He's Alive

I'm about to admit something that will make worship songwriting instructors cringe. He's Alive was not intentional. I had actually spent an hour trying to write a new melody to an obscure hymn whose words I really liked. I tried several approaches and failed miserably. It just wasn't working. I was writing because I needed another upbeat song for my CD. I had almost given up in disgust at my creative impotence, when I got this little germ of an idea. I had been tossing around ideas for songs which could be simple but energetic for the new congregation I will be leading starting in May, Las Tierras Community Church. Suddenly, words just popped in my head:

We will dance. We will sing.
For the glory of the King.
We will praise His name on high.
For our Savior is alive.
He's alive.

What better words to describe why we worship? What our faith is all about? This is the reason we celebrate. At the time I wrote it, in February, I didn't even think about the fact I was writing an Easter theme. But the melody and words came together and I knew right away it would be easy to teach and catch people's attention.

Praise to the one who came to die –
The Lamb of God was sacrificed.
Only His blood can set us free.
In Him, we live and move and breathe.
So we sing to our Savior,
Our hearts filled with joy.
Let our lives testify to His grace.

He is the way, the truth, the light.
His blood has paved our path to life.
All glory be to Him alone –
Emmanuel, the Holy One.
So we sing Hallelujah to Jesus, Our Lord.
Let our voices be heard in every heart.

When I started on the verses, I just told the story of Jesus as Savior -- the how and why He died. What makes him so important to us. In Him, we live and move and breathe. He is the source of life, of everything. What a joy it is to know Him. How can we help but want to sing and tell the world of His wonderful grace and joy? When you know someone or something this wonderful, you can't keep it in. You want to share it with everyone. You have to.

Be glorified. Be glorified, Oh Jesus.
Be glorified. Be glorified forever.

The bridge is just a cry of the desires of our hearts responding to His love, His sacrifice, His grace -- who He is. We want to praise Him. We want to see Him glorified and lifted up to the appropriate place of importance, of recognition for the whole world to see and honor Him.

He's alive and well and lives in the hearts of those who believe. Oh what a glorious Savior!