Thy Strong Word - Thomas Williams / Martin Franzmann, lyricist / Carl Schalk (Litt.D. ‘17), arranger Concordia Choirs, Church Choirs, & Assembly / Concordia Brass / Tom Mueller, organ / Michael Busch, conductor / Text © 1969, Setting © 1974, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced with permission.
Reformation 500: An Evening of Word & Song
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“In the beginning….” The beginning. Before anything was made. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God" (John 1:1–3). One with the Father from eternity. God of God. Light of Light. True God of True God. The unity and community of Trinity is Perfect. Complete.
Before all things, God is. Knowing all creatures yet to be made. Taking joy in his very good creation. Fully aware of what they would do to his gloriously perfect work: how they would seek darkness instead of his light. Foreseeing that his creation and his creatures would need redemption. Incarnation. Crucifixion. Knowing all this, its terrible cost, and more, God still began humanity’s story—our story—with a word.
In the beginning, God created.... darkness was over the face of the deep… the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (Genesis 1:1–4)
Our collective human story begins in darkness. So, too, the story of each person, beginning in the darkness of a womb where you were fearfully and wonderfully made. With each new life, God’s creative blessing is seen anew.
But that blessed beginning is shrouded in another darkness. From that conception and birth, we know the darkness of sin and death, sickness and struggle, loneliness and despair. Though life has its joys, we long for more. We crave true, good, lasting light to guide our way.
Advent, the season of preparation, begins in darkness. In expectation, we light candles that grow in number and brightness through the passing days. We look forward to celebrating again the promise of God fulfilled. Our darkness awaits the Divine Word who will shine on us, for In him was life and that life was the light of humanity (John 1:4).
The light of creation split the dark void with life-giving power. The life-giving light of Christ shines even more powerfully in darkened lives and hearts. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).