Each week, this blog includes:
I. Songs for the 1050 service at the heights
II. Stories behind those songs
III. Lyrics and scriptures for those songs
I. Set List
Be Thou My Vision (8th Century Irish Poem)
In Christ Alone (Getty/Townend)
You are Love (Logan Walter)
Oh Lord, You're Beautiful (Keith Green)
II. Song Stories
1. Be Thou My Vision: http://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/be-thou-my-vision
2. In Christ Alone: http://www.crosswalk.com/1275127/
3. You are Love:
"You are Love" was the first song I wrote for the "All Things Fade" album. When I'm writing for a new album, I like to start with the most singable songs, to assure that the album is headed in the right direction. We are a worship band, not a concert band, so the goal is simple: people singing to Jesus. When I share about the songs I've written, I am usually explaining the back-story for the lyrics, but the melodies are of almost equal importance in worship music, as they too must draw people into God's presence.
For years, worship melodies were a real issue for me. Growing up, two of my favorite artists were Sting and Steely Dan. I still love them to this day and often find myself tithing to their ministries by purchasing tickets to their Dallas shows. Here's the problem: Steely Dan uses 35 jazzy chords in every song, while Sting's melodies soar out of everyone's range. For this reason, I spent most of my time in college trying to re-wire my brain to harness the more singable components of the songs I love. I had to leave behind the aspects of Sting's music that I could not apply to corporate worship (ex: the verse melody for "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You") while retaining that which could be used (the chorus melody for "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You"...in a lower key of course).
"You are Love" is a good example of the result. It has a chorus melody that soars without soaring out of range. Thanks Sting. It has a chord progression that is simple, but I threw in a flat third on the bridge for good measure. Thanks Steely Dan.
The lyrics are based around the idea that Christian Love involves three primary components: loving God (verse 1), loving others (verse 2), and accepting God's love for us (bridge). My prayer is that you will be able to embrace all three facets of Love as you sing this song to our Creator.
4. Oh Lord, You're Beautiful:
This is a simple chorus that was written by a man named Keith Green, and it's part of my testimony.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Keith Green, he was the first well-known Christian musician to be played on the radio back in the 70s. He had a massive following, his music was great, Bob Dylan played harmonica on his records, but more importantly, Keith and his wife Melody were known for opening their home to anyone who needed a bed. After their home was not enough, they bought all the homes on their street in Los Angeles and made those beds available. When that wasn't enough, they bought an enormous ranch out in East Texas and housed dozens of people who needed a home or community. It was so big that they built a landing strip for small planes to fly in and out of the ranch, and one day, when Keith was only 28 years old, he crashed and died on that landing strip.
After his death, his wife started hosting a retreat for Christian Music Artists each year, and my dad, who was a worship leader for 20 years, was always invited. Our whole family was invited, and that's where I gave my life to Christ, so Keith Green's music has always meant a lot to me. And this song in particular is an intensely personal song for me. It's the song I sing when I'm driving with the car radio off, or when I can't fall asleep at night, or when I'm feeling anxious about life, or when I'm overwhelmed by God's goodness and beauty. It's my prayer song.
III. Song Lyrics & Scriptures
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
(numbers 12:6)
Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
(James 1:5)
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
(Matthew 6:21)
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
(Revelation 2:7)
blank slide - ephesians 2:19-20
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
(Psalm 130:7)
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My comforter, my all in all,
here in the love of Christ I stand
(Psalm 130:7)
In Christ alone, who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless Babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorned by the ones He came to save.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
’Til on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied.
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.
(2 corinthians 5:21)
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
then, bursting forth in glorious day,
up from the grave He rose again!
(1 Corinthians 15:55)
And as He stands in victory,
sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
for I am His and He is mine,
bought with the precious blood of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:55)
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
this is the pow’r of Christ in me;
from life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
(philippians 1:21)
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from His hand;
’til He returns or calls me home,
here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand!
(philippians 1:21)
blank slide - Romans 8:38-39
Show us how to love you more
Show us how to love you, Lord
With our hearts, With our minds
With the cross before our eyes
(Luke 10:27a)
We realize
You are Love
You are Love
(1 John 4:8)
Show us how to love each other
Show us how to love our neighbor
With our hearts, With our minds
With the cross before our eyes
(Luke 10:27b)
We realize
You are Love
You are Love
(1 John 4:21)
You are a part of us
You are a part of us
You are a part of us
We are Loved
(1 John 4:9)
blank slide - 1 john 4:18
You are Love
You are Love
You are Love
(1 John 4:16)
You are a part of us
Never apart from us
You are a part of us
We are, We are
(1 John 4:10)
We are Loved
(1 John 4:10)
Oh Lord, You're beautiful
Your face is all I seek
For when your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me
(2 corinthians 9:8)
very excited about this week's playlist! haven't heard "in christ alone" since i stopped leading worship, and have wanted to hear "oh Lord, You're beautiful" again since the Hillsong concert I attended last summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking time to do this. I'm the type of person whose spiritual walk resonates more intimately through worship. This is really awesome.