Lutheran Schools Week Hymn Bracket

This week is National Lutheran Schools Week. Our school is observing by having a schoolwide favorite hymn contest. Each child was able to give their personal top three favorite hymns. The following is the top 32 hymns at St. Paul Lutheran School of Hamel, IL. They will be voting each day, paring down to the Final Four, with the top hymn of St. Paul Lutheran School being revealed at Friday afternoon’s Hymn Sing.

Bracket 1 -

A Multitude Comes from the East and the West v. Triune God, be Thou our Stay

For All the Saints v. From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

O Lord, We Praise Thee, v. Our Father, Who From Heaven Above

Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness v. O God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth

Bracket 2 -

Abide with Me v. Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow

O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe v. Christ is the World’s Redeemer

Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor v. Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word

Salvation Unto Us has Come v. Christ the Life all the Living

Bracket 3 -

Build on the Rock v. Joy to the World

O Little Town of Bethlehem v. Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending

Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is v. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

God’s Own Child I Gladly Say it v. A Hymn of Glory Let us Sing

Bracket 4 -

Jesus Christ is Risen Today v. The Church’s One Foundation

I Bind Unto Myself Today v. Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart

A Mighty Fortress is Our God v. Of the Father’s Love Begotten

My Song is Love Unknown v. Isaiah Mighty Seer

We are also having a dress-up day on Wednesday. No, it will not be pajama day, but actually dressing up; instead of wearing their uniforms boys in their suits, jackets and ties, girls in their nice church dresses. There are some other really fun things too, like an All School Knowledge Bowl, All School Read-a-Thon where the children will read out loud sections of their favorite books, and more.

Lutheran Schools can have fun, but having fun is not at the heart of what a Lutheran school does. There is no time for silliness or foolishness. Our schools are to take the work of catechizing the children of God with all seriousness. We should extol our Lutheran Schools when they are doing things like the faithful faculty is doing here - teaching children to be Lutherans. Our teachers are instructing the children to be confessing and singing Lutherans. Read through that hymn list again - those were hymns chosen by the children from Kindergarten through 8th grades as their favorites.

This list of course can put to rest any canards about sing-ability, of younger generations not “connecting with” hymnody etc. If you try, if you actually teach Lutheran hymns to Lutheran children, they will love them and have them as a chief part of their piety. And of course as they sing the faith, they glorify God, pray to Him, worship Him, and confess what they have received to those around them. Then they will pass on that same sung faith to the next generation. This is what Lutheran Schools are for - teaching the one, true, faith and instructing in all godly knowledge. May all our Lutheran Schools do that.