mgpcpastor's blog

One song on my need to introduce list at mgpc during 2011 is Never Alone by Simone Richardson and Philip Percival from EMU Music.
The reasons why we haven’t done so are a bit of a window into life in a country town. EMU music has a much higher profile amongst evangelicals in Sydney and Brisbane, a bit less in Melbourne and pretty much nil in South Australia. Here at mgpc I use midi files at night and apart from some earlier efforts no-one in Australia creates commercial midi files for EMU music. (Though they do have some mp3s that have vocal tracks removed). And lastly my lead music guy has been more taken with the output of Sovereign Grace from the USA.
I haven’t featured their work here on Sunday Songs very much because I generally prefer to embed some recorded form of each song here on the blog and there’s not a lot of EMU music on YouTube. The last problem seems to have been rectified with a couple of songs being posted there last week. Which brings us back to Never Alone.
Those of you who have read a few of these know that the straight forward verse structure is a preference of mine, as is a melody which a congregation can sing with confidence. This song has both.
Simone Richardson has written a set of words which intertwine Christian experience with the biblical truth of Christ’s resurrection power. Experience is not simply expressed as a sentimental aspriation and biblical truth is not divorced from life. Here they are unfolded together in a developing narrative of the Christian’s salvation hope and experience.
Philip Percival’s has complemented Simone’s poetry with a melody which has two distinct halves in each verse which assists the the dual emphases which are included in each verse. Additionally the melody serves the lyrical expression of each verse well, a testament to both Simone and Philip’s skill.
Here’s the lyrics from the EMU website.
1.
We’re not alone, for Christ is here
Immanuel our God come near
We’re not alone, for to our world
Jesus has come, eternal Word.
And as he speaks, our souls laid bare
Naked, ashamed, sin is made clear
And yet he clothes us in his love
Never alone, Christ is with us, is with us.
2.
The longest walk, earth’s darkest day
The pressing crowd, his mounting pain.
A heavy load of grief and shame
Breathless that we should breathe again.
“Father forgive them,” comes his cry
Silence from God blackens the sky.
A creeping dread in every heart
Lost in the world now God departs, God departs.
3.
The dawn will come, the sun will rise
Out of the grave we’ll see hope’s light.
Tomb opened wide, stone rolled away
Morning has come, a brand new day.
“He isn’t here,” the angel said.
“He is alive no longer dead.”
Our hearts are lifted, souls raised high
Christ is with us, Christ is our life, he’s our life.
4.
Never alone, is now our cry
In joy, in grief, in lonely sin.
Never alone, for Christ is ours
He lives in us, we live in him.
And ’til we reach that final day
When fears are gone, cast far away
We’ll live secure, trust in his love,
Never alone, Christ is with us, he’s with us.

Lyrics: © 2006 Simone Richardson
Music: © 2006 Philip Percival

And here’s the song.