Kleinig

Oh boy!   I don't know when I'm going to listen to these, but .... oh boy!!!
These are from the Michigan District conference this spring. 

Receptive Piety

Receptive Meditation

Self-Examination    Clearing the Conscience

Vigilance of Spiritual Warfare

Physical Self-Restraint      Fasting / Feasting

Family Altar     Table Devotions for Daily Sanctification

Q & A session

(My "tag" on this is from the Gerhardt

 symposium.  These presentations aren't 

from that 2007 conference, but the same 

theologian is speaking.)

Singing the Devil Away (17)

After Dr Kleinig finished discussing the hymn with us, he talked about the foundation of basic spiritual warfare.

God's law accuses. That is true. And it is good.

Satan is the Accuser. That's what his name means. It's what he does.

How do we make sense of God's good law accusing AND the devil wrongly accusing? Well, Satan accuses even beyond the law. He accuses us of things which the law does not condemn.

The other thing Satan does is remind us of the condemnation due us. He accuses, and his accusations are true. We know we are guilty. We know we have transgressed. We know that Satan is telling the truth [gasp!] when he accuses us of sin. The devil's accusations are not untrue, but his demand for our condemnation IS UNTRUE.

Jesus said, "I will convict the world of ... righteousness, because I go to My Father." The condemnation has been meted out upon Jesus, so the fact that we are guilty in the face of his accusations has absolutely no bearing on whether we stand condemned.

Jesus said, "I will convict the world of ... judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." Who has been judged? Us? No. The Accuser.

The way to combat the devil is to agree with his accusations, but to stop him when he claims you must be condemned for your transgressions. For example, Luther said that we can tell the devil, "Thank you for pointing out that sin. I'd forgotten that one. Now I can thank Jesus for forgiving that one too."


While websurfing for the title of Kleinig's new book, I happened to run across an online transcript of John Kleinig's lectures at the Gerhardt symposium last month. It figures that I find it NOW, after having already summarized the two lectures. LOL.

Singing the Devil Away (16)

The last stanza of Let Me Rise is where Gerhardt finally renounces the depression, as he was encouraging himself to do in the first stanza.

He doesn't deny the reality of the depression.
He doesn't hang onto the depression.
Instead, he sings the devil away.

Dr Kleinig reminded us that the practice of piety involves praying/singing doctrinal hymns and devotional hymns. These hymns teach the heart to sing what is true and what is right, regardless of how we feel. Doctrinal hymns used in our devotions will carry us through times of sorrow and of joy, times of health and of illness, times of highs and lows. Our piety is dependent upon the objective truth of God's word and what He has done to save me. When we sing about it, we are preserved in the faith.

These hymns chase the devil away.

These hymns bring comfort to beseiged Christians. The "comfort" isn't about feeling better. Rather, the comfort is found where doctrine strengthens the soul, where doctrine vivifies faith. God's word sung and prayed will have its effect, regardless of how it hits our emotional state.

Singing the Devil Away (15)

God treats Christian people well
Even in their troubles.
Those who cry a while on earth
Will not wail forever.
They will take complete delight
In Christ's heavenly garden
Which He has prepared for them
For their full enjoyment.

Though God's children sow with tears
In a time of sorrow,
Yet at last the year brings on
All that they have longed for.
After winter comes the time
To bring in the harvest;
Then their pain and trouble bear
Fruit in joy and laughter.

Dr Kleinig pointed out that Paul Gerhardt was speaking from experience here. He was not arguing doctrine in the last four stanzas. Rather, he was just expressing the highs and lows of life that he had experienced. Satan takes these lows and exaggerates them, bringing on depression.

Dr Kleinig talked about the cross being the secret to managing depression and finding joy in life. God uses our sins to refine us. Our sorrow can even increase our capacity for enjoyment of life. In other words, the anfechtung is both good and bad (as is Jesus' cross) and is used by God for our blessing.

Singing the Devil Away (14)

Children whom a father trains
In what's good and wholesome,
Seldom grow and flourish well
Without firm correction.
So if I am God's dear child,
Why should I resist Him
Who instructs me from my sins
To receive His blessings?

