Choosing Music for Corporate Worship

Ever wonder what kind of thought process goes into selecting the music we sing in corporate worship? The other day I wrote out some things that went into my decision for the set list we used this past Sunday. You can check it out here.

I’m always thankful for the opportunity to lead our congregation in singing praise to our God, but am even more thankful that the man who does this most weeks consistently models a thoughtful approach to worship leading and song selection. Robert will be back this Sunday!

Spring Book Reviews

My reading from the last few months has included some really great books! Here are some short summaries. If you see something that interests you, click on over for a full review. As always, if you come across any good books, let me know about them!

“Here’s Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math” by Alex Bellos

I’ll be honest: I bought this book based on the title alone. I don’t really like math, and was shocked to discover that the genre of “recreational math books” actually existed. However, this ended up being a really fun and interesting book of math-related stories and a pure joy to read! A very pleasant surprise!

Recommended for: People who love numbers and/or short stories. Even if you hate math, you’d probably still like this book. Read the full review.

“The Family Worship Book: A Resource for Family Devotions” by Terry L. Johnson

The title pretty much describes this one. It is a resource book to aid husbands and fathers to carry out our mandate to lead our families in worship in the home. In addition to several helpful and encouraging practical considerations, it contains a hymnal, a ten year Bible reading schedule, Scripture memory aids, two catechisms, and some historical writings on family worship. It has been a huge benefit to my family; Nate loves to go grab the book off the shelf every night!

Recommended for: Husbands and dads. Read the full review.

“Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God” by David Platt

This is the sequel to David Platt’s runaway success, Radical. I’ve been encouraged to see many from our church reading the first book, and hope that this one will prove to be as popular! I actually found it to be more helpful than the first one, though I don’t think one should read it without having first read Radical. The first book has transformed the way many Christians think about their faith; its sequel aims to do the same for the church. After all, individual Christians can only do so much to change the world around them. It is the Church through whom God has promised to bring His purposes to completion before Christ returns!

Recommended for: Everyone who read and enjoyed Radical. Read the full review.

“Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning” by Nancy Pearcey

At the year’s halfway point, this is holding steady as my favorite book of 2011. Nancy Pearcey was a student of Francis Schaeffer, and continues his work in the field of apologetics and worldview studies. This is absolutely the best book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read quite a few!) on the impact of art, music, and literature on our culture, and the Christian’s role in shaping the culture and resisting the “secular assault”.

Recommended for: Those with an interest in pop culture and the arts, or who wish to advance the cause of Christ in our culture. Read the full review.

“Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism is the Solution and Not the Problem” by Jay W. Richards

Despite the cheesy subtitle, this is a very good book that corrects what the author identifies as eight economic myths which are commonly believed by both proponents and opponents of capitalism. He makes a very strong case for a free-market economy being the best available option, though tempers our expectations by reminding us that there can be no “perfect” economy this side of the Lord’s return because all men and all systems are tainted by sin. He also contrasts Biblical ethics with the philosophies of capitalists Ayn Rand and F.A. Hayek.

Recommended for: Those with an interest in politics and/or economics, regardless of your views on capitalism. Read the full review.

“George Müller: Delighted in God” by Roger Steer

George Müller’s legacy is one of prayer and great faithfulness. A 19th-century playboy-turned-preacher, he is most known for the orphanages he founded, which cared for over 10,000 children during his lifetime. He also kept a remarkable prayer journal, in which he recorded well over 50,000 answers to prayer! As if that weren’t enough, he also began a new career as a traveling evangelist when he was in his 70′s, and still managed to preach in 42 countries (many multiple times) without the benefit of high speed travel. This biography was an incredible encouragement to me, and a boon to my prayer life.

Recommended for: Fans of biographies, orphans, and/or prayer. Read the full review here.

“Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices” by Mosab Hassan Yousef

This is the New York Times bestselling autobiography of the son of the head of the Hamas terror organization, who joined an Israeli counter-terrorism espionage force and eventually became a Christian. He talks about the difficulties encountered living this double life (not least of which was the decision to hand his father over to the authorities rather than risk his almost certain assassination), and about his love for the Palestinian people. It’s an incredible story from someone whose obedience to Christ’s call to “love your enemies” carried some very weighty consequences.

Recommended for: Those who seek insight into the complex political and religious landscape in the Middle East, from someone with a very unique perspective. Read the full review.

