Singing through the hymnal: week 23

Verse: 1 Peter 1:3

Hymn: In Christ Alone

          As we continue to sing about our Savior, our hymnal opens to one of the most beloved and well-known modern hymns: In Christ Alone. This is a hymn that I believe will stand the test of time and that generations of believers from all nations will sing. I have taught my children the first stanza, but will continue working on all of the stanzas with them. Like many hymns, this tells a complete story of the Gospel, so learning the entire hymn is important and a wonderful way to instill the truth of the Gospel into our hearts and minds.
       

 

                                                                  Fun Facts

Text: Stuart Townend b. 1963

• This was one of his first hymns written with Keith and Kristyn Getty
• here is a quote from him: "Sometimes great melodies are let down by indifferent or cliched words. It is the writer's job to dig deep into the meaning of Scripture and express in poetic and memorable ways the truth he or she finds there. Songs remain in the mind in a way sermons do not, so songwriters have an important role and a huge responsibility."

Tune: Keith Getty b. 1974

• If you are unfamiliar with Keith's music 
• his melodies rise and fall with the text and also have a beautiful Irish flavor to them. 
• Keith is a brilliant musician and arranger. Before writing hymns, he did a lot of orchestral arranging all around the world

Remember to order you copy of the hymnal we are singing through if you still need a hymnal!

    Things to think about ...

• you sing the entirety of the Gospel when you sing this song - birth, life, death, resurrection of Jesus. It is packed full with theology
• there is a parallel phrase at the end of each stanza "here in the love/death/power (resurrection) of Christ I stand."