Tag: Keith Getty

Singing Theologically: Modern Hymns and the Atonement

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

Several years ago I highlighted the advent of the “Modern Hymn.” Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, along with others, have revived and reinvented the hymn for our generation. The most well known modern hymn, is perhaps one of the best: “In Christ Alone.” This song ranks up there with other greats and is as widely sung and loved today as “Amazing Grace.”

Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, recently highlighted the refusal of the authors of “In Christ Alone,” to allow it to be slightly edited and thus included in a new Presbyterian (PCUSA) hymnal. George lauds that decision, since the proposed edit would take out the idea of Christ bearing God’s wrath for sin. Here is the proposed edit:

From: “Till on that cross as Jesus died / the wrath of God was satisfied.”

To: “Till on that cross as Jesus died / the love of God was magnified.”

George’s article, “No Squishy Love” was shared and discussed online and in print so much, that he has followed it up with a part 2, today. One of the places where his first article was discussed was Sharper Iron; and this most conservative of online evangelical blogs, was not even immune from those who argued against the idea that Jesus bore God’s wrath for sin. Truthfully the orthodox idea of Jesus bearing the punishment of our sin on the cross is facing hard times today.

The follow up piece by Dr. George, doesn’t back down from defending the satisfaction theory of the atonement, and it includes more historical insight on the question. In the piece, George also highlights another hymn with theological substance, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” by Stuart Townend.

For my part, we should be glad that modern hymns are not as substance-less as some of the praise songs of the last few decades. Unadulterated joy and songs of intense emotion are needed, yes. But the didactic value of theologically rich hymns, which both move and instruct, is untold. May a new generation of hymn-writers pick up the mantle of Isaac Watts and continue to give the church faithful hymns for the next generation.

In Christ Alone, Take 2

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

I recently updated my blog post on the powerful song, “In Christ Alone” by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. Modern hymns, like that one, have been such a blessing to me over the past few years. Nothing will replace the grand old hymns, for sure. But many modern songs are coming very close. And they meet me where I am, and speak to me in fresh and lively ways that the old hymns sometimes cannot.

Anyway, the updated post now has all the broken links fixed, and several new links to the story behind the song, and other such helpful resources. In the process, I rediscovered Stuart Townend’s short description of authoring this song, which was likely the most wide-reaching and impactful new Christian song of the past decade. I thought I’d quote Stuart here, and then show an example of the impact of this song.

In November 2000 I was at a worship conference in Eastbourne, and introduced through a mutual friend to Keith Getty, who I had heard was a terrific melody writer. We met up for a coffee, and he promised to send me a CD of song ideas.

I didn’t really think any more about it. Then a CD arrived in the post containing three song ideas played on a piano. I didn’t get past the first melody, because I was so taken with it — it was quite hymn-like, but with a beautiful celtic lilt – I immediately started writing down some lines on the life of Christ.

Often lyrics come in quite a haphazard way. You write loads of couplets, then re-write some, then gradually piece it together to give it continuity and shape. The process for “In Christ alone” was much more linear. Once I’d worked out the rhyming structure (it felt like the song had better shape if lines 1 and 3 rhymed as well as the more usual 2 and 4), I started working on the first verse, setting the scene with a fairly subjective exploration of what Christ means to the Christian. Then I as I worked through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, I was getting more and more excited and emotional, and verse 4 kind of spilled out as a declaration of the impact of these amazing events in our lives.

Within a couple of days I had the whole lyric, sent it to Keith, he suggested a couple of changes, and “In Christ alone” was finished.

I think maybe one of the reasons the song is so popular is that it can stir up our emotions (I still often cry like an old softie when I sing it) — but the emotion is not the central feature of the song. Because the lyrics stay fixed on the unchanging truths of our salvation, it not only provokes emotion, but engenders faith, strengthening our spirits, not just stirring our souls.

The ability of the song to stir up emotions and move people is on display, oddly enough, in a recent reworking of the song by a popular secular musician. Adam Young of the Owl City band talks of how the song moved him to tears, in this post. He uses the song to make a testimony of his faith in Christ, too. He also gives us quite the melodic and artistic rendition of the song, available in full on his blog. I encourage you to check it out, if you haven’t already.

