Oh, Wondrous Image, Vision Fair (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 316)
1 O wondrous image! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church may share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!
2 With Moses and Elijah nigh
The incarnate Lord holds converse high;
And from the cloud the Holy One
Bears record to the only Son.
3 With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.
4 And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery,
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
5 O Father, with the eternal Son
And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.
Text: Sarum, 15th century; Music: English ballad; Public Domain
Devotion
This hymn comes from the late 15th century, from the Old Sarum Rite from Salisbury, England, and translated from the Latin in 1854 by John M. Neale. This is the perfect Transfiguration hymn, describing its wonder and majesty as well as its implications in detail. Jesus glows brighter than the sun; he “holds converse” with the prophets; and God bears witness to his son from the cloud. All that in two short stanzas! But then things begin to shift, and we realize that in the transfigured Jesus, we are glimpsing the glory that will be ours someday. This mysterious, awe-inspiring encounter with Jesus isn’t reserved for Peter, James, and John alone. We’ll have our turn someday, when the thin place will wear away completely—the cloud will lift, and we will no longer see in the mirror dimly. Now that is certainly reason to “joy in God with perfect love.”
Prayer
O Wondrous God, we see your glory in Jesus’ face and in the witness of those who came before us who testify to your appearing. Give us eyes and hearts to see your glory in the faces of those around us as well. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.