God's Word Is Our Great Heritage
Encyclopedia
God's Word Is Our Great Heritage, is the title of a popular hymn sung in many churches, especially the Lutheran Church. This hymn was inspired by Psalm 16:6: "...yea, I have a goodly heritage." KJV
, a Danish Lutheran Pastor. Gruntvig wrote the hymn as the 5th verse to Martin Luther
's Ein feste Burg
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/mid/e/i/n/ein_feste_burg.mid. The hymn was translated into English by Ole Gulbrand Belsheim in 1909. In 1916, Friedrich Otto Reuter, then a professor at Dr. Martin Luther College, put the hymn to a tune of his creation. Many hymnals use this arrangement, including The Lutheran Hymnal
, Lutheran Service Book
(LCMS) and Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal (WELS
), though the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (ELS
) has retained the original melody to the hymn. The hymn is also the school hymn of Michigan Lutheran Seminary
. Click here to view Michigan Lutheran Seminary's Concert Choir sing this hymn.
History
God's Word Is Our Great Heritage was written in 1817 by Nikolaj Frederik Severin GrundtvigNikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig
Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig , most often referred to as simply N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher, and politician. He was one of the most influential people in Danish history, as his philosophy gave rise to a new form of nationalism in...
, a Danish Lutheran Pastor. Gruntvig wrote the hymn as the 5th verse to Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's Ein feste Burg
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is the best known of Martin Luther's hymns. Luther wrote the words and composed the melody sometime between 1527 and 1529. It has been translated into English at least seventy times and also into many other languages...
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/mid/e/i/n/ein_feste_burg.mid. The hymn was translated into English by Ole Gulbrand Belsheim in 1909. In 1916, Friedrich Otto Reuter, then a professor at Dr. Martin Luther College, put the hymn to a tune of his creation. Many hymnals use this arrangement, including The Lutheran Hymnal
The Lutheran Hymnal
The Lutheran Hymnal is one of the official hymnals of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Published in 1941 by Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, Missouri, it was the LCMS' second official English-language hymnal, succeeding the 1912 Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book...
, Lutheran Service Book
Lutheran Service Book
Lutheran Service Book is the newest official hymnal of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church–Canada . It was prepared by the LCMS Commission on Worship and published by Concordia Publishing House, the official publisher of the LCMS...
(LCMS) and Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal (WELS
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is a North American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of 2008, it had a baptized membership of over 389,364 in more than 1,290 congregations,...
), though the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (ELS
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Evangelical Lutheran Synod or ELS is a US-based Protestant Christian denomination based in Mankato, Minnesota, USA. It describes itself as a conservative, Confessional Lutheran body.-Membership:...
) has retained the original melody to the hymn. The hymn is also the school hymn of Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Michigan Lutheran Seminary is a private preparatory boarding high school affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod located in Saginaw, Michigan...
. Click here to view Michigan Lutheran Seminary's Concert Choir sing this hymn.
Text
| Original Danish: Guds ord det er vort arvegods, det skal vort afkoms være; Gud, giv os i vor grav den ros, vi holdt det højt i ære! Det er vor hjælp i nød, vor trøst i liv og død, o Gud, ihvor det går, lad dog, mens verden står, det i vor æt nedarves! |
English: God’s Word is our great heritage And shall be ours forever; To spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way, In death it is our stay. Lord, grant while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure Throughout all generations. |