We pray:

O God, who alone knits all infants in the womb, You chose improbable servants—old  and childless— to conceive and parent the forerunner of Christ and, in so doing, demonstrated again Your strength in weakness. Grant us, who are as unlikely and unworthy as Zecharias and Elizabeth, the opportunity to love and serve You according to Your good and gracious will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now ad forever. Amen.

Zechariah (or Zachariah) and Elizabeth were “righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. (Luke 1:6)” The angel Gabriel greeted Zechariah, a priest in the temple in Jerusalem, announcing that Zechariah and Elizabeth would become parents of a son. Initially he didn’t believe Gabriel because of their old age. For this, Zechariah became unable to speak.

After their son was born, Elizabeth named the boy John, which means “Yahweh (the Lord) is gracious.” As friends and relatives sought to change her mind, thinking that he should be named for someone in their family, they asked Zechariah to write down what the boy’s name should be. Suddenly, his voice returned and he confirmed his wife’s choice.

In response to receiving his son and the return of his voice, Zechariah sang the Benedictus. This canticle beautifully summarizes God’s Old Testament promises and predicts John’s work as forerunner to the Messiah, who would be born in three more months (Luke 1:68-79).

We remember the faithful and pious examples of Zechariah and Elizabeth and honor them for raising the last great prophet of the coming Christ, Saint John the Baptist.

Those familiar with older English language Bibles might remember them slightly differently. That’s because the Authorized Version (King James) and some other translations use the Greek form of their names, calling them Zacharias and Elisabeth.

The Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

We pray:

Lord God, heavenly Father, through the prophet Moses, You began the prophetic pattern of teaching Your people the true fath and demonstrating through miraclesYour presence in creation to heal it of its brokenness. Grant that Your Church may see in Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the final end-time prophet whose teaching and miracles continue in Your Church through the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacrament;through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Moses was born in Egypt several generations after Joseph brought his father Jacob and his brothers there to escape a famine in the land of Canaan. The descendants of Jacob had been enslaved by the Egyptians and were ordered to kill all their male children. When Moses was born his mother put him in a basket and set it afloat in the Nile River. He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised by her as her own son (Exod 2:1–10). At age 40 Moses killed an Egyptian taskmaster and fled to the land of Midian, where he worked as a shepherd for forty years. Then the Lord called him to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh, “Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness” (5:1). Eventually Pharaoh gave in and, after the Israelites celebrated the first Passover, Moses led them out. At the Red Sea the Egyptian army was destroyed and the Israelites passed to safety on dry land (Exodus 12-15). At Mount Sinai they were given the Law and erected the Tabernacle (Exodus 19-40). But because of disobedience they had to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Moses himself was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, although God allowed him to view it (Deuteronomy 34). In the New Testament Moses is referred to as lawgiver and prophet. The first five books of the Bible are attributed to him.

We pray:

Almighty and merciful God, You raised up Gregory of Rome to be a pastor to those who shepherd God’s flock and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people. Preserve in Your Church the catholic and apostolic faith that your people may continue to be fruitful in every good work and receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

One of the great leaders in Europe at the close of the sixth century, Gregory served in both the secular and sacred arenas of his era. As mayor of Rome, he restored economic vitality to his native city, which had been weakened by enemy invasions, pillage, and plague. After he sold his extensive properties and donated the proceeds to help the poor, he entered into full-time service in the Church. On September 3, 590 A.D., Gregory was elected to lead the church in Rome. As Bishop of Rome he oversaw changes and growth in the areas of church music and liturgical development, missionary outreach to northern Europe, and the establishment of a church-year calendar still used by many churches in the western World today. His book on pastoral care became a standard until the 20th century.

Read the extended entry for much more detail about Gregory’s life and work.

Read more…

We pray:

God the Father Almighty, maker of all things. You looked on the affliction of Your barren servant Hannah and did not forget her but answered her prayers with the gift of a son. So hear our supplications and petitions and fill our emptiness, granting us trust in Your provision, so that we, like Hannah, might render unto You all thankfulness and praise, and delight in the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hannah was the favored wife of Elkanah the Ephraimite. For many years she remained barren, suffering the insults of Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah — even though he said what he could to try comforting Hannah.

Finally the Lord relieved her of her bitterness (1 Samuel 1:6-8). After she poured herself out in prayer before the Tabernacle, the priest Eli sent her on the way with the promise that the Lord would hear and answer her prayer.

