Wednesday, May 5, 2010

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.

No comments: