Deacon April Boyden on hymns of gratitude during trying times

Perhaps you read The Christian Century and saw Peter Marty’s piece on Lutheran Pastor Martin Rinkart who in 1636 wrote the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God”.  I did a little more reading about such.  It was during the 30 years war and about five years into a time when his town of Eilenburg was overwhelmed by refugees fleeing invasion. There was famine and pestilence.  Some 8,000 people died in one year. He was doing 50 plus funerals a day sometimes, and often more than 400 each week.  

In the midst of trying times, he wrote the hymn as a table grace for parishioners who likely had little on their tables.  

I am amazed at all he and his colleagues and parishioners and neighbors endured. (We have the slightest taste of it.)

Marty talked about the “human resource” of being together in community, something so challenging now.  

I am moved to pray the text of Sirach 50:22-24 upon which he reflected and based his hymn:

“And now bless the God of all things, the doer of great deeds everywhere, who has exalted our days from the womb and has acted mercifully toward us.
May God grant us cheerful hearts and bring peace in our time….May God’s mercy be faithfully with us; May God redeem us in our own times!”

Bless you.

—Deacon April Boyden