Music for Reminiscere-Second Sunday in Lent

Our Savior and Our Advocate   The HYMN OF THE DAY, “When in the Hour of Deepest Need” (615) is based on the words of King Jehoshaphath in 2 Chronicles 20.12: “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”  Author Paul Eber (1511-1569) also used a Latin hymn of his professor at Nürnberg, Joachim Camerarius (1500-1574), for inspiration.

Eber, physically handicapped by a horse-riding mishap, was also a student in Wittenberg, where he studied with Luther and Melanchthon, and later became pastor of the Castle Church.

In faith, in the hour of deepest need, when we know not where to look for aid, we, like the woman of Canaan in the Gospel, cry out to Our Lord.

The PRELUDE is a partita setting of this hymn by Johann Michael Bach (1648-1694), a cousin of J.S. Bach.  Johann Michael Bach served as the kantor in Gehren.  Additionally, he was a harpsichord builder.

I Trust, O Lord, Your Promise True  The ENTRANCE HYMN, “I Trust, O Christ, in You Alone” (insert), was written by Johann Schneesing (d. 1567) around 1540.  Martin Luther included it in a hymnal that he helped to compile in 1545.  It has been described as “a presentation of the Christian life in a nutshell” and “an immortal hymn of prayer of a confident faith.”

Schnessing was a leader of Reformation hymnody, writing texts and composing music, having studied under Johannes Stigelius (1515-1562).  Schnessing emphasized teaching children through the singing of hymns.