This medieval Leise (folk hymn) is rooted in early liturgical drama. A Salzburg Cathedral manuscript (ca. 1190) describes how an image of the crucified Christ was placed into a “holy grave” on Good Friday; at the Easter Vigil, when actors pointed to the linen cloths in the empty grave, the congregation triumphantly responded in German, “Christ ist erstanden.” The melody is in the Dorian mode, which in the Middle Ages conveyed tremendous strength. Luther used this ancient tune as the direct inspiration for “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands” (LSB 458). Hymn of the Day: “Our Father, Who from Heaven Above” (LSB 766) Martin Luther wrote this foundational Reformation text as a musical catechism, building each of its nine stanzas upon a single petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Stanza 1 reminds singers that God tenderly invites His children to address Him as “Father” and to ask boldly. The English translation draws from Catherine Winkworth, Richard Massie, and F. Samuel Janzow. Liturgical resources suggest a flexible performance: begin with stanza 1, sing the stanza(s) matching the sermon’s focus, and conclude with the “Amen” of stanza 9. It is the appointed Hymn of the Day for Rogate in the historic one-year lectionary. Hymn: “Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor” (LSB 534) George Hugh Bourne (1840–1925) wrote this text at St. Edmund’s School, Salisbury, because he felt the students needed more post-Communion hymns. It first appeared in a private 1874 collection. Stanza 1 confesses the “living bread” motif (John 6:35); stanza 2 explicates the real presence: the eternal Word who took flesh now gives His body and blood in the Sacrament. Stanza 4 parallels the manna in the desert, culminating in the declaration that the Lamb is now “risen, ascended, glorified!”
Sung at Our Saviour
2026