O Christ, who in Your own place were rejected,
Stand by them who for Your sake are corrected.
Grant that their teaching,
Sin's fortress breaching,
May be in us, as though by fire, perfected.
As stewards of Your secrets You appoint them,
To preach good tidings to the poor anoint them:
Through them revealing
Your grace and healing,
Lead us in faithful witnessing to join them.
For they, the time of our redemption crying,
A balm for broken spirits are applying.
The captive freeing,
Blind eyes leave seeing,
Downtrodden hearts with courage fortifying.
Give them and us a measure of Your Spirit,
That when they preach of judgment, we may fear it;
And when they mention
Love's condescension,
Tune heart and mind attentively to hear it.
Thus, call our hearts from clifftop perils faring—
Pride's precipice or gulfs of deep despairing—
That Your returning
We meet with yearning,
A glad homecoming with the faithful sharing.
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