“The Monster in the Hollows: The Wingfeather Saga, Book Three” by Andrew Peterson

I love reading non-fiction as much as anyone (and more than most), but nothing beats a great story! Andrew Peterson’s ”Wingfeather Saga” has been one of the most enjoyable sets of books I’ve read in a loooooong time. This is the third in the series, with one more due sometime next year. I can’t recommend it highly enough, particularly for families with children. The books aren’t children’s books per se, but they will definitely have a certain appeal for kids as well as their parents!

Recommended for: Fans of The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and other epic fantasy fiction series, which pretty much includes everyone who has ever read those book. You’ll love these, too! Read the full review.

“Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom” by Ron Paul

I intend to read books by several candidates in the run-up to the next presidential election, but this was my first. The latest from Dr. Paul is a great overview of his entire political philosophy; rather than focusing on any one issue, he devotes a few pages each to 50 topics, from Abortion to Zionism. I find him to be an intriguing man, and am curious to see how he fares in next year’s primary.

Recommended for: Politically-interested folks who want to stay as informed as possible about those who are contending for our votes. Read the full review.

“Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything” by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

One of the best selling books of the last half decade, the authors of Freakonomics sought to apply the science of economic thought to fields other than finance. After all, one of the prime motivations of the book was the belief that economics is a wonderful method for finding answers, but that most economists just don’t ask interesting questions. The result is a fascinating and totally original book that asks and answers questions like, “Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?” and “How is the Ku Klux Klan like a group of real estate agents?” It’s a best seller for a reason!

Recommended for: Readers who like something a little different. Read the full review.

“The Portage to San Cristóbal of A.H.” by George Steiner

This is one of the most controversial novels written in the last several decades. Steiner, a Jew, writes a piece of alternative historical fiction in which Hitler did not die in 1945, but escaped to hide out in the Amazon. A group of Nazi hunters finds him, and tries to take him to trial, but traveling through the rainforest with a 90-year-old man is difficult. The main controversy comes in the end, when Hitler speaks in his own defense at his trial, not only rationalizing his actions, but insisting that Jews ought to be indebted to him. The novel creates some very provocative questions in the minds of readers about the nature of evil and the power of words.

Recommended for: Philosophers, historians, and people who don’t mind a book that challenges the intellect. Read the full review.

Hymnology: Creation Sings the Father’s Song

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
~ 2 Chronicles 16:31-34

Hymn Story

This hymn is the result of another collaboration between Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend, the combination which has produced so many great hymns in the last decade. The most distinctive thing about this particular hymn musically is its meter (time signature). We don’t often sing mixed meter songs corporately, as they can be very difficult to pick up in one hearing. In Creation Sings, however, the mixed meter just “works”. Though the time signature in the verses shifts every measure between 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 (the choruses stay in 3/4), congregations seem to catch on quickly. This is the mark of an extraordinarily well-written hymn for the church!

This hymn has been featured on albums by the Getty’s (Awaken the Dawn) and by Townend (Creation Sings).  Here are videos of both versions; note the vast difference in style between the two! Another mark of a great hymn is its versatility. It’s also one of the main reasons I love using different arrangements of the same hymn in our corporate worship. I believe God loves to see the creativity of his creation! The Getty arrangement lends itself better to congregational use, while Townend’s Celtic/bluegrass acoustic version makes great use of the talents of the musicians in his band.

Lyrics:

Creation sings the Father’s song;

He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day
Till evening comes in crimson rays.
His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe,
He charts the eagle’s flight;
Commands the newborn baby’s cry.

CHORUS
Hallelujah! Let all creation stand and sing,
“Hallelujah!” Fill the earth with songs of worship;
Tell the wonders of creation’s King.

Creation gazed upon His face;
The ageless One in time’s embrace
Unveiled the Father’s plan
Of reconciling God and man.
A second Adam walked the earth,
Whose blameless life would break the curse,
Whose death would set us free
To live with Him eternally.

Creation longs for His return,
When Christ shall reign upon the earth;
The bitter wars that rage
Are birth pains of a coming age.
When He renews the land and sky,
All heaven will sing and earth reply
With one resplendent theme:
The glory of our God and King!

Devotion

Most of the time, when people think about God as the “Creator”, we think we think of him “making stuff”; that is, we think of the material origin of the universe. And while it’s true that he is responsible for that, his role as Creator includes much more than that.

Colossians 1:16-17 says of Christ, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” He did not simply create the world and leave it to its own devices. He cares deeply about the things he has made, and is actively involved in sustaining his creation. We see this most explicitly in his incarnation and substitutionary atonement.

