I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light Meaning, History, and Theology
"I want to walk as a child of the light"
- Written
- 1966
- Category
- Hymn
- Tune
- Standard Tune
- Status
- Published
Viewed 90 times
Share this hymn
Help others discover the story, message, and study guide for this hymn.
Story
Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson wrote both this hymn and its tune HOUSTON in 1966. Rooted in biblical images of Christ and the believer as light, it joins discipleship, sanctification, Epiphany, and hope in Christ's coming.
Overview
Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson's 1966 hymn is a first-person prayer of discipleship shaped by the biblical contrast between light and darkness. Christ is the controlling center of that imagery: the believer seeks to follow him, to perceive God's glory through him, and to live now in anticipation of the light that Scripture associates with the renewed creation.
The hymn is often linked with Epiphany because light, revelation, and the manifestation of Christ are central to its imagery. Yet its scope is broader than one season. It joins present discipleship with sanctification and future hope, moving from the believer's daily walk toward the promised consummation of life with Christ.
Pastorally, the hymn works well in services focused on commitment, Epiphany, Transfiguration, baptismal identity, Christian formation, funerals, and the second coming. Its personal language invites individual response, while congregational singing turns that response into a shared prayer that Christ's light shape the church's life.
Historical Background
Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson wrote both the words and music in the summer of 1966 while living in the St. Louis area. Her own account, later preserved in The Hymnal 1982 Companion and summarized by the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology, places the composition during an intense heat wave and an airline strike. Thomerson's mother had been visiting and could not fly home, so the family drove her back to Houston, Texas.
During that journey Thomerson found herself thinking about friends at the Church of the Redeemer in Houston, an Episcopal parish then experiencing a period of charismatic renewal. She later recalled that the hymn's words and melody began forming together at that point. She completed the song in Houston, and it was sung at the Church of the Redeemer later that summer. The tune name HOUSTON commemorates both the city and Thomerson's personal connection with that congregation.
The earliest securely documented publication identified by the Canterbury Dictionary is Sound of Living Waters in 1974. That songbook emerged from the worship life associated with the Church of the Redeemer and the Community of Celebration and helped circulate contemporary congregational songs across denominational boundaries. A later Episcopal collection, Songs for Celebration in 1980, became another important route of transmission, and the hymn entered The Hymnal 1982, published in 1985.
The hymn's copyright notices consistently identify 1970 and 1975 Celebration. Current Hymnary and commercial publisher records continue to treat both text and tune as copyrighted. The 1966 date therefore refers to composition, not public-domain status or first publication. Modern choral, organ, and instrumental arrangements often carry additional copyrights of their own.
Thomerson created HOUSTON together with the text rather than borrowing an older tune. Hymnary gives the meter as 10.7.10.8 with refrain, with some hymnals expanding the full refrain pattern numerically. The melody's simple, lyrical, folk-like character has supported congregational use in a wide variety of tonal settings and arrangements.
Hymnary now indexes the text in about forty-five hymnals and the tune in more than forty. The hymn appears in Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Reformed, Baptist, Covenant, and other collections, with documented Spanish and Korean-language instances as well. Hymnal circulation demonstrates substantial ecumenical reception, though it does not by itself establish equal frequency of use in every tradition.
Biblical Foundations
John 8:12 gives the hymn its central Christological image. Jesus identifies himself as the light of the world and connects following him with a life no longer defined by darkness. The hymn turns that declaration into personal discipleship: Christian illumination begins with Christ rather than with self-generated insight.
Ephesians 5:8-9 shifts the image from Christ's identity to the believer's vocation. Those who belong to the Lord are called to live as children of light, and that identity becomes visible through goodness, righteousness, and truth. The metaphor therefore has ethical content as well as devotional warmth.
First John 1:5-7 joins walking in the light with fellowship, truthfulness, cleansing, and communion with God. Revelation 21:23-25 and 22:4-5 carry the theme into Christian eschatology, where God's glory and the Lamb define the light of the renewed creation. These passages explain why the hymn can move naturally from present discipleship toward the final hope of seeing Christ and dwelling in God's light.
