Feast of Johann Christian Schwedler (December 20)

Above:  Map of Silesia, 1758

Image in the Public Domain

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JOHANN CHRISTIAN SCHWEDLER (DECEMBER 21, 1672-JANUARY 12, 1730)

German Lutheran Minister and Hymn Writer

Johann Christian Schwedler comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses:  An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via The Hymnal (1941), of the old Evangelical and Reformed Church.

Schwedler was from Silesia, a region mostly in contemporary Poland, but with parts in contemporary Germany and the Czech Republic, too.  Our saint, born in Krobsdorf, Silesia (now Krobica, Poland), on December 21, 1672, was a son of farmer and magistrate Anton Schwedler.  Young Johann studied at Zittau for six years then for two years at the University of Leipzig (M.A., 1697).

Schwedler became a Lutheran minister.  Our saint began to serve as the assistant diaconus, under Diaconus Christoph Adolph, at Niederwiese (now Niederwiesa, Germany) near Greiffenberg, in 1698.  In December of that year, Adolph died; Schwedler succeeded him. Schwedler became the pastor of the parish in 1701.  Our saint drew crowds when he preached from 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.  Schwedler, a friend and neighbor of Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), eventually renewer of the Moravian Church, founded a home for orphans.  Our saint also composed at least  462 hymns in his spare time.  Few of these hymns have come into English-language hymnody.

Two that that have joined English-language hymnody are:

1. “Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know” (1741), and
2. “Do You Ask What Most I Prize?”

Schwedler married Elizabeth Adolph, daughter of Christoph Adolph.  The couple had four children, all of whom died as minors.

Our saint, aged 57 years, died in Niederwiese, Silesia, on the night of January 12, 1730.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 19, 2021 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT SIXTUS III, BISHOP OF ROME

JTHE FEAST OF BLAISE PASCAL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC SCIENTIST, MATHEMATICIAN, AND THEOLOGIAN

THE FEAST OF IGNAZ FRANZ, GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR

THE FEAST OF SAINTS MAGNUS AND AGRICOLA OF AVIGNON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF AVIGNON

THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HAMMOND, ENGLISH MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER

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Dear God of beauty,

you have granted literary ability and spiritual sensitivity to

Johann Christian Schwedler and others, who have composed hymn texts.

May we, as you guide us,

find worthy hymn texts to be icons,

through which we see you.

In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 44:1-3a, 5-15

Psalm 147

Revelation 5:11-14

Luke 2:8-20

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

APRIL 20, 2013 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINTS AMATOR OF AUXERRE AND GERMANUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT MAMERTINUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT MARCIAN OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK

THE FEAST OF JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN, GERMAN LUTHERAN PASTOR

THE FEAST OF SAINT MARCELLINUS OF EMBRUN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP

THE FEAST OF OLAVUS AND LAURENTIUS PETRI, RENEWERS OF THE CHURCH

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