Today was my last Sunday visiting my home/sending church in the U.S. before we head back to Mexico where we live. Over the last month of visits, we have sung this song, So Will I (100 billion X) by Hillsong three times.
As we were singing it today and I could really pay attention to the lyrics since it was more familiar, it struck me that it was a nice song that reflected on God’s glory in creation in a way that everyone could affirm, no matter what their views on how God created.
I looked up the lyrics when I got home and was half amused and half inclined to roll my eyes when I realized the original line–
“A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath Evolving in pursuit of what You said”
–was changed to “All moving in pursuit of what you said.” Still can’t say the E word in church, evidently. But still a nice song, even with the edit.
I like the third verse of St. Patrick’s Breastplate:
I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven,
the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea
around the old eternal rocks.
Very beautiful! And don’t be too hard on those deciding whether or not to include this or that word or concept. If I had to guess who was best able to set this issue aside, dwelling instead in the moment of worship: those fixated on a concept’s inclusion, or those noticing its omission, my bet would be on you every time. Of course I don’t know your congregation like you do, but it could be that the worship leaders made the right choice. The grandeur of the praise, or the One praised rather, shines through magnificently.
Great song, doubt if our church would sing it though, as we are sort of stuck in the popular worship song groove. I still reflect back to the song “In Christ Alone” that was sort of the theme song of the Biologos conference, so music is powerful. (Of course, the Presbyterians dropped it because of “wrath of God satisfied” phrase, so you can’t make everyone happy)
