In 1965, the Jamaican Methodist church was seeking a year of renewal. Sir Hugh Braham Sherlock, a Methodist leader also known at the time for writing the Jamaican national anthem “Jamaica, Land We Love”, helped pen this incredible poem & hymn as a prayer for God’s people to sing in unison…
Lord, Thy church on earth is seeking
Thy renewal from above;
Teach us all the act of speaking
With the accent of Thy love.
We would heed Thy great commission:
“Go ye into every place;
Preach, baptize, fulfill My mission,
Serve with love and share My grace.”
Freedom, give to those in bondage,
Lift the burdens caused by sin;
Give new hope, new strength, and courage
Grant release from fears within.
Light for darkness, joy for sorrow;
Love for hatred, peace for strife.
These and countless blessings follow
As the Spirit gives new life.
In the streets of every city
Where the bruised and lonely dwell,
We shall show the Savior’s pity,
We shall of His mercy tell.
In all lands and with all races,
We shall serve and seek to bring
All the world to render praises,
Christ, to Thee, Redeemer, King.
Amen.
“Lord, thy church on earth is seeking.” The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed August 22, 2018, http://www.hymnology.co.uk/l/lord,-thy-church-on-earth-is-seeking.
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