See Where You May to Find a Way (LSB 557)
Trinity 17
George Weissel 1590-1635 was a pastor in Koenigsberg, Prussia. His hymn, “Seek Where You May” is a wonderful hymn that describes the Gospel of Christ as the only way for our salvation. The connection to the Gospel lesson is sparse, but we can say that the Pharisees looked for their righteousness in the observance of the Law (in this case, the Sabbath), while Jesus fulfilled the law of love on our behalf to heal us. They hymn is full of great dogmatic assertions, such as “His Word is sure, / His works endure,” and “We’re justified / Because He died.” The entire hymn is didactic, that is, it teaches and applies dogmatic truths to our souls. Who is this Jesus? “The God-man and none other.” He is the one who serves us as our King, and his goal is to lead us all to heaven.
Triune God Be Thou our Stay (LSB 505)
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Today’s Gospel in Mark 9 talks about the horrible punishment for those who cause believers to fall away from Christ. The spiritual surgery that Christ requires leaves us practically disemboweled. This is why we appeal to the name of the Triune God in which we are baptized. This is the protection we need in the battle against sin and causing offense. Martin Luther wrote this hymn to encourage us in our fight against the flesh, so that we do not rely at all on our natural powers but entirely on the grace of God. For the Church to sing this hymn after hearing this Gospel lesson makes a lot of sense. The only cure for the infection of sin is the grace of God.
Rev. Mark Preus serves as a campus pastor at St. Andrews in Laramie, WY.