Worship Songs
July 12, 2009
"This is My Father’s World"
These lyrics were written by Maltbie D. Babcock around 1901. While a pastor in Lockport, New York, Babcock liked to hike in an area called “the escarpment,” an ancient up-thrust ledge near Lockport. It has a marvelous view of farms, orchards, and Lake Ontario, about 15 miles distant. It is said those walks in the woods inspired these lyrics. The title recalls an expression Babcock used when starting a walk: “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”
This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied, And earth and Heav’n be one.
Click here for the different arrangements of the song:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=this+is+my+fathers%27+world+&search_type
Click here to purchase Fernando Ortega’s version:
"God of Wonders"
This song by Steve Hindalong has become a classic. Here is a description of how the song came about:
"When Marc played the chord progression and melody, it felt really big. I kind of got a chill – I got goose bumps on my arms. I just thought, 'This song needs to be big, with really vast language.' So 'God of wonders beyond our galaxy' was as big as I could think." Having attended an Episcopal church for the last few years, Hindalong has been introduced to a new inspiration for his songwriting. "The liturgy, the old words, is kind of new to me. I flipped through The Book of Common Prayer, and I remember 'Lord of all creation, water, earth and sky.' That became the first line of the song." Lord of all creation / Of water, earth and sky / The heavens are your tabernacle / Glory to the Lord on high / God of wonders beyond our galaxy / You are holy, holy / The universe declares Your majesty / You are holy, holy / Lord of heaven and earth / Lord of heaven and earth. But it isn't the vastness of the song that seems to really impact people, relates Hindalong. "People have sent me emails about the song and referred to the second verse. I think the real power of the song is there, when all of the sudden it gets intimate. It says 'When I stumble in the darkness, I will call Your name by night.'
This God that is the God of not only our earth, but of all the worlds, that is so big – but when I'm afraid, when I'm alone, when I sin, when I'm in trouble, He comes close enough that I can call His name. It's the truth that's powerful, not the song. It is that particular truth that is so moving."
Click here to worship along with Third Day & Caedman’s Call:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CBNE25rtnE
Click here for another version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZL0cjcLBYY
Click here to purchase Third Day’s version:
"To God be the Glory"
Fanny Crosby was probably the most prolific hymnist in history. Though blinded by an incompetent doctor at six weeks of age, she wrote over 8,000 hymns. About her blindness, she said: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."
Click here for a newer arrangement by Tommy Walker:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qlfNZiDV4A
Click here a more traditional arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymrZO1PZbU4
Click here to purchase a bluegrass version of the hymn:
"That's Why We Praise Him"
This song was written by Tommy Walker: Tommy has led worship at Christian Assembly in Los Angeles, California with his pastor, Mark Pickerill, since 1990. He has traveled with Promise Keepers, Greg Laurie Harvest Crusades and Franklin Graham. He has also been privileged to serve with such church leaders as Jack Hayford, Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. He has recorded worship projects for Maranatha! Music, Integrity Music, and Get Down Ministries. He has written over 100 songs that are currently being tracked by C.C.L.I. and are being sung in churches around the world, including “He Knows My Name”, “Only A God Like You”, “That's Why We Praise Him”, “Lord I Believe In You”, “Mourning Into Dancing”, “Break Through”, “This is What Christmas Means to Me”, and his latest song, “I Have a Hope”. For the last decade Tommy has traveled internationally holding worship concerts and mercy ministry outreaches in places where people are in great need. He has led his worship team to the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Guatemala, Zambia and Brazil. Tommy has been married to his wife, Robin, for seventeen years. They have four children, Jake, Levi, Emmie and Eileen. To be found faithful to His God, his family and his local church will always be his greatest achievement.
Check out Tommy Walker here:
www.tommywalker.net/
Click here to sing through the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3OopRS5hYg
Click here to listen to the song:
http://wordmusicnow.com/Song.asp?SongID=100
Click here to purchase Tommy Walker’s version:
“Wonderful, Merciful Savior”
Eric Wyse wrote the following information on the song:
The song "Wonderful, Merciful Savior" was written in 1989 by my wife Dawn Rodgers and me, and has been recorded by several Christian artists including SELAH, Phillips Craig & Dean, Kathy Troccoli, Travis Cottrell for Beth Moore, Katie Giguere, Kim Hill, Susan Ashton, Women of Faith, and Steve Camp. It was nominated for a DOVE Award in 2002 for Inspirational Song of the Year, as recorded by SELAH.
