Until I grow tired of it, I’m posting some of my own favorite hymns each Sunday. Today I’ve decided to post one of the contemporary hymn by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, two hymnodists I like for the weightiness of the words in their songs. I like to be reminded of (or learn) truths as I sing.
O church, arise and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is “Love!”
Reaching out to those in darkness.
Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev’ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.
Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict’ry march continues till the day
Ev’ry eye and heart shall see Him.
So Spirit, come, put strength in ev’ry stride,
Give grace for ev’ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.
“O Church, Arise”
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music
You can hear it sung by Krysten Getty, but it’s much more appropriate for group singing, don’t you think? Here it’s done (along with In Christ Alone) by the choir and orchestra of First Baptist Church, Eastman, GA. (If you’re in a hurry, skip the readings and drag that little play button right across to 1:30, where the singing starts.)
Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:
Have you posted a hymn today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.