I posted a few days ago about the theology of the songs we sing about Heaven…I also talk about the upward trend we’re seeing in worship music to include a broader, kingdom theme. One of those groups that are giving voice to kingdom songs are the great Northern Irish “family” band called Rend Collective Experiment.
One of the many songs that the church around the world has taken into its musical vocabulary from Rend is their wonderful modern hymn “Build Your Kingdom Here.” I was swapping messages with another US church leader just this morning about this wonderful song and how its such a dichotomy from the old heaven tunes…with their poor theology of Kingdom & Heaven…This songs empowers the church to realize God has placed us in an incredible position to be his ambassadors…”his hope…” on the front lines of his kingdom building, making life on earth as it is in heaven. I hope this song blesses you as much as it’s blessed me and the churches I’ve served over the last few years.
Build Your Kingdom Here
Rend Collective Experiment, © 2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we’re made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
And we need Your power
In us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You’re our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven’s cause
We are Your church
And we pray revive
This earth (We’re prayin’ for revival)
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray (Change the atmosphere)
Unleash Your kingdom’s power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
Oh, and we are the hope
On earth
Build Your Kingdom Here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
There are some lines in this song that strike me as problematic:
“Win this nation back” sounds to me like nostalgic longing for that mythical time when America was a Christian nation. (60 years ago? 160 years ago?)
“… we are the hope on earth” sounds rather arrogant.
Ken-I’ve heard these comments before about this song…there are actually two versions. And though this band is Irish (Not American) and they’re CERTAINLY not thinking with America in mind as the nation to win back, there’s also a version they’ve (supposedly) authorized that says “win the Nations back.” The speak to a mucb more global audience than anyone could ever imagine. I think they’re thinking “catholic” (like in the Apostle’s Creed) when they say nation. And I don’t feel the same arrogance either…I think they’re seeking to empower those who are living out the incarnation of Jesus on this earth and that’s the idea they’re going for. I hear where you’re coming from, though.
I am not sure what you mean by taking “nation” in a catholic sense. “nation” sounds like the opposite of catholic to me. (I can see “nations,” plural, as catholic, but “nation”?)
I was not previously aware of the band’s Irish background, but I still imagine that a significant percentage of American Christians with certain political leanings will sing the song enthusiastically with the sense I suggested. “Win this nation back” also calls to mind for me what many politicians or their supporters have been saying in recent years and months: “We have to take this (or ‘our’) country back from the ________!”
Luckily this song was written long before certain political individuals were using that phrase in campaigns…at least current or recent ones.
Some years ago, my wife looked at me right in the middle of a song we were singing and said, “We’ll sing anything.” She was incredulous about a particular line. I think it was “I’m satisfied with just a cottage below . . . .” No, I’m not. And I want a lot of sliver and a lot of gold. Anyway, I’m glad you are focusing on what we sing instead of how we sing. Good words. Keep it up. JV