For more on “In Christ Alone”, check out the lyrics and links I’ve collected in my post.

Modern Hymn Writers

~ fundyreformed ~ 4 Comments

Keith Getty, one of the founders of what I term the “modern hymn movement”, was recently interviewed along with his wife Kristyn by Christianity Today. The Getty’s new CD “In Christ Alone” is doing very well, with some of its songs being sung on Christian radio, now.

The interview explores how and why the Getty’s are writing their hymns. “Singable Doctrine” is how CT describes them. The article is worth the read.

Some of Keith Getty’s songs that he either wrote or co-wrote, are: “In Christ Alone“, “The Power of the Cross“, “O Church Arise“, “My Heart is Filled“, and “Speak, O Lord“. We sing all of these at my church along with a few others. They are excellent songs that are singable across generations and music styles.

For more on the “modern hymns”, read my earlier post: “The Rise of the Modern Hymn Movement“.

[Thanks, Grace, for pointing out this interview to me!]

“Across the Lands” by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

~ Bob Hayton ~ 6 Comments

Here is another great song from the authors of “In Christ Alone”. Keith Getty and Stuart Townend are producing what has been called modern hymns. I discuss their work in my post, “The Rise of the Modern Hymn Movement”.

We sang this song in church Sunday. It is a wonderful, God-centered song focused on the global mission of the Gospel. It works well as a congregational song. I hope you are encouraged spiritually by the lyrics of this song, and that if possible, you will aim to incorporate some of these modern hymns into your own church’s corporate worship.

Across the Lands

Words & Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Verse 1
You’re the Word of God the Father
From before the world began.
Ev’ry star and ev’ry planet
Has been fashioned by Your hand.
All creation holds together
By the power of Your voice.
Let the skies declare Your glory;
Let the land and seas rejoice!

Chorus
You’re the Author of creation;
You’re the Lord of ev’ry man;
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands.

Verse 2
Yet You left the gaze of angels,
Came to seek and save the lost,
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of a cross.
With a prayer You fed the hungry;
With a word You calmed the sea;
Yet how silently You suffered
That the guilty may go free!

Verse 3
With a shout You rose victorious,
Wresting vict’ry from the grave,
And ascended into heaven,
Leading captives in Your way.
Now You stand before the Father,
Interceding for Your own;
From each tribe and tongue and nation,
You are leading sinners home!

 © 2003 Thankyou Music.

You can listen to a sample of the song here, or you can listen to 2 versions of the entire song for free on Rhapsody.com: this one from Keith & Kristyn Getty’s CD In Christ Alone & this one from Stuart Townend’s CD Lord of Every Heart. If you would like, you can also purchase sheet music for this song here.

In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty

~ fundyreformed ~ 29 Comments

I recommend many modern hymns & contemporary songs for corporate worship. While the old hymns are certainly grand, the new songs God is giving to the church, are worthy of respect too.

~~~~~~

I’ve begun highlighting different worship songs we sing at Bethlehem Baptist Church each week, here on my blog. This Sunday, the song right before the message was one of my favorites, “In Christ Alone.” Please read the powerful lyrics.

In Christ Alone

by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

IN CHRIST ALONE my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
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.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine —
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

CCLI Song # 3350395,  © 2001 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

I would put this song right up there against any hymn, I mean any. It is a modern hymn extraordinaire. I hope meditating on this song will be a blessing to you.

Song Resources:
Story behind the Song: Here and here, and here
Sheet Music: Hymnal style, Piano style, Free simple score
Song Book: In Christ Alone Songbook (includes Across the Lands, O Church Arise, The Power of the Cross, and more)
Listen to the MP3 for free: At rhapsody.com, or try another rendition
MP3 purchase links: Here (via Amazon.com) and here (from Getty Music).
Authors’ Websites: GettyMusic.com & StuartTownend.co.uk
CD purchase links:
In Christ Alone (first sample above) – Amazon.com or direct from Getty Music