Luke 9:28-36;
John 1:14–
Tomorrow’s hymn of the week is LSB #413 “O
Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” Through this
season of Epiphany, we have witnessed the glory of God manifested in Jesus, but
today God’s full glory is reflected in Jesus. Jesus’ glory is shown by the
brightness of His physical appearance, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and
the presence of the Father evidenced by a cloud and a voice.
Since
Jesus has come to the full possession of God’s glory, He is prepared to fulfill
His mission as the Messiah by going to Jerusalem to the cross.
The Hymn of the Day for
Transfiguration (February 19, 2023) is LSB 413, “O Wondrous Type! O Vision
Fair.” The text recalls the glory of the Lord, which was revealed on the Mount
of the Transfiguration. It brings this glory into the present as something which
“the church may share” (St. 1) and which “Christ deigns to manifest today” (St.
3). Stanza 3 pushes forward toward the eschaton, looking forward to the “glory
[that] shall be theirs above.” The praise of Christ’s glory in stanza 4 moves
on to a final doxological stanza that affirms that God’s grace will bring us
into the eschatological kingdom where we will see his “glory face to face” (St.
5).
“O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” is a
translation of a 15th century Latin hymn titled “Coelestis Forman Gloria.” John
Mason Neale (1818-1866) translated it. The text is included in 99 hymnals. It
appears in the Transfiguration section of LSB. It is not listed under any
additional categories in the index. The hymn’s description of the transfiguration
event makes it a good choice for Transfiguration Sunday.
LSB suggests the scripture references
Luke 9:28-36, John 1:14, and John 17:24. The Luke passage, like the Gospel
reading for the Day (Matt. 17:1-9), gives an account of the transfiguration.
John 1:14 (“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his
glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”) may
be connected to the reference to “[t]he incarnate Lord” in stanza 2. John 17:24
reads, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me
where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before
the foundation of the world.” The use of “glory” in stanzas 1, 3, and 5 may be
drawn from this verse.
The metaphor that is highlighted in
the Transfiguration account is one of “tabernacle-ing.” As it says in John
1:14, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Peter takes this literally
when he decides that three tents (or tabernacles) should be erected—one for
Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah (Matt. 17:4). Christ does tabernacle
amongst us, but not in the literal way that Peter expects. The hymn tells us of
“this great vision’s mystery.” The glory of God’s presence, which was revealed
to Moses and Israel’s leaders on Sinai (Ex. 24:8–18) and to the disciples at
the transfiguration, is not a presence, which requires a house. Rather, God is
present with his people through Word and Sacrament. He dwells in us
sacramentally as he enters our ears and our mouths.
The hymn text extends the narrative of
God dwelling with his people. It is not just a moment in history, which can be
captured by building a tent. It is an ongoing action, which Christ’s church, is
compelled to share (st.1). The glory of Christ is manifest today in the church
(St. 3). His glorious presence is cause for prayer and rejoicing (st.4), and
his dwelling with us carries us through this life and on to the eschaton where
we will dwell with him bodily. [2]
Collect for Saturday of the week of
Epiphany 6: In Thy will is our only peace; in Thy will shall we find Thine. Against
everything that gets in the way of Thy will, even against us, be Thyself O God,
to redeem us by such means as Thou wilt, out of our darkness into Thy light.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen [3]-18
February 2023
[2] https://deaconessruthmcdonnell.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/transfiguration-o-wondrous-type-o-vision-fair
[3] Collect for Saturday of the week of Epiphany 6, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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