Beautiful Savior (ELW 838)
1 Beautiful Savior, King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love thee, truly I’d serve thee,
light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands,
robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
he makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight,
bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
now and forevermore be thine!
Devotion
I learned this hymn as a child, and it remains one of my favorites. Joseph A. Seiss, translator of this hymn, became a Lutheran in 1842. He served congregations in Virginia, Maryland, and Philadelphia, where he was serving at the time of his death in 1904. He is said to have contributed to and compiled several hymnals.
During the years of my ministry many members have requested this hymn during hymn sings and for the funeral of a loved one. Stanza 3 invites recollection of the Transfiguration when we sing, “Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer than all the angels in the sky.” During times of stress, anxiety, loss, or change, the lyrics of a familiar hymn have the power to bring comfort and remind us, just as in the awesome experience of the Transfiguration, that Jesus and God are still all about claiming and naming us as children of God.
Prayer
We give you thanks, gracious God, for the joy and power of music. As we contemplate the awesome brilliance of Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration, may we share the power of his love in our words and actions each day. Amen.