Hymn Study: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

    [7] Lift up your heads, O gates!
        And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
        that the King of glory may come in.
(Psalm 24:7 ESV)

Starting a New Feature I think this week. I had a lot of fun looking up hymns last week in preparation for Christmas and wanted to continue with that.  :)   Talking about one hymn (or possibly more if so inclined) each week from our sermon on Sunday.  

This week, being that that blogging through the alphabet group is doing the letter "H" I chose to do Lift Up your Heads, Ye mighty gates.     I for .. it's an interesting hymn.  :)

Based on Psalm 24 this advent hymn was written by Georg Weissel in 1642, it was translated by Catherine Winkworth.  Weissel generally wrote hymns focused on the Christian Year.   This hymn is sung to several tunes among them Turbo and Macht Hoch die Tür,   Originally six verses, nowadays only four are generally found in hymnals.    This hymn was written during the 30 years war in Europe.

“Lift up your heads” first appeared in posthumously in 1642 in Preussische Festlieder in five stanzas of eight lines each in an 88.88.88.66 meter. The famous British translator of German hymns, Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), rendered the hymn into English in five, eight-line stanzas as well for her Lyra Germanica (1855). The version that appears in hymnals today usually reduces the hymn to four, four line stanzas in Long Meter (source).

Just as David called for his people to open up the gates of their hearts to God, Georg Weissel calls for and imagines what a place would be like where the people worshipped God with their whole heart.

Lyrics:
 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!

A Helper just He comes to thee,
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.

O blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!

 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.

 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.

 Thy Holy Spirit lead us on
until our glorious goal is won;
eternal praise, eternal fame
be offered, Savior, to thy name!

Hymns and Carols of Christmas has two different versions.   One and Two.

Sources
HymnSite.
Hymnary.
CyberHymnal.
Discipleship Ministries.
First Presbyterian Church.
Lectionary

Homeschooling Resources:
printable advent lapbook.
In a foreign language, but good for ideas: Make an advent calendar.

Linking up with Blogging through the Alphabet.