God's Word Is Our Great Heritage, ELW 509; "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," ELW 504
God's Word is Our Great Heritage
God's Word is our great heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way;
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant while time shall last
Your Church may hold it fast
Throughout all generations.
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
A mighty fortress is our God,
a sword and shield victorious;
he breaks the cruel oppressor's rod
and wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
has sworn to work us woe!
With craft and dreadful might
he arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
No strength of ours can match his might!
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
whom God himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is he!
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God's only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
Though hordes of devils fill the land
all threat'ning to devour us,
we tremble not, unmoved we stand;
they cannot over-pow'r us.
Let this world's tyrant rage;
in battle we'll engage!
His might is doomed to fail;
God's judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
God's Word forever shall abide,
no thanks to foes, who fear it;
for God himself fight by our side
with weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
goods, honor, child, or spouse,
though life be wrenched away,
they cannot win the day.
The kingdom's ours forever!
Devotion
We Lutherans love to sing both #509 (God’s Word is Our Great Heritage) and #504 (A Mighty Fortress is Our God) in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. The melodies are the same (Ein Feste Burg), but the texts are not. The words of A Mighty Fortress are like a national anthem. But I love the text by the Danish hymn writer, N. F. S. Gruntvig, born 300 years later than Martin Luther.
This hymn is like a confession of faith and also a calling for Christians: “God’s word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever ... Through life it guides our way; in death it is our stay. Lord, grant while time shall last your church may hold it fast throughout all generations.”
Both versions have had a huge influence in the spread of the gospel. Take a moment today to hum the tune and consider how you might share this heritage with someone in your life.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, steeples may be falling, but your love for the Church is steadfast. Keep us faithful. Amen.