The Church and the Nations
God the Father forms his people,
from out of the nations to bless the nations;
Jesus the Christ saves his people,
from out of the nations to bless the nations;
The Holy Spirit draws his people,
from out of the nations to bless the nations.
• • •
Abraham called,
from out of the nations, the people are blessed;
Moses leads,
from out of a nation, a people oppressed;
David fights,
against the nations, the people assured;
Isaiah speaks,
to lighten the nations, the people restored.
Jesus dies,
betrayed by the people, for the people;
Jesus dies,
pierced by the nations, for the nations.
Jesus raised,
the people remade, the nations reproached;
Paul proclaims,
the people reshaped, the nations rejoice;
John sees,
the people redeemed, regathered from every
tribe, tongue, people and nation.
• • •
Source of the Church,
Desire of the nations;
Head of the Church,
Judge of the nations;
Breath of the Church,
Light of the nations;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
renew your Church to bless your nations.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Graham Kings, in his retirement in Cambridge, is honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Ely and research associate at the the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, which he founded in 1995. He has served as Mission Theologian in the Anglican Communion; Bishop of Sherborne; and vicar of St. Mary’s Church, Islington, London, where he co-founded Fulcrum.