While Scripture gives no indication that Eli even knew the specifics of her petitions, his promise to the distraught woman came to pass and she bore a son, whom she named Samuel (“Heard by God”), “for she said, ‘I have asked for him from the Lord.’ (vv. 9-21)”

After weaning him, Hannah expressed gratitude by returning Samuel for a life of service in the House of the Lord with Elkanah’s consent and blessing (1:24-28). Her prayer of thanksgiving (2:1-10) foreshadows the Magnificat, the Song of Mary which would be sung centuries later during her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:46-55).

The name Hannah comes from the Hebrew word for “grace” or “favor,” the same root as the name John. We remember Hannah for joyfully keeping the vow she made before her son’s birth. We also praise our God who lavished His favor upon a childless woman and upon the Children of Israel — both through the gift of Samuel.

Today we remember and thank God for His faithful servant, Joshua. Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, is first mentioned in Exodus 17 when he was chosen by Moses to fight the Amalakites, whom he defeated in a brilliant military victory. He was placed in charge of the Tent of Meeting (Ex. 33:11) and was a member of the tribal representatives sent to survey the land of Canaan (Num 13:8). Later, he was appointed by God to succeed Moses as Israel’s commander-in-chief. He eventually led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land and directed the Israelites’ capture of Jericho. He is remembered especially for his final address to the Israelites, in which he challenged them to serve God faithfully (Josh 24:1–27), concluding with the memorable words, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”(24:15). Source

The Lutheran theologian, David Chytraeus has this to say about Joshua: “Joshua had the same name as our Savior, Jesus Christ [since in Hebrew "Joshua" and "Jesus" are the same name] [both meaning Yahweh saves]. He was a type of Christ, who led the children of the promise of Abraham through the Jordan of this life’s troubles and of death into the restfulness of eternal life. Source: Writing for the day in Treasury of Daily Prayer.

And so, in the Treasury today, we pray that our Lord Jesus Christ would “as our Joshua, lead us…through the waters of our Baptism into the promised land of our eternal home.”

Today we commemorate the beheading of John the Baptist. Why? Here’s why, thanks to Pastor William Weedon, whose blog post I’m almost unashamedly copying here.

“From the perspective of the world, it was an ignominious end to John the Baptist’s life. Yet it was in fact a noble participation in the Cross of Christ, which was John’s greatest glory of all… He was the last of the Old Testament prophets and also the herald of the New Testament… And in the footsteps of the prophets who had gone before him – in anticipation of Christ whose way he prepared – this servant of the Lord manifested the cross by the witness of his death.” (p. 670)

The writing for the day was from Dr. Luther: “He allows his prophets and apostles to be expelled and murdered… He allows HIs Christians to suffer want, trouble, and misfortune in the world. He acts as He did in the days of His flesh, when John the Baptist had to lose his head for the sake of a desperate harlot, while He, the Savior and Helper, said nothing about it, departed thence in a ship and withdrew into the solitude of the wilderness… Hence the prophet Isaiah correctly says of God: ‘Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself…’ For in the kingdom of faith God wants to be small, but in the future kingdom of sight He will not be small but great. Then He will show that He saw the misery of His people and heard their crying and had a will that inclined to help them…”

In today’s collect we pray: “You gave Your servant John the Baptist to be the forerunner of Your Son, Jesus Christ, both in his preaching of repentance and in his innocent death. Grant that we…may daily repent of our sins, patiently suffer for the sake of the truth, and fearlessly bear witness to His victory over death…”

We pray:

O Lord God, the light of the minds that know You, the life of the souls that love You, and the strength of the hearts that serve You, give us strength to follow the example of Your servant Augustine of Hippo, so that knowing You we may truly love You and loving You we may fully serve You—for to serve You is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Today we remember, honor and commemorate St. Augustine, a giant among all our church fathers, noted preacher, catechist, theologian and leader of the Church. When one reads Augustine’s many writings, one knows that here is a deep and vastly reflective intellect at work. His work was formative particularly for the Western Church, and very influential on Lutheranism, via Martin Luther who was in the order of Augustinian monks. I particularly love reading Augustine’s sermons in a fresh new translation that came out in the 1990 in the series Augustine for the 21st Century. His writings and thought is so complex and rich, he simply defies classification. Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists all try to claim him as one of their own. The painting of Augustine is the earliest known portrait of him, dating from the sixth century. It is a fresco in Rome.

I encourage you to listen to the sample posted on this web site, of an audio book on Augustine. It is a great introduction to Augustine and his conversion, in his own words.

