You Alone Can Rescue -- Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin

 

Matt Redman’s few words to explain why he wrote “You Alone Can Rescue” include one very significant word, one which anyone who’s ever lived needs to accept in order to live forever with the Maker of all life. Salvation. Countless books, videos, songs, and works of art (like the one shown here, Allegory of Salvation, by 16^th Century artist Wolf Huber) throughout history have attempted to describe the import of this transaction. In trying to define it, none have really been equal to the task, for this one-word deal was something over which even the Lord Himself agonized, when He considered what was necessary to accomplish this. To say it was a stress-inducing time for Jesus (see Luke 22:43-44) would be a gross understatement. No one had ever done what He was about to do, and its value is underscored in that He did this for all time (Hebrews 10:11-14). What other one-time deals have purchased so much?

 

Could it be that co-writers Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin were thinking in the same vein when they first penned and polished their thoughts about salvation (shortly before, or in 2008)? It’s such a ‘churchy’ word, this salvation that is only rarely spoken outside of a religious context. In an interview, Matt says he and Jonas were looking for something fresh, an up-to-date way to thank God with a new salvation song. Was part of this freshening objective accomplished by replacing this seminal word with another – rescue? Alternatively, they could have said redemption, escape, recovery, or deliverance (all synonyms for salvation, according to this Word document’s query function), but rescue seemed to fit what they were trying to say. Rescue implies that someone has been in danger, and that a trusted entity has reversed the situation for the imperiled. Escape likewise implies that a dangerous condition has been reversed, but not necessarily through someone else’s action. Matt and Jonas could have said redemption, deliverance, or recovery, but rescue is more pithy (fewer syllables). Just how dangerous was my condition, and why was Jesus’ intervention so necessary? I had something like a disease, apparently, for which I needed ‘heal(ing)’; it was accompanied by a ‘shame’ with a deep-sea-like depth (v.1). The song’s title words say ‘You (God) alone’ has the answer, my ‘rescue’ within His grasp, because only He can dispense the ‘grace’ that goes deep enough to find me; I’m in a ‘grave’ leading to ‘death’, otherwise (refrain). He bridges a ‘great divide’ by way of His great ‘love’; I’m desperate, because this separation threatens to keep me ‘far away’ (v.2). Matt concludes his few thoughts by saying he and Jonas thought of ‘You Alone…’ as a simple song, with a bridge section that says one thing, the only thing that I, as a fallible human, can do in that moment when I’m saved: ‘Lift up…(my) eyes’, to see the ‘Giver of Life’. Will any words be adequate at that moment in Eternity, when my rescue is finally completed?   

 

There’s one other significant word in this song by Matt and Jonas: Alone. That was the one that perhaps troubled Jesus’ spirit so much in the garden, that He had to do this by Himself; even His closest earthly friends could not stay awake to help Him in this dark moment (Matthew 26:38-45). He was to be left ‘forsaken’, even by His Father (Matthew 27:46, quoting Psalm 22:1) while His body was about to expire. What’s that like, to be God, and yet be alone? He must not much like it, for He made you and me in His very image (Genesis 1:27), and then noted that it wasn’t right for man to be alone either (Gen. 2:18-23). If I’m like Him, then He and I are alike in our mutual desire for companionship. He alone rescued, so neither He nor I need be so lonesome anymore.          

 

 

Matt Redman - You Alone Can Rescue - Popular Christian Videos (godtube.com) (comments on song at 1:17 – 1:22)

 

Read about the principal songwriter here: Matt Redman - Wikipedia

 

Read about the other songwriter here: Jonas Myrin - Wikipedia

 

The album on which the song appears: We Shall Not Be Shaken - Wikipedia

 

See here for information on the artwork about Salvation: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allegory_of_Salvation_by_Wolf_Huber_(cca_1543).jpg... 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. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.

All to Us -- Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Matt Maher, and Matt Redman

When you hear the story, a part of you may say that the resulting song must’ve been just dumb luck. Or, was it planned providentially? You can hear from his own mouth how Chris Tomlin feels about the song “All to Us” that he and three friends wrote in 2010.  After a couple of episodes coalesced and worked on Tomlin, he must have passed along what had been happening in his own mind and heart to his friends, who were picked up by the same wave, to shape a collaboration that Tomlin describes as a contemporary hymn for today’s church.

