The Word of God Is Spoken

Hymn writer Mark Preus recently penned this fine Holy Communion text and composer Stephen Johnson recently composed a wonderful, and as yet unnamed, tune for it.  Our Lord be praised for His ongoing gifts to His Church!  "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.'  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."  (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

1.  The Word of God is spoken,
     And angels bend to see
     How hearts, once bound and broken,
     Are set a liberty.
     For Christ, the Lord of Glory,
     Proclaims His death again;
     No doubt can dim the story
     That pardons all our sin.

2.  With bread and wine are given
     Christ's body and His blood;
     The earthly hides the heaven
     As flesh encloses God;
     The right hand of the Father
     Is now the Holy Place
     Where Christ, our God and Brother,
     Bestows on sinners grace.

3.  Depart each unbeliever
     And those who live to sin!
     Nor let a false deceiver
     Dare here to enter in.
     Discern this gift of Jesus,
     His body and His blood,
     Lest righteous judgement seize us
     For not believing God.

4.  Blest is the hungry spirit,
     Who has no good to give,
     But clings to Jesus' merit--
     By faith this soul shall live;
     The Lord will not deceive him,
     As sin and Satan do,
     Nor will his Savior leave him,
     Whose Word cries out, "for you!"

5.  And kneeling at the altar
     United we shall be,
     Though we are weak, and falter,
     Strong is our unity.
     For Jesus' precious preaching
     Dispels the devil's pow'r,
     Nor will He let false teaching
     To ever win the hour.

6.  So we with gladness enter,
     And we with gladness leave;
     Christ's cross is at the center
     Of all that we believe.
     This sacrament will give us
     Abundant joy and peace
     Till angels will receive us
     In heaven's Holy Place.