Singing through the Hymnal: week 29

Verse: 1 Corinthians 3:11

Hymn: The Church's One Foundation

           
       
    I will include another tune for this hymn that I also love to sing. Each stanza is so beautiful and important that I have a hard time choosing just one to teach my children, so...this will be one that I start with the first stanza and then just keep on singing and reviewing it with them as I add more stanzas.
 
    This hymn speaks to the fact that church is not a building or not a Sunday event, but the "church" is the people of God scattered around the world and throughout history. Jesus alone is the foundation for His people.

 

                                                                  Fun Facts

Text: Samuel J. Stone (1839-1900)

• a pastor in the neighborhood of Windsor Castle
• he was quite passionate about his beliefs
• he was concerned people were reciting the Apostle's Creed without knowing what it meant, so he wrote a collection of 12 hymns - each of which focused on a different section of the creed. 
• This hymn is the most well-known in the collection of 12 hymns
• This hymn text has been called one of the dozen greatest hymns in the English language

Tune: Samuel S. Wesley (1810-1876) AURELIA

• He wrote this tune for another hymn "Jerusalem the Golden" - so his wife suggested he name it AURELIA (Latin, meaning golden)
• He was the grandson of the great hymn writer, Charles Wesley
• He was a choir boy at St. Paul's cathedral and was an organist and conductor

Remember to order you copy of the hymnal we are singing through if you still need a hymnal!

    Things to think about ...

• continue to define words that your children may not know. 
• continue to talk to your children about the "church" being the people of God and not a building or an event
• This hymn tells how Jesus left heaven to seek out His people and paid for her with His own blood (stanza 1), is her one Lord (stanza 2) and unites her. Stanzas 3-4 talk about the struggles of the church, but God provides for His people a coming rest and peace in perfect communion (stanza 5)
• This is a wonderful hymn to sing as a church to one another as we toil together and await true and everlasting peace