying them to God’s historic acts of salvation. By blending these themes, the hymn reflects on the redemption Christ offers through His body and blood.

The Journey Behind the Hymn

Writing this hymn was driven by the desire to express two central elements of Christian life: the intimate conversation with God in prayer and the deep, unifying act of receiving Christ in the Lord’s Supper.

Key Themes

1. Prayer: The opening lines reflect Christ’s humility and His presence in our prayers. As we pray, we invite Him into our lives, seeking forgiveness, love, and peace.
2. The Lord’s Supper: The hymn brings us to the night of Jesus’ betrayal, connecting His last meal with His followers to the ongoing celebration of the Eucharist. Through His body and blood, we are united with Him in grace.
3. Passover Connection: Reflecting on the Old Testament Passover, the hymn illustrates how God spared His people and how Christ, our Passover Lamb, protects us today.

This hymn was written not only as a reflection of my personal faith but also as a tool for worship. It combines prayer and the Lord’s Supper in a way that I hope will resonate with others.

If you’re interested in including this hymn in your worship service, feel free to use it—it’s licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 4.0).

This hymn was written by myself and Michael Albrecht for our 2018 Lent series about the love of God, “Love Conquers All,” based mostly on 1 John. (See schedule here) The hymn is designed to use stanzas 1 & 12 with one of the interior stanzas each week. However, the entire hymn or portions could also be used in other contexts. The accompanying graphic also falls under the same license.

Tune: O DU LIEBE MEINER LIEBE
1
From beginning to forever
Only Love can conquer all.
Doubts and fears and death can never
Make God’s children slip and fall.
Jesus dwelt in flesh among us,
Manifest to see and hear,
From our sin salvation won us.
Now His love to us draws near.

2 (Ash Wednesday)
Little children of the Father
Have an Advocate. His Son
Conquered sin, the Word incarnate,
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Follow Him with firm conviction,
Marching forth with faithful feet,
Knowing we have full remission;
Love, in Christ, is made complete.

3
Light of men, You conquered darkness.
Come into our shaded hearts.
Shine to keep our feet from stumbling.
Stop our sin before it starts.
Help us, Lord, to know You fully.
Light whatever sin’s concealed,
That we treasure Your commandment.
Your love through us is revealed.

4
Turn our hearts, O gracious Father
From this world’s enticing lure,
That we spurn its fleeting pleasures;
Keep us in Your love secure.
This world, conquered by Your power,
Flees, as transient as the dew.
Make it clear in this last hour
We through Christ belong to You.

5
Holy Spirit, speak among us;
By Your truth, Lord, make us wise,
That we know Your love among us
And deception recognize.
For Your children, conquer falsehood;
In Your truth let us remain.
Life that comes from You is all good.
We shall never be ashamed.

6
Children, let no one deceive you.
Know the Father; know His love.
Look to Christ, and in Him see truth
Here on earth as heav’n above.
Ignorance must be disputed,
Conquered that the world may know
Righteousness of Christ imputed
Covers sin on earth below.

7
God, who formed us in Your image,
Conquer hatred in our day.
Hate is fear, but love is courage;
Change our hate to love today.
Let the death of our indiff’rence
Rise to living sacrifice,
Prejudice to humble reverence,
Knowing that You paid our price.

8 (Maundy Thursday)
Spirit, when our hearts condemn us,
Conquer our hearts, gracious Lord.
Confident that You commend us
As You tell us in Your Word.
Jesus loved us; now let us love.
Help us keep His new command.
Ever present with and through us,
Only by His love we stand.

9 (Good Friday)
Word made flesh, who dwelt among us,
Tune our ears to You alone.
Lying prophets do not love us.
Flesh for sinners must atone.
Greater is the One who suffered
Than the antichrist and death;
On the cross His life He offered,
Conquered with His final breath.

10 (Easter Vigil)
Conquer fear, O Love transcendent;
In us make Your love complete.
We can see the Love our God sent;
Through us make Your love concrete.
Cast out fear of condemnation.
Give us confidence in You.
Let the joy of Your salvation
Free our hearts to will and do.

