THE SONG OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST

The Lord Christ’s Ministry is Present in the Church’s Sacraments 

Out of Zion came the Word made flesh,

Out of Galilee the Light that shineth yet;

Christ our Lord, the Lamb once slain,

Rising in splendor, He reigns again.

From holy James, Jerusalem’s first,

The fountain of worship, the chalice of thirst,

The brethren gathered, incense did rise,

Clouds of glory ascending the skies.

The Apostles’ voices, thunder and flame,

Spoke one Gospel, one Lord, one Name.

In Celtic isles by ocean’s roar,

Saints lit fires on Britain’s shore.

Columba, Patrick, Brigid bright,

Their prayers a shield, their hymns a light;

The Cross was planted, the Picts did bow,

The holy streams run living now.

Our Antiochene Fathers also arise,

Their prayers ascend to heaven’s skies:

Chrysostom golden, Theodore wise,

Ephrem’s harp of melodies;

Isaac the Syrian, tears like rain,

Aphrahat’s words, both sharp and plain.

Guardians strong of the Ancient way,

They shield our Church until this day.

And from their line, a Patrimony rare,

The Caroline Divines with prayerful care,

Nonjurors steadfast, confessors bold,

Kept this treasure, the pearl of old;

Their holy seed springs forth in us,

For we preserve that sacred trust.

Our liturgy blooms like a garden fair,

With Psalms of David, with fervent prayer;

The hymnody rises, the saints draw near,

Icons shimmer, their faces clear.

The children gather, the fathers bless,

The mothers teach with gentleness;

Our Church is family, humble and meek,

The ancient Truth that all men seek.

We smell the myrrh, the incense streams,

The altar glows with heaven’s beams;

Angels attend where candles flame,

Christ is adored, the Lamb once slain.

To Asia’s coast, to Malaya’s land,

The Gospel flows by God’s command;

In Mandarin tongue the praises swell,

In Nippon’s halls the saints do dwell.

From Seoul to Manila, from Kyoto’s gate,

The Church proclaims that God is great;

For East and West in Christ are one,

A single Body, a risen Son.

So we march on, with banners raised,

With saints and angels, Christ is praised;

More Orthodox than all Orthodox claim,

For we are kept by the Holy Name.

The Ancient Church beckons you now,

With Scripture’s light and our solemn vow;

Come, taste the grace our great fathers knew,

The Faith Apostolic - once given, pure and true.

Here Christ is all in all, and our hearts adore,

One Faith, One Body, One Church, forevermore.

By Bp. Joseph Boyd

Ancient Church of the West