31 Days: Meaningful Worship: Amazing Grace (part two)

Via 

Hey there...Im Alix and I have been a slacker the last week or so. With that being said lets get back to it! 

Today we are going to look at Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin. 

Amazing grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

[2x]

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God, Who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

Will be forever mine.

You are forever mine.

I love Amazing Grace as a hymn. It is one of my favorites, and I am a little sad that its really only sung at funerals. I love the message it brings. God's grace (He sent His one and only son to die for us so we could be with Him one day) is AMAZING!!! As a human-being its hard for me to even fathom doing something like that for people who I knew would reject me. 

Without God's grace we would be lost forever. There would be no hope, no happy ending. We are all lost but once we decide to let him into our hearts we are no longer blind. Its like living in darkness our whole existence only to be healed by grace. Once we can see, we see a bright and vivid world teeming with life.

Amazing Grace the hymn was written by John Nweton in 1779. Unfortunately for Mr. Newton, he had a very stormy life. John was actually on a slave ship in the middle of a storm that almost took the boat when he accepted Christ. At this point John experienced true fear. I would assume the fear was much like that of disciples when they were caught in the storm in the sea of Galilee. Some speculate that he penned the words "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.." because his conversation was a result of the immense fear of God's fury as exhibited by the storm. 

John also noted in the second line that while grace taught his hear to fear, grace also gave him incredible peace. That peace was so precious in a time like this. In a time where nothing was certain, and all that was left was fear. As a result of God's grace John later became a pastor, he then wrote this song. God's grace is amazing. 

Like I said I love this song. Honestly I could talk about it for a while, so thats why I am breaking it into two posts! Tomorrow we will look at the second half of the song. 

Love Always,

Alix