Patterico's Pontifications

6/24/2018

Sunday Music: Bach Cantata BWV 81

Filed under: Bach Cantatas,General,Music — Patterico @ 12:01 am



It is the fifth Sunday after Pentecost. The title of today’s Bach cantata is “Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?” (Jesus sleeps, what shall I hope for?)

Today’s Gospel reading is Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus Calms the Storm

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

The text of today’s piece is available here. The cantata is a perfect musical companion to the Gospel reading, in which the sleeping Jesus awakens to calm the storm and protect those who believe in Him.

Jesus sleeps, what can I hope for?

. . . .

Quiet, heaving sea!
Be silent, storm and wind!
Your bounds are set for you,
so that my chosen child
will never suffer mishap.

O joy to me, my Jesus speaks a word,
my helper is awake,
so must the storm’s waves, the night of misfortune
and all trouble disappear.

Under your protection
I am safe from the storms
of all enemies.
Let Satan rage,
let the enemy fume,
Jesus stands with me.
Whether now it thunders and flashes,
whether sin and Hell terrify,
Jesus will protect me.

Happy listening!

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]

4 Responses to “Sunday Music: Bach Cantata BWV 81”

  1. May I add one of my favorite Psalms?

    1
    O God, do not remain silent;
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
    2
    See how your enemies growl,
    how your foes rear their heads.
    3
    With cunning they conspire against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.
    4
    “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
    so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

    5
    With one mind they plot together;
    they form an alliance against you—
    6
    the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab and the Hagrites,
    7
    Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
    8
    Even Assyria has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b]

    9
    Do to them as you did to Midian,
    as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
    10
    who perished at Endor
    and became like dung on the ground.
    11
    Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
    12
    who said, “Let us take possession
    of the pasturelands of God.”

    13
    Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff before the wind.
    14
    As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
    15
    so pursue them with your tempest
    and terrify them with your storm.
    16
    Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

    17
    May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
    may they perish in disgrace.
    18
    Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
    that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  2. Someday I’ll spell out just how perfect that Psalm is. Like all the Psalms.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  3. Why are we so shorn of faith in our age, we haven’t been through a 400 hundred year captivity we did it to our selves.

    Narciso (21d56e)

  4. One example is the reverend Stanley’s son, who wants to rest just on the resurrection, unit scripture, what greater folly!

    Narciso (21d56e)


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