“If we’re going to build a generation of people who think deep thoughts about God, who have rich prayer lives, and who are the culture-makers of the next generation, we need to be teaching them songs with theological depth,” he said in a 2016 interview about his approach to hymn writing. He believes they are the type of songs Christians need in a complicated and ever-changing world.
#In christ alone series#
It was the first of a series of modern hymns he’s helped write, combining singable melodies with theological reflection. Getty has sometimes called “In Christ Alone” a “rebel song” - a kind of protest against the more contemporary worship songs that sound more like pop music than traditional hymns. Getty has described Townend’s lyrics for the song as “absolutely brilliant,” capturing the story of Christian faith in a powerful and lovely way. The song originally started with the line “My hope is found in Christ alone.” Getty suggested switching the verse around to start with “In Christ alone.” After some hesitation, Townend did so, and the song came to life. He eventually called Getty and the two talked about writing a musical version of a church creed that would recount the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Then he popped in the CD and immediately changed his mind. … It arrived and I wasn’t expecting anything.” “He said he’d send me a CD with some of his song ideas. “We got together, we had a coffee, nothing particularly eventful happened,” Townend recalled. In a 2016 interview recounting the origins of “In Christ Alone,” Townend said there was nothing memorable about his meeting with Getty.
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#In christ alone free#
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