444. Proper 29 (Series B)

The lessons for this service, the last Sunday of the church year during Nov. 20-26, are either Isaiah 51:4-6 or Daniel 7:9-10 skipping to 13-14, either Jude 20-25 or Revelation 1:4b-8, and either Mark 13:24-37 or John 18:33-37, apparently because the lectionary people lost count of the number of Sundays after Trinity (or, probably, Pentecost) and couldn't bear to let the extra one go. It's one of those Sundays when you find out which set of texts you're working with when the church publishing house sends out its proprietary bulletin insert for the week; by which time, dollars to donuts, you've prepared for the other set.

The tune is ES IST GENUG (a.k.a. AUGSBURG, a.k.a. GOTT IST GETREU), attr. Johann Rudolph Ahle (1560), from Drittes Zehn neuer geistlicher Arien (Mühlhausen, 1672). One may find it paired, in anywhere from one to four or more hymnals each, with "I am content," "Lead on, O Lord," "My course is run," "O Father, Thou who hast created all," "There still is room," not to mention some beautiful arrangements by J.S. Bach and (complete with Bach's arrangement) a violin concerto by Alban Berg. It has a Lydian mode thing going on that you don't see in a lot of hymn tunes, which gives it a striking, if not unique, character.

"My realm," said Jesus, "is not of this world;
Else would my hosts resist,
That I might not for sinful man be killed;
But I have come for this,
That all the world with good news reaching,
I may save them who trust My teaching."
Amen, we sing!
Come soon, dear King!

"Watch," Jesus said, "and recognize the signs
That show the end is near,
Lest unprepared the Lord His servant finds
When swiftly He appears!
The stars will fall and heaven shatter
When angels all My chosen gather."
Amen, we sing!
Come soon, dear King!

Says He, "My law will run ahead of me;
My justifying Word
To all the peoples saving light will be,
Whereso its sound is heard.
Though earth and heaven be demolished,
My righteousness is ne'er abolished."
Amen, we sing!
Come soon, dear King!

To Him whose love has cleansed our ev'ry stain
Through His redeeming blood,
Be glory now and till He comes again,
Our Savior and our God.
Alpha, Omega, all creation
Groans for the day of restoration:
Amen, we sing!
Come soon, dear King!