AURELIA

Compiled by Liland B. Ros'

Here's a list of texts for the tune Aurelia, instigated by Norm's recent posting at BaptistLife.com of Timothy T'ingfang Lew's "O Christ, the Great Foundation". The titles given in red are links to The Cyber Hymnal, my favorite English-language online hymn resource. If you ever have any need of hymns, hymn MIDIs, or information on hymn authors and composers, you really ought to bookmark www.cyberhymnal.org (unpaid ad ;-) . The Cyber Hymnal also has pages devoted to many of the texts' authors, as well as to the composer, Samuel Sebastian Wesley (grandson of Charles). He originally composed it for the text Jerusalem the Golden [Esperanto version], according to Moffatt's Handbook to the Church Hymnary (British Presbyterian), 1935.

Another Year Is Dawning (Frances R Havergal)
God Is My Strong Salvation (James Montgomery)
I Lay My Sins on Jesus (Horatius Bonar)
In Time of Tribulation
O Father, All Creating
O Father, You Are Sovereign
O God, Thou Art the Father
Remember Christ, Our Savior
The Church's One Foundation (Samuel J. Stone)
(Esperanto version: Sur Kristo sin apogas la sankta Eklezi’)
This Night, O Lord, We Bless Thee
in addition, the Christian Science Hymnal gives
"God comes, with succor speedy", a 3-stanza cento from
Hail to the Lord's Anointed by James Alexander; and
The Lutheran Book of Worship sets a Catherine Winkworth eucharistic translation (modernized),
O Living Bread from Heaven, to the tune, and
the UCC New Century Hymnal provides
Help Us Accept Each Other by Fred Kaan; and as promised,
from Hymns for the Spiritual Journey, here's
The Church's Strong Foundation by Rod Romney,

retired pastor of Seattle First Baptist Church

Incidentally, the only hymnal where I see "The Church's One Foundation" set to anything other than Aurelia is the British Songs of Praise, 1931, (See my Esperanto online hymnal for a MIDI) which gives Aurelia as the second tune and the mediaeval German Herzlich Thut Mich Erfreuen as the first choice.

To my embarrassment I must admit that I have three hymnals at home (Presbyterian 1990, GIA Supplement 1991, and UCC New Century 1995) that have the Timothy T'ingfang Lew hymn, "O Christ, the Great Foundation", yet I had never paid it any attention, probably because it looked like a mere modernization / PC rewrite of "The Church's One Foundation". However, I find (amusingly or sadly) that they do not agree as to who translated it or who owns it, though all three texts look identical to me. The Presbyterians say "Trans. Mildred A. Wiant, 1966" and "Text: Copyright © 1977 ... Chinese Christian Literature Council Ltd., Hong Kong". GIA does not indicate it is translated (implying that T T Lew wrote it in English) and says "© Christian Conference of Asia", while the UCC says "Transl. Frank W. Price, 1953, alt." but agrees with the Presbyterians on the copyright holder. So I'm still interested in knowing what Norm's source is and says.

O Christ, the Great Foundation

Timothy T'ingfang Lew (from Norm's post)

O Christ, the great foundation on which your people stand
to preach your true salvation in every age and land:
Pour out your Holy Spirit to make us strong and pure,
to keep the faith unbroken as long as words endure.

Baptized in one confession, one church in all the earth,
we bear our Lord's impression, the sign of second birth:
One holy people gathered in love beyond our own,
by grace we were invited, by grace we make You known.

Where tyrants' hold is tightened, where strong devour the weak,
where innocents are frightened, the righteous fear to speak,
there let your church awaking attack the powers of sin
and, all their ramparts breaking, with you the victory win.

This is the moment glorious when he who once was dead
shall lead his church victorous, their champion and their head.
The Lord of all creation his heavenly kingdom brings,
the final consumation, the glory of all things.

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O Living Bread from Heaven

Johann Rist; tr. Winkworth, alt. LBW

O Living Bread from heaven, how well you feed your guest!
The gifts that you have given have filled my heart with rest.
Oh, wondrous food of blessing, oh, cup that heals our woes!
My heart, this gift possessing, with praises overflows!

My Lord, you here have led me within your holiest place,
And here yourself have fed me with treasures of your grace;
For you have freely given what earth could never buy,
The bread of life from heaven, that now I shall not die.

You gave me all I wanted; this food can death destroy.
And you have freely granted the cup of endless joy.
My Lord, I do not merit the favor you have shown,
And all my soul and spirit bow down before your throne.

Lord, grant me then, thus strengthened, with heav'nly food, while here
My course on earth is lengthened, to serve with holy fear.
And when you call my spirit toleave this world below,
I enter, through your merit, where joys unmingled flow.

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Help Us Accept Each Other

Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
Teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, God, among us, and bring us to believe
We are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.

Teach us, O God, your lessons, as in our daily life
We struggle to be human and search for hope and faith.
Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some,
To love them as we find them, or as they may become.

Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved
In living situations to do the truth in love;
To practice your acceptance, until we know by heart
The table of forgiveness and laughter's healing art.

God, for today's encounters with all who are in need,
Who hunger for acceptance, for righteousness and bread,
Bring us new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on;
Renew us with your Spirit; God! Free us, make us one!

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estas filia TTTejo de
Eldonejo Cigneto