DOCTRINES >> COMMUNION
SDAH 410
Thy broken body, gracious Lord,
Is shadowed by this broken bread;
The wine which in this cup is poured,
Points to the blood which Thou hast shed.
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: Thy Broken Body, Gracious Lord
First printed in 1850 and embraced by early Adventist hymnals, this Communion hymn beautifully sums up the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. While “broken body” comes from 1 Corinthians 11:24, Scripture reminds us that “a bone of Him shall not be broken” (John 19:36); the bread symbolizes Christ’s body given for all. Paired with JANICE, a tender tune written in 1966 by Wayne Hooper for his congregation’s Communion service, it calls us to gratefully partake of the symbols of Jesus’ sacrifice and share in the blessings of His redeeming love.
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Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
These words by an unknown author are a cogent summary of the ceremony and meaning of the Communion service. The expression “broken body,” which comes from 1 Corinthians 11:24, is capable of wrong interpretation, for “a bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:36). So the Scripture allusion is to Luke 22:19, “This is my body which is given for you.” Hence the breaking of the bread indicates that it was given for all to share in its blessings.
The hymn was first printed in Phineas A. Smith’s Second Advent Hymn Book, 1850. Two years later James White included it in Hymns for Second Advent Believers, and it has been in several SDA books since then.
The tune JANICE was named by the composer, Wayne Hooper, ; see Biographies) in honor of his daughter. He wrote it for a Communion service in 1966 when he was minister of music at the Vallejo Drive SDA Church, Glendale, California. He revised it slightly for inclusion
in this hymnal.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Thy broken body, gracious Lord,
Is shadowed by this broken bread;
The wine which in this cup is poured,
Points to the blood which Thou hast shed.
2
And while we meet together thus,
We show that we are one in Thee;
Thy precious blood was shed for us,
Thy death, O Lord, hast set us free!
3
We have one hope that Thou wilt come,
Thee in the air we wait to see;
When Thou wilt give Thy saints a home,
And we shall ever reign with Thee.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Luke 22:19, 20 (b) John 17:21 (c) Tit 2:13; Rev 22:5
Text Source
Anonymous from Hymns and Tunes, 1886
Copyright
Music copyright 1984 by Wayne Hooper
Hymn Tune
JANICE
Metrical Number
L.M.
Composer
Wayne Hooper (1920-2007)
Year Composed
1966