Verse Explanation
The opening movement frames Christian life as a deliberate journey of following Christ under the biblical symbol of light. Its emphasis is personal commitment, but the imagery immediately places that commitment within God's larger work of illumination.
The middle movement turns from following to perception. The believer desires clearer knowledge of God's glory and a path oriented toward the Father through Christ. This deepens the hymn from moral guidance into contemplation and communion.
The final movement places discipleship within the horizon of Christ's promised coming and the completion of the Christian journey. Present faithfulness is therefore interpreted as movement toward future fellowship with Christ.
The recurring refrain gathers these movements around biblical images from 1 John and Revelation. Because the text is copyrighted, this explanation describes the hymn's theological sequence without reproducing or closely paraphrasing its lines.
Theological Reflection
The hymn's primary theological theme is Christ-centered discipleship. Light is not an impersonal spiritual force; it is interpreted through the person and work of Jesus. To live in the light therefore means to follow Christ and allow his identity and teaching to order the believer's life.
A second theme is sanctification. Ephesians and 1 John connect light with moral transformation, fellowship, truth, and cleansing. The hymn's devotional simplicity should therefore not be mistaken for a merely emotional spirituality. Its biblical imagery points toward an entire way of life shaped by Christ.
The hymn also carries an eschatological dimension. The imagery of the holy city and the Lamb places present faith within the future fulfillment of God's purposes. Christian discipleship moves toward communion with Christ rather than toward endless moral striving for its own sake.
Finally, the song functions as prayer. Its first-person voice expresses desire rather than self-congratulation. The worshiper asks to be formed by divine light, which makes the hymn useful for traditions that understand sanctification as a continuing work of grace rather than a completed personal achievement.
Church Impact
The hymn entered a period of unusually broad ecumenical circulation after its 1970s publication. Episcopal use was strengthened through Songs for Celebration and The Hymnal 1982, while The United Methodist Hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Lutheran Service Book, Glory to God, Catholic worship books, Reformed collections, and other denominational hymnals carried it into different worship traditions.
Hymnary records roughly forty-five hymnals containing the text and more than forty containing HOUSTON. Subject indexing varies by tradition and includes Epiphany, Advent, Transfiguration, discipleship, light, eternal life, funerals, Christian initiation, and the second coming. This breadth reflects the hymn's ability to connect one biblical metaphor with several parts of the church year and Christian life.
The song has also crossed language boundaries, with documented Spanish and Korean-language hymnal instances. Its reception is therefore broader than the Episcopal charismatic setting in which it was first sung, while its continued copyright administration has preserved a clear link to Thomerson as both writer and composer.
Musical Notes
HOUSTON is Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson's own 1966 tune for the text, so the words and music belong to the same creative act. The tune name honors Houston, Texas, where Thomerson completed the hymn and where it was first sung at the Church of the Redeemer.
Hymnary identifies the meter as 10.7.10.8 with refrain, while some hymnals give a longer numerical description that includes the refrain's phrase lengths. The melody is frequently described as lyrical and folk-like, qualities that suit the direct first-person prayer and make the refrain easy for congregations to retain.
Hymnals publish HOUSTON in different keys and with several accompaniments, so no single modern key or harmonization should be treated as part of the tune's essential identity. Later arrangements by musicians such as Robert J. Batastini, Richard Proulx, and others carry their own editorial and copyright histories beyond Thomerson's original melody.
Application
- Use the hymn during Epiphany, Transfiguration, Christian initiation, funerals, or services focused on discipleship, sanctification, and the second coming.
- Pair it with John 8:12 to emphasize that Christian guidance begins with following Christ rather than simply trusting personal intuition.
- Use Ephesians 5:8-9 to ask what goodness, righteousness, and truth look like in concrete relationships, work, church life, and public responsibility.
- Read 1 John 1:5-7 when teaching that walking in divine light includes honest fellowship and cleansing rather than spiritual perfectionism.
