How Great Thou Art!

I hardly need mention that I am a charismatic in every sense of the word - loving worship that engages with God by the Spirit. I love modern song-writers, I love bands and my favourite worship leaders are women such as Lou Fellingham, Kate Simmonds and Darlene Zschech.

But I'm slightly a bit of an anomoly in that there is a powerful part of me that loves the mighty sung hymn written by men such as Charles Wesley. You cannot surpass singing your heart and soul out to a thundering organ and gathered orchestra. I guess this influence came from Dunstable, Stanley Jebb and the church which always loved to sing hymns along with the charismatic choruses.

So today I've been sorting out, unpacking and tidying my study/library and have been playing the latest album release from the wonderful All Souls Orchestra - "How Great Thou Art" - and an unashamed to admit I stood in the study with tears rolling down my cheeks as I enjoyed them sing the namesake of the album - the great hymn; "How great Thou art!". Here's the lyrics that really, really hit me;

"And when I think that God his son not sparing,

Sent him to die - I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

He bled and died to "TAKE AWAY" my sin! So if He went through that awful agony to take it away then why do I invest so much time trying to remember and mortify sin that is dead and doesn't exist anymore?

And this verse! Ah!

"When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home- what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!".

For those who are unfamiliar with the All Souls Orchestra and choir - here's a video below giving a taster with Stuart Townend.