Yesterday in our worship services we sang a hymn and a new song written approximately 500 years apart. We sang Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress Is Our God alongside A Mighty Fortress by Christy and Nathan Nockels. At the end of the first and second verses of Luther's A Mighty Fortress..., we went right to the chorus of Nockel's A Mighty Fortress. Since both songs were in the same key, it worked perfectly.
Martin Luther wrote his timeless classic right after nailing his 95 theses to the Catholic church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. It is said that Luther would gather other reformers together for worship and prayer and they would sing this wonderful hymn as encouragement during some of the darkest days of the Reformation. Luther based the lyric of his hymn on Psalm 46. Verses 1-3 say; God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Verse 7 says; The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (emphasis mine)
Verse 1of Luther's hymn reads;
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark (strong wall) never failing;
Our helper He a mid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe (enemy), doth seek to work us woe (temptation to sin).
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
The second verse of Christy and Nathan Nockel's song says;
Our God is jealous for His own. None could comprehend His love and His mercy.
Our God is exalted on His throne, high above the heavens, forever He is worthy.
And we will keep our eyes on You. We will keep our eyes on You.
(chorus) A mighty fortress is our God. A sacred refuge is Your name.
Your kingdom is unshakable, with You forever we will reign.
What wonderful music to encourage our hearts. Words from the Reformation and the 21st century to help us worship God.
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