I mentioned at the end of the last post that the cross will come, but that it is good. Not only outside afflictions, but even our sins, serve to teach us to receive God's blessings. Anything that crushes us and our self-esteem and our pride in ourselves makes us ever more dependent on a Savior who has done everything for us, leaving nothing undone, leaving nothing in our hands to accomplish. (And that's the only place where we're safe, when nothing is left to our own doing.)

Pr Weedon recently posted a bunch of quotes from our Confessions regardingthe benefits of affliction. Pr Stuckwisch has recently posted some excerpts from Luther on Galatians on the oppression of our sins and our feelings about our trials. And Pr Fenton has a story on wisdom from Elder Paisios that touches on why we don't always enjoy the amendment of life we would desire but instead continue to struggle.

Y'know, given enough years struggling with your sinful nature, and enough years of reveling in the absolution, and enough years of having a faithful pastor talk about the benefits of bearing your cross, a person can almost begin to agree with Paul (!) when he says wildly bizarro things like "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Because, after all, "Why should I resist Him who instructs me from my sins to receive His blessings?"

"Singing the Devil Away" (12)

Gerhardt's song then goes on to make plain that first-article gifts are not enough to counter depression. They are good. They are evidence of what God does out of love for us. But gifts of food and clothing and home cannot counter the devil's attacks. The only antidote to depression is the song of God's Word and the Holy Spirit's enlightenment.

Stanza 10 speaks in sensual terms (as Dr Kleinig mentioned earlier). We taste the doctrine that we long to hear and by which we are refreshed. And when the Holy Spirit opens our minds, then our senses absorb His lovingkindness.

Stanza 11 echoes so many Easter themes. And Epiphany themes. The light in the darkness. The prophets' and the apostles' message. The peaceful conscience which is a peace "not as the world gives." And that these words of the scriptures are the only thing that brings assurance.

Stanza 12 recalls the firm foundation referred to in the previous stanza, and how the devil's efforts cannot topple what God has built. The devil's plans will collapse, but all his railing against God's work will not be able to undo it.

"Singing the Devil Away" (11)

The next verses of Gerhardt's hymn make the case that God's first-article gifts are evidence that He cares.

Stanza 7 says that it's a lie that God doesn't accept us, and that He would not have given all these good things if He were displeased with us. Stanza 8 points out that everything in creation was designed to serve me. Stanza 9 comments on the rain and grass and food that God uses to delight us.

"Singing the Devil Away" (10)

Let the devil rant and rage;
death has lost its danger.
God protects me from his threats
with His grace and favor.
Since He honors me and loves
me as He loves Jesus,
all the devil's scornful taunts
will not make me gloomy.


Just look at all the lines in common with Gerhardt's Advent hymn!

"What though the foes be raging,
heed not their craft and spite.
Your Lord, the battle waging,
will scatter all their might."

and "I stood, my shame bemoaning,
Thou com'st to honor me."

and "Rejoice, then, ye sad-hearted,
who sit in deepest gloom."

And this Gerhardt stanza also reminds us of the ever-so-precious Christmas hymn by Luther (which didn't make it into LSB): "What harm can sin and death then do? The true God now abides with you! Let hell and Satan rage and chafe: Christ is your Brother; you are safe."

"Singing the Devil Away" (9)

Still singing to the TLH tune for "Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain"...

Jesus is my innocence,
righteousness, and glory.
He has gained from me a place
where I live in safety,
like a fortress so secure
that no foe can conquer.
Even hell's artillery
cannot break and take it.

Dr Kleinig pointed out that Gerhardt lived during the time of the Thirty Years War. Previously, fortresses provided protection during war. But gunpowder and cannon had been developed to such a point by this time that cannon would break down the thick walls of castles. So this verse hearkens back to the idea that there actually is an impenetrable fortress where we can find security and safety from our enemy.

"Singing the Devil Away" (8)

If I've sinned and done what's wrong,
Then I say I'm sorry.
My one antidote for guilt
Is the blood of Jesus.
That's the ransom for my soul
From all evil-doing.
If I show it at God's throne,
I have His approval.