- Use Revelation 21:23-25 to connect present discipleship with Christian hope and the promised renewal of creation.
- Confirm licensing before printing, projecting, recording, or arranging the hymn because both Thomerson's text and HOUSTON remain copyrighted.
Discussion Questions
- How does John 8:12 define the source and direction of Christian light?
- What does Ephesians 5:8-9 suggest about the ethical consequences of being called children of light?
- How does the hymn's 1966 origin at a time of travel, heat, and connection with the Church of the Redeemer illuminate its devotional character without becoming an unsupported inspiration legend?
- Why is the hymn appropriate for both Epiphany and services concerned with the second coming or eternal life?
- What difference does it make that Kathleen Thomerson wrote both the text and the tune rather than pairing her words with an older melody?
Teaching Tips
- Introduce the hymn as a 1966 text-and-tune composition by Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson and name HOUSTON as her original melody.
- Explain the documented composition story carefully: the ideas arose during a forced road journey from St. Louis to Houston during an airline strike, and the hymn was completed and first sung in Houston.
- Read John 8:12, Ephesians 5:8-9, and Revelation 21:23-25 before singing to show how the light imagery moves from Christ to discipleship and finally to eschatological hope.
- Avoid assigning Thomerson a single denomination unless a source specifically establishes her personal affiliation; her documented church-music career crossed Methodist, Lutheran, and Episcopal settings.
- Remind musicians that the hymn remains copyrighted and that modern choral or instrumental arrangements may require permissions beyond the basic congregational license.
Sources
-
Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology — I want to walk as a child of the light, 1966 composition story, Houston completion, and 1974 publication
View source ↗ -
United Methodist Discipleship Ministries — History of Hymns, Kathleen Thomerson biography, Houston context, Scripture themes, and denominational transmission
View source ↗ -
Hymnary.org — text authority, 1966 authorship, meter, copyright, languages, and hymnal circulation
View source ↗ -
Hymnary.org — HOUSTON tune authority, Kathleen Thomerson attribution, meter, copyright, and tune circulation
View source ↗ -
Hymnary.org — Sound of Living Waters: Songs of the Spirit, 1974 publication data
View source ↗ -
Hymnary.org — Glory to God no. 377, author-composer attribution, Scripture indexing, and copyright data
View source ↗ -
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville — Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson obituary, 1934-2025, teaching and church-music career
View source ↗ -
GIA Publications — current publication record confirming 1970 and 1975 Celebration copyright and HOUSTON tune name
View source ↗ -
eBible.org — World English Bible Classic, John 8
View source ↗ -
eBible.org — World English Bible Classic, Ephesians 5
View source ↗ -
eBible.org — World English Bible Classic, 1 John 1
View source ↗ -
eBible.org — World English Bible Classic, Revelation 21
View source ↗ -
eBible.org — World English Bible Classic, Revelation 22
View source ↗
Lyrics
Lyrics Not Displayed
This hymn is not currently marked as public domain in the HymnInfo database. To respect copyright, the full lyrics are not displayed here. HymnInfo still provides historical, biblical, and theological study notes where available.
Tune
Sheet Music
Music Sheet Not Displayed
This hymn is not currently marked as public domain in the HymnInfo database. To respect copyright, the full music sheet is not displayed here. Please use a licensed hymnal, authorized publisher, or approved sheet-music provider.
Learn This Hymn
Tune: Standard Tune
Accompaniment Versions
Choose the accompaniment version that matches how many stanzas you plan to sing.
3 stanzas
Help Keep HymnInfo Free
HymnInfo provides researched hymn histories, Scripture studies, recordings, sheet music, and teaching resources without charge. If this resource has helped you, your support helps us keep improving and expanding it.
Download Resources
Teaching and small-group resources available for this hymn.
Full lyrics and sheet music are not displayed because this hymn is not currently marked as public domain in the HymnInfo database. Teaching resources prepared for study and discussion may still be available below.
Help Create More Free Teaching Resources
These teaching resources are free to use. Contributions help us research more hymns and create additional teaching materials.