I’m a singer songwriter. There was a period in my life when I wrote a lot of songs. I also rewrote a lot of old Hymns. Now that I am a full time Pastor and father of 3 I don’t write much anymore. In this series I will be sharing with you some of the songs I have written and the stories behind them. (Abraham & Isaac; The God Who Saves; Mountainside; Abbe’s Song; Sway)
Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
I have always imagined what it will be like to have Jesus lead us in worship. This passage is an awesome vision of the pre-incarnate king Jesus as worship leader. The sense of worship and holiness is so thick that Isaiah must experience his own brokenness, Gods redemption, restoration and Gods commission. This passage made me think of Gods same move in Christ toward me it was one of brokenness, redemption, restoration and commission. As a worship leader I wanted to lead us into Isaiah’s vision of Jesus so that we might experience the same thing as a congregation. I will never forget the first time I led this song with the congregation at Lake Country Baptist Church in Lake Stevens Washington. I had them repeat each line of the verses after I sang them. We would sing the chorus and bridge in unison. The sound of so many of Gods people singing “you have purged my unclean lips so I can sing of your righteousness. Who am I, that you would die, and the blood that spilt would give me life?” brought the Spirit upon me in such a way that I could hardly keep from crying and dancing at the same time! I wrote this song for piano, orchestra and a large choir but for now I will just have to settle with an acoustic guitar.
The God Who Saves
By Able Baker
you have purged my unclean lips so i can sing of your righteousness
who am i that you would die and the blood that spilt would give me life?
Chorus:
Holy, Holy, how the angels sing praises to the king
Cherubim and seraphim cry aloud to thee singing
Holy, Holy, Holy To the God who saves, to the God who saves!
you have purged my unclean lips so i can sing of your righteousness
who am i that you would die and the blood that spilt would give me life?
Bridge:
I close my eyes and imagine that i am standing
before your throne as angels begin to sing (repeat)
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