Notice that the "I'm sorry" is spoken, but is not the antidote for guilt. Contrition goes hand-in-hand with faith, but is never the thing that gives assurance of forgiveness. The only thing that rescues us from evil-doing (and from the guilt associated with it) is Jesus' blood.

The last couple of lines remind me of "In Thee Alone," where it says about Christ's death and sacrifice:
Lord, show before the Father's throne
That Thou didst for my sin atone.
So shall I from my load be freed.
Thy Word I plead.
Keep me, O Lord, each hour of need.

"Singing the Devil Away" (7)

The Gerhardt hymn "Let Me Rise" goes on with the Christian's response to the devil's accusations. The venom has been removed from Satan's bite. It is the cross of Christ which has crushed Satan's head and provides for us the feast in heaven.

I will shake my head and say:
"Flee, you snake, you dragon!
You can't strike me with your sting.
You can't make me fearful!
Christ has crushed your toxic head
with His painful passion.
He has snatched me from your reach
to His hall for feasting.

"If you tell me I have sinned,
I will answer boldly:
I don't take my lead from you
for my self-appraisal.
Who has given you the right
to condemn God's people?
Aren't you now already stuck
in hell's fiery fury?"

Then the song goes on to tell Satan that he has no right to throw our sin in our faces. And it reminds us of the communion hymn: "Who can condemn me now for surely the Lord is nigh who justifies." And Romans 8: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And the lines from "God's Own Child": telling Satan to "drop his ugly accusation" and "now that to the font I've traveled, all your might has come unraveled."

They say "the winner writes the history." It's true. But that never stopped the devil from trying to rewrite history from his own perspective. They also say that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. That's what the devil is aiming for with his accusations!

"Singing the Devil Away" (6)

Dr Kleinig suggested that the response to Satan's accusations is to call the devil's bluff. Satan says there is no hope for a sorry sinner like me. He says there is forgiveness only for Christians, but surely I am no Christian. He says the troubles of my life are proof that God doesn't care about me. But it's all a lie. All a bluff. All a scam.

Paul Gerhardt's hymn "Schwing dich auf zu deinem Gott" was recently translated by Dr Kleinig. It is a "song of comfort in dpression and temptation." (By the way, it is sung to the tune of the same title, known among American Lutherans as TLH 204.)

Rise, my soul, up high to God
from the pit of sadness!
Why remain down there, depressed?
Why despise His goodness?
Can't you see the devil's tricks,
scheming to attack you?
He is set to fog and hush
all Christ's words of comfort.

Joy is indicative of our life in Christ. Depression is the result of the devil's attacks. When a soul is oppressed, the sinful nature will hang onto the depression and turn away from God's joy.

"Singing the Devil Away" (5)

Satan will use anxiety, doubt, despair, depression, shame, self-pity, etc, to drive us from Jesus. The temptation to despair is to believe that there is no hope, no comfort, no forgiveness, for me. Sure, there is forgiveness for sinners, but surely not for me.

When depression and shame overwhelm us, we need to listen to Jesus. His voice will hush the voice of Satan. But when we do not listen to Jesus (either through neglect in prosperous days, or because of doubts and despair in painful days), then the voice of Satan will fill the void. His accusations will taunt if we are not hearing the comforting voice of the Savior.

During these times of spiritual warfare, we pray for the Holy Spirit to sustain us in the Word, and to keep us in contact with the Word.

We also rely on the angels to protect us from demonic attack. They pray for us. They guard us (especially in the dangers of the night). The angels too "sing the devil away from us" by preaching God's Word in the unseen realms.

I walk with angels all the way.
They shield me and befriend me.
All Satan's power is held at bay
When heavenly hosts attend me.
They are my sure defense;
All fear and sorrow hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may,
I walk with angels all the way.

"Singing the Devil Away" (4)

Between our trip to the Gerhardt symposium and our daughter's wedding, I typed up some notes on Dr Kleinig's lecture Singing with Devotion, Dr Krispin's lecture Confession of Christ in Song and Sacrament, as well as starting to think through Dr Kleinig's lecture on Singing the Devil Away. Now that we've begun to recuperate from the hustle and bustle of the wedding, maybe I can work my way through the rest of my notes from the Canada trip.

