Scripture Verse

This is My body which is given for you. Luke 22:19

Introduction

portrait
Louis F. Benson (1855–1930)

Words: Lou­is F. Ben­son, 1924.

Music: Aga­pe Charles J. Dick­in­son, 1861 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Dick­in­son (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Origin of the Hymn

The in­spir­a­tion came to [Ben­son] on No­vem­ber 21, 1924, short­ly af­ter a Com­mun­ion ser­vice in the Se­cond Pres­by­te­ri­an Church, of Phi­la­del­phia, which he at­tend­ed. Three stan­zas were the re­sult.

Before per­mit­ting their use, how­ev­er, he con­sult­ed two friends, one of whom was Hen­ry Sloane Cof­fin, D. D., then pas­tor of the Mad­i­son Ave­nue Pres­by­ter­ian Church, New York Ci­ty. In the qui­et of Dr. Ben­son’s stu­dy the hymn was read and dis­cussed.

Dr. Cof­fin was de­light­ed, but sug­gest­ed that a fourth stan­za should be add­ed. To this sugg­est­ion the au­thor ac­ceded.

Whereupon Dr. Cof­fin asked to print the hymn in his church cal­en­dar, through the chan­nels of which it was first used.

Laufer, pp. 104–05

Lyrics

For the bread, which Thou hast broken;
For the wine, which Thou hast poured;
For the words, which Thou hast spoken—
Now we give Thee thanks, O Lord.

By this pledge that Thou dost love us,
By Thy gift of peace restored,
By Thy call to Hea­ven above us,
Hallow all our lives, O Lord.

With our sainted ones in glo­ry,
Seated at our Fa­ther’s board,
May the Church that waiteth for Thee
Keep love’s tie unbroken, Lord.

In Thy service, Lord, defend us,
In our hearts keep watch and ward;
In the world where Thou dost send us
Let Thy kingdom come, O Lord.