I’ve been exploring some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀. But now, I’ve decided to alternate between very modern hymns, old hymns, and in-between hymns, namely the worship songs from the 60s to the 90s that feature in hymnbooks such as Mission Praise. Today it’s the turn of the very modern hymns.
Today’s song is Joy Has Dawned from 2004.
I discovered this one recently. It’s a little Christmassy, but we can celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God at any time of year. I like the second part of verse 2:
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother’s breast,
Vulnerable and helpless.
It’s a little reminder of the role of the Son of God in creation:
John 1:1-3 and 14
“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”….
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Hebrews 1:1-2 and 10
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe….
10 He also says,“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
Colossians 1:15-17
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
The hymn is part of the modern hymn‑writing movement led by the Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Their hymns are often sung in churches that wouldn’t generally sing modern worship songs, such as those from Hillsong. Yet, perhaps they’re not as widely sung as some other modern songs. But it’s nice that conservative churches do sing some modern hymns. For example, you might get one tiny conservative evangelical church in an Irish town and four or five large modern “trendy” ones. I’d like the conservative church to be a little larger, and maybe we need to move with the times a little and not live in the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th or 16th century 😀. But I’m probably most at home in churches as they were back in the 1980s or earlier. Yet, I take an interest in all church music, and I’m happy to attend a modern evangelical church that’s quite close to me. I can listen to all the old guys and hymns at home during the week 😀.
Anyway enough about me and more about today’s hymn. Here are some other versions:
Hibernia Gospel 