One of my greatest joys if discovering new music in church. Most often, though, the “new” music I discover is really not new at all. Most of the music I have found and loved in the church in the past two years that I have never heard of before has turned out to be hymns that were written decades or even centuries earlier.

I really think that the church needs to not be so attached to their hymnal or their powerpoint screen or their list of songs that they use all the time. So many good songs are being lost because no one knows about them. They pass away quietly into the depths of Oblivion where no one remembers them anymore. That is one good thing I have found about some of the churches in Southern California who are “looking” for new music. They often resort to new songs being written today by songwriters (not theologians or pastors), but they occasionally do find a good old forgotten song resurrected by a “modern” artist who redoes it.

Now, I must admit, I have lived a somewhat sheltered church music existence until the past two years, so I’m sure the songs I have “discovered” are not new to many of you, but I have had such great joy in coming across them while trying out different churches in Southern California.

Examples of these songs include: “Before the Throne of God Above“, “Jesus I My Cross Have Taken“, “Here Is Love” {or here}, “Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder” as well as “modern hymns” like “In Christ Alone” and “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.”

Someday, I would like to peruse the whole of CyberHymnal.org and discover all sorts of “new” music. I think the church would do well to revive the great theological treatises and the lilting harmonies of old that have so long been unsung by modern voices.

Not many modern Christian songs are worth listening to, let alone meditating on, let alone singing in church, but there is one bright exception–those written by Keith & Kristyn Getty. They have written some extraordinary Christian music for this generation. Their goal is to produce hymns, not just music. As a result, then, their lyrics are rich in theology. They have teamed up with Stuart Townend to write many songs. (Townsend wrote “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” {here}, which is one of the greatest songs ever written, in my humble opinion.) Here is one of their newest songs entitled, “Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer.”

“Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I’ll follow, though I’m worn.

 

“May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

 

“Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

 

“Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go -
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.”

That second verse’s last two lines are certainly interesting: “And at the end of my heart’s testing, With Your likeness let me wake.” The goal of all testing of our faith is to make us more like Christ. This song should be our prayer when we go through difficult times, knowing that God does not test us for no reason. We can either become stronger by trusting Him, or we can grow weak by doubting His goodness. Which will you choose?

Check out the Getty’s here and this song specifically here. And, by the way, you cannot even begin to fully appreciate this song until you hear the beautiful Irish voice of Kathryn Getty sing it, so check out that page and make sure your speakers are turned on! Words to this song are actually by Margaret Becker.

William Rees (1802-1883) wrote this song that is worthy of meditation:

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout heaven’s eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

William Williams wrote the second two stanzas:

Let me all Thy love accepting,
Love Thee, ever all my days;
Let me seek Thy kingdom only
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shalt be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see.
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting,
As I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and power on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.

Find it here at CyberHymnal.org

This song has been going through my head for several days now. It was written long ago by Nikolaus von Zinzendorf in 1739. Its truth about our position “in Christ” (from Ephesians) is astounding.

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

 

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

 

* * *

 

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

 

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

We find in Scripture that because Christ died, I died. I was immersed into Christ’s death and resurrection. Therefore, I stand in Christ as complete as He is. I have had the righteousness of Christ imputed to my account. That is the only way I can stand before God the Almighty Judge. I stand guiltless in Christ. When Christ looks at me, He sees Christ. Thus “amidst flaming worlds” I can lift my head in joy to the Judge of Souls because I am spotless–a forgiven sinner–before Him thanks to Christ’s death and righteousness imputed to me. None can charge me with sin, for Christ has paid for all my sin, and I now have His righteousness. What a Gospel!

These are not all the verses, but they are the ones that stand out to me the most. See here for more.