Ever been on a farm, or seen an animal herd? Take cattle, for instance. I rounded up Holstein dairy cattle on a farm near Belmont, Ohio just about every day during the 1970’s so they could be milked. I, a human being, did this. Ever imagine or seen one of the herd doing this instead, one of the cows or perhaps a single sheep in a flock of woolies? Not a sheepdog, I mean, but one of the herd acting very unlike the rest of its kind. It would be truly strange to see an animal calling, maybe whistling to the others to enter the barn or a fenced lot. That would be a unique animal, right? Taking this to another plane, how does Jesus manage to be a lamb and the Great Shepherd at the same time? I wonder if Twila Paris thought about this when she composed “Lamb of God” in the early 1980s.
From what we can read of the song’s composition, Twila Paris was in fact in her parents’ living room at a piano, not on a farm watching a herd of livestock. She was 22 years old, single, still living with mom and dad, and using her early-life experiences and heritage in music ministry taught her by family that day. She says ‘it was almost like taking dictation’ to write the song, an ease which she remembers God’s spirit must have granted her in those moments. It’s a route in which the follower on earth identifies with the Holy Creator in the artistic process. You catch a glimpse of His genius, and ‘Wow, did I write that?’ is one’s reaction, Paris recalls. You’re just a conduit for Him to communicate something special to His people. The song has become well-loved across the globe since it first appeared on the 1985 album “Kingdom Seekers”. Paris says “Lamb of God” is a like a child that has grown and gone off to do things totally independent of her, like when she hears of its use in another language, like Romanian. That’s more gratifying than getting some award, she tells – an attitude that says much when one recalls that “Lamb of God” was nearly at the top (# 2 on June 25, 1986) of the contemporary Christian/inspirational music charts at one time.
Was it an accident that Twila Paris thought about the Lamb in family surroundings? After all, the John the Baptist who coined the “Lamb of God” name (see John 1:29, 36) was a relative or near-relative of Jesus, through his mother (Luke 1:36). He leapt in recognition of Jesus, the Lamb. The unique Lamb. To the doubter, why would God, of all beings in the universe, need to offer sacrifice? And, how could He justify offering Jesus -- incarnate -- as a sacrifice? Wasn’t that repugnant, according to His own law given through Moses? This Lamb is so incredible, a paradox and revolutionary. And so, “Lamb of God” raises questions, draws my curiosity.“Kingdom Seekers” seems appropriate for the album on which the “Lamb” song appears, for I am drawn to Jesus, to fathom Him. The last verse of Paris’ song reminds me that I too become a lamb – to mimic the Lamb. I search for my purpose here, because of Him. Nothing has ever been before, or will ever be like Him. More clarity will come in the Lamb’s kingdom, I guess.
The source for Twila Paris’ “Lamb of God” song story is the book “Our God Reigns: The Stories behind Your Favorite Praise and Worship Songs”, by Phil Christensen and Shari MacDonald, Kregel Publications, 2000.
See her biographic information on her website also: http://www.twilaparis.com/. See information on her life also at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twila_Paris
From what we can read of the song’s composition, Twila Paris was in fact in her parents’ living room at a piano, not on a farm watching a herd of livestock. She was 22 years old, single, still living with mom and dad, and using her early-life experiences and heritage in music ministry taught her by family that day. She says ‘it was almost like taking dictation’ to write the song, an ease which she remembers God’s spirit must have granted her in those moments. It’s a route in which the follower on earth identifies with the Holy Creator in the artistic process. You catch a glimpse of His genius, and ‘Wow, did I write that?’ is one’s reaction, Paris recalls. You’re just a conduit for Him to communicate something special to His people. The song has become well-loved across the globe since it first appeared on the 1985 album “Kingdom Seekers”. Paris says “Lamb of God” is a like a child that has grown and gone off to do things totally independent of her, like when she hears of its use in another language, like Romanian. That’s more gratifying than getting some award, she tells – an attitude that says much when one recalls that “Lamb of God” was nearly at the top (# 2 on June 25, 1986) of the contemporary Christian/inspirational music charts at one time.
Was it an accident that Twila Paris thought about the Lamb in family surroundings? After all, the John the Baptist who coined the “Lamb of God” name (see John 1:29, 36) was a relative or near-relative of Jesus, through his mother (Luke 1:36). He leapt in recognition of Jesus, the Lamb. The unique Lamb. To the doubter, why would God, of all beings in the universe, need to offer sacrifice? And, how could He justify offering Jesus -- incarnate -- as a sacrifice? Wasn’t that repugnant, according to His own law given through Moses? This Lamb is so incredible, a paradox and revolutionary. And so, “Lamb of God” raises questions, draws my curiosity.“Kingdom Seekers” seems appropriate for the album on which the “Lamb” song appears, for I am drawn to Jesus, to fathom Him. The last verse of Paris’ song reminds me that I too become a lamb – to mimic the Lamb. I search for my purpose here, because of Him. Nothing has ever been before, or will ever be like Him. More clarity will come in the Lamb’s kingdom, I guess.
The source for Twila Paris’ “Lamb of God” song story is the book “Our God Reigns: The Stories behind Your Favorite Praise and Worship Songs”, by Phil Christensen and Shari MacDonald, Kregel Publications, 2000.
See her biographic information on her website also: http://www.twilaparis.com/. See information on her life also at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twila_Paris
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