In Genesis 3, we hear about the serpent. Dr Kleinig pointed out that serpents bite. Satan will harm us. He will bite. We will sin. Satan will accuse. He will tempt us not only to sin, but to believe that there is no forgiveness for us when we do sin.

We are also harmed when others inflict pain upon us through no fault of our own. These too are wounds (bites) from the serpent Satan.

But Satan's venom has been removed. When he bites and harms us now, there is no poison in his attacks. Christ took upon Himself all the poison that Satan had. He accepted the venom into His own flesh.

So, even though Satan bites and harms, it is not deadly. He may damage us, but the sting has been removed.


It was a strange and dreadful strife
When Life and Death contended.
The victory remained with Life;
The reign of Death was ended.
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That Death is swallowed up by Death,
His sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

"Singing the Devil Away" (3)

Dr Kleinig pointed out that Satan mocks. Notice that liberals (either secular or in the church) don't often argue or debate with conservative Christians. Mostly they just mock us.

"Singing the Devil Away" (2)

Continuation of an earlier post.

Paul Gerhardt had no interest in demonology -- an intellectual study of demons and Satan. He simply wanted to equip Christians with God's Word for the exercise of spiritual warfare.

The "battle with Satan" was NOT something happening in the Thirty Years War. It was NOT a physical battle for control of Germany or control of the church. The battle with Satan that matters is what happens in the conscience when Satan accuses. It doesn't matter to Satan whether we have sinned or not; he manages to accuse either way.

Often these spiritual battles are waged in the deep hours of the night. There's something about the darkness that is not just the lack of sunshine, but the darkness of unbelief. It's all about attacking FAITH.

Kleinig: "Singing the Devil Away" (1)

Like my notes on Krispin's lecture, my notes on Kleinig's second lecture are not representative of all the wonderful things he said. His second lecture at the Gerhardt symposium was on spiritual warfare. So much of what he spoke was preaching (with all its sweetness and comfort) and only part of his talk was "lecture" and information. And you don't usually take notes during preaching! You listen to Jesus' sweet-talk. I'm just saying this because what I'm going to write is so inadequate in light of what was actually said.


Dr Kleinig spoke on May 8 about how Gerhardt's beliefs about Satan are embarrassing to us today. Modern man doesn't take Satan seriously. Our popular sensibilities see Satan as a symbol of evil. But Paul Gerhardt recognized the reality of Satan as a person, an enemy of God, an enemy of the Christian. Gerhardt knew something about spiritual warfare.

Dr Kleinig reminded us that it takes prayer, meditation on the Word, and anfechtung [spiritual attack by Satan] when one studies theology. Although Satan attacks Christians with the intent of destroying faith, anfechtung paradoxically teaches us to experience the sweetness and comfort of God's word. When we are attacked, our confidence in ourselves is shot to pieces, and we learn that the only thing that matters is God's word and His love. So Satan inadvertently drives us to Jesus.

And that's why the apostle said that he rejoiced in his infirmities.

Krispin: "Confession of Christ in Song and Sacrament"

Dr Krispin from Concordia Edmonton spoke on Tuesday morning at the recent Paul Gerhardt symposium. Although Krispin had an interesting and well-put-together lecture, I didn't do a good job taking notes, and thus have a lot of disconnected thoughts jotted down.

Although "stories behind the hymns" may be told, many of these are not true, but developed later.

Krispin reinforced Kleinig's comments that the "I" of Gerhardt's hymns is not an individualistic, pietistic thing. He also reminded us that Gerhardt squeezed lots of Bible-story references into his poetry.

Gerhardt was firmly committed to the Formula of Concord. At times, he had to choose between his vow before Christ (at ordination) and the obedience due his king. The Thirty Years War also had a profound effect on his life. Without his fierce attachment to Lutheran doctrine, and without the anfechtung [suffering] in his life, Gerhardt would never have been able to write the hymns he did.

For many of Gerhardt's hymns, tunes were written by the publisher (Crueger) to be attached to particular texts.

