This semester I'm taking a class which is on German literature from before the 15th century. The majority of the literature from the time is religious, and I have been interested to find kernals of truth in many of the works which we have read and discussed. Here are a few nuggets I've found which have influenced my thoughts this semester.
This song is a rendition of An das Angesicht des Herrn Jesu written by Paul Gerhardt. J.S. Bach used the text in his Matthäus-Passion. This is a modern version of the song sung by Selah. The german text is much longer than the english translation used in the song, however the essence is here. The text focuses a lot more on the suffering and anguished experienced during the atonement of Christ than we tend to focus on in the church. In one of the verses the focus is on how we are healed through Christ's suffering. In many of the verses, Gerhardt expresses his desire to be near to the Lord, and to have the Lord near him. My favorite is the verse in which Gerhardt thanks Christ for his suffering which allows us to belong to Christ. I love the language Gerhardt uses "What language shall I borrow / to thank thee, dearest friend, / for this thy dying sorrow, / thy pity without end?" I love how in the early 1600's Paul Gerhardt summarizes his relationship with Jesus Christ as gratitude towards his dearest friend!
O Sacred Head Now Wounded
O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed
down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only
crown:
how pale thou art with
anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage
languish
which once was bright as
morn!
What thou, my Lord, has
suffered
was all for sinners' gain;
mine, mine was the
transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
look on me with thy favor,
vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest
friend,
for this thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever;
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for
thee.
I love Martin Luther's text A Mighty Fortress is our God written around 1527. I love how the text speaks of God as our mighty fortress. He is our strength and help who has the strength to overpower our foe, Satan. We are in a war against the devil, but God's strength is greater than the devils and if we remember the Savior, no matter how much opposition we meet, Jesus Christ will prevail in helping us to overcome the temptations of satan.
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
A mighty fortress is our
God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills
prevaling.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are
great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength
confide,
our striving would be
losing,
were not the right man on
our side,
the man of God's own
choosing.
Dost ask who that may
be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
And he must win the battle.
And though this world, with
devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God
hath willed
his truth to triumph through
us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell
him.
That word above all earthly
powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are
ours,
thru him who with us
sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.
Another interesting person who we talked briefly about in my class is Mechthild of Magdeburg, who was a medieval Mystic and visionary from the early 1200's. I have included my favorite quotes by her and a little youtube slideshow presentation.
"Whatever we know is absolutely nothing unless we love God."
I LOVE THAT!!! Lord, lead me so that I may dance throughout my life!!!
