February 23

Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BWV 126
Lord, keep us steadfast in your word

Martin Luther wrote Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort as a hymn for children, a Kinderlied. Nearly 200 years later Bach used this chorale as the centerpiece of his cantata for Sexagesima, the second Sunday before Lent, when the appointed Gospel reading was Jesus’ Parable of the Sower. We join in Luther’s prayer: “Uphold us, Lord, by your word” as well as the cantata’s final prayer for peace.

3:00 p.m. Cantata Preview Lecture
Mark Peters, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights

3:45 p.m. Organ Prelude
Steven Wente, Concordia University Chicago

4:00 p.m. Bach Cantata Vespers
Kathy Nolte, Metropolitan Chicago Synod, homilist

Also in the service:
Johann Walter: Allein auf Gottes Wort will ich

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