( PSALM 24 ) - [ Deutsch ]
EG 1 „LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, YE MIGHTY GATES“
EG 1, 1
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
behold, the King of glory waits;
the King of kings is drawing near;
the Savior of the world is here!
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates….
Advents means the beginning of the new church year. In accordance with this new beginning, our hymn book today also starts right from the beginning. With the number 1.
Advent, meaning arrival, is a time of preparing for the arrival of Jesus in this world, a time of joyful anticipation and excited expectation.
„Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates; behold, the King of glory waits”
Psalm 24 gave our hymn its wording.
Read Psalm 24
It is now 400 years ago that this psalm became the hymn „Lift up your heads“. The Thirty Years’ War was a turbulent time. During this time Georg Weissel, musician and theologian worked as a pastor at the newly built Rossgärtner Church in the Eastern-Prussian town of Königsberg. He hoped that the Biblical reality would have an effect on reality. The yearning for peace was immense. And, thus, this hymn is absolutely relevant today still.
Fling wide the portals and lift up your heads, ye mighty gates for the King of kings is drawing near. The Creator that conquers the powers of chaos and gives us the realm of life. He comes with meekness, holiness and compassion and will end all suffering.
Verse 2
Fling wide the portals of your heart;
make it a temple, set apart
from earthly use for heaven's employ,
adorned with prayer and love and joy.
Georg Weissel wrote the song for the consecration of the new Altrossgärtner church and his own inauguration. He himself describes its origins as follows: "Recently, when the strong north-easterly storm blew over from the nearby Samland coast and brought a lot of snow with it, I was working near the cathedral. The snowflakes were slapping against people's faces on the street as if they were trying to cover their eyes. As a result, even more people headed towards the cathedral with me to seek shelter. The friendly and humorous sexton opened the door for us with a deep bow and said: 'Welcome to the house of the Lord! Everyone is equally welcome here, whether patrician or day labourer! Shall we not go out into the streets, to the fences and bring in all who wish to come? The gate of the king of kings is open to everyone'." Weissel thanked his sexton: "He has just given me an excellent sermon!" And he turned it into the well-known Christmas carol that same evening.
The wealthy businessman Sturgis lived next door to the church. Because of the troubled times, he had secured his property and locked it with gates. Of course this was his right, but just behind his property was the town's poorhouse. The people who lived there could no longer walk a short distance to the town or the church. On the fourth Advent, Weissel came to Sturgis' house with the choir. Numerous poor and infirm people from the poorhouse had joined him. Weissel himself gave a short sermon. He had only just taken up his post and was standing on the doorstep of his richest parishioner. But he spoke about how many people were blocking the doors of their hearts to the King of Kings, the child in the manger, so that he could not enter their homes. And he became very specific: "Today, dear Mr Sturgis, he is standing in front of your locked gate. I advise you, I implore you by the blessedness of your soul, not only open this visible gate for him, but also the gate of your heart and let him in humbly and joyfully before it is too late." Then the choir sang: "Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates! Behold, the king of glory waits..."
The businessman stood there, thunderstruck. Before the song had even finished, he reached into his pocket and took out the key to the gate. He unlocked the gates again and they were never locked again. The residents of the home had their way to church again, which was called the "Advent Way" in the village for a long time to come.
Dear Confirmands, you have spoken about where it is necessary for doors to open. And what is possible when hearts soften. Only then is human togetherness possible. Then something can come into your own life that you may not have thought possible. Then the child in the manger can enter your own heart. Will this end well?
The writer of the hymn is convinced that it will…
Verse 3
Redeemer, come, with us abide;
our hearts to thee we open wide;
let us thy inner presence feel;
thy grace and love in us reveal.
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates.
Remove all barriers, everything that separates people from each other and from God. Let the doors open to heaven.
That's how it was in ancient Israel. The Ark of the Covenant, a sign of God's presence, was brought into the temple sanctuary in a solemn procession. Before its gate opened, Levite choirs repeatedly sang something like "Arise, open ye gates, that the King of Glory may enter", alternating with the question: Who is this King? And the answer "the Lord, strong and mighty".
Just as the temple prepares itself for the coming of the Lord, our own hearts should prepare themselves for the temple, i.e. open our hearts in Advent repentance so that "my God" can come and I can come to him.
EG 1,4
Thy Holy Spirit lead us on
until our glorious goal is won;
eternal praise, eternal fame
be offered, Savior, to thy name!
In Advent we move towards one another. God is on his way to us, he becomes fully human as the child in the manger. And we approach him by preparing ourselves inwardly.
Perhaps this Advent can be a time of inner longing. What are you longing for? Where is it necessary to open your heart so that things can change? So that your God can come to you and then stay until eternal beatitude. Because that's what it's all about in the end.
Each verse ends with a personal reference and praise to God, it's about you.
EG 1,5
