hymns

Feeling a little stressed this evening as I hang out in jenks…so hey, why not take some time to blog? Seemed like a good solution to me J

We sang a hymn that really made me happy last week: "The Church’s One Foundation." I think I got excited about it because shalom was still on my mind and this hymn talks about the unity of Christ. Although that doesn’t seem like it relates to peace, I think it just magnified Jesus’ love and ability to be a God of all nations, no matter our differences (culture, ethnicity, socio-economic status, etc. etc.). It also made me think of my dear grandmother who absolutely LOVES hymns…and I could just picture her playing on the piano and singing away. As a matter of fact, my other grandmother loves hymns as well and I always like to see their excitement when they play them in Church (this is not a common occurence in my Church, and if we do sing them, it is usually with guitar and piano) I would not consider myself a usual hymn-lover, but I think if I try a little harder to pay attention to the words of these songs, I will appreciate them a lot more and see their truth and light…I’ll keep working on that one J

The Church’s One Foundation (#277)

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 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 flood, and to one hope she presses,with every grace endured

‘Mid toil and tribulation and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation of peace forever more;
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:
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee
A-men