Communion of Saints
Built on the Rock
- Words:
- Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig, 1857. Translated Carl Døving, 1909.
- Music:
- 'Kirken Den Er Et Gammelt Hus' Ludvig M. Lindeman, 1840.
- Setting:
- "The Lutheran Hymnary", 1913.
- Metre:
- 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
- 1Built on the Rock the church doth stand,Even when steeples are falling;Crumbled have spires in every land,Bells still are chiming and calling;Calling the young and old to rest,But above all the soul distressed,Longing for rest everlasting.
- 2Surely in temples made with hands,God, the Most High, is not dwelling;High above earth His temple stands,All earthly temples excelling;Yet He whom heav'ns cannot containChose to abide on earth with men,Built in our bodies His temple.
- 3We are God's house of living stones,Built for His own habitation;He through baptismal grace us owns,Heirs of His wondrous salvation;Were we but two His Name to tell,Yet He would deign with us to dwell,With all His grace and His favor.
- 4Now we may gather with our King;Ev'n in the lowliest dwelling:Praises to Him we there may bring,His wondrous mercy foretelling;Jesus His grace to us accords,Spirit and life are all His words,His truth doth hallow the temple.
- 5Still we our earthly temples rear,That we may herald His praises;They are the homes where He draws nearAnd little children embraces,Beautiful things in them are said,God there with us His cov'nant made,Making us heirs of His kingdom.
- 6Here stands the font before our eyesTelling how God did receive us;The altar recalls Christ's sacrificeAnd what His table doth give us;Here sounds the Word that doth proclaimChrist yesterday, today, the same, Yea, and for aye our Redeemer.
- 7Grant then, O God, where'er men roam,That, when the church bells are ringing,Many in saving faith may comeWhere Christ His message is bringing:"I know Mine own, Mine own know Me;Ye, not the world, My face shall see. My peace I leave with you."
Scripture
Topics
- Assurance
- Baptism
- Children (see also God's Children - the Faithful)
- Church in Heaven (Church Victorious/Church Triumphant)
- Church on Earth (Church Militant)
- Consecration
- Cornerstone
- Discipleship
- God, As King
- God, Majesty & Power of
- God's Children - the Faithful (see also Saints, People of the World)
- Grace
- Jesus
- Leadership
- Lord's Supper
- Peace
- Presence
- Truth
In the hymnals
- The words are in 83 hymnals indexed by Hymnary.org. Their history →
- The tune, Kirken Den Er Et Gammelt Hus, is in 89 hymnals. The tune →
Words, music and setting are in the public domain. The score is from the Open Hymnal Project (Brian J. Dumont), which places its own work in the public domain. The piano is the FluidR3 General MIDI sound font (MIT licence). How many hymnals print a hymn, and when it was written, is from Hymnary.org.