About the Hymn
Our Lord’s life contains so many moments of mystery, majesty, miracle. At the brink of Lent, before we journey with our Lord to the depths of humiliation and death, we first travel up to the mount of Transfiguration, a pinnacle of glory, a moment to worship the Christ in his exalted state.
To convey the stunning beauty of this event, this hymn text is written in triple meter—a lilting dance—and strives for bolder lyricism, stretching language the way our Lord’s transfigured form stretched the disciples’ view of reality. It is not a children’s hymn or a teaching hymn; singers who don’t already know the biblical narrative may struggle with it. Knowing that, perhaps a most effective usage would be directly after the Transfiguration reading or even as a closing to a sermon that has deeply explored that biblical narrative. (No apologies here. Some hymns can challenge us. And some Christians want to be stretched.)
A quick synopsis by stanza:
St 1: On the Mount of Transfiguration—we aren’t sure which hill or mountain—Jesus was praying with Peter, James, and John when he was suddenly changed: his “radiance divine,” garments so white and face so bright he positively shimmered (the text uses “pulsed” and “danced”). This event provided visible proof that he was surely the Son of God and also provided a foretaste of the glory we too will have, when he “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).
St. 2: Two Old Testament dignitaries, Moses and Elijah, appeared in their splendor and spoke to the Lord of his impending death, his exodus from this world. Do they encourage him, strengthen his resolve, show compassion, remind him of the final goal? Perhaps all of the above. How beautifully ironic that they “dwell on his death” while he “gloried as [eternal] God.”
St. 3: The disciples, so earthly and earthy, were entranced by this otherworldly sight. They didn’t want it to end. “They sought to make shelter—a glory prolonged.”
St. 4: The disciples were further stunned as a cloud enveloped them. Not a bit of fog, but the “luminous” glory-cloud, the sign of the Presence that led the Israelites through the wilderness, appeared on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law, dwelled at the tabernacle, and descended on the temple on various occasions. And they were terrified at “the great voice of God” emanating from the cloud, the message the same as at Jesus’ baptism: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.”
St. 5: Suddenly it was over. The Lord tapped his disciples as they lay on the ground, and they found Elijah and Moses gone and the Lord’s body without its luster, reverted to the matte, muted hue of human flesh. Though he never stopped being true God, Jesus once again hid his divinity: “Divinity faded, the Lord took his clay, raised up his disciples, to Calvary made way.”
Peter later wrote, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16-18). One wonders whether the three disciples recalled their Lord’s majesty just a short time later when they saw him in a decidedly inglorious state: back slashed by a scourge, face bruised by beatings, feet and hands gored by Roman nails.
Like Peter, we too want to stay on that mountain, where time stands still, where the veil between heaven and earth evaporates, where our Lord rules triumphant, in his “glory sublime.” We want him to raise us up—literally raise us from the grave—and share with us his glory, wrap us in that light.
The hymn should be performed at a lilting♩= ca. 84.
Text
1. The mountain stood witness to radiance divine,
a proof of Christ’s glory, a foretaste of mine.
As majesty burst through the Lord’s earthly bands,
his face pulsed with light, and his garments white danced.
2. Elijah and Moses appeared glinting fair
and spoke with their Lord in the whirling white air.
They sighed for the harsh scarlet music of blood.
They dwelled on his death while he gloried as God.
3. The simple disciples, weak-minded, faith-frail―
they feasted their eyes on the Godhead unveiled.
And wreathed by the warmth and entranced by the song,
they sought to make shelter―a glory prolonged.
4. Then blinded and stunned by a luminous cloud,
they thrummed to the love in the great voice of God.
Divinity faded, the Christ took his clay,
raised up his disciples, to Calv’ry made way.
5. This glimpse into glory they never forgot—
the Son of Man’s majesty there on the mount.
Now we too are longing to reach heaven’s heights
where we will be wrapped in the warmth of that light.
© 2018 Laurie F. Gauger
Lectionary Reading
Year A, Transfiguration Sunday: Matthew 17:1–9
The Transfiguration
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Year B, Transfiguration Sunday: Mark 9:2–9
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Year C, Transfiguration Sunday: Luke 9:28–36
The Transfiguration
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
