Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed -- Keith and Kristyn Getty, Ed Cash

 

It’s a celebration, best used as the opening of a worship service. That’s how Keith Getty describes “Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed” that he and his wife Kristyn, and Ed Cash co-wrote in 2012, as a nod to their church fellowship’s historical roots and a reaffirmation of what matters most to such a group of believers. The title words of the song encapsulate what for centuries has been a traditional declaration and response by Christians each time they gather, but especially on the annual Easter Sunday, oftentimes captured in pictures or recreations of the event (see the Resurrection image here -- Icon of the Resurrection [depicting Christ having destroyed the gates of Hades and removing Adam and Eve from the grave. Christ is flanked by saints, and Satan is depicted as an old man bound and chained].) You may call it the Pascal greeting, or maybe the Easter Acclamation, but no matter how you identify it, this salutation is packed with meaning and an implicit acknowledgement: the Messiah’s rising supersedes all other events in one’s life. It’s just gotta be accompanied by an exclamation mark, or even multiple ones, since the phrase is actually two assertions…!!

 

Irish natives Keith, Kristyn, and their American collaborator Ed have taken straight from some 20 centuries of history the most important aspect of Christ’s life: his triumph over death. They had probably heard it themselves any number of times that they had gathered on Easter, and not unlike others, had decided that the magnitude of what they were celebrating could not be confined to that one special day of the year. Indeed, as they opened their bibles, they no doubt noticed that the events of that first Resurrection Day were not confined to just one of the books of the bible, but recorded in all four accounts of His revival. Particularly in the three accounts known as the synoptics (Matthew 2:6-7; Mark 16:6; and Luke 24:6), the first half of the song’s title phrase is told to unsuspecting women as the arrive at the tomb to tend to the dead man’s body. Shocked and amazed are perhaps too tame to describe what they must have felt when they heard this stunning news from angels that were there to greet them. The response phrase may originate with what two disciples heard from the 11 remaining Apostles when they returned to Jerusalem (Luke 24:34), following their own startling encounter with this risen Lord. None of us 21^st Century disciples have the advantage of eyeballing what those 1^st Century people did, obviously. But, we believe that day’s events have become the fulcrum of human history, and there’s just no way to overstate its impact, nor diminish our response. Calendars have been rewritten and countless lives have been upended ever since that day. Keith, Kristyn, and Ed have chosen ‘He’s alive!’ as their most potent phrase in the song, just one of many that recount what Christ accomplished for all time. It’s what can happen for all of us.

 

Try on some of these words and phrases that the three songwriters employ to re-tell the story: ‘…borne our sin through sacrifice’, and ‘conquer…sting of death’ (v.1); ‘joy awakes’…’dawning light’ (v.2); ‘doubt and darkness’ (until) ‘saw Him…hearts believed’ (v.3); ‘once bound by fear, now bold..’, and ‘life everlasting’ (v.4); and ‘power raised him…from the grave’, and ‘frees our hearts’ (v.5). The story does have its grim facts, but these are countered by the elation that thrills anyone who dreads the grave. So, a few ‘Hallelujahs!’ populate the lyrics, along with a reminder at the song’s end that Jesus hasn’t gone heavenward to merely sit and watch us, to be ‘glorified’ in a solitary way, but that ‘heaven’s gates are opened wide’. He’s done what only He could do, so you and I can join Him there. It makes you want to jump and shout. Indeed, He’s Risen, and He awaits us!  

