Hymn of the Week: February 26, 2024
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Glory to God: 275
Text. Martin Luther 1529
Music Martin Luther 1529
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing.
Our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe.
His craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he.
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also.
The body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever.
Hymn Texts: A Devotional
Today’s devotion comes to us from a book I have used over the past couple of years. Unrevealed Until Its Season by James C. Howell, published by Upper Room Books.
A Lovely Place
My daughter Sarah and I were poking around in the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, Germany, where Martin Luther figured out who he was and what God was asking of him, when we stumbled upon a tour group. Their guide was explaining that we were in the very room where Luther and the monks worshiped every day. It was stone, medieval, with live acoustics: a lovely place.
Dreams do Come True
Without any warning or anyone saying anything at all, the tour group began to sing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” with much emotion and tears. When they were done, I found out they were recently retired Lutheran pastors who’d dreamed all their lives of coming to this place and singing this hymn, their hymn.
Luther sparked a Reformation, wrote voluminously, translated the Bible into German – and wrote hymns. He understood music’s power to heal, forge bonds, and encourage. He wrote that hymn singing is a “fair and lovely gift of God . . .I have no use for cranks who despise music. . .Music drives away the devil and makes people happy... They forget wrath, arrogance and the like.”
A Season for Writing?
During a season of profound depression and discouragement, Luther wrote his most famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” which picks up on themes in Psalm 46. It’s not that God makes everything smooth and easy. But God is “a bulwark. . . our helper amid the flood of mortal life prevailing.”
Luther understood that life isn’t just about human beings doing good (or not). There is a cosmic battle going on all the time; invisible but real forces of evil are arrayed against the good. “Our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe, his craft and power are great.” Indeed, evil is “armed with cruel hate.” Sound pertinent to our world?
We don’t defeat evil by trying hard or thinking right thoughts. “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.” And why can we be bold and confident? We have “the right man on our side. . . Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he. . . He must win the battle.” Ours is to follow, join, and be caught up in the wake of what he is doing.
And so “We will not fear.” There is plenty to fear. Not all fear is bad. Is a truck bearing down on you crossing the road? Then you should be afraid and move quickly. But much fear is irrational and overwhelming. This is intriguing: After Paul wrote “Have no anxiety,” he added, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 RSV). I used to make requests of God, and then I would give thanks if God did what I wanted – assuming I remembered to do so. But we must begin in gratitude. It is from that space that we ask for God’s help.
What does that have to do with fear and anxiety? Psychiatrist Martin Seligman reports on studies that show that writing five thank you notes a day or jotting down lists of things your grateful for will reduce your anxiety or depression scores by a noticeable percentage. I find when I am a thankful person, when I am in the act of expressing gratitude, I do not feel anxious. If we look back with gratitude, then we naturally look forward with hope. It is the antithesis of looking back with guilt or regret, which leaves you stuck looking forward with nothing but anxiety and fear.
This is not to minimize all there is to fear: mortality, losing a loved one, winding up alone, finances. What is worst of all? The Prince of darkness grim.” I love that it adds “grim.” For Luther, the devil was so very real that he threw things at him and hollered. “His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him” – which may be my favorite moment in the hymn. What is that one little word? Jesus? Grace? Some believe Luther was thinking of the angel in Revelation 14 who encountered the devil’s spewing of hate filled words, blasphemies and falsehoods. The angle simply responded, “Liar.” There are so many lies out there: You aren’t enough. You don’t belong. Money is everything. Power is everything. It’s all up to you. These are all lies that elicit fear and anxiety. The Christian relies on just a word. Maybe it’s “Liar!” Maybe it’s “Grace.” Maybe it’s simply “Jesus.”
