The words of this song are incredible!  We particularly love that each verse balances a confession of our own brokenness with the grace that Christ lifts us up again and again. And then the chorus visits the events of that “beautiful, scandalous night” when Jesus gave his own life to show us that grace in an unequivocal way.

The song works really well during Lent and Easter. There are obvious references to the cross, but the themes of atonement and salvation also ring through. That said, we think this song has the potential to be used anytime of the year, especially any kind of service where the cross and / or salvation are the focus.

It is beautifully written and rather poetic, and thus lends itself well to being sung by a soloist or small choir to allow for some prayer and meditation on the part of the folks congregated. Some of the rhythms are difficult, but with enough repetition anything is possible!  Listening to recordings might be helpful in learning the piece if you don’t already know it.

Instrumentation-wise, simple probably works best for this tune. Guitars work really well. We’ve had a good time turning it into something of a bluegrass tune by including mandolin and a touch of banjo. Robbie Seay and his band turn it into more of a rock-styled song, making use of a drum beat and piano. The key, though, is not letting the instrumentation distract from the message in the lyrics.