Sunday Hymn: Rejoice the Lord Is King

Rejoice, the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He has purged our stains,
He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heav’n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv’n:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord and judge shall come
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

—Charles Wesley

Theological Term of the Week: Augsburg Confession

Augsburg Confession
The oldest Protestant confession and the most significant Lutheran one. It was drafted by Philip Melancthon in order to explain the teachings of the Lutheran churches, and presented to Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at the Imperial Diet in 1530.        

• From the Augsburg Confession:

Article I: Of God.    

Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  And the term “person” they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself.

They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article, as the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other Evil- also the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all such.  They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new, who, contending that there is but one Person, sophistically and impiously argue that the Word and the Holy Ghost are not distinct Persons, but that “Word” signifies a spoken word, and “Spirit” signifies motion created in things.

• From A Summary of Christian History by Robert A Baker and John M. Landers, page 218:

In 1530 Luther was considered an enemy of the Empire, but Melancthon wrote the [Confession of Augsburg] and presented it to the Imperial Diet to explain the teachings of the Lutheran Churches. 

Learn more:

1. Got Questions: What is the Augsburg Confession?
2. Book of Concord Online: The Augsburg Confession
3. A. A. Hodge: A Short History of Creeds and Confessions

Related terms:

• Belgic Confession
• Canons of Dort
• Heidelberg Catechism
• London Baptist Confession
• Westminster Confession 

Filed under Creeds and Confessions

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Sunday Hymn: Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Two tunes, the first sung by an all male chorus, and the second by an all female chorus.

Jesus, lov­er of my soul,
Let me to Thy bo­som fly,
While the near­er wa­ters roll,
While the tem­pest still is high.
Hide me, O my Sav­ior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe in­to the hav­en guide;
O re­ceive my soul at last.

Other re­fuge have I none,
Hangs my help­less soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still supp­ort and com­fort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my de­fense­less head
With the sha­dow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not re­gard my call?
Wilt Thou not ac­cept my pray­er?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gra­cious hand!
While I of Thy strength re­ceive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and be­hold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fall­en, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and ho­ly is Thy name,
I am all un­right­eous­ness;
False and full of sin I am;
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cov­er all my sin;
Let the heal­ing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure with­in.
Thou of life the fount­ain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up with­in my heart;
Rise to all eter­ni­ty.

—Charles Wesley