11 (Easter Sunday)
Risen Christ, today there are no
Flesh and bones in Joseph’s tomb.
Wipe away our tears of sorrow;
Clear our eyes, discerning You,
Christ, because Your tomb is empty,
Help us love in full accord,
Running where Your Spirit leads us,
Saying, “I have seen the Lord!”

12
Now that we are sons and daughters,
Born of God, by faith we see
Surely by the blood and water
We the kingdom now receive.
Lord, with confidence we ask You,
“Bless us as we heed Your call
Telling others what You can do
By Your blood; Love conquers all!

© 2018 Strength and Song Publishing This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Used by permission.

LSBX file for Lutheran Service Builder

English: Baptism of Christ Русский: Крещение Господне (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s a Communion hymn for the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (1st Sunday after the Epiphany). While it’s mainly based on John’s account, it should work for the festival regardless. Also consider on days with a Baptism in the service.

Come O Sinners to the Waters

Tune: Hyfrydol (e.g. Love Divine, All Love Excelling)

Come O sinners to the waters

Come prepare the way of the Lord

Let the path of life be straightened

Open now our hearts to His Word

Trim the blight of pride and arrogance

Drown our idols in the sea

Raise us out of self-indulgence

That good fruit be born for Thee.

Come O sinners to the waters

Come behold the Lamb of God

Voice of God Who made the mountains

Walks upon our groaning sod

See the Lamb, no spot or blemish

Washed for evil not His own

That the deluge bury transgression

Earning us an eternal throne

Come O sinners to the waters

See the Dove on Jesus alight

Spirit wafting where He wishes

Comes through Christ with loving might

Come O Spirit! Rest upon us!

Raise us from the tomb of sin

Bring us to sincere confession

Purify us all within.

Come O sinners to the waters

Hear the Father’s voice approve

“You, My Son, are all my pleasure.

Sole begotten Whom I love.”

Hear the Father speak to sinners

Righteousness fulfilled by One

New creation of the Almighty

You are now my beloved son!

Come O sinners to the table

Here the Lamb comes once again

Granting all His peace and pardon

Taking from the world our sin

Take and eat remembered covenant

Drink remission from the Slain

Come receive the Lamb’s own righteousness

Come be cleansed of every stain.

Holy Father, by Your mercy,

You have made us Your delight

Lamb of God, by Your redemption,

Freed us from eternal plight

Holy Spirit, by Your cleansing,

You renew us day by day

Let Your mercy as we go forth

For the lost prepare the way.

LSBX file for Lutheran Service Builder

Our Lent series this year was based on the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer and how they match up with Jesus’s words from the cross.

Here’s the worksheet/order we used (PDF).

We also had a theme hymn, “Father God, Who Art in Heaven,” that uses the same first and last stanza each week with a different 2nd stanza each week based on the corresponding petition/words. It can be used as a general Lord’s Prayer hymn apart from the series. (Lyrics based on series order) See below for lyrics based on Lord’s Prayer order.

The Lutheran Service Builder file is in the order of the petitions.

Father God, Who Art in Heaven 

Tune: Das grosse Cantional (Christ, the Life of All the Living)

1                   Father God, Who art in heaven,
Your name ever hallow’d be
Let Your kingdom come among us
Earth, like heaven, Your will see
As we pardon, so release us,
From our sins and evil free us.
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

2                   Let Your name be ever holy
Ever kept in purity
Since by Word and water solely
You have named us family
Help us show in daily living
All the mercy You are giving
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

3                   Let Your kingdom come among us
May your Spirit help us know:
Since You’ve taken our sin from us
We to Paradise may go
As a citizen of heaven,
Let my life be loving leaven
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

4                   As Your will is done in heaven,
Here among us so be done
Keep us firm, conviction strengthen,
Ever turn us to Your Son
Let our trust be ne’er diminished
Give us faith that “It is finished!”
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