Eric serves as the Director of Music at St. Bartholomew's Church (Episcopal) in Nashville, Tennessee. He studied Piano, Organ and Church Music at Cedarville University. He is the owner/president of an independent music company Martingale Music. He has released a solo piano Christmas CD "Carols of Christmas - 25 Christmas Favorites for Solo Piano" and a three-CD hymns collection "Reflections”. Both are currently available at www.christianbook.com.
Click here to worship along with Selah:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQzrqmcwg8o
Click here for another arrangement with Selah:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HitJoDstUyE&feature=related
“Without the Cross”
Dottie Peoples wrote this powerful song. One of the most honored gospel vocalists of the 1990s, Dottie Peoples debuted with two 1991 cassette albums, Is It Worth It All? and Surely God Is Able, then broke out with her 1993 LP Live, which caused her to be nominated for a Stellar Award for Best Female Solo Performance: Traditional. Her next effort, On Time God, won her four Stellar Awards – for Traditional Female Vocalist, Traditional Choir, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year (the title track). She also won the prestigious Vision Award that year. Another Female Vocalist of the Year award followed in 1996, and she was additionally nominated at the Soul Train Awards and Dove Awards. Peoples has also performed with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She released Testify in 1997, God Can & God Will followed two years later, and Show Up & Show Out was issued in fall 2000.
Click here to visit Dottie’s myspace:
www.myspace.com/190679055
Click here to listen to the song:
http://mog.com/music/Dottie_Peoples/Do_It/Without_the_Cross
Click here to purchase Dottie Peoples’ version of the song:
"Trading My Sorrows"
Here is a short description of how this popular song came about:
This song was birthed out of a prayer and worship service at Open Bible Fellowship in Tulsa, OK. It was an ordinary night. The room was filled with voices lifting up the name of Lord and worshiping Him. Toward the end of the service people began to step forward for prayer. Darrell watched as one by one, people came - their hearts heavy, some weeping and some still dealing with deep sorrows. Kneeling before the Lord, they allowed their deepest pains to be exposed and their lives to be healed.
As he watched, the Lord began to speak to his heart about his own internal condition. Evans had been holding onto personal shame that was consuming him. His gaze once again moved to the people bowing before the Lord. The worship continued and Darrell in agreement with the Lord said two words, "Yes, Lord." He kept singing. The words of what would become 'Trading My Sorrows' simply came to him as he recounted all that he was experiencing. People were coming forward heavy hearted but leaving with their burdens lifted. It was one of those rare times when the Spirit decides to speak succinctly, and the result is part of the Church's musical history.
At that very moment "Trading My Sorrows" was written, nearly word for word. It is an expression of the miraculous love and grace of the Lord being poured out onto a people full of sorrow and pain: "I'm trading my sorrows/I'm trading my shame/I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord." The words flowed not only from what he could see God doing in the lives of the people, but also from what he knew God was doing in his own life.
Evans felt the mood of the room change from the tenderness of the moment to a joyful celebration, for the Lord had made this exchange possible - a literal trade of mourning for dancing. People laid down their emptiness, guilt, pain, and sorrows and in exchange, received joy and love from the Lord.
Click here to worship along with Darrell Evans:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXi5iq1zAl4
Click here to listen to Darrell Evans songs on his standalone player:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=36203670
Click here to purchase Darrell Evans’ version:
“God is Great”
This song was written by Marty Sampson, one of the Hillsong worship leaders from Australia. When asked about the modern worship movement, Marty commented recently “I think young people are getting more and more passionate about their relationships with God and His kingdom. They desire to see God moving in their lives and in the lives of those around them.” Marty Sampson (b. May 31, 1979) is a Christian songwriter and a worship leader at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Originally featuring in the Youth Alive albums of the late 1990s, he was one of original Hillsong United worship leaders and has led worship on every United album to date. He plays guitar and occasionally piano.
