1 

The Church the vessel is to Christ,

Him to contain and Him express,

Just as the human body doth

Man's life show forth, his life possess.

 2 

As was the temple to the ark,

Receptacle and resting-place;

So Christ the Church's content is,

And in the Church, Christ's dwelling-place.

 3 

As Christ is God's true mystery,

God to explain and God express;

So is the Church Christ's mystery,

Christ to explain and manifest.

 4 

The members of the Church of Christ

Are all primarily of clay;

They need to be transformed and made

Transparent, precious day by day.

 5 

By transformation they are built,

A vessel they to Christ afford;

His all-inclusiveness they hold;

Transparent, they express the Lord.

 6 

Thru all the transformation work

The triune God performs in them,

The Church a corporate vessel is

And like the new Jerusalem.

 7 

How precious she in each respect,

Transparent too in every phase;

Christ with God's fulness she contains,

Christ with God's glory she displays.

 8 

With Christ as life, with God as light,

And with the Spirit's living flow,

The triune God she manifests

For all the universe to know.