How Good, Lord, To Be Here

Here's a hymn from last Sunday, when the readings and the sermon focused on the Transfiguration of Our Lord: It is "How Good, Lord, To Be Here", with words by Joseph A. Robinson, 1858-1933. (Hmm......his name doesn't sound very German Lutheran.) The tune (which you can't hear here, because its not on Cyberhymnal) is by J. S. Bach.

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Verse 1:

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How good, Lord, to be here!

Your glory fill the night;

Your face and garments, like the sun,

Shine with unborrowed light.

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Verse 2:

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How good, Lord, to be here,

Your beauty to behold

Where Moses and Elijah stand,

Your messengers of old.

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Verse 3:

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Fulfiller of the past

And hope of things to be!

We hail your body glorified

And our redemption see.

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Verse 4:

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Before we taste of death,

We see your kingdom come;

We long to hold the vision bright

And make this hill our home.

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Verse 5:

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How good, Lord, to be here!

Yet we may not remain;

But since you bid us leave the mount,

Come with us to the plain.

AMEN

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The final verse of this hymn is what stays in my mind......."Come with us to the plain." That's where we abide, here on earth, in our daily lives, with troubles and toils abounding.

"How good, Lord, to be here!" Sounds a little too emotional for Lutherans, but we feel it anyway........in our time in church and in devotions and prayer.