From the manger newborn light

Shines in glory through the night.

Darkness there no more resides;

In this light faith now abides.

—“Savior of the Nations, Come,” stanza 7

I didn’t have much exposure to hymnody prior to joining the Lutheran church. In the previous churches I’d attended, we sang some of what I call the “oldies but goodies”: “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” and others. But most of the songs were contemporary and involved singing the same stanzas and refrains repeatedly. And at Christmastime, we focused on the usual hymns, like “Silent Night,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and so forth.

Don’t get me wrong: I love all of those hymns! They’re popular for a reason. Even so, over the past twenty years, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed familiarizing myself with the depth and breadth of hymnody—particularly ancient hymnody.

The churches I attended prior to my foray into Lutheranism didn’t observe Advent, so I never had any exposure to the hymns often sung during that season. These have become some of my favorites to sing each year, including “Savior of the Nations, Come.” This hymn is attributed to Ambrose of Milan and dates back to the fourth century. The original Latin title was “Veni Redemptor Gentium,” and Martin Luther translated the hymn into German as “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” in 1523.

One time a pastor of mine quipped, “Do you think people will be singing the latest pop song a hundred years from now?” I tend to think no. I’d take it even further and ask: Do we think people will be singing the latest pop song more than 1,600 years from now? I definitely think not.

In my opinion, the reason older hymns are so enduring is because they’re steeped in Scripture and invite those who are singing or listening to deeply ponder God’s truths.

Music was one of the earliest gifts the Lord gave to humanity. In Genesis 4:21, we read about Jubal, one of Cain’s descendants, who is described as “the father of all those who play the harp and lute. The Bible is full of songs and contains a whole songbook, the psalms. Singing to and about God is one of the most beautiful ways to honor and glorify him—and to encourage and edify one another.

If you’re unfamiliar with the older hymns still being sung in churches today, I encourage you to explore some of these wonderful pieces! You can start with this choral performance of “Savior of the Nations, Come.”

With love in Christ,

Amanda

xoxo

Scripture taken from the New King James Version^®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“Savior of the Nations, Come.” Lyrics attributed to Ambrose of Milan. Translated by F. Samuel Janzow. Public Domain Use.