The Church's One Foundation

 

As I'm preparing the new blog series on the church, I again came across this hymn.  I played it as the prelude for our constitution service a couple of weeks ago, and I was struck then with these powerful, powerful words on the church.  I can't read through the whole hymn without tears welling up in my eyes.  Really focus on the words. 

The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord.
She is His new creation
by water and the word.
From heaven He came and sought her
to be His holy bride.
With His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation:
one Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
this world sees her oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping;
their cry goes up: "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore:
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth has union
with God, the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
may live eternally.

~S. J. Stone

Do those words give you goosebumps as they do me?  There is just so much solid truth in those verses!  Is there a hymn that has really spoken to you recently?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments here or on Facebook.

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