A beautiful, sacred hymn with music by Kevin G. Pace and text by Kathryn W. Hales. This heartfelt hymn beautifully captures the spiritual essence of Zion—not merely as a physical location, but as a condition of the heart. With poetic clarity, it affirms that Zion is for the pure, the valiant, and those who center their lives on Jesus Christ. The verses remind us that Zion can be found anywhere—across lands and oceans—so long as one holds fast to faith and lives with charity. Whether in a home, a congregation, or a sacred temple, the hymn proclaims that Zion exists wherever Christ dwells within us. It's a tender expression of longing to belong to the holy city of God by living a covenant-centered life, full of grace and discipleship.

YouTube video: Zion is the Center Place, hymn

Text:
Zion is the center place,
For the gathering of the Saints,
For the valiant and pure in heart,
Not the rebellious or the faint.
Zion isn’t just about the land,
Although that’s often a start,
It is about planting Jesus
In the center of my heart.

I can live in Zion
Among the Saints of God,
In any land or ocean’s shore,
If I hold the iron rod.
Zion is the pure in heart,
Those with charity,
With Jesus at my center,
In Zion I will be.

I want to live in Zion,
In New Jerusalem,
The City of our God,
For cov’nant daughters, sons.
In home, or ward, or temple,
I’ll be in a holy place,
For Zion is at my center,
‘cause Jesus is my grace.