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| Stories Behind The Songs... |
Date Posted:
3/17/2005
Author:
Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
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The Power of the Cross
"The Power of the Cross" is a meditation on the sufferings of Christ.
Over the past couple of years, we have been working through the Apostles Creed and writing hymns teaching the fundamental beliefs of Christianity.
The Creed teaches that ‘He suffered under Pontius Pilate’, and in communion we are commanded to ‘remember his death ‘til he comes’. In the New Testament, Paul and the Apostles often preached and prayed in more detailed and visual ways about the cross, turning all of our senses to Christ’s
sufferings and their significance.
Stuart and I considered how the reality of His sufferings should penetrate our worship services and were challenged by the need to explain the overwhelming significance and implications these have for our lives. In our congregational worship the sufferings of Christ have often only been given a surface glance and it is hardly surprising that the theological meaning often remains confused:
‘This the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.’
Our hope is that the hymn; "The Power of the Cross" will be a resource to the church as a declaration of what we believe; a challenging reflection on Christ’s sufferings and a powerful song for Easter or Communion services.
It is also our hope that people will be challenged again by the wonder and the power of the cross.
See What a Morning
Keith: I wanted to write a triumphant melody, and as soon as I came up with this idea I heard 'Resurrection' - a song that could be sung on Easter
morning or at the beginning of a time of worship, which excites us to the truth that Christ is risen. Stuart and I have enjoyed writing story songs together, and we chatted and decided this would be a great melody for the
Resurrection story.
Stuart: Keith sent me through this melody with some lyrical thematic ideas. I really wanted to convey the immediacy of the Easter morning experience, and how that morning changed history forever. The third verse is a
response of praise as we realise the amazing consequence of Christ's resurrection for our lives, drawing us into relationship with the triune God.
My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness
Even in our thankfulness, we can often betray what unspiritual beings we are.
If we examine our personal devotions, or listen in on a prayer meeting, our thanksgiving often focuses on health and position, family and friends, home and belongings, (and all these are right and good – the bible tells us to give
thanks in every situation).
But the prayers of the early church in the New Testament never follow this pattern. The strong emphasis there is on giving thanks to God for spiritual blessings – the blessings that have true value beyond life on earth.
In “My heart is filled with thankfulness” we give thanks to God for spiritual blessings – past, present and future. What Christ has done for us – for forgiveness and new life, which only he could bring by coming here to earth and suffering for us. How he walks beside us each day and having lived,
breathed and walked here on earth. How he promises to be with us whatever our future hold.
Jesus is Lord
“Jesus is Lord - the cry that echoes through creation”.
Jesus himself said that even the stones could cry out “Jesus is Lord”. It was the climax of the very first known Christian hymn in Philippians 2. The bible tells us that at the end of time, all people and all nations will finally cry
out “Jesus is Lord”.
When reading a first commentary on ‘the creed’, I read through all the passages in the bible stating “Jesus is Lord” and the first line of the melody just popped out.
When writing the melody and the original draft I imagined being able to stand one day with all those throughout centuries who have suffered way beyond I could imagine for that statement. From New Testament Christians who stood up to Caesar to the many martyrs of the twentieth century.
It’s a humbling and frightening thought – especially as many will stand before Christ and say “Lord, Lord…” and their lives will say something different.
In Christ Alone
Of all the hymns we have written, this hymn is the most popular wherever we go. Ironically, it is the first hymn we ever penned together.
I had a strong very Irish melody that I could imagine a large crowd singing. I wanted it to become a hymn that would declare the whole life of Christ and what it meant. Something that could teach people the foundations of what we believed in Christ – the God who changed all of history and who wants a relationship with each us.
Stuart penned a quite incredible lyric, which the two of us edited, developed and rewrote for a couple of weeks until it became “In Christ Alone”.
As well as being a credal song, it fires people with hope – that here is the God who even death cannot hold – “No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me".
One particularly moving story was a letter we received from a soldier at war:
"I wanted to share a song that has been a real inspiration to me. It is a new hymn written, I believe, a year or two ago but it has the feel of the traditional hymns. I have listened to it almost every night and even tend to sing/reflect on its words on my trips across... It has been an inspiration to me because in each of it verses it reminds me of fundamental principles.
It moves immediately to Christ's burden for those who scorned him. Boy, can I relate. We are losing soldiers here everyday to people that we are trying to help. To know that Christ purposefully gave his life for us helps me to understand that he knows that soldiers are dying and that he is in control.
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live
No matter how many times I hear that verse, I get
chills up my spine. The picture of Christ standing in victory, the image of sin's grip being broken and the promise that I am his and knowing that he in fact is mine brings him incredibly close to me.
As I drive down the highway with my M-16 pointed out the window and my 9MM pistol tucked in my flak jacket pocket. I can tell you that I feel more secure in claiming the promise "No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand till he returns or calls me home" than I do with that rifle and pistol."
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