The choir director from my home church called a few weeks back and asked me to sing "Orphans of God" during our annual Christmas program; which conveniently takes place tonight. I got home just in time for the dress rehearsal. On the way home, I popped the choir CD into my car stereo, and practiced my song a few times. I got bored with it after a while, so I decided to listen to some of the other songs on the CD. I let each song play about 10 seconds before I hit the "next" button, until I landed one called, "This is Our God".
I started weeping in my car.
Now before you laugh at how much of a cry-baby I am, let me explain myself! Being an ex-English major, I pay attention to lyrics. Poetry is one of my most favorite forms of expression, and music is poetry as far as I'm concerned. Let me hit you with a kitty wig (confused? its just my slang for "check out this ball of AMAZING!")
Tender and mild, this intimate Stranger?
Recklessly, wildly loving a dangerous world.
Who is this light invading our darkness?
Glorious might, the sun rising for us.
Conquering night, He captures the hardest of hearts. We sing:
Chorus 1:
Call Him courageous, relentless, and brave.
This is our God, loving and reaching,
Scandalous mercy and mighty to save.
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Verse 2:
Why would He come to shoulder our sentence?
Nothing we've done will keep Him from giving us grace.
Who is this One we watch and we're speechless?
God's only Son embracing our weakness.
He overcomes all death and He frees us to live. And we sing:
Call Him the Hero redeeming the lost.
This is our God, love sacrificing,All that is holy, accepting our cross.
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Hallelujah! This is our God! Sing praise.
I mean, take the definition of reckless:
2. Characterized by or proceeding from such carelessness: "reckless extravagance."
Isn't that just like God?! He doesn't withhold any of His deepest affections for us. His love, in so many ways, is entirely extravagant. How He could love every one of us with so much passion, so much reckless extravagance, I'll never understand. But He does, and its beautiful.
The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, courageous Lion of Judah...loves me.
I hope I never take it for granted; though I'm sure I often have. Doesn't matter to Him, He still pursues my heart.
I started weeping in my car.
Now before you laugh at how much of a cry-baby I am, let me explain myself! Being an ex-English major, I pay attention to lyrics. Poetry is one of my most favorite forms of expression, and music is poetry as far as I'm concerned. Let me hit you with a kitty wig (confused? its just my slang for "check out this ball of AMAZING!")
________________________________________
Verse 1:
Who is this child asleep in the manger?
Tender and mild, this intimate Stranger?
Recklessly, wildly loving a dangerous world.
Who is this light invading our darkness?
Glorious might, the sun rising for us.
Conquering night, He captures the hardest of hearts. We sing:
Chorus 1:
This is our God, living and breathing.
Call Him courageous, relentless, and brave.
This is our God, loving and reaching,
Scandalous mercy and mighty to save.
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Hallelujah! This is our God! Sing praise.
Verse 2:
Who is this One who will not condemn us?
Why would He come to shoulder our sentence?
Nothing we've done will keep Him from giving us grace.
Who is this One we watch and we're speechless?
God's only Son embracing our weakness.
He overcomes all death and He frees us to live. And we sing:
Chorus 2:
This is our God, suffering and dying.
Call Him the Hero redeeming the lost.
This is our God, love sacrificing,All that is holy, accepting our cross.
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Hallelujah! This is our God!
Hallelujah! This is our God! Sing praise.
________________________________________
I took the liberty of bolding and greening (is that even a word?) my favorite lines. I think I love these lyrics so much because they're not the common phrases used in contemporary Christian music. Adjectives such as: reckless, courageous, relentless, brave, scandalous, mighty, and heroic; are not words I would normally group together. Yet, they describe His love for us so wonderfully!I mean, take the definition of reckless:
________________________________________
"reck⋅less"
–adjective
1. Utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless (usually fol. by of): to be reckless of danger.
"reck⋅less"
–adjective
1. Utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless (usually fol. by of): to be reckless of danger.
2. Characterized by or proceeding from such carelessness: "reckless extravagance."
________________________________________
Isn't that just like God?! He doesn't withhold any of His deepest affections for us. His love, in so many ways, is entirely extravagant. How He could love every one of us with so much passion, so much reckless extravagance, I'll never understand. But He does, and its beautiful.
The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, courageous Lion of Judah...loves me.
I hope I never take it for granted; though I'm sure I often have. Doesn't matter to Him, He still pursues my heart.
He pursues us all.
Sorry if this post is long, I get super excited about God's love. May His peace envelope you this Christmas season, wherever you are in your journey.
I know you can't see me, but I'm sending "blogger-love" in your direction!
-Lil E
4 comments:
Kori said...
I consider myself hit with a kitty wig. Thanks for posting this, Lil' E.
Anonymous said...
Hello! Thanks for your article...really enjoyed it! I've been looking for this song all over the internet...but my searches for "This is Our God" give me other songs, not this one. Do you know who wrote it? Or the artist who sang it? Please let me know. Thanks!
Anonymous said...
check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzsiy7ASfQo
Unknown said...
Incredible song.I listen to it quite often.