Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee
Tomorrow is Reformation Sunday and many who read this blog may find themselves singing one or more of the hymns composed by Martin Luther. If you do, that will most likely be “A Mighty Fortress,” sometimes called the “anthem of the Reformation” or the Protestant “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
I don’t know if you’ll sing the hymn I put below as this week’s poem, but it is one of my favorites for the way it vividly portrays God as the one eager to come to our help. The picture of God in this hymn is not that of an angry king who needs a blood sacrifice to appease his wrath – one of the more common portraits of God today in North American popular religious culture – but rather one who is always bringing gifts, crowing our lives with favor, eager to respond to our need, saving us from the fear of death, and promising us all good things here and in the age to come through the cross and our baptism.
I’ve chosen to use the text that comes from the hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (hymn #600). The translation is marked as “composite,” meaning that it draws from various translations, but as far as I can tell it is based primarily on the translation commissioned for the Lutheran Book of Worship (the predecessor to the ELW; you can find it as LBW hymn #295). That translation was made by my friend and colleague Gracia Grindal, whose life and work as a poet and hymn writer, as well as her facility with numerous languages, makes her a fantastic translator. Gracia is also the creator and host of Luther Seminary’s annual celebration of the Reformation and its hymnody called “Singing the Faith.” I’ve gone several times and hope to attend tomorrow. If you’re near the Twin Cities, you can find more information about it here. If not, I don’t think the seminary yet streams that wonderful service, but perhaps someday!
Enjoy Luther’s robust and gracious theology, Gracia’s eloquent translation, and your Sunday celebration tomorrow whether adorned by the texts and tunes of the Reformation or not. 🙂
Out of the Depths I Cry to You
Out of the depths I cry to you;
O Lord God hear me calling
Incline your ear to my distress
In spite of my rebelling.
Do not regard my sinful deeds.
Send me the grace my spirit needs;
Without it I am nothing.
All things you send are full of grace;
You crown our lives with favor.
All our good works are done in vain
Without our Lord and Savior.
We praise you for the gift of faith;
You save us from the grip of death;
Our lives are in your keeping.
In you alone, O God, we hope,
And not in our own merit.
We rest our fears in your good Word
And trust your Holy Spirit
Your promise keeps us strong and sure;
We trust the cross, your signature,
Inscribed upon our temples.
My soul is waiting for you, Lord,
As one who longs for morning;
No watcher waits with greater hope
Than I for your returning;
I hope as Israel in the Lord,
Who sends redemption through the Word.
Praise God for grace and mercy.
Martin Luther, 1483-1546.
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