Written to the glory of God for the 50th anniversary of Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri. The tune CORNERSTONE was composed by Carl Schalk for this anniversary hymn.
1. A chosen, precious cornerstone
In Zion laid, as flesh and bone,
Incarnate
God Most High;
This stone the builders
would reject,
God’s will obeyed as God’s
Elect—
For us ordained to die!
2. This stone was set for all to see,
As
jewel of that sacred tree,
A gem of priceless worth;
So faith and hope could
rest secure
Upon such love, so rare
and pure,
Love bridging heav’n and
earth!
3.
For Jesus is that saving Name
The
One of worth to rightly claim
Redemption gained for all:
Fulfilling
God the Father’s plan,
Christ came to earth as
God and man,
Undoing Adam’s Fall.
4.
All those once lost, condemned, alone,
God’s grace would claim
and make His own:
Washed clean, renewed,
restored;
As living stones, born
from above,
Built on that Name whose
name is Love,
On Jesus Christ our Lord.
5.
Now none who trust Christ’s holy Name
Shall stumble or be put to
shame—
They walk in wondrous
light!
Made royal priests, a
chosen race,
A people for the praise of
grace
That called them out of
night.
6.
To God the Father, who is known
Through God the Son, true
Cornerstone,
All laud and praise
afford,
With God the Spirit honor
be,
The Three in One, the One
in Three—
Thrice-holy, gracious LORD!
