Hymn on the first half of 1st Corinthians 11

A friend from high school recently remarked that you hear a lot of hymns about the second half of 1 Corinthians 11 (Lord’s Supper), but not about the first half (head coverings, headship). He inspired me to write a hymn based on the first half of 1 Corinthians 11. I wrote it to the tune of “If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee,” which is our hymn of the month at Trinity and St. Paul, and it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFfYKN6Jw1o&t=23s

The last stanza ties in the second half of the chapter.

 

 

 

The blood of Jesus Christ our Savior
Descending from His wounded head
Has won for sinners God’s own favor,
As Christ submitted in our stead.
Obeying God’s authority
He made His shackled body free.

For she was bound by sin and dying,
Her wand’ring heart not free at all;
Blind to all good in vain was trying
To choose her lot since Adam’s fall.
Her will was chained by Satan’s pow’r.
Her fruit was spoiled; her grapes were sour.

But Jesus claimed her as His body.
Into Himself God’s Son assumed
The flesh of men who, lost and haughty,
Were in their sins forever doomed.
He made Himself the Head of man,
Submitting to His Father’s plan.

By cleansing with the Word and water
The Savior’s blood still covers sin.
When sorrow falls on Zion’s daughter
To leave her lost and dead within,
He claims her as His body new
So as her Head is, she is too.

Dear Christians, learn from Christ’s example.
As God He shares the Father’s seat.
And yet, as Lord He does not trample
His fragile bride beneath His feet.
He honors God the Father’s will
To save the weak and poor and ill.

So husbands, imitate such honor
And show it toward the weaker link.
For frailty was God’s saving power
When Christ received the bitter drink.
Blessed is he who finds his wife
To be his glory in this life!

And wives, take courage in your Savior
Whose head was covered up with thorns
As He endured such cruel behavior
From sinners’ mocks and scoffers’ scorns.
So while your head is soiled with blame
Your Savior covers up his shame.

Since we are free from condemnation
By Jesus’s water, blood, and Word,
Now may we build on this foundation
And think according to our Lord.
He’s Head of all that reigns above
Yet born of woman in His love.

“This is my body,” says the Savior,
And bids us eat it in the bread.
Here is the token of God’s favor.
Here is the church’s Lord and Head.
Lord, cause our stormy hearts to cease
And as Your body grant us peace!

Amen.

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