It began with some incidental experiences in Chris Tomlin’s life in the Atlanta area in 2010, which ultimately touched him and three associates, perhaps something like a fresh breeze with a new scent. Tomlin had been engaged in ministry with Louie Giglio at the Passion City Church in the Atlanta area, and that’s where it started. Do you think Giglio imagined that placing a card with some printed words on it in his co-worker’s hands might spark a new song? Tomlin’s own testimony about the occasion tells us he was indeed struck by Giglio’s words ‘Waiting on God ascribes to God the glory of being all to us’. Just wait on Him, honor and glorify Him by being patient and trusting. That kinda sums up what Chris’ fellow minister was saying. This message was reinforced in a second episode, when Tomlin visited some friends’ church, and heard by chance a guest speaker talk about many points the prophet Isaiah makes. Among them was a proclamation that Tomlin admits he’d heard many times, but which struck him like never before: Isaiah 28:16, what our God reminds believers about His provision for us. In short, it’s the first line of the song that Tomlin and three friends eventually crafted.  It means recognizing Him as a unique kind of rock, very certain and worth waiting on. He’s so firm, that He can be everything to us that we need. It’s prophecy direct from Him, through an ancient messenger, and transmitted anew via a song by some of our contemporaries.

Chris Tomlin told Matt Maher, and Jesse Reeves, and Matt Redman of his thoughts, which must have ignited some more sparks and spurred the completion of the song that we have today.  It’s important to see that there was more than just one fellow contributing here, and more than just one significant event in how “All to Us” came about. That’s how He works. He can use anyone, or many ones to create and allow us to participate in His genius. You can tell from Tomlin’s description of it all that he felt privileged to just be a cog in the wheel of this machine. He wasn’t the main guy. But, he saw who really was the All in this. Tomlin hints that seeing Him in this way was what made the words flow so easily. If that sounds like a recipe for more new songs, you think Tomlin and his partners might try this again? Hey, it’s a formula any of us could try!

See this link for full story of the song’s development and performance by the principal composer: http://worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1824693

10,000 Reasons – Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman

Bless the Lord, O my soul…(Psalm 103:1)

It started with some words written 30 centuries earlier, from the heart of a songwriter-king, one who was said to have a heart after God (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) (David is shown making music here to King Saul, in this Rembrandt masterpiece). So, at its most fundamental perhaps these words’ origin is God Himself. That might be what Jonas Myrin would say if you asked him how he started writing a song called “10,000 Reasons”, which his friend Matt Redman later helped him finish off in 2011. The words unmistakably have the imprint of verses that believers would recognize, if they read an ancient text that today remains the source of many of our faith songs. The Holy One reminds us through that king who is some 30 centuries old, and through these contemporary composers, that there’s too much evidence of His goodness to ignore.   

There are clues in the song story of “10,000 Reasons” that both Myrin and Redman must have had their bibles open when the words for the song came to them. Myrin apparently had the chorus – whose first six words match the Psalmist-King David’s Psalm 103 – composed already when he showed his idea to Redman. Then Redman wrote three verses, whose ideas reflect what the remainder of the psalm says about all the ways the Creator has given to His offspring. Redman and Myrin also must have been awestruck by what they studied, because they fashioned another phrase – in fact, the song’s title – to emphasize the enormity of His gifts to civilization. Redman says the two composers collaborated for less than an hour to finish the song’s words, perhaps a testimony to the value of the text they chose as their springboard. The words Redman added for verse one come straight from what he says about the psalm’s meaning for himself – I have a reason to praise Him every day that I awaken, if my outlook is right.

How long would it take to mention 10,000 things He has done for me? We might lose count after just a few dozen. Would it make more sense to make each day count for one reason, and do that 10,000 times? Do some simple math – it’d take 28 years to accomplish this task. Redman and Myrin expand the scene further. Try 10,000 years of praising, because that’s what we look forward to doing, according to their concluding verse. If each day of that span was used for one reason, that’d be 3.65 million reasons! Do you suppose that would be enough? The Infinite, the Eternal One, can be counted upon for more, don’t you think? In Redman’s and Myrin’s own words, that’s when we’ll really be singing like never before.  

The following link is the primary source for the song’s story:

http://churchmusictoday.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/behind-the-song-10000-reasons-bless-the-lord-by-matt-redman-and-jonas-myrin/

Never Once – Matt Redman, Jason Ingram, Tim Wanstall

Matt Redman was at a point where events made him reflect. He had two friends, Jason Ingram and Tim Wanstall, with whom he must have been sharing and identifying later. It was a ‘nutshell’ moment, as he recalled picking up his guitar and letting his memories pour out in a rather lonesome place, a big empty spot, both emotionally and physically. Some of us might have run to a different situation, hurrying to escape the sense of isolation. But that’s where Redman paused. He knew he was in fact not alone, and that “Never Once” had God let him down.

