Connecting the Introit to Hymnody

I think that oftentimes the Introit is one of those pieces of liturgy that we sing or speak, but we don't really pay attention to how it connects to the rest of the worship service.  There is always so much emphasis on the Readings and how they connect to the sermon and to the hymns that the Introit (or Psalm, depending on what your church uses) gets de-emphasized.  This week I tried to chose a hymn that could be tied to the Introit.  If your church uses the Psalm in place of the Introit (this week it was Psalm 85), you might want to take a look at LSB 917:  Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise.

From the July 15th bulletin:

Connecting Liturgy to Hymnody:  Psalm 143

     As we close service today, we sing the Chinese hymn, Greet the Rising Sun (LSB 871).  This hymn is reminiscent of the words of Psalm 143 that we chanted in the Introit earlier in the service.  The first stanza of the hymn reminds us of the beautiful morning God has given to us as we came to “hear in the morning of your steadfast love” (Ps. 143:8a).  “Father, hear my prayer” we cry with David (stanza two; Ps. 143:1).  David wrote that “no one living is righteous before you” (Ps. 143:2).  We recognized this when we confessed our sins this morning and when we came to the Lord’s Table to receive the forgiveness He won for us because of our unrighteousness.  With David we declare “for in you I trust” (Ps. 143:8a) as we acknowledge that “knowing all I need from Your kindness springs” (stanza three).  David cries in verse 11 for God to “preserve my life” and “bring my soul out of trouble!”  So too we ask God to “sanctify my thoughts, all I do and say” (stanza two) and “let no evil thought cloud the clear blue sky” (stanza three) as we go about our day and our week.

-Kristen

“Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.”

Ps. 143:8b