Sunday Audio Service – 4th before Lent – Morning Worship – 9/2/25
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.
Elect 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.
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 forever more.
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.
Samuel John Stone.
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I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY:
‘Come unto Me and rest.
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad.
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Behold I freely give
The living water, thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.’
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream.
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘I am this dark world’s light.
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.’
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun.
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till travelling days are done.
Horatius Bonar.
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AMAZING GRACE! how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come.
’Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
A life of joy and peace.
When we’ve been there a thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
John Newton.
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DEAR LORD AND FATHER OF MANKIND,
Forgive our foolish ways.
Reclothe us in our rightful mind.
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise,
In deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee,
Rise up and follow Thee.
O sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee
The silence of eternity,
Interpreted by love,
Interpreted by love.
With that deep hush subduing all
Our words and works that drown
The tender whisper of Thy call,
As noiseless let Thy blessing fall
As fell Thy manna down,
As fell Thy manna down.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease.
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace,
The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm.
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire.
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm,
O still small voice of calm!
John G. Whittier.
