O Only Light of All the Earth

Tune: All’ Ehr und Lob; Gesangbuch…Psalmen, Geistliche Lieder, Strassburg, 1541, alt.; Setting: The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941 (Public Domain)
Meter: 88 88 88
Text: Aaron T. Fenker, © 2015
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

John 1:1–14; Revelation 4:2–5; 5:6–7, 21:23

O only Light of all the earth,
Shine on us, fill our hearts with mirth;
And let us praise Your name aright
O Sole-begotten, Fount of Light.
Fore’er You have beamed forth with grace,
O Brightness of the Father’s face.

You reign and rule from realms of light,
Possessor of eternal might.
Your brightness gleams, O Light divine;
O Light from Light, You’ll ever shine
For You are from eternity
One of the blessed Trinity.

Your Light, O Christ, that You possess
Is neither brighter, nor is less
Than that with which the Father shines
And that with which the Spirit shines.
That Light through all eternity
Is one in glorious majesty.

And yet in wondrous mystery
You came, O Christ, that you might be
One with us, who in darkness dwell,
So that Your Light would darkness quell.
The beams of Your most gracious Light
Shone in sin’s dark and dreadful night.

The darkness tried but fin’lly failed,
E’en though Your Light in flesh was veiled.
The darkness could not conquer You,
Even by crucifying You.
That Day—sin’s night—You it struck dead,
Then You “It’s finished!” loudly said.

Your three days rest were quickly o’er,
You rose to life in mighty pow’r,
And now Your Resurrection’s light
Shines bright and scatters death’s dark night.
Your Light of mercy, life, and grace
Forever beams forth from Your Face.

When we with You forever live,
The sun its light won’t need to give,
And we will there no darkness fear
For You, O Light, e’er shall be near
To cast the brightest beams of Light
On us who’ll dwell within Your sight.

The Father’s glorious Light shall shine,
The Lamb shall be our Light divine,
And God, the Spirit’s lamp shall be
To grant Their light eternally.
For this, O God, our songs ascend
To You both now and world without end!