5                   Give us each our daily manna
Help us see Your providence
For Your mercy, loud hosanna
Always let our thanks commence
Though You suffered dehydration,
Let us trust complete salvation
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

6                   Father God, Who art in heaven,
Turn Your eyes from all our sin
We know not the depths we’ve fallen
Purify our hearts within
Let the mercy from Your Word flow,
And our lives your saving grace show
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

7                   O my God, do not forsake me
Hold me close in every hour
Let no evil overtake me
Keep me from the tempter’s power
Though this world and flesh may charm me,
May they not prevail to harm me
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

8                   Let us all commend our spirits
To our Father’s loving hands
So that we may all inherit
Joyously a blessed end
Save us, Lord, from all our sorrows
Give us joy for all tomorrows
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity.

9                   Father God, Who art in heaven,
Hear the prayers Your children cry
To the cross may our lives beckon
And display Christ crucified
Let us always know Your favor
For through Christ, our only Savior,
Kingdom, power, glory be Thine unto eternity!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License by Strength & Song Publishing

Handbells and voices lifted in song to praise God!

All the arrangements are based on hymns in Lutheran Service Book, are in public domain and are made available for free to those who want to use them to enhance their worship services

Source: adrhandbell.wordpress.com | Handbells and voices lifted in song to praise God!

I originally wrote this song with a contemporary feel, but the band complained that the tune had too many triplets in it, and with another look, I realized it worked well in a more traditional setting using the tune “Bunessan” (LSB #789), best known as the tune to “Morning Has Broken.” So I offer the lyrics and both settings in multiple formats. It’s based on the creeds and works well as a credal song and possibly as a Sanctus or hymn for Christ the King Sunday (AKA The Last Sunday of the Church Year) or Trinity Sunday.

One thing to note: using Bunessan, the first 3 stanzas use the tune twice, so think of it as 8 total stanzas for the purpose of accompaniment.

I Believe the Mystery

1. One God Almighty, Maker of ages
Father of all, knit me in the dark
Spreading the cosmos, fueling the atom
Birthing the nova, watching the lark
Majesty, glory, pow’r without limit
Yet in His mercy, He calls me, “Son”
Crafted from clay Divine exhalation
Formed by the Master, Three Who are One

2. For my salvation from my rebellion
Womb of a virgin, sent forth His Son
Feet above heaven too weak to stand up
One became two so all may be one
Carried my weakness, suffered by Pilate
Nailed to a tree for us in our sin
Buried, descended, risen, ascended
Coming to claim us, merit through Him

3. Sevenfold Spirit binds us together
Sent to give life from Father and Son
Wiser than reason, greater than power
Pours out the gift that bonds us as one
Mystical Body, holy communion
Rising to life without sorrow or end
All by His grace, Divine mediation
Father yet Brother, King and yet Friend

B: Open our eyes, Lord, to those in blindness
Open our hearts, Lord, kindness to show
Open our hands, Lord, reaching in service
Open our mouths that Your world may know

C. Immortal Myst’ry, Maker of hist’ry
You have revealed to all through Your Word
Eternal gifted, penalty lifted
Freed us from bondage we’ve all incurred

©2012 Strength and Song Publishing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

I Believe the Mystery-Chord Sheet (docx: Contemporary, Chord Sheet)

I believe the mystery (pdf: Contemporary, Lead Sheet)

I Believe the Mystery (PowerPoint lyrics)

Contemporary tune:

LSBX file for Lutheran Service Builder

English: Wall painting at Partrishow (3) The Apostles’ Creed. Note the scraps of paintwork around the panel: there may be a palimpsest of images here, with possibly most or all the walls painted in the mediaeval period. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s a credal song that I wrote that we use around here.

