378. Proper 29 (Series A)

Rejoice with me, for as of this hymn I've completed my first lap of this hymn-writing marathon, featuring every Sunday of Year A of the LSB 3-year series. After this, and before I commence with Year B, I plan to break to write a couple hymns that have been pushed to the side during his last, thrilling push to the end of Series A – such as a long-contemplated dedication hymn for the book this project will eventually inhabit, and an "anti-Dies irae" that, I swear, I've been thinking about writing since even before the hymn for Proper 28.

So, the lessons for this last Sunday of the church year, Nov. 20-26, are Ezekiel 34:11-16 skipping to 20-24, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 and Matthew 25:31-46 (the sheep and the goats). And of course, I've already written a hymn about the sheep and the goats. The tune is UPP, MIN TUNGA from Koralpsalmboken (Stockholm, 1697), a.k.a. RIDDARHOLM, which both SBH and LBW paired with "Praise the Savior, now and ever."

Christ, our Shepherd, daily guiding
All His lambs with patient grace,
Presently will come, dividing
Sheep from goats before His face:
Cheering these, the others chiding,
He will judge His ransomed race.

Well may thoughts of judgment daunt you,
Oft as sins your conscience stain,
Or the crafty serpent taunt you
For your share in Jesus' pain.
Yet His blood must never haunt you;
By it you are born again.

In the spirit Jesus led you
To baptism's healing brink;
With His body truly fed you,
And His blood gave you to drink.
From sin's prison Jesus pled you
Just, acquitted in a blink.

You were naked, when He clothed you
In Himself, God's cherished Son;
Were estranged, and Justice loathed you,
Till He made you hence at one,
Every kind of kindness showed you,
All the Law's demands saw done.

With Him as your Judge appointed,
Little lamb, why do you quake?
Trust the Lord and His Anointed,
Who Your cause will surely take.
Face Him, sober but undaunted,
Counted righteous for His sake.

Then rejoice when Jesus tells you
"You did all this unto Me,"
For He actively indwells you,
Working out His own decree
Till His upward summons fills you,
Opening eternity.