Augustine was one of the greatest of the Latin church fathers and a significant influence in the formation of Western Christianity, including Lutheranism. Born in A.D. 354 in North Africa, Augustine’s early life was distinguished by exceptional advancement as a teacher of rhetoric. In his book Confessions he describes his life before his conversion to Christianity, when he was drawn into the moral laxity of the day and fathered an illegitimate son. Through the devotion of his sainted mother Monica and the preaching of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (339–97), Augustine was converted to the Christian faith. During the great Pelagian controversies of the 5th century, Augustine emphasized the unilateral grace of God in the salvation of mankind. Bishop and theologian at Hippo in North Africa from A.D. 395 until his death in 430, Augustine was a man of great intelligence, a fierce defender of the orthodox faith, and a prolific writer. In addition to the book Confessions, Augustine’s book City of God had a great impact upon the church throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

What follows is a lengthy biographical summary of his life and work from the Catholic Cyclopedia.

Read more…

We pray:

O Lord, You strengthened Your patient servant Monica through spiritual discipline to persevere in offering her love, her prayers, and her tears for the conversion of her husband and of Augustine, their son. Deepen our devotion to bring others, even our own family, to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Today we honor and remember St. Monica, beloved and blessed mother of St. Augustine. Her experiences as a wife of a man who was a harsh pagan, but who was converted eventually due in large measure to her loving patience with him, are immortalized for us by St. Augustine himself, chiefly in his deeply introspective work of spiritual autobiography, Confessions. Her ardent and continuing prayers for her son and her constant love and support for him saw him move from paganism, to heretical Christianity, while living outside marriage with a woman who fathered him a child, to eventual orthodox Christianity and service as a bishop. Here is The LCMS biographical note about her.

A native of North Africa, Monica (A.D. 333–387) was the devoted mother of Saint Augustine. Throughout her life she sought the spiritual welfare of her children, especially that of her brilliant son, Augustine. Widowed at a young age, she devoted herself to her family, praying many years for Augustine’s conversion. When Augustine left North Africa to go to Italy, she followed him to Rome and then to Milan. There she had the joy of witnessing her son’s conversion to the Christian faith. Weakened by her travels, Monica died at Ostia, Italy on the journey she had hoped would take her back to her native Africa. On some church year calendars, Monica is remembered on May 4.

Here is a longer biographical note about her from “Lives of Saints”, Published by John J. Crawley & Co., Inc.

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Hannah Presenting Samuel to Eli by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout

We pray:

Almighty God, in Your mercy You gave Samuel courage to call Israel to repentance and to renew their dedication to the Lord. Call us to repentance as Nathan called David to repentance, so by the blood of Jeuss, the Son of David, we may receive the forgiveness of all our sins; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Samuel was the final Old Testament judge. He is the first prophet mentioned after Moses, although one might consider some of the other judges among the prophets. He lived during the 11th century B.C. Samuel’s mother Hannah was unable to have children and she prayed desperately before the tabernacle that the Lord would grant her to bear children to her husband Elkanah, an Ephraimite. Because the Lord heard and answered, Hannah called her son “Samuel,” which can be translated “heard by God.” This account is in the first chapter of 1 Samuel.

In response to His love for them, Samuel’s parents dedicated him to the Lord’s service: “And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli [the priest in the Lord's house]. And she said, ‘Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.’ (1:24-28)” He entered sacred service and trained in the house of the Lord at Shiloh under Eli.

God called Samuel to speak for Him in a series of night messages and established him as His prophet. One of Samuel’s most difficult assignments came immediately after his call. Eli was allowing his sons to abuse their priestly offices and through the young man, the Lord condemned their behavior and pronounced God’s judgment upon them (see chapter 3).

Samuel’s own life didn’t always go smoothly. Just as Eli’s sons had betrayed their sacred trust as priests, so also Joel and Abijah, the sons of Samuel, became unrighteous judges who “took bribes and perverted justice. (8:1-2)” Perceiving this as a problem in God’s leadership as well as that of Samuel, Israel demanded that they be given a king such as the surrounding nations had. Samuel warned them that this would lead to even more problems and woes, but when they kept insisting, the Lord told him to do as the people requested.

Samuel anointed Saul to be Israel’s first king (10:1). Because of Saul’s continuing, flagrant disregard for God’s Word, Samuel repudiated Saul’s leadership and traveled to the house of Jesse, where he anointed David to be king in place of Saul (16:13).

