821--The Church the vessel is to Christ,

The Church the vessel is to Christ,

821

	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.