Matt Redman tells the story in his own words (see link below), so you the reader don’t need me to reveal it to you. Redman is very open, saying it was a time when he and his family were returning to England after living in Atlanta, Georgia for some time. It was the summer of 2010, and the departure was culminating. If you’ve ever moved, leaving friends and an uplifting experience, then you’ve felt the way the Redmans must have that day. They probably had a “For Sale” sign (see the picture) displayed, or something else posted on the property to let others know they were leaving, vacating the premises. They were just a little sad, he hints, to say ‘so long’, with the emptiness of their house magnifying the moment for Matt. He still had his guitar, so he began to reminisce, giving birth to the song that his friends Jason and Tim must have helped him crystallize later on. Redman says in that moment he appreciated that God was faithful to him even as a child of seven years old, decades earlier. God had not ‘vacated the premises’. His faithfulness is one divine characteristic that Redman says he tends to reflect on in his music-making most. Perhaps that’s because it feels so personal for him. He doesn’t provide details, but Redman admits his childhood might be described as difficult.  His words describe ups and downs, not unlike what all of us experience, times in which he hopes believers don’t discard God because of confusion or ‘clouds over you’.   There’s a ‘thread of God’s faithfulness’ that Redman has identified, and he hopes that it’s ‘burning deep inside’ the believer.  

Remember and trust. That’s all Redman and his friends ask of those who sing “Never Once”. If you’re still struggling, Redman doesn’t seem to think that discredits his song’s message. It might be a ‘battleground’ with ‘scars and struggles’, but don’t think He’s abandoned you. Jesus must have felt it too, in the garden and several hours later, suspended between here and there. Most of my ‘desert’ moments don’t come close to the gravity of Jesus’ wasteland experience. If He can endure the desertion, can’t I? Call out to Him, and you’ll get on the other side of that moment…that’s how Jesus’ life tells me to manage my anxiety at those times. Eventually, that’s where paradise awaits…     

See video here for Redman’s own story about the song’s development:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjejhf_matt-redman-story-behind-never-once_music

Some biographic information on composer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Redman

Our God – Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Chris Tomlin, and Jesse Reeves

Teamwork. Passion. Proclamation. Hubbub. Those are words that stand out if you talk to Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Chris Tomlin, and Jesse Reeves about what they did together over several days to create a song for a special occasion. “Our God” was something they were planning to say to young adults, but it began in a more ordinary impromptu way than perhaps you might imagine it did. Isn’t it odd that this God who’s so great operates oftentimes in such normal circumstances – like when He made some wine at a wedding (see picture)? This quartet’s thoughts introduce us to Him who did the amazing so long ago, a fact that we too often shelve and treat like a dusty history textbook. What they wanted to do with “Our God” was make Him alive again. Let’s see how they did this.

Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin talk on the NewSongCafé@worship.com show (see the link below) about how they and their friends collaborated in two different states to create the song. It was one of those after-show sessions apparently, where the song began, Redman says. He and Jonas Myrin were in Florida, and began plucking on a guitar and tinkling the keyboard in a hotel ballroom after a conference they had attended. Perhaps other creative minds might have sought out a quiet venue to mull over such a beginning, but not Redman and Myrin. Hotel workers were moving tables and chairs about, prepping for the next day’s hotel commitments. In the midst of this clamor, Redman says they saw an opportunity just to lift Him up, to proclaim Him. One wonders if the hotel staffers realized they were witnessing something special taking place. Something called ‘Passion’ was approaching, but perhaps it seemed rather ironic that all around Redman and Myrin,  workers were doing their routine. Fervor was on their minds again later in Atlanta, Georgia, as they prepared for a college-age crowd at the Passion 2010 Conference. That is where the song was completed, with the help of Chris Tomlin and Jesse Reeves. The song’s entry into worship vocabulary at the conference was complemented on the “Passion Awakening” album. Like its conference and album companions, “Our God” reminds us who believe and declares to those who don’t that He inspires zeal, perhaps most generationally associated with college students.  

Ever been on a college campus where a street preacher was proclaiming God to students hurrying to class? ‘Brother Jed’ was one I remember wandering about College Green in Athens, Ohio, and no, it seemed as if he inspired ridicule, rather than passion or even genuine curiosity. The Redman/Myrin/Tomlin/Reeves composition doesn’t wave an accusing finger at the sinner, like the street preachers I recall. Instead, it invites the hearer to just believe He’s unique. Link yourself to this person, and see where He can take you. That’s a dare, a challenge that maybe a cocky college student who’s just beginning his adult journey might accept. Are you ready for His adventure?   

Check out the following link to hear Redman and Tomlin talk about the song’s development:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZXaWN_9Z1E

This is the link to the conference video where song was performed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnCajwl2Nfc

See this link for details on Passion Conferences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_Conferences