I'm not a worship leader or song writer or expect in music, but ever since attending the recent Hillsong Conference in Sydney about a month plus ago. It has become more apparent to me that it's actually important that we know the stories and theology behind the songs that we sing in church. It's very easy to just sing the lyrics being flash up on the screen each Sunday, and with the nice melodies to it we just sing blindly sometimes. And there's those that pay closer attention to the lyrics,and when we don't understand why it's being written in those ways or why certain choices of words are use, we can be easily stumbled when we sing them. We may either lose the conviction of singing those parts or we may not want to sing it at all...
One example is the recent anchor song that has been sung in YM, TSS & the P&P services in our church, Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise) by Hillsong. First heard this song at TSS even before the song was release at the Hillsong conference and thought it was quite a powerful song with a nice melody especially when it came to the chorus and bridge. Came Hillsong conference, we sang this song almost everyday, and one of our team members raised a question on the choice of words in the chorus. "I will rise, As Christ was raised to life", this led to us having a deep discussion after that on the entire song, like why was the words "sink beneath the waters" even use in the verse too.
And it was only after we came back from the conference that we found the entire story of the song and theology behind that song and it makes total sense now. It has actually a deep profound theology behind it from Romans 6:4, and even had a short study on it recently when I was reading up of Romans in our Disciple 1 readings.
(Read this in my Disciple 1 reading on Romans recently & found the deep theology of the context where the lyrics from the song “Beneath the waters (I will rise)” came from.)
Story & Lyrics behind the song- Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise)- written by Brooke Ligertwood & Scott Ligertwood (Hillsong Team)
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:4 (NIV)
"The original idea for this song about the power and significance of baptism had been sitting on my laptop for a while, unfinished. The catalyst for completing the idea came when Pastor Brian shared that he had it on his heart to have a special baptism service at church.
At our church we have the baptismal pool at the front of the auditorium and people are baptised as the congregation witness their declaration and worship with them. We set about finishing "Beneath the Waters (I Will Rise)" for this service so that people would have a declaration to sing as they rose from the waters of baptism.
In its essence, this song is about rising to the new life Romans 6:4 speaks of as well as acknowledging the submission to Christ's Lordship that baptism represents. In a broader sense, however, it has become a powerful confession of faith and salvation that has found a place across the life of our church, not just in a baptism setting."
- Scott Ligertwood
Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise)
Written by Brooke Ligertwood & Scott Ligertwood (Hillsong Team)
This is my revolution
Jesus Christ crucified
Salvation through repentance on the cross on which He died
Now here my absolution
forgiveness for my sin
I sink beneath the waters that Christ was buried in
(Chorus)
I will rise, I will rise
As Christ was raised to life
Now in Him,
Now in Him
I live
I stand a new creation,
baptized in blood and fire
No fear of condemnation, by faith
I’m justified
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
I rise as You are risen
Declare your rule and reign
My life confess your lordship
And glorify Your name
Your word stands eternal
Your kingdom knows no end
Your praise goes on foreverand on and on again
No power can stand against You
No curse assaults Your throne
No one can steal Your glory
For it is Yours aloneI stand to sing Your praises
I stand to testify
For I was dead in my sin..
(Chorus)
Story Behind - I Lift My Hands (Chris Tomlin)
Have you ever wondered why we lift our hands in worship?
Also during the recent Hillsong Conference, there was this night we had a discussion on that question “why do people lift up their hands in worship?” And God has his interesting way of answering us. The very next morning, Louie giglo started his sermon illustrations on why we lift our hands in worship! We were so amazed as we look at each other when he said that.
We lift our hands in celebration!
1) It's a response to something awesome!!!
2) Or it's a response in surrender, in repentance
3) In desperate hope
Psalms 63:4 ,"I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands."
Louie Giglio & Chris Tomlin also shared the powerful story behind the song “I Lift My Hands”...
"There was this period where Louie Giglio had a series of spiritual attack, when he was in the midst of starting the Passion City Church.
He said there was one particular night, after waking up night after night at 2 a.m. in a "dark cloud" of panic and anxiety that he said a simple prayer, "God, please help me."
He remembered a passage of Scripture that says "God gives songs in the night."
"A little song started bubbling up in his heart. Just four lines: Be still my soul there is a healer. His love is deeper than the sea. His mercy is unfailing. His arms a fortress for the weak," he said. "And then this little phrase, 'I lift my hands to believe again.'
Psalm 63New International Version (NIV)A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you,my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.3 Because your love is better than life,my lips will glorify you.4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you;I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.11 But the king will rejoice in God;all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
After they shared the story of the song, Chris Tomlin played it live before us as seen here I lift My Hands (Live recording) , and we just started worshiping to that song with such great conviction as we saw how God has breath into this lyrics from the experience that Louie Giglio went through.
Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weak
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Your grace that washes over me
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
(Chorus)
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
Story Behind- Cornerstone- Reuben Morgan (Hillsong)
(This new song is taken from an old hymn “The Solid Rock”.)
It was inspired by the tragic events that happened in Norway, when Reuben Morgan the writer of this song was in Stockholm, two days after it happened. The people were really shaken up by it—almost everyone knew someone who was affected by what had happened. When they wrote the song “Cornerstone” they were thinking about how to help people respond to a tragedy like this
So they wrote this Chorus to the hymn.
Christ alone, Cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Savior's love
Through the storm
He is Lord, Lord of All
When there’s a feeling of uncertainty and everything that they know has been shaken. We can trust and build our foundation on Christ and we can hope in Him—even when everything else fails.
Isaiah 28:16"... A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed"
Cornerstone -Reuben Morgan (Hillsong)
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly trust in Jesus' name
(Chorus)
Christ alone, Cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Savior's love
Through the storm
He is Lord, Lord of All
When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil
(Chorus)
He is Lord, Lord of all
(Chorus)
Then He shall come with trumpets sound
Oh, may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
faultless, stand before the throne
"Justified by faith (Chui Chui)"
"Justified by Faith(chui.chui)" is an old Sunday School song which Ps Raymond recently taught us in our recent Disciple 1 class that we use to sing. This song remind us of what we studied today in the book of Romans, and this song help us remember this powerful verses from Romans 5. :)
Romans 5:1,5New International Version (NIV)V.1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,V.5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
"Justified by faith (Chui Chui)"
Therefore being justified by faith
We have peace with God
Through our Lord Jesus Christ
Because the love of God is shed abroad
In our hearts by the Holy Ghost
Which is given, which is given
Unto us, to us, unto us
Chorus:
Chui Chui...Chui Chui... Ohm ba ba... Ai ya ya ya ya ya ya... (2x)
This are just some of the many more powerful stories of the songs that we sing in our churches today, and I think its good that we know the theology and reasons why certain songs are sang especially when one lead others in worship. Now whenever I sing songs in worship in church, I try to see God's message to us through the lyrics. And its always good that we know the stories and scripture references for the worship songs that we sing. Knowing it has given me greater conviction as I sing out praises & worship to our Lord! :)
Psalm 100 (NIV)
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
No comments:
Post a Comment