She wrote its words, and he wrote the music, at least according to what the copyright law in 20th Century America tells us. But if you listen to the story that Debbie and Michael W. Smith relate, they had some help that night in the early 1980s. Michael and Debbie are partners, and they ‘partnered’ with some others to encourage listeners to offer up their admiration to Him, using some ancient words and feelings to say in a room’s dim light what cannot be hidden. “Great Is the Lord” is a statement the Smiths make that any of us can declare, using the same method of discovery that they did that night in Nashville, Tennessee. Let’s see how they did it.
The Smiths met as Michael was beginning his career in the period 1979-1981, while he was with a group called Higher Ground. Later, he was writing music for Meadowgreen Music as he and Debbie began their life together. They were partners not just in marriage but in music composition too, often at night, apparently because one of them (Michael) does his best work then. They also employed a method of devotion that is not uncommon to what other believers practice. They read and studied His words in the Bible, drawing inspiration from what David had originally composed in Psalm145:3 on that evening in 1982. It’s not implausible that the Spirit also steered them in the prayer they shared that night, helping guide them to their centuries-old musical compatriot’s thoughts. Not a bad place to go, to this ‘man after God’s own heart’ (1 Sam 13:14 and Acts 13:22) when hunting for words to say something musical. The couple was also working with a local church, looking for ways to add to its music. So, their intent was not entirely personal that night, but also involved their desire to communicate some fresh words for many others. “Great Is the Lord” was one of the tracks on Michael’s first album in 1983, The Michael W. Smith Project. So, the song manifested some firsts, or at least an early effort, in more than one way – a new marriage and partnership between the Smiths, and a first album. Isn’t it interesting that they gravitated toward something old to get something new started?
Who’s my partner here? I could shrug and say I’m solo, but that’s not really so. The Smiths didn’t think of themselves as alone the night they wrote “Great Is the Lord” either. Even God’s not alone, with all of His power and creativity. The Holy Trinity, though I cannot completely fathom Them, are together for a reason. “Great Is the Lord”? Maybe Debbie and Michael felt that the Triune God is indeed one, because of their singular purpose. That singularity doesn’t stop with those Three, but will ultimately encompass all of us too, if we’ll permit it. Wanna be great? Now you know where to go to find it – no Them. Same place the Smiths went looking in 1982.
The source for the Smiths’ song story is “The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs”, by William J. and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006. Also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Is_the_Lord for a brief synopsis of the song story.
Also see Michael W. Smith’s official website: http://www.michaelwsmith.com/welcome.html
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