Sunday 22nd Worship Song History

Here I am to Worship

Tim Hughes was an Englishman and the author of this worship song. Hughes wrote this song while in college as he sought to write a musical response to his reading of Philippians 2:5, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” The composer Tim Hughes said these two things about the song

"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.'"

"The main motivation behind the song was simply trying to capture a response to Jesus giving up his throne in Heaven to walk upon the earth and ultimately to die upon a cross," he confirms. "For me personally, it's been very exciting and a real privilege to see how God has used the song."

http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/song-story-here-i-am-to-worship-1227531.html

It is Well with My Soul:

Horatio G. Spafford wrote the lyrics to this famous hymn and Philp P. Bliss composed the music. Mr. and Mrs. Spafford went through great tragedy in their lifetime.

Their young son died with pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, God in His mercy and kindness allowed the business to flourish once more. Nov. 21, 1873, the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre was crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe with 313 passengers on board. Among the passengers were Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters. He was going to meet them later after some business was taken care of. The ship however never made it colliding with another vessel along the way. The four daughters perished in accident. Mrs. Spafford was the only survivor of the family. The idea for the hymn came to Spafford when he went to meet his wife. Although great tragedy was happening In Spafford’s life, He found comfort in God, and thus this song was created out of tragedy. Mr. Spafford was still able to say, “It is well with my soul,” amongst great calamity.

http://staugustine.com/living/religion/2014-10-16/story-behind-song-it-well-my-soul

How Great Thou Art:

The Swedish pastor Mr. Carl Gustaf Boberg wrote this hymn. One day, Mr. Boberg went for a peaceful walk only to be met with an unexpected thunderstorm. The thunderstorm was one of great power. It is said that once the storm was over, Mr. Boberg looked over a now peaceful land and heard a church bell ring in the distance. It was in this moment of peace after the storm that the words “O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands hath made,” began to take shape in his heart. Stuart K. Hine then translated the hymn to English and said this about the importance of the hymn, “When we reach that heavenly home, we will fully understand the greatness of God, and will bow in humble adoration, saying to Him, O Lord my God, how great thou art.”

http://www.allaboutgod.com/how-great-thou-art.htm

Shout to the Lord:

Darlene Zschech wrote this worship song. She is apart of the Hillsong Church in Australia. In her book “Shout to the Lord” she wrote,

“"I think God just means some songs to be written. It's very embarrassing when people expect some big, dramatic story about a song God gave me in a time when I just needed to hear from Him. I was simply in the right place at the right time. I really feel that God should get the glory from sending this song to all of us when we needed it so much. It just happened to come out of my personal worship time with the Lord. Desperate for His peace, I opened to the Psalms. I sat at our old out-of-tune piano tinkling the keys, and "Shout to the Lord" flowed out from my heart. I sang it over and over again and it lifted me up. Over the next few days, the song stayed with me, and it began to dawn on me that it might be a worship song…”

This song was created during her personal worship time with the Psalms as a guide. Although the story behind the song did not derive from a big event, the song derives from a worship filled heart.

http://www.hallels.com/articles/15075/20160401/story-behind-darlene-zschechs-shout-to-the-lord.htm

In Christ Alone:

Stuart Townend was the writer of this song with the collaboration of Keith Getty. The motivation behind the song was to capture biblical truth to be sung in church but also to encourage people throughout their everyday lives. This song contains the themes of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection and has effected many people. One U.S soldier claimed the song helped encourage him during the extreme hardships of war as he prayed through each verse being reminded of God’s promise of protection and grace. As expressed in the second verse, “What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled and striving cease. My Comforter, my All-in-All Here in the love of Christ I stand…”

http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/song-story-in-christ-alone-1275127.html

Jesus Paid it All:

This song is very reflective on what Jesus has done for us on the cross. That on the hills of Calvary our sins were paid for; the ultimate sacrifice was made. The hymn lyrics were written by Elvina Hall who attended Monument Street Methodist Church located in Baltimore, Maryland. The choir director during her attendance was John Thomas Grape who had composed a melody called All To Christ I Owe unware that Elvina Hall had recently wrote the lyrics to the song we know today as Jesus Paid it All. The pastor of the church Rev. George W. Schreck aware of Hall’s lyrics heard the music written by Grape and suggested that Hall’s lyrics be used with Grape’s All To Christ I Owe, thus creating the hymn we know to day as Jesus Paid it All. “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

http://godinamerica2011.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-story-behind-song-jesus-paid-it-all.html

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