When it comes to penning songs, Marty is sometimes a little unorthodox in his approach. For example, he explains the inspiration behind "God is Great." "The story is that me and Joel Houston, another guy in our youth group, were cruising along in his car, with a tape recorder. And we were just talking about music and singing, and we decided we needed to write a new song for the youth. We were near my house, and we were singing as loud as we could! Joel started doing this beat box, and then I just started singing, 'God is great, and His praise, fills the earth, fills the heavens!' We both turned around, looked at each other, and said, 'Whoa! That's awesome!' So I put on the tape player and recorded it, and it went from there."
Click here to worship along with Marty:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfZOUVD46TI&feature=related
Click here to learn more about Marty’s ministry:
www.myspace.com/martysampsonmusic
Click here to check out Marty:
www.martysampson.net
Click here to purchase the song:
“Do It, Lord”
This song was written by Tommy Walker. Tommy has led worship at Christian Assembly in Los Angeles, California with his pastor, Mark Pickerill, since 1990.
Click here to listen to Tommy sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtO2lNBK1Cs
Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny-61xRBHpk
Click here to purchase Tommy’s version:
"God Of This City"
The following is a short version of how this song came about.
A group named "Bluetree" wrote the song "God of this City", and it's quite an amazing. It happens that the members of Bluetree are Christian and were on a missions trip serving as a band in Thailand. They were asked to play in a bar in some small town called Pattama (or something of that nature), and were scheduled to play almost 2 hours of music for the bar patrons (pretty weird eh?). Well, while they were there, the lead singer Aaron was taken back by the fact that there were over 400 underaged prostitutes in that same town. He spontaneously started singing about the thoughts and emotions he had about this and most of the song came to be that night. In a way, he told Passion Los Angeles, that the song was written for both their hometown of Belfast (which they've been praying for revival to happen in), and also for that town of Pattama in Thailand.
How Chris and the band heard it was Chris was doing worship at a conference out in the UK. Bluetree was also in attendance and Daniel Carson (Chris' guitarist) heard the song and told Chris to come over to give it a listen. Chris didn’t make it in time to hear the song, but talked with Aaron and heard the story of the song afterwards and brought the song to Passion and Louie as they planned to do their Regional USA Tour and World Tour.
Click here for the Bluetree version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqQhZKpZVCo&feature=related
Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk
Click here for Chris Tomlins’ version of the song:
“Here I Am to Worship”
If songs are like children to their writers, then 25 year-old Englishman Tim Hughes carried "Here I Am To Worship" to full term, letting the reverent tune take perfect shape over a nine-month period. Back in 1999 while still in college, he first sat down to craft a musical response to his reading of Philippians 2:5, which says, "Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus." And from the start, he had the humility part mastered.
"I was playing around with my guitar when the verse just came out," he modestly recalls. "However, I couldn't get a chorus that I was happy with. The original one was embarrassingly bad!"
Thankfully, Tim recorded the verse into his Dictaphone, and months later during a quiet creative time, he patched it together with another strong melody idea and brought "Here I Am To Worship" to fruition.
"I'd been reading about the cross and thinking through Jesus' amazing sacrifice," Tim says of the lyrical theme. "Sometimes when God meets with us we don't quite know how to respond properly. It's often too much for us to take in. Hopefully in a small way the chorus captures that: 'Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful.'"
Although the song had been completed, the writer was still not convinced of its potential. Leading worship at his Soul Survivor home church one day, Tim sang "Here I Am To Worship" for his fellow members and was duly advised by his pastor Mike Pilavachi to start using it more often. Since then, Hughes - who built his own chops leading Delirious and Matt Redman favorites - has seen the song take on a life of its own.
“It must be a God thing.... People have seemed to really connect with it, and we've had some special times in worship using the song," he admits. "I remember one time at the end of a Worship Together conference in San Diego when we'd been performing the song. The band stopped, and then the congregation just kept singing the chorus for about 15 minutes."
Click here to listen to the story behind the song by Tim Hughes.
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-196-HereIAmtoWorship-Hughes.mp3
Click here to worship along with Michael W. Smith:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_kAjok4-Uk
Click here to read more about the composer Tim Hughes:
www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/1227531/
Click her for Tim Hughes’ version:
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