2026 — Lectionary primer

Cantate

The Fifth Sunday of Easter · "Sing to the Lord a New Song!"

One-year lectionary · Isaiah 12:1–6 · James 1:16–21 · John 16:5–15

Cantate takes its name from the first word of its Introit, drawn from Psalm 98: "Sing to the Lord a new song. Alleluia." The Gospel readings for these latter Sundays of Easter are drawn from the Lord's final discourse on Maundy Thursday evening, in which Jesus looks through the lens of His impending cross and resurrection to the future life of His Church — teaching His disciples to pray with confidence and to rejoice in His definitive victory over sin and death.

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The shape of the service

Historical Background

The Fifth Sunday of Easter is historically known as Cantate, a Latin title derived from the first word of its traditional Introit (Psalm 98): "Sing to the Lord a new song. Alleluia." Cantate belongs to the latter Sundays of the Easter season — alongside Jubilate, Rogate, and Exaudi — which shift the Church's focus from the historical reality of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances toward the ongoing life of Christ's Body on earth.

The Gospel readings for these Sundays are drawn from the Lord's final discourse on Maundy Thursday evening, in which Jesus looks through the lens of His impending cross and resurrection to the future life of His Church, teaching His disciples to pray with confidence and to rejoice in His definitive victory over sin and death.

How the Service Unfolds

The Introit from Psalm 98 commands the congregation: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth: break forth into joyous song and sing praises!" The liturgy rings with frequent "Alleluias."

The Gloria in Excelsis serves as the Hymn of Praise, continuing the angelic song of Christmas into the Easter season as the Church rejoices in Christ's victory.

The Paschal Candle remains near the altar; the liturgical color is white or gold, and the minister uses the joyful Proper Preface for Easter.

The readings at a glance

Old Testament

Isaiah 12:1–6

This brief chapter is the magnificent climax to the "Book of Immanuel" (Isaiah 2–12). It consists of two psalms of thanksgiving that trace a dramatic arc from divine anger to divine comfort. The singer rejoices that God's anger has "turned back" (shuv) and that God has "comforted" him (nacham) — the very first use of that verb in Isaiah, anticipating the great turning point of the book: "Comfort, comfort my people!" (40:1). Verse 2 is a direct quotation from the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:2), linking this new salvation to the original Exodus. The Hebrew word for "salvation" (yeshu'ah) is a wordplay on Isaiah's own name, weaving his signature into the song: in the end, only Yahweh saves.

Verse 3 shifts from the individual to the gathered community: "You will draw water with joy from the wellsprings of salvation." In later Judaism, this verse became the focal point of the water-drawing ceremony during the Feast of Tabernacles; it was on the last day of this very feast that Jesus stood and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37). The chapter closes with Zion shouting for joy because "great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel" (12:6) — the ultimate fulfillment of the Immanuel promise.

Epistle

James 1:16–21

James warns against the deadly deception (mē planāsthe) that God is the author of evil, insisting that every good gift comes "from above" (anōthen) from the "Father of lights." To describe God's immutability, James deploys three rare astronomical terms found nowhere else in the New Testament: parallagē ("variation"), tropēs ("solstice/turning"), and aposkiasma ("shadow"). The heavenly bodies constantly shift and cast varying shadows, yet their Creator never changes.

The passage reaches its climax in verse 18: God, of His own sovereign will (boulētheis), "gave birth" (apekuēsen) to us by the "Word of truth" — the saving Gospel — making us "firstfruits" (aparchē) of His new creation. Paul calls the resurrected Jesus the aparchē (1 Corinthians 15:20); we who are reborn by the Word already share in Christ's resurrection life as living proof that God will restore the entire cosmos. The passage then commands us to receive with humility the "implanted Word" (emphyton logon), a seed God Himself planted into us at Baptism, which is able to save our souls.

Holy Gospel

John 16:5–15

Jesus tells His disciples it is to their absolute advantage that He departs, for only then will He send the "Helper" (the Holy Spirit). The Helper will convict the world concerning three realities: sin (defined as unbelief), righteousness (Christ's glorification proved He alone was truly righteous), and judgment (Satan has already been condemned). Jesus promises that the Spirit of Truth will "guide" (hodēgeō, literally "lead along a path" like an expert travel guide) the disciples into all truth.

