It’s #SundaySong time!!

In today’s leg of our walk through Centered, I’d like us to consider “Hosanna,” the single from the album.

(Quick plug: Doxa‘s live debut album is available now via all digital outlets, including iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.)

Lyrics
The original version of this song had only a verse and chorus, but additional lyrics were written to expound on the character of God.  The original verse speaks of God’s holiness, power, and might.  The second, of His eternality, immutability, Triune nature, wisdom, and truth.  Verse three hits hard with the sovereignty, righteousness, jealousy (for His own glory), and justice of God, as well as His wrath.  The final verse articulates that God is gracious, patient, faithful, kind, and loving.  These attributes aren’t exhaustive by any means, but they begin to paint a beautiful picture of how God has revealed Himself in Scripture.

The title of the song comes from the chorus:

Hosanna!  Hosanna in the highest!

But what does the word hosanna mean?  It’s not a term that made it into everyday English discourse, is it?  This Desiring God article gives a great summary of the way the word morphed in meaning over the years, as well as how we can embrace it in our own life of worship!

Music
I absolutely LOVE the flute intro by Drew Zaremba–what a light and airy feel it brings to the song!  It makes me feel like I’m on a summer cruise to a tropical island!  (Lord, hear my cry in these single-digit temperatures and negative double-digit windchills!)  The horn arrangements by my husband Aaron Johnson and fellow servant-leader Brian Kilpatrick are a full, bright complement to the low-end of the rhythm section.  And the musical breaks at the end? #dead and #done!

In our gatherings
We go *in* for this song at Epiphany Fellowship gatherings.  We might place this one at the end of our opening set as well, just to give us some room to marinate as needed.  I love how the Holy Spirit will move us during corporate worship to respond to God’s character and works.  He will bring conviction of sin, freedom from sin’s bondage and the enemy’s condemnation, and celebration of the redeeming work of Christ in all of creation–particularly in our own hearts.

How it speaks to me
I need to consider God’s attributes, both the ones He shares with His creation and the ones that belong to Him alone.  I need to remember that I am not God, and that He is.  I need to submit my will to His.  I need Him!

His eternality > my temporality

His power is perfected in my weakness

His holiness & righteousness > my feeble, tainted self-righteousness

His justice > my self-vindication

His perfect love casts out fear

…and so on, and so forth.

When I get lost in the sauce of Me, Myself, and I, I need to be reminded of who He is…not simply as a counterpoint to my waywardness, but simply because GOD IS.

How it can speak to you
Here are a few points of reflection as “Hosanna” points you to worship the Lord today:

1. Are there any aspects of God’s character in the song that you are unfamiliar or less familiar with?  Take some study tools–concordance, Bible dictionary, English dictionary, etc.–and look up one of them.  Ask a friend to let you borrow a study resource if you don’t have your own, or check one out from the library.  Share your findings with your mentor, discipler, or ministry leader/pastor.
2. Read the article on Desiring God’s website about the word “hosanna.”  At what times in your life have you used each meaning?  How can you personally embrace it now?  Who in your circle of influence needs to know the Lord in that way?  Pray for an open door  (Colossians 4:2-6) to share the good news with him/her.

Centered was released on 1/30/2015, by God’s grace.  Thanks so much to everyone who has already supported the project and spread the word to others!

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the album or about today’s #SundaySong, how God is using it in your life, etc.

The #SundaySong actually isn’t a song today–it’s a poem!  In today’s edition of our walk through Centered, let’s take a look at the “Trinity (Spoken Word)” track.

(Quick plug: Doxa‘s live debut album is available now via all digital outlets, including iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.)

Lyrics
I had the choice of either writing a 25-page research paper or submitting a creative project for Dr. J. Scott Horrell‘s Trinitarianism class in 2006.  I had been doing my coursework with Philadelphia as a context for mission, so for me it was a no-brainer.  The spoken word piece was born.

The challenge before me:  take the arguments for the existence of God and put them into a culturally relevant art form.  I worked through my notes and attempted to translate them into words and rhythms that might draw in a spoken word audience.  I thought about my own experiences, the challenges in that urban context, and the barriers and open doors that might hinder/help people consider the existence of God.

Music
I recorded the poem and submitted it for my class without music, but I knew that if I ever performed it, I’d need something simple that wouldn’t compete with the lyrics.  Fast forward to 2014–as we rehearsed the piece for the live album recording, Troy Chambers started playing this ridiculous accompaniment on the Rhodes–my husband Aaron was excited!  The steady drumming by Vernon Mobley and percussive highlights by Robin Williams push the rhythmic flow of the poem.  Chris Stevens‘ horns and Harry Wilson‘s guitar licks add a perfect balance of brightness and texture to the warmth of Troy’s chords on the Rhodes.