1

By the Word the Father spoke light into the darkness

By the Word all creatures came to be

By the Word the Father broke the land from formless waters

By the Word breathed life in you and me

2

By the Word the Son became the light into the darkness

By the Word born flesh in Bethlehem

By the Word Who’s crucified and raised to rule forever

And the Word will come to judge all men

C

He is the way, the truth and the life

Christ Jesus, God’s only Son

Lamb who was slain is the Lion forever

And in His blood we are one

3

By the Word the Spirit speaks light into our darkness

By the Word He sets the captives free

By the Word unites us in the everlasting kingdom

By the Word we live eternally

C

He is the way, the truth and the life

Christ Jesus, God’s only Son

Lamb who was slain is the Lion forever

And in His blood we are one

As You are, Lord, make us one

©2013 Strength and Song Publishing

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Sheet music (PDF)

PowerPoint file for worship

LSBX File for Lutheran Service Builder

I love how this site has the LSB lectionary with related songs.

Word to Worship: a resource for worship planners. Search by keyword, theme, or Scripture reference to find related worship songs.

via Word to Worship | Find contemporary worship songs based on Scripture.

For a sermon series I did for Advent 2011. It’s designed to use the first and last verses and choosing one of the middle topic verses, not to be sung straight through. Individual verses could also be used, such as a Magnificat substitute.

Celebration Hymn

Tune: In Thee Is Gladness

1

Come celebration, Glad exultation

Join the song of Zion here

Sing, choirs terrestrial, with saints celestial

Word in flesh with us appear

Incarnate lowly, yet ever holy

Lifted up gory, then raised in glory

To reign forever, Alleluia!

Offered for sinners to make us winners

Though we denied Him and crucified Him

He’ll leave us never, Alleluia!

2 (Baby Shower: Mary & Elizabeth)

My soul rejoices; my spirit voices

In the Lord, Who saves my soul

He has concern for all those who yearn for

Israel to be made whole

‘Til time’s arrested, I’ll be called blessed

God blessed the lowly. His name is holy.

Mercy paternal, Alleluia!

He shows His power, Arrogants cower.

He lifts the humble while mighty tumble

Promise eternal, Alleluia!

3 (Dinner Party: Last Supper)

Meal of redemption, Israel’s exemption

Lamb’s blood saved His people then

Promise renewed as traitors like Judas

Plot the Lamb to slay again

Body unleavened of King of heaven

Covenant blood, Thine, in and with the wine

For His remembrance, Alleluia!

Sinners forgiven, new life we’re given

Into His Presence come kings and peasants

For our deliverance, Alleluia!

4 (Wedding: Cana)

Couple united, Jesus invited

Celebrate the wedding feast

Wine jars all finished, contents diminished

Celebration almost ceased

Mary comes pleading for Jesus leading

Water in jars poured trusting the Lord’s Word

Wine transmutation, Alleluia!

Though in form humble for all who stumble

God come in person to take our curse on

Reaffirmation, Alleluia!

5 (Surprise Party: Epiphany) Wise men’s arrival seeking the child

Traveling from lands afar

Stargazing sages seek King of ages

Following the Eastern star

Offer sincere their gifts to revere Him

Worship the One Who’s God’s only Son, too

Lord of all nations, Alleluia!

Though only crawling, to all men calling

Infant has come to die for the ones who

Face accusations, Alleluia!

6 (Birthday Party: Shepherds @ Jesus’ Birth)

Angel appearing while shepherds fearing

Glory shines with holy light

“Fear not! I’ve good news for all from God, Whose

Words will give you joy this night

In David’s city,God has shown pity

Sent you a Savior, given His favor

Laid in a manger, Alleluia!”

Angels come praising, their voices raising

Shepherds arrive, view all as described too   

Tell of this Stranger, Alleluia!

7

So lift your voices as earth rejoices

To the Lamb Who once was slain

For He has risen, opened death’s prison

With us endless will remain

Give invitation to every nation

That all may follow and His name hallow

In each endeavor, Alleluia!

Let celebration bring transformation

Sharing His favor with every neighbor

To live forever, Alleluia!

Celebration Hymn by Strength and Song Publishing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

LSBX file for Lutheran Service Builder

Looking for something from the old site? Check The Archive.