Ken Young had been in touch with God for many years, but something spurred his musical imagination once again in the 2005 timeframe. The Youngs had been Texans for quite a while, but Ken and his family – not without some uncertain moments – had made a move to Nashville just a couple of years earlier, so could this big change have allowed him to catch a new vision of the “Mighty God”? Lots of new faces, new experiences, never-before-seen vistas – those are all things that one must embrace with such a move, and Ken would probably tell us that he knew that when he and his family were considering such a change. A big God knows it all, and He’s ready for anything. He’s just waiting to see how far you and I will go, especially when we cannot see. Ken’s poetic words suggest he saw himself near his Lord, ready to imitate Him, though not without acknowledging how he felt standing in the towering shadow of the One he was trying to follow. Ken fairly admits in the words he penned that such a sensation is not a one-time episode – and that a follower must know Him intimately, and yet cling to this fearsome God.
Just precisely what circumstances were on Ken’s mind as he shaped ‘Mighty God’? The short answer is not forthcoming, though we have some clues. (If Ken or one of the other Youngs reads this and wants to respond, please do!) Ken shared in 2022 some of his remembrances of that period in a sermon-podcast (see the link below) some 20 years after he and his clan moved their Hallal music ministry to the Nashville area in 2003. Some of his own family expressed disagreement with this adventure, so that must have weighed somewhat on Ken and Marca (Ken’s wife) as they packed and headed in a northeasterly direction to central Tennessee. In the podcast, Ken also calls out joyfully members of the church where they settled, so perhaps there were experiences with them that played a role in Ken’s thoughts. God can provide a family of faith, no matter how many question marks a move entails. Ken’s poetry is very engaging, in that it tells one that He’s a BIG God, as we try to mimic Him in our own small way. This is a repeating pattern in all the facets of human life, as Ken reminds us with all the various contrasts he draws. He's the sunshine, and I'm a candle (v.1); while He’s a mountain and me a hill. He's also an ocean, I'm a river. It’s an admission of the human angst, when Ken says this river is winding and swirling as it tries to achieve stillness. Canyon and crevice; heavens and a star; and thunder contrasted with a whisper (v.2). Just how small would we feel if He actually spoke to us audibly? Fire and ember; eagle and sparrow; lion and lamb (v.3) – they all remind us of the vast nature of Him, versus us who weakly try to emulate Him. And yet, He wants us within His embrace.
Perhaps the really biggest part of Him is His heart. Even the prodigal son (Luke 15) – arrogant and unappreciative in his attitude – was not too far outside of this Father’s shadow. Ken must have gathered that too, if you notice in his lyrics what he doesn’t say. None of the big things in Ken’s words overwhelm or belittle the smaller things. This Father doesn’t turn away from the sorrowful son, saying ‘Look how much time and money you’ve wasted, you bum!’ Jesus didn’t tell one criminal while hanging on a cross ‘too little, too late, fella’; He told him paradise awaited (Luke 23:43). How mighty is this God? Ken tries to facilitate our comprehension of this, but he’d probably concede that there’s only so much we’ll understand before seeing Him face-to-face. God is one-of-a-kind…in three persons, however. In fact, if you’ll let Him, He’ll come right inside, helping you get in touch with His big heart. That’s the only way to be with someone this big and powerful, who won’t try to crush you at the same time.
Here’s some brief biographic info on the author in last decade-plus : https://www.linkedin.com/in/young-ken-80550675?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2F
The first minute of this podcast indicates the author-composer was in Franklin, Tenn’s Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in the 2003-2011 period, after a move from TX where his Hallal ministry and work as a worship minister had been since its inception: https://www.fourthavenue.church/ken-young-wholehearted/
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