From the glory of Transfiguration to the ashes of Lent, the Church’s song teaches us how to see Jesus. On Transfiguration, the hymns sparkle with light—not to entertain, but to confess that the One who walks toward Je- rusalem is God. When we sing “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair,” “’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here,” or “Alleluia, Song of Gladness,” we join Peter’s wonder. We also hear the Father’s command: “This is My beloved Son…listen to Him.” The music keeps moving: Moses and Elijah speak with Christ about His “departure”—His cross and resurrection. The mountaintop is a preview of Easter, given so we do not lose heart in the valley below.
Ash Wednesday turns that same truth inward. The Alleluias fall silent, and the Church prays Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Penitential hymns like “Savior, When in Dust to You,” “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now,” and “From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee” put honest words on our lips: we are dust, and we cannot save ourselves. Yet even in the minor key, Christ remains the melody-marked on our foreheads not as shame, but as the cross that carries us to life and joy
In Christ,
Zach Hastings
Director of Music
Zach Hastings is the Director of Music at Pacific Hills Lutheran Church in Omaha NebraskaZach studied organ performance at Iowa State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music in 2016. He has been an organist, bell choir director, and director of worship primarily in the central Iowa area. He continually seeks opportunities to grow as a musician through various conferences and seminars. Zach currently serves on the Central Iowa American Guild of Organists (AGO) Executive Committee, and on the American Guild of Organists Young Organists (AGOYO) National Board.
Pacific Hills Lutheran Church is a member of the