Hymn of the Week: O Word of God Incarnate
Paul, by Rembrandt
O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky:
We praise You for the radiance that from the hallowed page,
A Lantern to our footsteps, shines on from age to age.
The Church from You, our Savior, received the Gift divine,
And still that Light is lifted over all the earth to shine.
It is the sacred Vessel where gems of truth are stored;
It is the heaven drawn Picture of Christ, the living Word.
The Scripture is a banner before God’s host unfurled;
It is a shining Beacon above the darkling world.
It is the Chart and Compass that over life’s surging tide,
Mid mists and rocks and quicksands, to You, O Christ, will guide.
O make your Church, dear Savior, a lamp of purest gold,
To bear before the nations Your true light as of old.
O teach your wandering pilgrims by this their path to trace,
Till, clouds and darkness ended, they see You face to face.
This hymn, written by William W. How, in 1867, reminds us that the Bible is more than just another book, or ancient compilation of stories, as some say. It is living and active. It is inspired (God-breathed, is what that means) and inerrant (without error) as it was written. It is the foundation for all of our faith and practice and reliable in every subject it addresses.
That’s the orthodox, ancient Christian view, and that’s what we believe.
The tune we use is called Munich and was one of the last compositions that Felix Mendelssohn worked on. Mendelssohn was a Jewish Christian – proud of his Jewish ancestory and a confessional Lutheran.