HYMN: The Son of God, Triumphant

Life has kept me pretty busy the past few months. I've done some prep work for hymn writing, but I haven't really had the time to write anything other than sermons, newsletter articles, and bible studies for my parish. (Oh, and I haven't forgotten about posting sermons. I'll get to them soon, I promise.) Anyway, during the circuit pastors meeting yesterday--yeah, I know, I'm a lousy circuit visitor--this idea came into my head for an Ascension hymn. The hymn "A Great and Mighty Wonder" has this line: "The Word becomes incarnate/ And yet remains on high." That gave me the idea of how the Ascension responds to that: Christ ascends on high, and yet He does not leave us. This text is the result. Feedback is love, especially when it comes to the last line of verse 4. It originally read, "Redeemed are ushered in," which leaves off the necessary "the" at the start of the line. "The saints," on the other hand, might give the impression that only the big saints--Apostles, martyrs, etc.--are included.

The Son of God, Triumphant

1. The Son of God, triumphant,

Ascends to God’s right hand

With hymns of praise from angels

And all the heavn’ly band.

            (refrain) All hail, ascended King!

O Christ, enthroned in splendor,

Your glory do we sing.

2. The Word ascends to heaven

And yet He still is here,

For in the Holy Supper

He draws the sinner near. (refrain)

3. He stands before the Father

And for us intercedes.

The wounds of Christ defend us;

His blood our pardon pleads. (refrain)

4. Through Christ the gate of heaven,

Which once was barred by sin,

To man has now been opened.

The saints are ushered in. (refrain)

5. “We praise you, holy Brother,”

His ransomed people cry,

For in His own ascension

He raised our nature high. (refrain)

6. The Lord in all His glory

Shall come again to reign,

And we, with eyes uplifted,

Shall never wait in vain. (refrain)

© 2017 Alan Kornacki, Jr.

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Tune: ES IST EIN ROS (Isorhythmic) (LSB 383)

Occasion: The Ascension of Our Lord