(Part of a series singing through the hymnbook I grew up with: Great Hymns of the Faith)
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
‘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.
4
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 dell with Thee.
At The Rainbow 