Samuel’s loyalty to God, his spiritual insight, and his ability to inspire others made him one of Israel’s great leaders. When he died, “all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. (25:1a)”

On August 17 we commemorate the great seventeenth Lutheran theologian, Johann [John] Gerhard. What a remarkably gifted servant of Christ this man was. Following in the tradition of Martin Luther and Martin Chemnitz, after these two, clearly Gerhard is the most influential Lutheran theologian from the great “golden age” of Lutheran orthodoxy, that period of time marked basically by most of the 17th century. His magnum opus is clearly his Loci Theologici, but he was most widely known in his own lifetime as the author of numerous deeply devotional works of vibrant Lutheran piety. It was not until the late 1900s and into this present century that Gerhard’s devotional works became known to a new generation of Lutheran Christians. Ironically, in fact, many younger Lutherans may have heard of John Gerhard’s dogmatic works, but they came to know Gerhard first through his devotional writings, such as Sacred Meditations and Daily Exercise of Piety

Gerhard was born in Quedlinburg, Germany and at the age of fifteen came down with a life-threatening sickness. This experience, along with guidance from his pastor Johann Arndt, was the turning point in his life. He devoted the rest of his life to theology. He became a professor of theology at the University of Jena, long the bastion of authentic Lutheranism in the years following Luther’s death. He also served as the “Superintendent” of the consistory of Heldburg, a position which was effectively that of a bishop to the congregations, and clergy and other church workers in the territory.

Gerhard’s literary output remains unsurpassed to this day, in terms of both its breadth and depth. A colleague remarked that what has always struck him most when reading Gerhard’s Loci Theologici [Theological Topics], is Gerhard’s command of a vast array of sources: first, Scripture, then the Confessions, Church Fathers, followed by all manner of works of linguistic scholarship and the writings of his Roman Catholic and Reformed opponents. His sermons were collected over the years and these two now have become accessible to English speakers.

There are a number of his popular devotional works and sermon collections in English, they include:

An Explanation of the Sunday and Festival Gospel Lessons: Part I Sermons that address the first half of the church year – Advent through the Feast of Pentecost. Translated from the first part of Postilla, das ist, Erklaerung der Sonntaeglichen und Fuhrnehmsten Fest-Evangelien das gantze Jahr (1613).

Comprehensive Explanation of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: Begun the same year he started work on his renowned dogmatics, the Loci Theologi, Johann Gerhard’s Ausƒürliche schmriƒtmäßige Erklärung, is a masterpiece in its own right. In 67 chapters (31 for Baptism and 36 for the Lord’s Supper).

Meditations on Divine Mercy: This book is a translation of Gerhard’s Exercitium Pietatis Quotidianum, a book of 45 prayers that Gerhard wrote prior to 1612. Now newly translated from the German, Meditations on Divine Mercy is available for English readers to enjoy and appreciate. A chapter on the purpose and benefits of prayer is also included as well as an explanation of the aspects of daily meditation. Exercitium Pietatis Quotidianum

Sacred Meditations. This was the most popular of Gerhard’s devotional works. These 51 meditations by Gerhard are among the most profound devotional material ever produced within the Church, leading the reader through most of the articles of Christian doctrine.

This largest work, the Loci Theologici, was translated by Richard Dinda through the 1960s-1990s, and was purchased by Concordia Publishing House in 2002. It is being thoroughly edited and revised by Dr. Benjamin Mayes. The Theological Commonplaces series is the first-ever English translation of Johann Gerhard’s monumental Loci Theologici. Gerhard was the premier Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century. Combining his profound understanding of evangelical Lutheran theology with a broad interest in ethics and culture, he produced significant works on biblical, doctrinal, pastoral, and devotional theology. Gerhard interacts with the writings of the church fathers, Luther and his contemporaries, and the Catholic and Calvinist theologians of his day. His Loci are regarded as the standard compendium of Lutheran orthodoxy, with topics ranging from the proper understanding and interpretation of Scripture to eschatology.

Useful for research on Lutheran doctrine, Gerhard’s accessible style makes this a must-have on the bookshelf of pastors and professional church workers.

Here is a longer biographical sketch of Gerhard, from Studium Excitare.

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Isaac, the long promised and awaited son of Abraham and Sarah, was born when his father was 100 and his mother 91. The announcement of his birth brought both joy and laughter to his aged parents (so the name “Isaac,” which means “laughter”). As a young man, Isaac accompanied his father to Mount Moriah, where Abraham, in obedience to God’s command, prepared to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. But God intervened, sparing Isaac’s life and providing a ram as a substitute offering (Gen. 22:1–14), and thus pointing to the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world. Isaac was given in marriage to Rebekah (24:15), and they had twin sons, Esau and Jacob (25:19–26). In his old age Isaac, blind and feeble, wanted to give his blessing and chief inheritance to his favorite—and eldest—son, Esau. But through deception Rebekah had Jacob receive them instead, resulting in years of family enmity. Isaac died at the age of 180 and was buried by his sons, who by then had become reconciled, in the family burial cave of Machpelah (35:28–29).

