Reformation Sunday

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And ably set to music by Church of England priest, Fr. Charles Wesley!
JonNC said:
Dear Friends in Christ,
Tomorrow, millions of Lutherans worldwide will commemorate the start of the Reformation. This marks the 495th year, and while some may term it a “celebration”, I have come to think of it more a day of prayer for unity of Christ’s Church.
Today we face a growing tide of attack on His Church. In many countries, Christians are under attack for their faith. Churches are burned, and people murdered. Even here in America, once a sanctuary of religious freedom, we are under growing attack for our faith by those who oppose His message. The time seems to be near that we can no longer allow our differences to be stronger than our convergences. We will soon be at a time when we must stand together.

As a Lutheran, I would be tempted to post Fr. Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress”, and surely I will sing it tomorrow. But here, today, I offer Samuel Stone’s “The Church’s One Foundation”. Church in the singular, because there is but one Church. And I ask that all of you join me a prayer for unity of His Church. Come, Lord Jesus.

Jon

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.

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 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!
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Prayers for unity! We are living in difficult times and must continue to pray and stand together.
In Christ,
mlz
 
Usbek_de_Perse said:
And ably set to music by Church of England priest, Fr. Charles Wesley!
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The tune is not by Charles Wesley (who was an ordained presbyter of the C of E, but would have turned purple to hear himself called “Father,” I suspect), but by his grandson Samuel Sebastian Wesley, who was a layman as far as I know. (The “Sebastian” is for J.S. Bach–Samuel Sebastian’s father Samuel Wesley was one of the people most influential in bringing the music of J.S. Bach back into the repertoire.)

Edwin
 
JonNC said:
Ably? Indeed not!! “Magnificently” understates it!

It is interesting that some of my most favorite hymns are of the Anglicans, including “For All Thy Saints”. 👍

Jon
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I like “Sing of Mary”.

GKC
 
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