The Twin Steeples Podcast

Hymn 332 - Arm These Thy Soldiers, Mighty LORD

We will be celebrating the confirmation of several of our young people this weekend in our worship service. Confirmation is an opportunity for the Christian (young or old) to declare before their fellow believers their Christian faith and to assure their fellow believers that they are agreed with them on the teachings of Scripture as they prepare to join them in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. As the confirmands make this profession of their faith, their fellow believers join in praying for the LORD to keep them in that faith, and give them strength as they join us in the fight of faith against the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.

With this in mind, we will be singing a hymn that is especially appropriate for Confirmation. The hymn "Arm These Thy Soldiers, Mighty Lord" was written by Christopher Wordsworth (who was the nephew of the famous poet William Wordsworth). Christopher Wordsworth was classically trained and extremely gifted in many ways. Even though he was extremely intelligent and thoroughly rooted in Scripture, his hymns are very simple and down to earth as we will see in this hymn.  

The hymn is primarily based on Ephesians 6:13-18: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

This hymn reminds us that our Triune God is the only one who is able to sustain us and give us the strength and tools that we need in this battle. So we go to Him in prayer, for our confirmation students and for all of us, asking for Him to be with us and bless us in the work that He has called us to as His people and soldiers in His army. As we do so, we rejoice in the final destination of heaven and the crown of righteousness which is ours because of Jesus' work for us on Calvary.  

Join us as we encourage these young people in their faith walk this weekend, and as we reflect on our own service in the Lord's army. We joyfully join together to praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost -- our Triune God, for all that God has done to secure our salvation! 

April 23, 2025

• Devotion
  • Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

 

• Announcements
  • No Sunday School and Bible Class
  • Holy Week Recap
  • Voters Meeting
  • Board of Deacons
  • Church Choir
  • Men's Breakfast
  • No Ladies Bible Study
  • Confirmation - April 27
  • Recessed Voters' Meeting
  • Ladies' Auxiliary
  • Banquet
  • Adopt-a-Highway - May 10

 

• Prayer List 
  • Pastor John Hein
  • Pastor Tim Wheaton
  • Jim Lien
  • Lilia Howley
  • Ethan Kranz
  • Dave Busse
  • Nila Strege
  • Family of Leah
  • Family of Melvin Krueger
  • Mrs. Busch and Mr. Hanel
  • Missions in Togo

 

• Hymn:TLH 425 “All Depends on Our Possessing”

Hymn 732 - Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds

This weekend we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead in our weekend worship. Over the past  40 days of Lent, we have removed the Alleluia's from the hymns and responses in our liturgy to focus on the somber reality of Christ's suffering for us and in humble repentance over our sins. Now this weekend, our Alleluia's will joyfully return. The word Alleluia is the Greek version of the Hebrew word Hallelujah. Both words mean: Praise the LORD, or Praise Yahweh (the Triune God). We will be singing the praises of God in our worship this weekend!

Hymn 732 in the Worship Supplement was written by an American Lutheran pastor, Paul Zeller Strodach, who grew up in Pennsylvania. 

This hymn reminds us of the joy of the angels who rejoice over one sinner who repents, and who long to look into the salvation God has accomplished through the life and death of Jesus.  The Apostle Paul writes: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57) This is the victory we celebrate in the resurrection of Jesus. Through His resurrection we have the gift of eternal life and the blessing of the work of the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith through word and sacrament, and the assurance of our Savior's presence in our lives no matter what we might face in this world of sin. 

So we sing "Alleluia" -- Praise the LORD, for His resurrection and completed work of salvation for us. 

Join us for our resurrection worship this weekend as we joyfully proclaim Jesus' victory over sin and death and its meaning for us now and for eternity! 

April 16, 2025

• Devotion
  • Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

 

• Announcements
  • No Sunday School and Bible Class
  • Cemetery Cleanup Day
  • Congregational Meeting
  • Principal Call
  • Holy Week Schedule
  • Church Choir
  • Men's Breakfast
  • No Ladies Bible Study
  • Voters' Meeting
  • Confirmation

 

• Prayer List 
  • Pastor John Hein
  • Pastor Tim Wheaton
  • Jim Lien
  • Lilia Howley
  • Ethan Kranz
  • Dave Busse
  • Nila Strege
  • Mr. Fischer and Mrs. Roettger
  • Missions in Congo

 

• Hymn: TLH 169 “Jesus Christ, Our Lord Most Holy”

Hymn 725 - No Tramp of Soldiers' Marching Feet

This weekend we are studying a hymn by an Anglican Pastor, Timothy Dudley-Smith. Smith was ordained by the Church of England in 1950 and over the 40 years of his ministry wrote hundreds of hymns some of which have been included in more modern Lutheran hymnals. We have several of his hymns in our Worship Supplement. 

The Palm Sunday hymn "No Tramp of Soldiers' Marching Feet" not only summarizes the events of Palm Sunday recorded in the Gospels by the evangelists, but goes on to detail how many people on that first Palm Sunday missed the ultimate purpose for Jesus' coming to this earth. 

Jesus was not welcomed by powerful people and leaders, but by the poor, common and lowly (including children). Although He was not received as He should have been and the King of Creation and Savior of the world, He came anyway. He came in humility and in fulfillment of God's promises recorded in the Old Testament. Nothing was going to prevent Jesus from carrying out His work of salvation. The world would ultimately know Jesus for who and what He truly was!

But it would not be an easy road. His road meant suffering, rejection by men, abandonment by God, all so that He could bear the punishment for sinful man's rebellion against God. But the world will know Jesus on the last day. Jesus has carried out the work of salvation. He lived, died, and victoriously rose from death. His people, and all people, will acknowledge Him as King when He returns in glory on the last day.  

Join us for worship this weekend as we joyfully proclaim Jesus as our King and our Savior from sin.