The Church's One Foundation

Frederick the Wise was Luther's political guardian who protected the Reformer, most notably when Frederick had Luther kidnapped and hidden at the Wartburg Castle after the Diet at Worms.    God used Frederick in His plan to protect Luther, who helped restore the truth of the Gospel to the Church.  The Church Militant is ever in the midst of her toil, tribulation and tumult of constant battle this side of the grave.  LSB commemorates Frederick the Wise on May 5th. 

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 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.

Though with a scornful wonder

    The world sees her 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.

Through 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 has union

    With God, the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion

    With those whose rest is won.

O blessèd heav’nly chorus!

    Lord, save us by Your grace

That we, like saints before us,

    May see You face to face.