  

 

 

See here for brief information on the phrase’s orgin: Where does the saying “He is risen; He is risen, indeed” come from? | GotQuestions.org  and here also: 'He Is Risen Indeed' - Meaning and Easter Origin (crosswalk.com)

 

Read about the song’s title history/meaning here: Paschal greeting - Wikipedia

 

Hear/see brief song story here at 2:00-2:17 of the video link: Bing Videos (Hymns for the Christian Life video)

See here for information about the Resurrection image: File:Resurrection (24).jpg - Wikimedia Commons  …Re: the copyright status of the image, the following statement accompanies it: I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. (Image date is 11 December 2009)

You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) -- Marc Imboden and Tammi Rhoton

 

He might have told a story as he taught a group to sing this song for the first time. And, Marc Imboden could have been at a conference, a youth rally, or some kind of workshop, a travel habit in which he routinely engaged, but it’s also possible that he said “You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)” as he went about his life in his home in Lebanon, Indiana (see an image highlighting Boone County, where Lebanon is located, in the picture here) in 1994. His friend and collaborator, Tammi Rhoton, also apparently had contributed to the lyrics or the music, and one or both of them had just one thing in mind with this song, though they decided it was a good idea to call out to God with multiple names. What they had to say suggests stress might have sparked this prayer of devotion, a recognition that even people who call Him ‘Lord’ are not immune from the anxieties that come with the flesh and bone with which he formed us, and the surroundings and other people He grants us. Which other names does He arouse in your spirit today?

 

The variety of locations and the circumstances that Marc and Tammi may have inhabited when they called out to God are not detailed for us, but what they had to say could have emerged from anywhere. Perhaps it was a situation in which they felt a need for calm to enter the room. ‘Prince of Peace’, they write and sing no less than three times, a name that Jesus, even before He was born on earth, was called prophetically (Isaiah 9:6). Or, perhaps it was the Christmas holiday season, when Isaiah’s prophecy could have been on the lips of celebrants recalling how this Holy One was to enter the world and bring what no one else could. Marc and Tammi could have been looking at a wide number of biblical scriptures, in order to gather all the names for Him that they use in their verses. ‘King’, ‘Lord of lords’, ‘King of kings’, ‘Mighty God’, ‘Lord of everything’, ‘Emmanuel’, ‘the great I AM’, ‘the Lamb’, ‘Living God’, ‘Saving Grace’, ‘Ancient of Days’, ‘Alpha and Omega’, ‘Beginning and End’, ‘Savior’, ‘Messiah’, ‘Redeemer’, and ‘Friend’ – 17 other names, in addition to the special one that Isaiah assigned to Him. Each one is a mouthful, and perhaps that’s just what Marc and Tammi thought, too. They need no other accompaniment, other than the few words that these two 20^th Century musicians write about worshipping this worthy, holy, and praiseworthy being. We can do this daily, by following, listening, loving, and singing to adore Him. There’s one posture I can assume in His presence -- ‘bow(ing) down’-- but ‘live(ing) my life for you’ also means I’m walking about every day, appreciating what He means for me right now and in the never-ending future. How would a person, with all that realization of who He is, properly address Him? Perhaps that was on the minds of Marc and Tammi also. The 18 names they use for Him could be multiplied many times, and that still would not suffice. Maybe He provides so many, so that we can call upon Him to match each new day’s challenges.  

 

One source says that Marc Imboden typically told stories as a method he used in worship, when he traveled to help lead gatherings of believers. His aim was to draw the crowds into a special place, even a setting where they could laugh and let their imaginations loose. One doesn’t have to go very deep inside oneself to see that’s what ‘You Are Holy’ was about. Imagine you are with Peter, James, and John up on that high mountain (Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9) and suddenly Jesus is glowing, accompanied by Moses and Elijah. How would you react? That sounds like something maybe Marc Imboden might have said, in telling a story about a group of disciples who were undoubtedly blown away by what they experienced, particularly when God spoke from heaven and told Peter to hush! He’s holy, and you and I are not. Just tell Him who you know Him to be, what others for centuries have been calling Him. That is all you need to understand in that moment. What will you and I say in His presence? That moment is coming, for you and me.        

