We stand firm in our faith - Hymn and Compositional notes

This is the official hymn of the 2018-2022 quadrennium of the Lutheran Church in Brazil (IELB). It was composed by Tom Pacheco, Rev. Paulo Brum and I, and it sings the Church's motto for that 4-year span, "We stand firm on our faith" Later, Pastor Brum and I wrote the English version of it.

Here are the lyrics, of the hymn, and also notes about the composition which underline and reinforce the message, as well as enhance the hymn listening and singing experience.

*Note: in the video, the lyrics are slightly different (1st English version) compared to the lyrics below, which are the final version of the Hymn.

 

WE STAND FIRM IN OUR FAITH 1. Jesus Christ, our Lord, called as Your flock, we delight in hearing Your Voice teaching to our hearts what Your Word imparts. Law and Gospel, unchanging Light. We stand firm in our faith in You, our Saviour, The Way! You’re the Bread, the Door, Brother, Vine and more; Shepherd in whom we are bless’d. 2. Father, move our hearts, move our hands and feet, to the service done in Your name, for right by our side there is need of help, hope and peace to run this life’s race; We stand firm in our faith! We love for we have been loved. As we serve we share, as we tend we care - as we live our life from above. 3. Holy Spirit, we have been baptized, grafted in Your kingdom of Love. Then with bread and wine, beyond reason’s line we have Jesus’ body and blood. We stand firm in our faith; fed by your means of Grace Joy and thankfulness, body and soul redeemed, Your Holiness we acclaim! 4. Triune God, we ask never cease your task, ground Your children in faithfulness. Grant your precious gifts, through which we all live in this fellowship ev’ry day. We stand firm in our faith! In Your Grace we delight! Lead our walk on Earth with our eyes in You as we yearn our Eternal Place NOTES ABOUT THE COMPOSITION   The main theme of the hymn is “to stand firm”, therefore this phrase appears once in each stanza of the song, giving this identity of steadfastness and solid foundation throughout the entire song. That’s the reason also why it appears in the same line, underlining how constant and solid God’s love is to keep us firm, steadfast in Him. Also, this phrase is placed where it is because the third line of each stanza expresses the high point of the melody. 

In each stanza there are different verbal tenses. For example, in the first stanza we see the present continuous(teaching); in the second, the present (share, care). In the third, the perfect tense (have been). In the last verse, imperatives (grant, lead). They all indicate constancy, action, movement, willingness to learn, to serve, to adore. Also indicating the dynamics of the Christian life, full of different moments, problems, joys, challenges – and, in all of them, Christ keeps us firm in His Word and Sacraments.

The 3 persons of the TRINITY appear separately in the first 3 stanzas - God the Father, Jesus Lord and the Holy Spirit – Comforter; and the 4th stanza alludes to the TRINITY. In the third line of each stanza, using “We stand”, using “we” highlights the plurality of the body of Christ, the Church, the children of God, singing, praying, communicating the Gospel as a Church that stand firms in our faith in Christ. As a final note, a comment about the rhymes. When you zoom in the verses, the hymn appears to have no much rhyming, as you would expect from poetry. But when you zoom out and see the bigger picture, you realize that the rhymes of the song happen from outside to inside, this way: 

_the first line of the first stanza rhymes with the last line of the fourth stanza; 
_the second line of the first stanza with the penultimate line of the fourth stanza, 
_and so on, reaching the centre of the last line of the 2nd stanza with the first line of the 3rd stanza. That technique forms rhyming arcs.

At first glance, it sounds like a rhyme-less hymn, with no obvious rhyme at first sight. However, looking at the whole of the song and seeing those arcs the rhymes appear with precision. This formation aims to portray the Christian life in this world, with its ups and downs, its moments of clarity, in the Word, and others of uncertainty, anguish and pain, because of sin, where many things seem to make no sense. Standing Firm in the Word of God and looking, in faith, at the whole of our lives, we can see the "Arcs" of God's love joining the ends with clarity and certainty - in faith, in Word, in Sacraments - propelling us to a life where justification rhymes with sanctification – faith and works. God perfectly unites the “ends” of our life, strengthens our faith and gives meaning to the whole. By His Grace, through faith, He traces the arcs that connect our lives to Him and to others, in faith and love.