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.