Hymns of Hope and Comfort: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!

During this time of fear and uncertainty in the COVID-19 wilderness, I’ve decided to do something a little different. I’m going to be daily using my blog to share texts and videos of hymns that pass along hope and comfort until the restrictions are lifted, and we can worship in our buildings once again. I hope you find them to be encouraging and edifying during this time.

Take care, everyone. Wash your hands. And keep the faith.

Today’s hymn is, without exaggeration, one of the greatest hymns ever written. J.R. Watson expounds on its theology:

“The Eucharistic theme is evident in verse 3, with its reference to Christ as the food and stay, to whom the sinful turn. At every point it is a spectacular and dramatic hymn, with its very allusive style, picking up biblical references in the manner of Charles Wesley. The most notable one is the idea of Jesus as High Priest (from Hebrews, chapters 3 to 9), and the vision of Revelation 5:9: ‘Thou has redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.’ It is also closely linked with the feast of the Ascension in verse 2. Verse 3 of the hymn contains the great appeal to Jesus the intercessor and redeemer, which returns to the Eucharistic theme, though now linked with the ascended one in heaven; while in verse 4 the Incarnate Word, who was ‘born of Mary’ is now both priest and victim in the Eucharistic feast.”

Here is St. John’s in Detroit.

Alleluia! sing to Jesus!
his the scepter, his the throne;
Alleluia! his the triumph,
his the victory alone;
Hark! the songs of peaceful Zion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia! not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! he is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how:
though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
“I am with you evermore”?

Alleluia! Bread of Heaven,
thou on earth our food, our stay!
Alleluia! here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
thee the Lord of lords we own:
Alleluia! born of Mary,
earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne:
thou within the veil hast entered,
robed in flesh, our great High Priest:
thou on earth both Priest and Victim
in the eucharistic feast.

Alleluia! sing to Jesus!
his the scepter his the throne;
Alleluia! his the triumph,
his the victory alone;
Hark! the songs of holy Zion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Photo:
pixabay