All Hail King Jesus -- David Moody

How many times did this composer-author repeat this songwriting method, given what happened one mid-afternoon in his basement in 1977? It must have been memorable for David Moody, because he remembers the day of the week and the month that he first sang “All Hail, King Jesus” in Vancouver (see its flag here). Did one of his music students that afternoon possibly here David on his piano and his voice searching for the words as they came out of his mouth that first time? It was his free time, but David may have thought that something that would endure for long would take a more deliberate effort and more than just a few minutes to generate, so that others would be inspired to sing it with him. Maybe that’s what made it special, and so obviously from the Spirit that inhabited Moody as he sat alone. He just doesn’t need a warmup, does He?

A Wednesday afternoon in January 1977, in his basement in Vancouver, with a piano, and some time for nothing else, really. That was the recipe that 28-year old Dave Moody used to cook up ‘All Hail…’ the first time. He was a music teacher, awaiting the arrival of some students, so Dave took advantage of the gap in his schedule and the feeling that he just wanted to sing and laud the Master. So, that’s what he was after – just a one-on-one session, himself and God. That’s kinda what he was preparing to do with his students in just a little while, so why not set his mind in the right place? He was thinking of what the scene would resemble in the afterlife, as earth’s believers gathered to witness this never-before-seen picture. What vista could compare to the one that is to come, when He descends and calls the devoted followers to join Him at last? This mental imagery must have been constantly abiding inside him, close to the surface with little urging necessary to coax its emergence. Dave says it happened in about five minutes, and so he was quite unprepared when it dawned on him that he’d just sung something brand new and quite special. Writing something this way had certainly not occurred to him moments before, but here it was! It didn’t quiet down, but stuck with him the rest of the week, so that he was eager to share it with others. Though he thought initially its premiere that Sunday at the church was a failure, he discovered that the church members were actually only temporarily daunted by the song’s message. After all, who can resist imagining His return and how we will address the Redeemer when He appears to call each of us by name? Dave suggests there will be not less than five names by which we’ll know Him – King Jesus, Emmanuel, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Bright Morning Star. Each name builds the reputation of Him in the believer’s spirit, so that an irrevocable bond adheres each of us to Him. In His presence, in that day which is to come, I won’t be able to ignore His majesty and His true nature any longer. Does any moment have more overwhelming clarity for the human soul?

Dave Moody had already answered the above paragraph’s questions for himself as he sat and composed, straight from his heart to the musical score page. Dave says he’ll never forget the scene at the church that first Sunday morning for ‘All Hail’s …’ debut. The believers there that morning undoubtedly had probably sung something with a similarly moving idea before. But, Moody’s song was unique, its nuances in words and notes different than anything else. A certain writer has said that we’ll sing something new in that never-ending day (Revelation 5:9; 14:3), so it must be a good warmup for each of us to appreciate a new song here on earth before we do the same in His presence forevermore, right? That’s what David Moody found one Wednesday afternoon in January 1977. He, and I, and all of us, will do that again together, someday.

   

A source for the song story is the book “Our God Reigns: Stories behind Your Favorite Praise and Worship Songs”, by Phil Christensen and Shari MacDonald, Kregel Publications, 2000. See more information on the song story in The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006