From the Archives: Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide

The Thomaskirche in Leipzig, where Nicolaus Selnecker served as pastor for a time, and where Johann Sebastian Bach would later serve as Kantor. Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This article first appeared in Vol. XXXII, No. 3, Michaelmas 2024.

As Lutherans, we understand that a very important part of transmitting the true faith from generation to generation is the use of good hymnody. The hymns we sing are not just meant to give us an emotional high. They are there to teach us to pray and to strengthen faith by the Word of Christ. Only the Word of Christ can preserve the sheep of His flock, and the power of that Word is to be properly teamed with the power of good and thoughtful music.

Good hymnody seeks to impart wisdom, that is, Christ. Thus, each week the pastor carefully selects the hymns to aid and support the themes from the Scriptures that will be proclaimed that week. The hymns become one with the flow of the liturgy so that the Christian who comes burdened with cares of the world is transported into the heavenly realms of Christ’s Word and Sacrament. The hymns draw our hearts and minds to thoughts of the blessed Trinity, Christ, the Church, our calling as Christians to forsake the world, etc.

This shaping of the Christian heart happens by teaching even the youngest child to sing the liturgy and hymns of the Church. They learn this from the example of their parents singing, and the congregation’s full- throated participation in the singing leads them to be part of singing the song of faith. Home, the Divine Service, Sunday School, school, and even trips in the car become places and times where children can learn hymns. Over the years I have learned that young children can learn to sing any hymn, no matter how hard. In fact, they often love those challenging hymns all the more. This is because the hymns are not meant to be fully digested or fully understood in one simple meal; they become a lifelong meal that leads us deeper into the faith and supports our life of daily prayer. They prepare us for the last hour when we are unable to speak and can barely breathe, but our ears still partake of the precious words and pray as the pastor, family, and fellow members sing at our deathbed.

One truly great hymn is Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide, LSB 585 (TLH 292). This hymn, attributed to the great Lutheran pastor, confessor, and hymnwriter, Nicolaus Selnecker, is a wonderful prayer for Christ to strengthen His Church and keep her firm in the true doctrine. In the midst of our difficult times when many reject the Scriptures and the persecution of Christians is increasing around the world, it is good to learn this prayer.

Though originally nine stanzas, the LSB has unfortunately shortened it to six. The first stanza begins with the prayer of the Emmaus disciples who desired to hear more of the risen Lord’s preaching. In the midst of a violent age reminiscent of the days of Noah, we cry out that the Light might continue to shine in the darkness. Our prayer is that even as the risen Lord then comforted His disciples by the breaking of bread after His sermon, so He would be with His Church from age to age as He has been through these last days of the Apostles, the Christological controversies, the darker days of the Medieval Church, the Reformation, and all her struggles. Fittingly, we pray that the Word would be proclaimed in every place so that the darkness of Satan and his hosts would be shattered by the Light of the World. While the LSB version is not bad in praying for the truth of God’s Word not to be overthrown by the words of men, stanzas 5–9 of TLH version more clearly confess the evil and error that surround us in the world. The Church cries out for the Lord to preserve His true doctrine against the many false teachers who seek to take the place of the authority of His Word. The Church Militant confesses Her trust in Christ alone and the weapon of His Word. In the LSB version, we conclude by echoing the prayer of Luke 24 and ask that the Lord would stay with us as He has promised and preserve us in the one true faith. The concluding words of TLH are far more passionate:

Oh, grant that in Thy holy Word
We here may live and die, dear Lord;
And when our journey endeth here,
Receive us into glory there.

Here the death and resurrection of our Lord is brought forth from this hymn, tied firmly to Luke 24. Just as the disciples whose hopes had been shattered were encouraged on the road by Christ’s preaching and led to the breaking of bread, so the whole Church is encouraged on the way by holy Word and Sacrament as we confess the resurrection.