Three times in verses 13–15, the Spirit will "declare" (anangellō, open public proclamation) things to them. The Spirit does not operate independently; He glorifies Jesus by taking what belongs to Christ and proclaiming it through Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. The Holy Spirit is not a new revelation beyond Christ — He is the one who continuously opens and delivers the inexhaustible riches of Christ to the Church.

The hymns and their stories

Opening Hymn

"Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds" · LSB 465

This magnificent twentieth-century Easter hymn was written by Paul Zeller Strodach (1876–1947) specifically for the Service Book and Hymnal, having served on its preparation committee from 1945 until his death. He intended the text to be paired with the soaring seventeenth-century German tune LASST UNS ERFREUEN. One of the most fascinating aspects of Strodach's original poetry was his deliberate use of singular nouns ("heart," "will," "life") alongside plural pronouns ("our," "us") to emphasize the collective, unified action of the entire Church. Later hymnal editors changed "our life" to "our lives," subtly shifting the emphasis from the corporate Body to individual response. The hymn acts as a cosmic celebration of Christ's resurrection, drawing upon the heavenly throne room visions of Revelation 5 and 7 and culminating in an endless doxology to the Holy Trinity.

Sequence Hymn

"Christ Is Arisen" · LSB 459

This medieval Leise (folk hymn) has a fascinating history rooted in early liturgical drama. A manuscript from around 1190, the Liber Ordinarius of the Salzburg Cathedral, describes its original use: at the end of the Good Friday liturgy, an image of the crucified Christ was placed into a "holy grave"; during the Easter Vigil, the visit to the empty tomb was acted out as a play, and when the actors pointed to the linen cloths lying in the grave, the choir sang in Latin "He has risen, as he said," to which the congregation triumphantly responded in German, "Christ ist erstanden." During the Reformation, the hymn was commonly sung in alternation with the Latin Easter sequence Victimae paschali laudes (LSB 460). Martin Luther used this ancient folk tune and text as the direct inspiration for his own expanded Easter masterpiece, "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands" (LSB 458).

Hymn of the Day & Hymn

"Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice" · LSB 556

This hymn holds a monumental place in church history: it was the very first hymn printed in the first Lutheran hymnal, the 1524 Achtliederbuch, placed prominently at the beginning to encapsulate the core doctrine of the Reformation. It was Luther's second hymn, written in a popular ballad style, with its earliest printing declaring it "A Christian hymn by Doctor Martin Luther, setting forth the indescribable grace of God and the true faith." The theological center is stanza 7, which celebrates the fröhliche Wechsel ("joyous exchange") between Christ the Bridegroom and the Church, His Bride: the Christian's sin is laid upon Christ, and Christ's perfect righteousness is laid upon the sinner. Scholars have discovered pre-Reformation connections to a fifteenth-century Easter Processional from Mainz that began, "Rejoice, O women and men, for Christ is risen." The English text relies on Richard Massie's 1854 translation, universally hailed as one of his finest works. Stanzas 1–4 serve as the Hymn of the Day; stanzas 5–10 are sung as a separate hymn.

Closing Hymn

"Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good" · LSB 819

This hymn was authored by Johann Jacob Schütz (1640–90), a learned and devout lawyer in seventeenth-century Germany, and first appeared in his 1675 publication Christliches Gedenck-Büchlein ("Christian memorial book for the promotion of a brand new life"). The most fascinating historical detail is Schütz's theological journey: he came under the direct influence of his close friend Philipp Spener, widely known as the "father of Pietism," and eventually left Lutheranism altogether. Yet this particular hymn contains none of those later errors and remains in perfect agreement with sound Lutheran doctrine. It was warmly received and quickly became a staple of congregational praise. The English translation is primarily adapted from an 1864 version by Frances Elizabeth Cox. The hymn is famous for its grand refrain, "To God all praise and glory!" — a reverent summons to God's people that perfectly fits the "Cantate" theme of this Sunday.