Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds

Pictured to the left is the altar cross of my congregation, Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Van Wert, Ohio. It is a lovely place to worship and I was in the sanctuary VERY early Easter morning because I had been called at 1:00 a.m. to what appeared to be the deathbed of a member. By about 3:30 a.m., however, my friend's condition stabilized, and so I headed back to the church to spend some time preparing for my 9:00 a.m. homily (A seminary fieldworker, Duncan Sprague, is preaching at the 6:30 a.m. "sonrise service.").

All of this made me think of a favorite hymn for The Resurrectin of Our Lord, "Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds"

Here is the text of that hymn as it appears in Lutheran Service Book:

1
Now all the vault of heav’n resoundsIn praise of love that still abounds: “Christ has triumphed! He is living!”Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!Repeat their song of glory here: “Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

2
Eternal is the gift He brings,Therefore our heart with rapture sings: “Christ has triumphed! He is living!”Now still He comes to give us lifeAnd by His presence stills all strife. Christ has triumphed! He is living! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

3
O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;Set heart and will on things above That we conquer through Your triumph;Grant grace sufficient for life’s dayThat by our lives we truly say: “Christ has triumphed! He is living!” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

4
Adoring praises now we bringAnd with the heavn’ly blessèd sing: “Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!”Be to the Father and our Lord,To Spirit blest, most holy God, All the glory, never ending! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Text (sts. 1–4): © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House
Tune: 2006 Concordia Publishing House.


He is risen, indeed!