Furthermore, as the “Author of life” (Acts 3:15), Christ possesses ruling authority over all the world. He is the sovereign Lord who rightly governs, orders, and judges the lives of his subjects. Though he is reigning in heaven now, he will one day return to “renew the land and sky” (Revelation 21:5) and to “reign upon the earth”.

Using artful language, Creation Sings creatively weaves together these themes of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. The first verse echoes Psalm 19, reminding us that the beauty and order in nature are evidence of creation’s King.

In verse 2, we marvel that our ageless Creator stepped down into time to become Immanuel, God with us! During that climax of human history, the Son “unveiled the Father’s plan of reconciling God and man”; a plan set in place before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-10), a mystery contained in God’s word, but hidden until the time of Christ when it was revealed to his saints (Colossians 1:26).

Jesus Christ was the “second Adam”. Whereas the first Adam was tempted and failed, plunging the entire world into the curse of sin, the last Adam was tested, but remained sinless. Because of Christ’s blameless life and sacrificial death, sinful men are set free to “live with him eternally”! Just as we inherited sin and death through the first Adam, so we inherit life everlasting through faith in the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22-28, 45-49; Hebrews 4:15).

Romans 8:18-23 says that “the whole creation has been groaning together”, waiting with eager longing for the time when the redemption accomplished by Christ at the cross will be fully applied to us upon his return. This passage uses the language of “the pains of childbirth”, echoing Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:6-8, when he referred to wars, famines, and natural disasters as birth pains that precede the end of the age. Both Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul place the blame for these sufferings on the futility to which creation was subjected as a result of sin, but both encourage us to approach these sufferings with hope rooted in Christ’s return. Just as a mother’s birth pains are quickly forgotten in the joy of a new birth, so will all our earthly tribulations be forgotten the moment our Lord appears!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!” ~ Romans 8:18

When we consider these truths, how can we not respond “with one resplendent theme: the glory of our God and King”? Let all creation stand and sing, Hallelujah!

Book Review Survey

I haven’t put any book reviews on here in about five months, but I’ve added a whole lot on my personal blog. Here’s a quick summary of the books I’ve reviewed since my last post on here, with links to the full reviews for those who are interested in learning more. Lots of great books out there (I’ve only included here the ones that I recommend)!

“Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper

One of the most influential books in my life. If you want to kick-start your passionate pursuit of God, this one will do it!

Recommended for: Absolutely everyone. Read the full review.

“The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name” by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Easily the best children’s Bible I’ve seen. It presents every story as more than a story, by constantly pointing to Jesus Christ. Nate’s not quite old enough for this one, but he still loves to look at the pictures!

Recommended for: Anyone with young children or grandchildren. Read the full review.

“Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” by J.I. Packer

Re-read this on the 50th anniversary of it’s publishing. It’s a modern classic that brilliantly deals with arguably the most difficult concept in Scripture: reconciling God’s sovereignty with man’s responsibility.

Recommended for: Anyone with a heart for seeing lost people saved… which had better be you! Read the full review.

“The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings” by Peter Kreeft

An educational and enjoyable investigation of the philosophical worldview of J.R.R. Tolkien evidenced in his books about Middle-Earth.

Recommended for: Fans of the LOTR series. Read the full review.

“Handel’s Messiah: Comfort for God’s People” by Calvin Stapert

A professor of music from Calvin College writes about the history and significance of one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of music… and one of my personal favorites!

Recommended for: Those who love Handel’s Messiah, or music history. Read the full review.

“The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men” by Dr. Richard D. Phillips

A short but excellent book focusing on God’s calling for men at home, work, and church. Much more Scripturally sound than many other popular men’s books, such as Wild At Heart.

Recommended for: Men and the women who love them. Read the full review.

“Religion Saves (and Nine Other Misconceptions)” by Mark Driscoll

A sermon series preached by Mark Driscoll to address nine big questions collected in an online poll, expanded and edited into book form.

Recommended for: Those who have questions about things like birth control, sex, and predestination. Read the full review.

“The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges

God tells us to “be holy as I am holy”… but how do we do that? This is one of the best attempts to answer that question. A book to read over and over.

Recommended for: All Christians. Read the full review.

“Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality” by Wesley Hill

A thought-provoking and heart-wrenching testimony of a Christian man tempted with homosexual desires, who has chosen celibate obedience to God’s Word and reliance upon the Holy Spirit to resist temptation.

Recommended for: Those with a heart for ministry to people experiencing same-sex attraction. Read the full review.

“Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling” by Andy Crouch

A very influential book about the Christian’s role in influencing culture. Lots to think about in this one… I’ll probably read it again at some point.

Recommended for: Christians who wonder how best they can make a difference in the world using the gifts God has given them. Read the full review.

“The Sword: A Novel (Chiveis Trilogy Book 1)” by Brian Litfin

The first in a new fantasy fiction series set several centuries in Earth’s future, where a supervirus and nuclear war have killed off most of the population and sent the world back to the bronze age. After hundreds of years of polytheistic religion, God’s Word is rediscovered and once again begins to turn the world upside down.

Recommended for: Fans of fantasy fiction, or those who just love a good story. Read the full review.

“The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin” by Douglas Bond

Another novel, this one a work of historical fiction. The story follows the life of John Calvin through the eyes of a lifelong rival. More exciting than a traditional biography, but contains many quotes from historical works by Calvin and other great Reformers.

Recommended for: Those with an interest in church history or historical fiction. Read the full review.

“The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate” by John H. Walton

A controversial book published in 2009 proposing a very non-traditional reading of the Bible’s first chapter. I can’t affirm all of the author’s conclusions, but I was fascinated by this book. I love books that make me re-think my convictions.

Recommended for: Those interested in the creation/evolution debate. Read the full review here.

“Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion” by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

A response against the dearth of anti-church books that have hit the shelves of Christian bookstores in the last decade. It is refreshing to hear a rational, honest appeal for Christians to love and actively participate in the life of Christ’s bride.

Recommended for: Anyone, but especially those who are disillusioned or disappointed with the church. Read the full review.

“The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World” by Michael Horton

There have been a lot of books written recently about what should “drive” the life of a Christian. This one brings the focus back to where it must always be: the gospel of Jesus Christ, and our responsibility to proclaim it in word and deed to a world that desperately needs it.

Recommended for: Everybody; we can all use more gospel, and Horton is a wonderful teacher. Read the full review.

“Romans (St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary)” by R.C. Sproul

One of my favorite preachers writing a commentary on the best book in the Bible = a winning combination! I’ve now read the first two commentaries in this series and both have been excellent. I can’t wait to continue the series as more are published!

Recommended for: Serious students of God’s Word looking for a substantial but readable (i.e. – not too academic) commentary on the book of Romans. Read the full review.

“From the Library of A.W. Tozer: Selections from Writers Who Influences His Spiritual Journey” complied by James Stuart Bell

A unique concept. Bell has compiled a daily reader focusing on eight themes prominent in the writing os A.W. Tozer. The readings are taken from books found in Tozer’s personal library; he was known as a voracious reader of good books… no wonder I like him so much!

Recommended for: Tozer fans, and those looking for a good introduction into the writings of great authors from throughout church history. Read the full review.

“The Gospel and the Mind: Recovering and Shaping the Intellectual Life” by Bradley Green

A professor of theology from Union University traces the connection between the intellect and the Christian faith, and why institutions of learning have always followed the spread of the gospel.

Recommended for: People who are tired of hearing that Christianity must be anti-intellect. Read the full review.

Any books you’d like to recommend? Share them in the comments!

Variations on a Hymn

When it comes to composers/arrangers/authors in the Christian worship world, Bob Kauflin is one of my favorites. He is the author of an excellent book called Worship Matters, and writes a blog by the same name. He is the director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Music, the organization responsible for many hymns and songs that we have used in our worship services at Stevens Street, including Before the Throne of God Above, O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus, I Will Glory in My Redeemer, and It Is Not Death to Die.

One of the reasons I love Kauflin so much is his commitment to bringing the rich lyric tradition of Christian hymnody into a contemporary context through the composition of new songs and the “resurrection” of old hymns by setting them to new music. One thing I didn’t realize until recently, though, was that he’s been doing this much longer than I thought! Here’s a clip of the group GLAD (of which Kauflin was a member from 1976-1984, and for whom he was a writer/arranger until 2008) performing an arrangement of “We Praise Thee Oh God” written by Kauflin. I love what he says (Kauflin is the man speaking at the beginning of the video) about the history of contemporary Christian music:

For an “a capella” group, those guys sure can play some guitar!

