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CHRIST FOR THE WORLD WE SING

Scripture Verse

God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. Acts 10:35

Introduction

portrait
Felice de Giardini
(1716–1796)
National Portrait Gallerybutton

Words: Sam­uel Wol­cott, 1869. He wrote these words while min­is­ter at the Ply­mouth Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church in Cleve­land, Ohio:

Music: Ita­li­an Hymn Fe­li­ce de Gi­ar­di­ni, in The Col­lect­ion of Psalm and Hymn Tunes Sung at the Cha­pel of the Lock Hos­pi­tal, 1769 (🔊 ).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Samuel Wolcott (1813–1886)

Origin of the Hymn

The Young Men’s Chris­tian As­so­cia­tion of Ohio met in one of our church­es with their mot­to in ev­er­green let­ters over the pulpit: Christ for the World, and the World for Christ. This sug­gested the hymn Christ for the world we sing. It was on my way home from this ser­vice in 1869, walk­ing alone through the streets, that I put to­ge­ther the four stan­zas of the hymn.

Nutter, pp. 333–34

Lyrics

Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With lov­ing zeal,
The poor and them that mourn,
The faint and ov­er­borne,
Sin sick and sor­row worn,
Whom Christ doth heal.

Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With fer­vent pray­er;
The way­ward and the lost,
By rest­less pass­ions tossed,
Redeemed at count­less cost,
From dark des­pair.

Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With one ac­cord;
With us the work to share,
With us re­proach to dare,
With us the cross to bear,
For Christ our Lord.

Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With joy­ful song;
The new­born souls, whose days,
Reclaimed from er­ror’s ways,
Inspired with hope and praise,
To Christ be­long.