People would not often sing from hymnals during church in the 1600s. They would sing from memory. People would sing all the verses at home when they had family prayers. People would learn all the stanzas when they were memorizing the hymns. All 15. Or all 27. Didn't matter how many -- they'd learn the whole thing.

The pastors recognized that heresy came into the church through even minor changes in wording of hymns. Gerhardt was careful to speak the truth clearly against Calvinism.

The altar at Gerhardt's church was adorned with a veil that had a large picture of Christ's face, beaten and bloody, with a crown of thorns. After he'd been pastor there for five years, celebrating the Supper with that image before his eyes, he wrote "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded."

Gerhardt wrote his communion hymn -- "O Lord, My Love, I Have No Rest" -- in 1667. It was his legacy to his congregation when he was fired by the government for refusing to compromise with the Reformed. Pastor Gerhardt expected that heresy would soon be on its way into his congregation, so he wrote this hymn to counter it. He knew that, even if he wasn't there, the words of the hymn would be powerful to catechize the people properly into true doctrine. What is preached from the pulpit is very important. But Gerhardt knew that the words the people memorized and sang would even more strongly influence what they believed.

"Singing with Devotion" (5)

Finally, Gerhardt's hymns are founded upon a physical piety. This is something alien to our modern sensibilities. Kleinig said that today we tend to live more in our heads than in our bodies.

In this section of his lecture, Kleinig first talked about how "physical" and "spiritual" are not opposites. Pr Esget touched on this in a blogpost several weeks ago. Last week Pr Petersen summarized what Kleinig said on this topic when he was speaking at Fort Wayne on May 10-12.

Gerhardt's hymns are very physical, but that doesn't mean they aren't spiritual. They're actually more spiritual than they'd be without the references to sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. After all, the true God uses created things to reach us with His gifts.

Our senses must be awakened by God so that we can receive the multitude of blessings He sends to our eyes, ears, and mouths. All five senses are used in Christian meditation and during Christian worship. But the senses are not used to reach out to God. No, they are the organs by which we receive what He gives to us.

In the original language, Gerhardt's hymns are loaded with vivid imagery: pictures of what was happening in Bible stories. He becomes the Lamb that taketh sin away and for aye full atonement maketh. Or I lay in fetters groaning; Thou comest to set me free. Or be Thou my Rod and Staff and Guide and draw me safely to Thy side. Or He whom the sea and wind obey doth come to serve the sinner in great meekness. But the images are often lost in translation and come out as "concepts" and "ideas."

We often come across the word "sweet" in Gerhardt's hymns, which is only one of the ways he alludes to the sense of taste. And oh, how oft Thy voice hath shed its sweetness o'er me.

There are also lots of references to touch: embracing, hugging, holding out the hand to one who is needy. For God's own Child in mercy mild joins thee to Him -- how greatly God must love thee! Or let me in my arms receive Thee; on Thy breast let me rest, Savior, ne'er to leave Thee.



Dr Kleinig concluded his first symposium lecture by discussing the JOYFUL PIETY that was part of Gerhardt's life and which comes through in his hymns. It was a spirituality of the cross. A spirituality which lamented human pain. But a spirituality where joy was pervasive!

"Singing with Devotion" (4)

Gerhardt's hymn show evidence of a sacramental piety. His hymns presuppose that Christians are participating regularly in the Divine Service, receiving the Sacraments. The hymns help catechize on what is going on with the sacraments, teaching about what we receive there.

Not only Kleinig but many of the speakers made reference to the abundance of sacramental references in Gerhardt's hymns that didn't come through in the English translations.
a) "All the best stanzas didn't make it into English."
b) The images and references to the sacraments often do not come through. As Dr Kleinig said, when translators must render concepts into English along with the constraints of the meter and rhyme, there just isn't much ability to set forth the images in the German poetry.
c) He pointed out how sometimes a hymn would talk about the life-giving nature of "Christ's blood," but be translated as the life-giving nature of "Christ's cross." Certainly nothing wrong with extolling Christ's cross. But the benefits of that cross are poured out to us in the blood of the Supper, and we've lost something when that doesn't come through in translation.