dotty!

It wasn't until last night after BSF that I decided to go and look up the hymn story behind "The Church's One Foundation". And it's amazing to discover the richness of the whole thing, the emotion Samuel J. Stone experienced then to write such beautiful lyrics.

It was during that period that major religious differences arose amonng Anglican clerics in both England and South Africa, and the Church of England was being attacked by various heresies and the Bible was subject to criticism. Apparently, an influential Anglican bishop had started to spread dangerous teachings and had gathered a significant following. Thefundamental tenets of the Anglican church were being challenged, and divisions in the Church were starting to occur.

All this stirred Stone to write the hymn, bringing everyone back to the Truth, that the Church's One foundation is none other than Jesus. I realise the story behind it makes the hymn come alive even more. And aren't these lyrics applicable even now? In an era where there is no absolute truth and there are so many weird theories and teachings being propagated about the person of Jesus?

In the hymn, I also find a call to hope. Hope that one day, the Truth will come to light, that the Church shall never perish, and the greatest hope that Jesus will come for His bride again.

"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."