The Center for Church MusicA Mighty Fortress is Our God

The following hymn is linked directly from The Center for Church Music, which I encourage you to visit. There is a wealth of material, beautifully performed, and with a great deal of history and background to the hymns and their writers, and numerous listening options. I plan on linking to their hymns often.

I don't know about you, but I miss the old hymns terribly. They had something to teach us out of our own mouths even as we sang. And, for the most part, God was the object and the subject of them. The music itself is not the focus; the virtuosity of singers or musicians does not elbow itself to the fore; there is not the endless repetition of mindless phrases calculated to "set the mood". There is simply an appreciation and worship of God, often in His own words, for the revelation of Himself in His Son, in the world, and in our hearts.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God - Martin Luther


[Here is the direct link to the page for this hymn at the original site]


A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.