Charles Jenkins says that the day was so hectic, it was like the demands on him were trying to crowd out what he finally heard inside his head. He was trying to hear from and share with his Creator, but what kept coming through was that He’s “Awesome”, even in the hubbub of daily activities in the Chicago area where Charles was a minister. (See the seal of Chicago here.) This certainly wasn’t the first time that Charles had had a conversation with God, but it was unique in that he decided to preserve what emerged from it – his first musical endeavor in April 2012. He says it seemed like God was the ‘orchestrator’, so Charles took the hint that this divine discussion partner wanted him to take this conversation and let others know about it. Charles felt like he was the recorder, writing like never before and trying to get every thought and impression down on paper that God was communicating. What you and I can do is try to put ourselves in Charles’ shoes…and indeed we can, with what he penned about the Awesome.
The lyrics that Charles scribbled hurriedly in 2012 tell of a progression of his thoughts, and the many truths about the Almighty that kept building upon each other as he focused on His voice and how his spirit was meshing with His. Inside Charles’ house, following his busy day, he heard the word ‘awesome’. And then what followed in the next several minutes were the details of that one-word inspiration, giving Charles a multi-pronged answer, coming in three waves of poetry that only the great artist of the universe could really author. The 1st verse answered the initial question, ‘Why’s He awesome?’ Picture Charles being captivated by this God and His mountains, valleys, and the rain, and that He provides ‘strength’ for each ‘broken’ person. It was then that Charles realized God is so much bigger than any one person’s life, and that’s how the 2nd verse flowed from his pen; He’s the ‘whole world’s’ savior, the only author of ‘salvation’, by being the willing receiver of ‘stripes’ so that He could usher in a ‘forgiven’ world with His ‘grace’. The 3rd wave of lyrics was all the reasons for God’s awesome nature that just crowded upon each other in Charles’ mind; and, the way Charles remembers it, these were one-word praises that responded to His roles as ‘holy’, as ‘great’, as ‘mighty’, as our ‘deliverer’, as our ‘provider’, and as our ‘protector’. So, when we sing the lyrics in the order that Charles wrote them, we’re reminding this composer and our God, too, about that one special conversation in 2012. How big is God, and how long has He been in this song-making business? Charles may have wondered the same thing.
Can anyone really count all of the songs that have ever been written for churches and the believers that inhabit them --- thousands upon thousands, even millions, and all the different dialogues that God has been having with us, His image-bearers, over the millennia? What about all of the ones that are still to be had? This God never tires of being creative, and of imparting that special quality to each of us. He really does want to be among us, and in spirit with each of us, and especially when we mimic His musical nature. That must be part of what’s going on inside of an artist when he/she creates something like ‘Awesome’, and why one keeps returning to that well of inspiration. Think about that when we sing and how you are connecting with Him, and with His body. Charles discovered that this God can talk to you and me, even at the end of an exhausting day, to refresh, lift, and mobilize your life to speak of Him. He can mesmerize, no matter what kind of day I’ve had.
Hear the song’s story here: The Story Behind The Song:My God Is Awesome
Read about the author-composer here: Charles Jenkins (American Gospel musician) - Wikipedia …and here: About Me – Charles Jenkins
See information on the seal of Chicago here: File:Seal of Chicago, Illinois.svg - Wikimedia Commons. This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1929, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal.
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