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 Run to the Father from 2019.
I sometimes wonder if I’m gonna run our of very modern hymns to add to this series. Maybe I will, but hopefully not for a while yet. It’s good fun getting to know all these folk. I’ve come across the name “Cody Carnes” in recent months, but if you asked me, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you anything about them. It’s funny too that nearly all of them are near the age of my kids. Why shouldn’t that be the case? Yet it always surprises me – even shocks me 😀. How did that happen?
So what’s this one about? When I see the title, I think of the Prodigal Son, but in that case it was the Father who ran to him, to welcome him home. But whoever is doing the running, the important thing is being reconciled to God. My favourite lines are the following:
My heart has been in Your sights
Long before my first breath
Running into Your arms
Is running to life from death
When I first heard the notion of God choosing us, I got quite angry. I tended to get very hot-headed at Bible studies if someone said something that I deemed unfair or unscriptural. But as I got more acquainted with Scripture, I began to see that God does indeed choose us.
Ephesians 1:4-6
 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship, through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
The notion of God choosing us can be a little controversial. What about those who aren’t chosen? God isn’t going to turn away anyone who repents and believes in Him. But clearly, some people seem to have a greater appetite to do so than others. And who, but God Himself, gives them that appetite?
In any given evangelical church, you’ll probably get people who’ll debate such issues. And similar debates go on in most other religions. Even at a secular level, you get debates on free-will verses fate. But most people will probably say that it’s a bit silly to think that we understand it all perfectly. But I draw great comfort from the notion that God knew me before the creation of the world. And why shouldn’t He? He’s God.
I would imagine that most people who sing this hymn focus on the truth at a devotional level. Some of us enjoy theological debates, but we must always be careful not to allow these to distracted us from true worship.
Here are some other performances of today’s hymn:
Hibernia Gospel 