Christ, Our Blessed Savior
our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
(2 Timothy 1:10 ESV)
During the Middle Ages, congregational singing largely disappeared from the church, replaced by professional choristers whose songs accompanied the Mass. The pre-Reformation hero John Hus began writing some of the first of what would become known as Protestant hymns.
After Hus was martyred, Bishop Luke of Prague printed history’s first hymnbook in a vernacular language. It was published on January 13, 1501. Luther’s German hymnal appeared later, in 1519; and the first hymnbook with musical notes appeared in 1531.
To this day, many Lutheran hymnals feature this great communion hymn by the Bohemian reformer John Hus:
Christ, our Blessed Savior
Turned away God’s wrath forever;
By His bitter grief and woe
He saved us from the evil Foe.As His pledge of love undying
He, this precious food supplying,
Gives His body with the bread
And with the wine the blood He shed.Praise the Father, Who from heaven
Unto us such food hath given
And, to mend what we have done,
Gave into death His only Son.If thy heart this truth professes,
And thy mouth thy sin confesses,
His dear guest thou here shalt be,
And Christ Himself shall banquet thee.
Morgan, Robert J. (2010-10-01). Near to the Heart of God (Kindle Locations 355-378). Revell. Kindle Edition.
