Hymn
Christ, Our Abiding Cornerstone
Words: Ryan Cornett
Music: Traditional German Melody
Tune: ELLACOMBE
Meter: C.M.D.
Stanza 1
Christ, our abiding Cornerstone,
Passover Lamb once slain,
His blood has drowned what sin had sown,
In righteous, crimson rain.
Death has no vict'ry nor a sting,
Hushed is the Law's fierce roar;
Ours is the triumph by the King
Who reigns forevermore.
Stanza 2
Christ, our abiding Cornerstone,
Upon the sinking sand,
Fits us to rest before His throne,
On earth, to firmly stand.
By holy flame, as gold refined,
He burns away the dross;
His chosen treasure He has mined,
Unearthed upon the cross.
Stanza 3
Christ, our abiding Cornerstone,
Our blessed cup and bread,
Into one Body binds His own,
Crowned hence is He, the Head.
Stone laid on stone, our Lord will build,
His Spirit will abide;
God's house, in covenant, is sealed,
His temple, unified.
Stanza 4
Christ, our abiding Cornerstone
In whom all worth is found,
May voices raised to make Him known
Through every land resound:
"As stars by Your decree burn bright
And summer flow'rs You dress,
O make Your Church a tow'ring light
Adorned with righteousness."
About the song
I wrote this text for a men's retreat, shaping the hymn around the three major themes of the retreat: unity, salvation, and sanctification from 1 Corinthians. I selected ELLACOMBE for its strong, jubilant character and familiarity since I wanted as many men as possible ready to sing it.
This hymn grew out of a meditative reading of 1 Corinthians and its rich, layered portrait of Christ's ongoing work in and through His Church. Since I wrote it for the CRMA retreat in October, 2025, I shaped the hymn around the three major themes of the retreat: unity, salvation, and sanctification. The last stanza lifts these truths into prayerful praise and mission, asking Jesus to make His Church a radiant witness in the world.
The recurring phrase "Christ, our abiding Cornerstone" anchors the hymn with both doctrinal weight and poetic continuity, echoing Paul's temple and foundation imagery in 1 Corinthians 3 and elsewhere. I selected ELLACOMBE for its familiarity since I wanted as many men as possible ready to sing it. Plus, the tone and high points of the text sing so well with its strong, jubilant character.
Themes
Scripture references
1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 & 55-57; Romans 5:9; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; James 1:12; Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:15; Isaiah 61:10