In our gatherings
I have done this piece a few times at Epiphany Fellowship on a Sunday morning.  We placed it right before the sermon as a way to encourage the congregation engage with God intellectually.  Our hope is that this spot prepared our hearts to hear, receive, and respond to the Word of God as it was preached.

How it speaks to me
As I wrote “Trinity,” I was challenged to get beyond the walls of seminary, of church, and think about how to communicate with someone who might never attend my class or my church.  What do they listen to?  What are their concerns?  How can I help them to see God in a way that is meaningful to them, that doesn’t make them jump through cultural hoops to understand Him?  The process of writing challenged me to think missionally, to love people I had never met, to think more highly of God, and to be more concrete in my thoughts and speech about Him.  Doing theology isn’t simply an exercise in tossing around philosophical terms in a bubble–it’s humbly accepting that I don’t know everything, but lovingly communicating what I do know, while I hopefully and prayerfully consider how God might use it to transform the life of another.

How it can speak to you
Here are a few questions to reflect on as you listen to “Trinity” today:

1. If a 5-year old asked you to explain the Trinity, how would you do it?  Would the answer be the same for a 19-year old girl with language barriers and emotional scars?  What about a 34-year-old housewife and mom?  A 77-year-old recovering addict?  What do you need to know about God and about people to tailor your speech in ways that communicate love to different types of people?
   
2. Although the Bible doesn’t expressly use the term “trinity” to explain God, where does the Bible speak clearly about the three persons of the Godhead in context with each other?
3. How can you orient your life to engage with God at a deeper intellectual level?  What tools do you need?  What people can help you on this journey?

Centered was released on 1/30/2015, by God’s grace.  Thanks so much to everyone who has already supported the project and spread the word to others!

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the album or about today’s #SundaySong, how God is using it in your life, etc.

Hey now!!  It’s time for the #SundaySong!  In today’s edition of our walk through Centered, I’d like to reflect on my second favorite song on the album:  “Jesus Is.”

(Quick plug: Doxa‘s live debut album is available now via all digital outlets, including iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.)

Lyrics
This song doesn’t have a bunch of lyrics, or thick layers of theological jargon to sift through.  It’s simple.  Clear.  Concise.  We often need reminders of the simple truth about God, don’t we?  We need to hear that God exists, that He’s in charge, that He is beyond the realm of the temporal challenges we face, and that He has given us the honor, privilege, and responsibility of proclaiming Him with everything we are.  Jesus is.  So simple.  So profound.  So necessary.

Music
“Jesus Is” has a very simple melody (like our other songs), which means the accompaniment that the melody lays in can be more intricate–they won’t compete with each other.  This song was originally recorded live by Hillsong London, and later covered in the studio by Sound of the New Breed.  Our take is an expanded live arrangement of New Breed’s version.  I think we’ve combined the best of both worlds–the energy of a live recording with singing and music more reflective of the context in which we minister.

In our gatherings
We love this song at Epiphany Fellowship.  There is something comforting about corporate worship through song.  We are together being reminded that Jesus is “glorious / the greatest of all”–and what person doesn’t need to hear that on a regular basis?  Our liturgy has an opening set with three songs at the very beginning of the gathering.  To sing a song like this at the end of that segment of worship through song leaves “breathing room” for us to linger in the moment, responding to God intellectually, physically, emotionally, and volitionally.  Just as you  hear on the live recording, we will often reprise the chorus and marinate in our corporate experience of God as we worship together.

How it speaks to me
I am a recovering idolater.  I am prone to wander.  My heart needs to be continually challenged to relinquish its old affections and embrace the new ones to which Christ has granted me full access.  I need to be reminded that if I see anything glorious in the world, it’s because Jesus made it that way.  When I see the evidence, hear the echoes, and feel the reverberations of God’s creation as it glorifies Him, as a created being, I need to join in creation’s song!  I was made for glory, but not my own–I was made for Christ’s glory.  And my enjoyment of Him is central to enjoying everything else.  So, “Jesus Is” reminds me of who God is and our joyful response of proclaiming Him in light of His weight in the universe.

How it can speak to you
Here are a few questions to reflect on as you listen to “Jesus Is” today:

1. We all need reminders of the everyday glory around us so we can join with all of creation in proclaiming God’s handiwork (Psalm 19).  How can you take time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak–to recognize God’s creative power, His attention to intricate detail, His transcendence above and beyond galaxies, etc.?
   
2. How does knowing that God is the most glorious Being in the universe change your disposition toward other people and things that compete for your attention, affection, and worship?
3. How does knowing that God is the eternal, sovereign Lord and King change your disposition toward temporal adversity?

Centered was released on 1/30/2015, by God’s grace.  Thanks so much to everyone who has already supported the project and spread the word to others!

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the album or about today’s #SundaySong, how God is using it in your life, etc.