Hymnology: Holy, Holy, Holy

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
~Revelation 4:8

Hymn Story

Reginald Heber was an ardent missionary and hymn-writer during the early 19th century. He wanted to compile a hymnal organized around the church calendar, with hymns assigned to particular services and paired with complementary Scripture readings. He wrote the lyrics to Holy, Holy, Holy for Trinity Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Pentecost; a day devoted to celebrating the Christian doctrine of the trinity. The Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer prescribed the reading of Revelation 4 for this day, which became the basis for Huber’s words.

Unfortunately, at the young age of 43 — just three years after accepting the post of Bishop of Calcutta, India — he died without ever seeing his desired hymnbook come to fruition. After his death, his wife found the lyrics to “Holy, Holy, Holy” scrawled among his papers. She published it a year later, along with 56 other hymn texts.

Decades later, a publisher rediscovered Heber’s work. He loved “Holy, Holy, Holy”, and asked John Bacchus Dykes to compose a melody to accompany the brilliant lyrics. It took him only thirty minutes to write the tune we know today, which Dykes named “Nicaea”, after the Council of Nicaea, which formulated the doctrine of the Trinity in A.D. 325. The lyrics and tune we know today were first published together in 1861 in the hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern. The poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson called it the world’s greatest hymn.

Here is Steven Curtis Chapman singing “Holy, Holy, Holy”, with an added chorus:

Lyrics:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee:
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.

Devotion

God’s holiness is one of the central themes of the Bible. Holiness means to be totally different from all else — perfectly unique, completely separate, absolutely set apart. The reason that God alone is worthy of our praise is that God is set apart and above all that he has created (i.e. – everything; see John 1:3). We worship him because of his holiness.

Scripture tells us that God alone is holy (1 Samuel 2:2). He is pure, and untouched by sin (Habakkuk 1:13). He is absolutely intolerable of sin; it cannot exist in his presence (Hebrews 12:14). Though God alone is holy, he commands his people to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1). However, we are sinners, and cannot attain this holiness on our own. We are totally unable to obey this command by our own power. Thanks be to God who not only allows us to share in his holiness (Hebrews 12:10) but also provides the means by which we are made holy: our union with his own Holy Spirit who comes to us through the work of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11)!

The prophet Isaiah had a vision of the Lord, seated on the throne. In it, he saw that God was worshiped at all times by seraphim singing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty”. Our choir and orchestra sang this passage of Scripture last year.

In his revelation of Jesus Christ, John the Apostle saw the same thing. It is his account which served as the primary text for the writing of this hymn. In fact, the second verse (which Steven Curtis Chapman does not sing in the video above) comes straight out of Revelation 4. In this passage, we see the 24 elders in heaven (typically seen as symbolizing God’s people from both testaments, represented by the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles — “all the saints“), bowing down before the throne. In front of this throne there is a sea of glass, like crystal (Revelation 4:6).

John does not name the “living creatures” who never stop praising God, but the hymnist uses the terms “cherubim and seraphim” here. This is because two other heavenly visions recorded in the Bible use these names. In the vision of Isaiah mentioned earlier (Isaiah 6), the prophet describes the “seraphim” (which means “fiery ones”). This is the only time this term is used in Scripture. The prophet Ezekiel also had a vision of the glory of the LORD. In one place, he describes “living creatures” which seem to match (or are very similar to) the seraphim described by Isaiah, as well as the “living creatures” described by John (Ezekiel 1:4-14). Later, seeming to describe the same beings, he refers to them as “cherubim” (Ezekiel 10). So, whether the cherubim, seraphim, and the living creatures are all the same beings or different beings — and whether or not they are rightly called “angels” — is a matter open to debate, but what is certain is that these are ministering spirits who surround the throne of God at all times, saying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8); or, in the antiquated language of this hymn, “who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.”

The hymn’s third verse reminds us why we worship this holy God. We are sinners, and because of our sin (“the darkness“), we are unable to see God. His holiness sets him apart from us; he is hidden from us. Still — amazingly — he deigned to come and dwell with sinners in the form of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity (John 1:14). The holy God of perfect power, love, and purity, loved sinners so much that he took our sin and all its consequences upon himself on the cross!

When we dwell on God’s holiness and his love for us while we were still in our sin (Romans 5:8), we cannot help but respond with praise and love for him!

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ~ Philippians 2:5-11

In Christ Alone – 10 Years of Modern Hymns

It was ten years ago this month that Keith & Kristyn Getty recorded their hymn “In Christ Alone”, co-written with Stuart Townend. Here is Keith talking a bit about songwriting, followed by a video of (a very pregnant) Kristyn singing a new arrangement of “In Christ Alone”, recorded recently at Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego: