If you're following this ongoing project to produce a hymn for every Sunday of the
Lutheran Service Book three-year lectionary (saving feast days that happen to fall on a Sunday), don't worry about the lack of an "Epiphany 1" hymn because that's what LSB calls the
Baptism of Our Lord. Moving on in the Epiphany season, which is of variable length but always ends, just as deceptively, with a Sunday known as the Transfiguration of Our Lord, our next stop (probably) is this service, where the lessons are from Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and John 1:29-42. The tune that got my creative juices flowing was one of two that I know of titled I HIMMELEN(, I HIMMELEN) – the Norwegian folk tune, not the one by Ludvig M. Lindeman. See
The Concordia Hymnal, Service Book and Hymnal, Lutheran Book of Worship, The Ambassador Hymnal, The Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary and
Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
Hark, isles! Pay heed, you distant folk!
Hear Him whom God has called,
From Eden's exodus bespoke,
Before the serpent crawled:
The long-expected woman's seed,
His mouth conceals a sword; indeed,
His name is known of old.
He says: "God formed me as His Son
Within my mother's frame,
And sent me to redeem His own;
But can it be in vain?"
God answered, "'Tis a thing too small
To serve the tribes of Israel,
Who oft stray from My plan."
"Go then," God said, "and shine upon
All nations round the sphere;
Not merely Israel's Holy One,
As all man's Light appear.
Though You My children may despise,
To You will kings and princes rise,
My chosen Lamb to cheer."
Behold, indeed, God's chosen Lamb,
Marked out to bear all sin:
Whose blood, bespattered on our jamb,
Lets no destroyer in;
Who will enrich with every gift
All those whom He, at last, will lift
To dwell on high with Him.
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