This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
God the Father says to Jesus
God the Father says to Jesus
God the Father says to Jesus:
"My throne is now your seat.
As for those who fear and hate you:
wait and they'll turn and celebrate you,
and worship at your feet."
Lord Jesus, set at God's right hand,
your mercy shines over ev'ry land.
Our human hearts seek our selfish ends,
but you persuade us to be your friends.
Your cross has cancelled our sin's rewards,
so we acclaim you "King of kings" and "Lord of lords".
God the Father says to Jesus:
"To you I give my rule.
Former foes will soon surrender,
bending and bowing at your splendour,
for you're my crowning jewel."
Lord Jesus, set at God's right hand,
your glory shines over ev'ry land.
Our human minds are too small to grasp
what you've prepared: riches free and vast.
Your loving kindness defeats all swords,
so we acclaim you "King of kings" and "Lord of lords".
God the Father says to Jesus:
"You are my great High Priest.
As Melchizedek gave blessing,
yes, you're my one true Son, expressing
the love which I've released."
Lord Jesus, set at God's right hand,
your goodness shines over ev'ry land.
Our human hearts vainly seek for peace
until you touch us and bring release.
You stir our souls, striking long-lost chords,
so we acclaim you "King of kings" and "Lord of lords".
God the Father says to Jesus:
"I now lift up your head.
Kings will see your revelation,
nations will find their true salvation,
and you will judge the dead."
Lord Jesus, set at God's right hand,
your justice shines over ev'ry land.
Our human thoughts cannot plumb the depth,
nor scale the height, nor traverse the breadth
of love beyond all the world affords:
so we acclaim you "King of kings" and "Lord of lords".
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2008.
Based on Psalm 110, 1 Cor 2:9, St Augustine's Confessions 1:2, and Eph 3:18.
Story behind the song
Verse 1 of Psalm 110 is (so far as I can tell) the most-quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament: it comes 15 times. The quotations show that early Christians felt that this psalm was one of the strongest statements in the Old Testament about Jesus' true nature as our "Lord", and they expected the risen Jesus to assume this role at God's right hand in his glory.
In view of the number of quotations, it's obviously an important psalm for Christians to take on board. Which is a bit surprising, because it's actually not a very merciful psalm - it mostly has judgement, strength and victory in it. In fact, I confess that it doesn't to my eyes paint Jesus in a very attractive light, and it needs some NT interpretation to make it live as an expression of worship. I wondered if it was a psalm which appealed particularly to a persecuted people, and that's why it sounds strange to us but would perhaps appeal more to the persecuted Church today?
With all this in mind I wondered about making the psalm into a song? It naturally divides into four sections (v1, v2-3, v4 and v5-7) each of which starts with a statement or action by the LORD, and so my first inclination (in January 2008) was to make it into a four-verse hymn, each of the verses having five lines - roughly speaking the first five lines of the present verses. Actually I interpreted the psalm rather harshly, and my first version needed a good deal of toning down even on its own.
However, I'm grateful to friends from Christian Songwriting Organisation who immediately felt that the Old Testament message needed a New Testament chorus showing how the merciful side of Jesus' character fulfils the prophecy of the psalm and how he is therefore worthy of the glory ascribed to him in the psalm. As I worked on the chorus it became clear to me that I should vary the words in the "chorus" part (the last six lines of each verse) so as to bring out in each case more details about how Jesus fulfils the ministry expected by that part of the psalm.
John Hartley.
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.