The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord…
It is no secret that I am a musician, though some may argue with me about that. My love of music began early and as a student of music, I continue to practice and learn new things. As a music teacher for over 30 years, I realized that songs are a powerful means of teaching. The melodies, rhythms, and rhymes that characterize songs make the words easier to remember. I bet most of us learned our ABC’s by singing the tune to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
All throughout history God’s people have used songs to teach, praise, and worship. We can see this as early as Exodus 15 where Moses records the song Israel sang after crossing the Red Sea. It taught everyone who heard and sang it about God’s character in that great act of delivering his people.
In Ephesians, Paul says to, “address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart”, and again in Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” It’s because we encounter simple but important truths in the Psalms and the earliest Christian hymns.
One of the hymns I grew up singing was, The Church’s One Foundation. We have been talking about the church – the Body of Christ, the Fellowship of believers, for several weeks. As you read the words to this hymn, remember – WE ARE THE CHURCH. What is God saying to you? See you Sunday.
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.
She is 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.
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 who hate her, and false sons in her pale, against both foe or traitor She ever shall prevail.
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!
’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 hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won, With all her sons and daughters who, by the Master’s hand led through the deathly waters, repose in Eden land.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee: There, past the border mountains, where in sweet vales the Bride with Thee by living fountains forever shall abide!