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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 581

When the Church of Jesus

Tune: KING'S WESTON

Studio

1When the church of Jesus shuts its outer door,
Lest the roar of traffic drown the voice of prayer:
May our prayers, Lord make up ten times more aware
That the world we banish is our Christian care.

2If our hearts are lifted where devotion soars
High above this hungry suffering world of ours:
Lest our hymns should drug us to forget its needs,
Forge our Christian worship into Christian deeds.

3Lest the gifts we offer, money, talents, time,
Serve to salve our conscience to our secret shame:
Lord, reprove, inspire us by the way you give;
Teach us, dying Savior, how true Christians live.

The verse

Meter
11.11.12.12
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 41% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABBB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

When the church of Jesus shuts its outer door,/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/11A
Lest the roar of traffic drown the voice of prayer:/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/11B
May our prayers, Lord make up ten times more aware˘/˘///˘///˘/12B
That the world we banish is our Christian care.˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/12B

Verse 2

If our hearts are lifted where devotion soars˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/12A
High above this hungry suffering world of ours:/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘13B
Lest our hymns should drug us to forget its needs,//˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/12C
Forge our Christian worship into Christian deeds.//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/12C

Verse 3

Lest the gifts we offer, money, talents, time,/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/11A
Serve to salve our conscience to our secret shame:/˘//˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13B
Lord, reprove, inspire us by the way you give;/??//˘˘˘/˘/11C
Teach us, dying Savior, how true Christians live./˘/˘/˘///˘/11D

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.