“Songs of Thankfulness and Praise,” ELW 310 and LBW 90
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
This hymn is from Holy Year, Charles Wordsworth’s 19th century collection of his own compositions. Notice how it sings of the manifestations or epiphanies of Jesus as the one in whom God’s power was present – at his birth, in Jesus’ healing and feeding, in his gifts of hope.
Throughout this past week, the daily texts have invited us to think about God’s self-revelation in our lives – in calling each of us, in allowing us to testify to God’s work, in giving the power to face evil, in using one person who has seen the revelation in Jesus to direct another to that revelation. God is “manifest in gracious will, ever bringing good from ill.”
God works consistently and persistently – in Jesus Christ and still in us. Wordsworth dares to say the truth that in this we become like Christ, enabled to reveal God.
Prayer
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. Amen