We pray:

Almighty God, you called Laurence to be a deacon in Your Church to serve Your saints with deeds of love, and You gave him the crown of martyrdom. Give us the same charity of heart that we may fulfill Your love by defending and supporting the poor, that by loving them we may love You with all our hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Early in the third century A.D., Laurence, most likely born in Spain, made his way to Rome. There he was appointed chief of the seven deacons and was given the responsibility to manage church property and finances. The emperor at the time, who thought that the church had valuable things worth confiscating, ordered Laurence to produce the “treasures of the church.” Laurence brought before the emperor the poor whose lives had been touched by Christian charity. He was then jailed and eventually executed in the year 258 by being roasted on a gridiron. His martyrdom left a deep impression on the young church. Almost immediately, the date of His death, August 10, became a permanent fixture on the early commemorative calendar of the Church.

We pray:

Mighty God, Your crucified and buried Son did not remain in the tomb for long. Give us joy in the tasks set before us, that we might carry out faithful acts of service as did Joanna, Mary, and Salome, offering to You the sweet perfume of our grateful hearts, so that we, too, may see the glory of Your resurrection and proclaim the Good News with unrestrained eagerness and fervor worked in us through our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Known in some traditions as “the faithful women,” the visit of these three persons and other women to the tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning is noted in the Gospel records of Matthew (28:1), Mark (16:1), and Luke (24:10). Joanna was the wife of Cuza, a steward in Herod’s household (Lk. 8:3). Mary, the mother of James (the son of Alphaeus), was another of the women who faithfully provided care for Jesus and His disciples from the time of His Galilean ministry through His burial after the crucifixion. Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Mt. 27:56), joined with the women both at the cross and in the bringing of the spices to the garden tomb. These “faithful women” have been honored in the church through the centuries as examples of humble and devoted service to the Lord.

We pray:

Merciful God, your servant Joseph of Arimathea prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burianl with reverence and godly fear and laid Him in his own tomb. As we follow the example of Joseph, grant to us, Your faithful people, that same grace and courage to love adn serve Jesus with sincere devotion, all the days of our lives, through Christ our Lord.

This Joseph, mentioned in all four Gospels, come from a small village called Arimathea in the hill country of Judea. He was a respected member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council in Jerusalem. He was presumably wealthy, since he owned his own unused tomb in a garden not far from the site of Jesus’ crucifixion (Mt 27:60). Joseph, a man waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went to Pontius Pilate after the death of Jesus and asked for Jesus’ body (Mk 15:43). Along with Nicodemus, Joseph removed the body and placed it in the tomb (John 19:39). Their public devotion contrasted greatly to the fearfulness of the disciples who had abandoned Jesus.

We pray:
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You gave courage to Your servant Robert Barnes to give up his life for confessing the true faith during the Reformation. May we continue steadfast in our confession of the apostolic faith and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today we commemorate Robert Barnes, Confessor and Martyr. Remembered as a devoted disciple of Martin Luther, Robert Barnes is considered to be among the first Lutheran martyrs. Born in 1495, Barnes became the prior of the Augustinian monastery at Cambridge, England. Converted to Lutheran teaching, he shared his insights with many English scholars through writings and personal contacts. During a time of exile to Germany he became a friend of Luther and later wrote a Latin summary of the main doctrines of the Augsburg Confession titled “Sententiae.” Upon his return to England, Barnes shared his Lutheran doctrines and views in person with King Henry VIII and initially had a positive reception. In 1529 Barnes was named royal chaplain. The changing political and ecclesiastical climate in his native country, however, claimed him as a victim; he was burned at the stake in Smithfield in 1540. His final confession of faith was published by Luther, who called his friend Barnes “our good, pious table companion and guest of our home, this holy martyr, Saint Robertus.”

Despised and scorned, they sojourned here;
But now, how glorious they appear!
Those martyrs stand,
A priestly band,
God’s throne forever near.
On earth they wept through bitte years;
Now God has wiped away their tears,
Transformed their strife
To heav’nly life,
And freed them from their fears.
They now enjoy the Sabbath rest,
The heavenly banquet of the blest;
The Lamb, their Lord,
At festive board,
Himself is host and guest. — LSB 676:2