The Church's One Foundation

Can I make a confession? When I was a kid, if there was ever a hymn I dreaded singing, it was The Church's One Foundation. Why? I don't know, maybe I never really cared for the tune. Or maybe it was that, with a moderate-to-slow tempo, and four full verses, it just seemed to drag on forever. (Of course, I had no idea that there were actually at least six verses!)

Anyway, Sunday evening we sang The Church's One Foundation at church, and I did something that I wasn't very good at as a child - I paid attention to the words. And you know what? They're nice words!

So, you know me...I can't resist making up new tunes for old hymns.

The Church's One Foundation (first verse)

The Church's One Foundation

The church's one Foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the Word:
From heav'n 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 ev'ry 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 ev'ry grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore 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.

The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain and cherish
Is with her to the end;
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against or foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore;
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 hath union
With the 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,
On high may dwell with thee.