So, I decided that it would be fun to let you in on a something I’ve been trying to do recently with the songs I lead worship with. What I’ve been doing is taking these songs and breaking them down. What is it’s message? What scripture is related to it (thanks BibleGateway.com)? What is God trying to speak to us through this song? Things like that. I don’t have it down to a science or anything, but i thought it would be cool to let you guys into my world. I don’t want these to just be songs I sing. As my friend Duane has said several times [paraphrased], “If we truly believed and lived like the songs we sing, this world (and Wilmington) would be a much better place”. So the first song I’m work through is All Because of Jesus – Steve Fee:
V.1
Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To you be the gloryV.2
maker of heaven and of earth
no one can comprehend your worth
king over all the universe
to you be the gloryP.C
I’m alive because i’m alive in YouC.
it’s all because of Jesus I’m alive
it’s all because the blood of Jesus Christ
that cover’s me and raised this dead man’s life
it’s all because of Jesus I’m aliveB.
every sunrise sings Your praise
the universe cries out your praise
i’m singing freedom all my days
now that I’m alive
What are my first impressions? There is one big theme in this song. I could take that down to just one key word. Alive – living, not dead; continuing to be supported or in use. Interesting. Supported. In use. I’ll come back to that. With songs like this, I try to look for that one line that just speaks on it’s own. “I’m alive because I’m alive in You”. So simple but so essential. It’s because of Christ being in me that I can truly be alive! When Jesus was raised, we were raised. We join in that resurrection.
I’ve always appreciated the use of nature to describe how glorious and awesome God is. “Every sunrise sings Your praise/the universe cries out Your name.” It give brand new meaning to watching a sunrise or sunset. Another reason I really love the use of nature is because it is universal. We can all connect to that. I know what it is like to see a sunrise. Most do. I understand that there is a whole universe of things around me. Most do. All of that cries out to our Lord.
So what scripture are we lookin at here? 1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, so in Christ we will all be made ALIVE. Ephesians 2:4-6 We have been saved by His grace and only because He loves us more than we could ever know. These passages just point to the fact that God loves us so incredibly much.
I like to end with a prayer so that I can ask God to make these songs real to me and so that I might try to find what it looks like to live these songs in my life . . .
Jesus, I pray as I sing this song, my heart would be overwhelmed with Your love. I only hope to see that I am truly alive in you, and You saved me from a place where no light is seen. No love is ever really felt. You have brought me here and You are good. I pray Your spirit would fill our hearts so full of your grace that our only response would be to long to be more like You.
3 responses so far ↓
Rich // February 2, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I like this idea. It is so easy to sing and play these songs without even thinking about it. I am guilty of this myself sometimes. Stopping to think about them is great thing… you have inspired me my friend.
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