LBW #90, "Songs of Thankfulness and Praise"
1 Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise;
Manifested by the star To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David's stem In the birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to thee addressed, God in flesh made manifest.
2 Manifest at Jordan's stream, Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding guest In thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine, Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to thee addressed, God in flesh made manifest.
3 Manifest in making whole Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight, Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will, Ever bringing good from ill:
Anthems be to thee addressed, God in flesh made manifest.
4 Grant us grace to see thee, Lord, Present in thy holy Word;
Grace to imitate thee now And be pure, as pure art thou;
That we might become like thee At thy great epiphany,
And may praise thee, ever blest, God in flesh made manifest.
Devotion
Epiphany is about seeing — seeing God incarnate in our world. The season is framed by two "white" Sundays — the Baptism and the Transfiguration of our Lord, both of which reveal something of who Jesus is: "This is my Son, the beloved!" On the "green" Sundays in between, we see more of who this Jesus is: He turns water into wine at a wedding, revealing God's glory; he proclaims that the prophecy of Isaiah 61 is fulfilled in him; he amazes Simon Peter and his companions with an astounding catch of fish, overcoming the fishermen's fear; he heals people of their diseases and casts out their demons. Epiphany is about seeing. May God give us eyes to see.
Prayer
Grant me grace to see you, Lord, present in your word and in the world around me. Amen.