O, Wondrous Image, Vision Fair, ELW 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.
Devotion
And faithful hearts are raised on high by this great vision’s mystery;
for which in joyful song we raise the voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
The Sarum Breviary is a book of liturgies that originated in the southern English town of Salisbury (Sarum is the Latin name for Salisbury). The Sarum liturgy was used in southern England and Wales for 300 years prior to the English Reformation and was eventually replaced by the Book of Common Prayer. John Mason Neale had a great gift for translating Latin and Greek texts into English. This is one of his fourteen translations in the ELW.
The hymn refers to the Transfiguration as a “mystery.” This is not a detective-story type mystery, where if you get enough information, you can explain it. This is a mystical mystery which can never be explained, but only affirmed in prayer and praise.
Prayer
God of mystery, though I cannot fully comprehend you, I praise you and place my trust in you. Hear the prayers I offer you this day... Amen.