Sunday 20 November 2022
Despite the debris of our past,
God brings in a new day,
and blesses us in it.
Luke 24.13-32
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’
He asked them, ‘What things?’
They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’
Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’
Words of Grace For Today
Every once in a while there’s a hymn that should be translated and in the hymnal
Und ein neuer Morgen (Herr, du bist die Hoffnung)
1) Herr/Gott, du bist die Hoffnung, wo Leben verdorrt,
auf steinigem Grund wachse in mir,
sei keimender Same, sei sicherer Ort,
treib Knospen und blühe in mir.
Und ein neuer Morgen bricht auf dieser Erde
an in einem neuen Tag, blühe in mir.
Ref.: Halte mich geborgen,
fest in deiner starken Hand und segne mich,
segne mich und deine Erde.
2) Herr, du bist die Güte, wo Liebe zerbricht,
in kalter Zeit, atme in mir
sei zündender Funke, sei wärmendes Licht,
sei Flamme und brenne in mir.
Und ein neuer Morgen bricht auf dieser Erde
an in einem neuen Tag, brenne in mir.
3) Herr, du bist die Freude, wo Lachen erstickt,
in dunkler Welt, lebe in mir,
sei froher Gedanke, sei tröstender Blick,
sei Stimme und singe in mir.
Und ein neuer Morgen bricht auf dieser Erde
an in einem neuen Tag, singe in mir.
Das Lied stammt aus der Messe “Lied vom Licht“.
Die Original-Chornoten sind über den Verlag www.edition-gl.de erhältlich.
German from
https://www.evangeliums.net/lieder/lied_und_ein_neuer_morgen.html
Roughly Translated:
(see 18 February 2023 for my ‘final’ effort at translating it)
1) Lord/God, you are hope where life withers,
grow in me on stony ground,
be germinating seed, be a safe place,
bring forth buds and bloom in me.
As a new tomorrow breaks on this earth in a new day, blossom in me.
Ref.: Keep me safe, firmly in your strong hand and bless me, bless me and your earth.
2) Lord, you are goodness where love breaks,
in cold time, breathe inside me.
be a spark, be a warming light,
be flame and burn in me.
As a new tomorrow breaks on this earth in a new day, burn in me.
3) Lord, you are joy where laughter is suffocated,
in dark world, live in me,
be a joyful thought, be a comforting look,
be a voice and sing in me.
As a new tomorrow breaks on this earth in a new day, sing in me.
Google translated, refined by TL
Listen to it here on Youtube. The best of the bunch of it that I found.
Here’s the Worship Service in German with Great Music, that begins before and continues after this hymn!
https://www.zdf.de/gesellschaft/gottesdienste:
(Available on ZDF.de usually for a year. After a month or so search for Erinnere dich or 20 November 2022.)
Remember!
Totensonntag,
[All Saints Sunday in Germany] from St. Michael’s, Fürth
remembering those who have died, those we knew, those from conflicts, along the route as refugees in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, those who starved to death, those who died with no one to notice or remember them:
Remembering with small items of/from them.
Remembering
and trusting that even if no one remembers us
God accompanies us, and remembers us,
calls us to remember Jesus,
as the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
and to trust that God,
more than remembers us.
God give us new life after death,
life eternal.
(a short synopsis of the service and sermon.)
For all those no longer in my life, taken from me by sins and death:
Gott, du bist die Hoffnung, wo Leben verdorrt,
… Und ein neuer Morgen bricht auf dieser Erde, an in einem neuen Tag, blühe in uns alle.
…
after further work a translation that scans to the tune:
1) Lord, you are our hope where life withers away,
in clay and on rocks grow full in us,
be germinating seed, be a secure place,
Bring forth fresh buds and bloom bright in us.
And as a new t’morrow breaks on this good planet
forth, in another new day, blossom in us.
Ref- Keep us safe, securely, firm in your great, strong hand and bless us all,
bless us all and this good planet.
2) Lord, you are goodness where love breaks apart,
in cold and dark times, breathe inside us.
be bless’d spirits sparking, be our warming light,
be hot flame, be burning in us.
And as a new t’morrow breaks on this good planet
forth, in another new day, burn bright in us.
Ref- Keep us safe, securely, firm in your great, strong hand and bless us all,
bless us all and this good planet.
3) Lord, you are our joy where laughter is lost,
in deep darkness, live on in us,
be joy filled dreams and thoughts, be comforting looks,
be voices and sing on in us.
And as a new t’morrow breaks on this good planet
forth, in another new day, sing on in us.
Ref- Keep us safe, securely, firm in your great, strong hand and bless us all,
bless us all and this good planet.