The words of this song are incredible! Just reading them gives me the chills and to hear them with the music is (I think) an awesome blessing. I love that each verse mentions us being the broken sinners we are (“thirsty”, “sorry and wrecked by the fall”) and at the same time reminds us that Christ fixes us (we are “purified”, “delivered”, and our spirits are “restored”). And then the chorus visits the events of that “beautiful, scandalous night” when Jesus was crucified. We were “atoned by His blood and forever washed white”. It is indeed a beautiful thing. The song works really well during Lent and Easter. There are obvious references to the cross and the actual crucifixion, but the themes of atonement and salvation are also present. The whole reason for Jesus’ death is right there in the song. There’s also reference to baptism and the cleansing power of that water.
I don’t think it works only for Lent or Easter; rather, I think it has the potential to be used anytime of the year, especially any kind of service where the cross and / or salvation are the focus. For example, I once used it as part of a devotion for Holy Cross Day.
It is beautifully written and is rather poetic and thus lends itself well to being sung by a soloist or small choir to allow for some prayer and meditation on the part of the folks congregated. Some of the rhythms are difficult to read off of a page of music and are just difficult in general, but don’t let that sway your decision regarding using this song. Listening to recordings might be helpful in learning the piece if you don’t already know it. And don’t fret—it’s not impossible to teach to a congregation! The important thing is to have strong leadership. A congregation will be able to follow that. And I don’t think that we as song leaders should feel like we have to sing verse one and then move on with the song. I think we should feel free to sing verse one a few times so people get a good feel for it before we move on to verse two or the chorus or whatever. I think that repeating a section so that folks get on board is a great way to teach a group of people a tune.
Instrumentation-wise, I think that simple works best for this tune. Guitars work really well in leading this song. I’ve had a good time turning it into something of a bluegrass tune by including mandolin and a touch of banjo. Robbie Seay and his band turn it into more of a rock-styled song, making use of a tasteful, light drum beat and piano. I think the key for this song is not letting the instrumentation distract from the message in the lyrics.
Where to find it:
- ccli.com (#1131836)
- greatworshipsongs.com
Notable recordings:
- Robbie Seay Band – Give Yourself Away
- Sixpence None the Richer and Bebo Norman – City on a Hill: The Gathering
- Smalltown Poets – Third Verse
Hear it now:
Download on iTunes
I don’t know this one but loved it right away. It has a very simple melody making this very easy for community singing. I look forward to introducing it to JP.