John 1: Song Introduction
The Missio Dei blog is intended to provide space for a diverse array of voices, stories, and experiences from within and around our community. While we celebrate the ongoing journey of each beloved member of our community and contributor to our blog, the views expressed here do not necessarily reflection the positions, beliefs, or views of Missio Dei as an organization.
By David Burchfield
If you’ve spent any time with us at Missio in recent weeks, you’ve likely sung our new song “John 1.” This is an original song I wrote a couple years back. My imagination is always captured by scriptures that focus on Christ’s incarnation, this passage especially:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:1-5, NIV
When I saw that we’d be starting Missio’s Lenten series with this scripture and studying closely the way that we learn who God is through Jesus’s character, I felt like we hardly had a choice but to use this song. In writing it, I tried hard to stick to the scriptural text, but sprinkled in a few reflections as well. The idea that the Holy Creator of the universe would inhabit the frail human form out of selfless love gets me deep every time I consider it. Here are the lyrics:
In the beginning
Was the Word
And His light shown
Throughout the Earth
He was with God
Before all things
And he came to be with us
The light shines in the darknessThe dark cannot overcome it
We give glory to the one
Humbly born, Mary’s son
The Holy Lord of Lords
Brought low to walk with us
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
He is the WordThe thought of God
Put on flesh to dwell with us
What a great and happy thought
To belong to a God of such great love
I’ve been writing songs as long as I’ve been playing guitar (over two decades) but in the past several years have really begun to love writing songs for use in the church. In recent months, I’ve had a rich writing practice with my pal Seth Slay. Weekly we sit with the scriptures and in prayer for the different communities we serve, listening for themes that we think will encourage or challenge or provoke or comfort. In fact, at Missio we’ve also already sung a few others from these writing sessions: Christ in Everything, Breath of God, Our Souls Lift Up the Name, There’s A Light Upon the Mountains, and By Your Very Nature. You can hear all these and other songs here (although I wrote some or all of most of these songs, Seth has the studio chops to make the recordings, so you’ll mostly hear his voice on these demos.)
It’s my sincere hope that you find these songs encouraging in your journey as we walk together through each season.
David Burchfield is the Worship and Arts Director at Missio Dei. If you’d like to submit a blog post, email david@missiodeislc.com.