Ascended Now in Pow’r and Glory

 

A baptismal Ascension hymn

 

For Jace, my son in the faith

9 8 9 8 8 8

Tune: O Dass Ich Tausend Zungen Haette (Dretzel)

 

1 Ascended now in pow’r and glory,

O Jesus Christ, true Man and God,

You preach to us salvation’s story

Purchased for us by Your own blood,

You fill all things in heav’n and earth

To give on earth a heav’nly birth.

 

2 Great gifts You give to sinners lowly,

To lift them up to reign in heav’n!

You make the godless good and holy

When you declare their sins forgiv’n,

Pouring on water with Your Word,

By which we claim You as our Lord.

 

3 Here is a birth that earth can’t offer;

Here is the life our works can’t win;

Here all the wrath that you did suffer

Is put away with all our sin.

Here is applied to us through faith

Your vict’ry over hell and death. 

 

4 See from the side of God incarnate

Flows water freely with His blood,

Clothing us with a righteous garment,

Cov’ring our evil with His good,

Creating from his piercéd side

A newer Eve, His holy Bride. 

 

5 You I renounce again, O devil,

With all your works and all your ways!

Though you have harmed my soul with evil,

I have the grace that always stays,

The blood that raised me from the dead,

The body that has crushed your head. 

 

6 Look up to heav’n, where pleads our Savior

At God’s right hand, our Lord and King!

There He will place His own forever,

There all his saints He soon will bring.

But now we find Him always near –

In word and water He is here. 

 

7 For now we stand on Jacob’s ladder,

Where heaven comes to earth in Him,

Who silences the evil adder*

With words that make our song begin

To praise the Father and the Son,

And Holy Spirit, Three in One. 

 

*a venomous snake

            4/30/15