1879 and 1891.

My apologies for getting this up too late for this year. THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD When dear ones are separated from us, we sorrow even though we know that they have gained immeasurably by their departure. Therefore we would imagine that the Church observes our Lord’s Ascension regretfully and sorrowfully. However, she celebrates it […]

Hymn 212, “A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing,” is the first of the dozen ascension hymns in TLH. We simply don’t know if it was placed first for prominence or convenience, but it is certainly a fitting portal to the ascension hymns in this hymnal. It is by far the oldest of our ascension hymns, pre-dating the others in this hymnal by nearly 1,000 years. The text was written by the Venerable Bede (AD 673-735), a profound scholar, who wrote on nearly every academic subject. He only wrote a handful of hymns, of which this is probably his best known. The timeless tune is familiar to all Christians, known for its singability, its majesty, and of course its ability to accommodate the repetition of the word “Alleluia.” (Please see your bulletin insert for further reflections on the text, tune, and context of this hymn.) “A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing” will guide us today as we receive the gifts of Jesus’ ascension.

From “The Two Natures in Christ.” Page numbers according to the 2007 CPH edition. On the basis of Heb. 1:3 we speak of the right hand of the divine majesty, or the right hand of His power or strength (Luke 22:69), at which Christ is described as sitting here in time. Elsewhere in Scripture the […]