“O Sons and Daughters, Let us Sing," ELW 386
Devotion
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
O sons and daughters, let us sing
with heav'nly hosts to Christ our king:
today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia!
That Easter morn, at break of day,
the faithful women went their way
to seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia!
An angel clad in white they see,
who sits and speaks unto the three,
"Your Lord will go to Galilee."
Alleluia!
That night the apostles met in fear;
among them came their master dear,
and said, "My peace be with you here."
Alleluia!
[Insert stanzas 5-8 if desired.]
On this most holy day of days,
be laud and jubilee and praise:
to God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Christ is risen! The alleluias of Easter continue! The psalmist fills Psalm 150 with praise, fitting thirteen "alleluias" into six verses. How many times can we sing praise in nine verses? Just as our readings for this week related the gospel, whole and sweet, to us, this hymn now sings us through the Easter story from the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John.
We join our voices with the whole heavenly host praising Christ our King. The familiar story of tombs and angels, women and resurrection, unfolds for us once again. Along with the apostles, we receive our peace once again in our locked rooms. Along with Thomas, we are moved from unbelief to belief and right into the beautiful confession of "You are my Lord and my God." This confession after all is why we sing. Christ is our Lord. Christ is our God. Alleluia! He has risen, indeed!
Prayer
Lord, we sing your praises with the whole heavenly host. We rejoice in your defeat of death through your resurrection. We praise you for coming to us to give us the peace of the resurrection in our lives now and eternally with you. In the name of the crucified and risen Lord, we pray. Amen.