 

See here for some information on one of the authors (Marc Imboden): https://hymnary.org/hymn/LUYH2013/598

 

The link here shows an album by, and a picture of one of the authors in 2005: Tammi Rhoton - Inside Paper Walls Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic

 

Image of Boone County, where Lebanon is located: File:Map of Indiana highlighting Boone County.svg - Wikimedia Commons and Public Domain statement by the owner of the image: I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) -- Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Salomon Ligthelm

 

This group effort found its most inspirational ‘voice’ in the waters. That would probably be a fair statement, if you asked Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, and Salomon Ligthelm to describe what led their spirits during the creation of “Oceans” in 2012. They and their group Hillsong have lots of water surrounding them in Australia -- namely, the Pacific Ocean (see an ancient map of it here), and the Indian Ocean. That is a fact of life for this island nation-continent and its inhabitants, so could that have subconsciously affected these three, particularly Salomon when he thought about a certain apostle and his incident on another body of water? They must have appreciated that a water setting was a productive medium for their song-writing purposes, given how the last piece of the song came together. Since the earth has been formed with approximately 70% oceans covering the face of it, do you think God had something in mind for us who live here surrounded by water?  

 

The ’Oceans’ that Matt, Joel, and Salomon experienced in 2012 emerged in multiple stages in various geographic locales. Sydney, Australia’s capital and Hillsong’s home, was where the water concept was born, and where the song’s lyrics finally culminated. Salomon, while in Sydney, was motivated by the episode of Peter walking on – and then sinking into, before Jesus saved him – the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-34; Mark 6:45-53; John 6:15-21). It was a key moment, the three songwriters acknowledge, to see something in Peter’s encounter as he stepped out of the boat, something that speaks to us who would be bold today. Matt, Joel, and Salomon evidently also sought out a waterfall near their studio in Sydney for the song’s final lyrics-writing session, as they continued to visualize Peter’s water-walking, and short-lived miracle. Additionally, much of the song’s lyrics were written over several days in an intervening episode in Joel’s apartment in New York City. Even while separated by wide distances during the song’s development, the three men found common ground in what they could see, and what they and the rest of us cannot see. There is a ‘great unknown’, a ‘mystery’ (v.1) in taking that step out of the safety of the boat, and moving at the call of Jesus. One has to be aware that you might sink. That ‘…feet may fail’ (the song’s subtitle) is an admission that you ultimately trust God with your life. While Peter was in the Sea of Galilee, Matt, Joel, and Salomon chose to seek out oceans as their metaphor, the deepest body of water on planet Earth. Judging from their lyrics, they wanted to emphasize that this is the most serious kind of commitment a believer makes, requiring whole-hearted devotion. A person’s ‘faith’ (v.1), ‘eyes’ (chorus), and ‘soul’ (chorus) are thus completely focused on Him, not on the water. His attributes are juxtaposed to the water that might drown me, yes. But, where else can you find Him, and His ‘embrace’ (chorus), His ‘sovereign hand’ (v.2).

 

Fear is cast out, and trust grows. That is a key unspoken axiom of the ‘Oceans’ that Matt, Joel, and Salomon sailed upon in 2012. Consider Peter, the professional fisherman, someone accustomed to being on the water. Why didn’t he begin to swim; did his fear overwhelm even something he should have known intrinsically? And, what do you do if you’re not a fish, or don’t really like the water, and really cannot swim too well? Us landlubbers may feel especially hamstrung…I might really drown! Isn’t that the point, though? God doesn’t need me to work out, take swimming lessons, and become an Olympic phenom. When I feel unskilled at a task, perhaps that is just the place where He wants me to be. He will be all that I am not, and so much more, giving me all the coaching that I need. Are you ready to be animated by Him?              

 

Watch the song story here in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zlbunWsV5A

 

See here also background information on the song: https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/oceans-where-feet-may-fail-/

 

See more background information on the song here: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) - Wikipedia

 

See here some background information on the planet’s oceans: Ocean - Wikipedia

 

Status of picture-map of Pacific Ocean: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. (Author is Abraham Ortelius, 1527-1598.) This map was published in 1589 in the author’s Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. It was not only the first printed map of the Pacific, but it also showed the Americas for the first time. File:Ortelius - Maris Pacifici 1589.jpg - Wikipedia