____More , much more, than a Tavern tune. Luther restored congregational WORSHIP to the church._____
Another aspect of Luther's day, was the use of alcohol as a normal, common table food. Beer was prolific, and was stored as a food source, by the fermentation of grains in the brewing process. Thereby, the peasant could sustain his family by storing the brew, and cheaply too. [ high calorie product] [ Grog, a semi-nasty mish-mash of grain and high sugar products was popular too, that just got the job done; Calories.]
Beer could be made with stalks and other grasses, including some barley and malt products. What I'm getting at, is that Taverns were not like we may think of a today in America. They had central places the city met, and served food, including beer, as a staple.
The "Pub" system is very similar throughout Great Britain; it is a city counsel, so to speak, and everyone it seems, imbibes; it is cultural. I've been to Pentecostal conferences there, where at lunch break, everyone hits it to the pub, and downs a pint or two before the next session.
Luther was famous for his hospitality, and he was soundly supported and fared well financially. He , of course, was married to "Katy", the former nun, and they had 6 children, 4 of whom survived into adulthood. They often had as many as 30 guests stay with them, often students tutored by Luther, and always had several kegs of brew on hand, to feed them.
The song, "A mighty Fortress is our God was composed from a folk tune popular in the day, and, it is very catchy. I imagine Luther was humming it for a while, and turned his thoughts to God..."in baritone of course.....and being the genius he was , decided to write it down, and it became the most popular tune in Christendom; not necessarily a bar tune.
Today, we take for granted a worship service that all participate in, and for most it is the only time of the week where they can actually exercise their call to worship Him in spirit.
Did you know that this was it was Martin Luther, who restored congregational worship to the church? This is huge, considering it's impact on the Eternal Bride over 600 years or so.
My grandmother was saved, and born again at 12 years of age, while listening to a hymn being sung in a small one-room building in Alabama circa 1900. Before Luther, there were Choirs only, or "Cantors", who sang prayers, similar to the Muslim of today.[ all Catholic]
Martin Luther was also a musician, who adored music, and believed that the body should actively do so.......bt
"Luther became known in particular for three things: the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, the belief that Scripture should be translated into the people's language, and the birth of congregational singing. He felt that music was of God, not of man. And he was determined to restore congregational singing in the German language to the Church.
So strong were his beliefs about music and worship that he wrote these fiery words: "Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our hearts, minds and spirits. A person who does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs!"
His passionate beliefs led Luther to write both words and music for several hymns, including "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." Luther's first hymnal was published in 1524.
It contained eight hymns, four written by himself. Later hymnals were also published for congregational use. He urged people to use the hymns at home and encouraged parochial schools to teach them to their students."
Pretty cool, eh? considering that before this man, it was not even conceived that a common man dare worship Him away from the Priesthood or silently listen to a choir. In this, too, Luther SHOOK the world, and the reverberations are yet sweeping over you and me.
http://songsandhymns.org/people/detail/martin-luther |
