God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage
ELH 583
Nikolai F.S. Grundtvig (author of “Built on the Rock”) wrote this hymn verse on the 300th anniversary of the Reformation to be an additional verse to Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” It is often used as the festival hymn verse on Reformation Sunday (following the exordium, another old Norwegian Lutheran tradition). As we sing this we are reminded that God’s Word is the means by which faith in Jesus is obtained and passed on to our children and each generation. The prayer that closes this verse asks for God to help us “keep its teachings pure” in our churches “throughout all generations.”
