Scripture Verse

The Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15

Introduction

Words: Sam­uel Long­fel­low, Hymns of the Spi­rit 1864.

Music: St. James Ralph Courte­ville, in Se­lect Psalms and Hymns for the Use of the Par­ish Church and Ta­ber­na­cle of St. James’, West­min­ster, 1696 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Courte­ville (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Samuel Longfellow (1819–1892)

Lyrics

One holy Church of God appears
Through every age and race,
Unwasted by the lapse of years,
Unchanged by changing place.

From oldest time, on farthest shores,
Beneath the pine or palm,
One unseen presence she adores,
With silence, or with psalm.

The truth is her prophetic gift,
The soul her sacred page;
And feet on mercy’s errands swift
Do make her pilgrimage.

O living Church, thine errand speed,
Fulfill thy task sublime;
With bread of life earth’s hungers feed;
Redeem the evil time!