The Twin Steeples Podcast

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. 

April 9, 2025

• Devotion
  • Ecclesiastes 1:12-15

 

• Announcements
  • Sunday School and Bible Class
  • Church Cleanup Day
  • Midweek Lent Service
  • Church Choir
  • Men's Breakfast
  • Ladies Bible Study
  • Cemetery Cleanup Day
  • Congregational Meeting
  • Anchored in Hope
  • Holy Week (April 13-20)
  • Voters' Meeting

 

• Prayer List 
  • Pastor John Hein
  • Pastor Tim Wheaton
  • Jim Lien
  • Lilia Howley
  • Ethan Kranz
  • Dave Busse
  • Margaret Wheaton
  • Nila Strege
  • Mr. Heinze and Mr. Mariner
  • Attack of CLCI Leaders
  • War in Mayanmar

 

• Hymn: TLH 294 “O Word of God Incarnate”

Hymn 462 - I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord

The hymn we study this weekend was written by Timothy Dwight, a Reformed pastor and teacher at the time of the founding of our country. He was the grandson of revivalist, Jonathan Edwards, and a scholar by his own right. He was known by George Washington, and the President of Yale University. 

This is the only hymn that we have by Dwight in our hymnal, and sadly, some of the greater verses have been dropped out of other hymnals to make in more palatable to modern sensitivities (notably verses 3 and 6).

It is found in the "Communion of Saints" section of our hymnal and is full of Biblical imagery for the church. The church, or the communion of saints, all believers, is referred to as "her" based on the picture of the church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5). The hymn is a reminder that every Christian is a part of the whole of God's church. We are connected, not only to God, but also to one another. Because of this we join together in prayer and praise and encourage and support one another with our prayers as well as support. It is also through the visible church that the LORD imparts His gifts to His people through the "blest communion" and the Word by which God make rich promises to us of forgiveness and life, and in response we make promises to Him to be faithful to Him and in our use of His gifts. We dare not abuse His altar either by neglect or by aggression against Him or His people. 

The hymn points us to Jesus as our Redeemer, as True God, our Savior and the victory He has secured for us over our enemies. So we declare His word of Truth in confidence of His return on the Last Day and our joyful reunion with Him and all His people for eternity!

Isaiah says “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). As sure as we are that God’s Word of Truth will last, we can also be certain that the church will finally inherit the eternal life Jesus came to win. 

Join us this weekend as join together with our fellow believers to rejoice in God's gift of the CHURCH, both the fellowship that we have with Him through His Word and Sacraments, and the fellowship that He had created between believers united in faith and confession. What great blessings are ours!

May the LORD bless your hymns of praise and thanksgiving to the True God this weekend!