Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary ‎#486

486. The Church's One Foundation

1 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.

2 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.

3 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,
False sons within her pale,
Against both foe and traitor
She ever shall prevail.

4 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.

5 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.

Text Information

• First Line: The Church's one foundation
• Title: The Church's One Foundation
• Author: S. J. Stone, 1839-1900
• Meter: 76 76 D
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1996
• Topic: Christian Freedom; Trinity 17

Tune Information

• Name: AURELIA
• Composer: S. S. Wesley, 1810-1876
• Meter: 76 76 D
• Key: D Major