Today's song is "Gracefully Broken." I've known the song a little over a week. My first exposure to the song was on Matt Redman's album, Glory Song. It is a duet between Matt Redman and Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
Before I analyze if the song is biblical, it would be helpful to determine what the song means. Usually this is relatively easy. Usually. But in the case of "Gracefully Broken" I'm finding myself stumped.
What do the songwriters mean when they say "multiply, God, all that I am"? I'd really love to know. The full thought is "Take all I have in these hands and multiply, God, all that I am and find my heart on the altar again." The last phrase "find my heart on the altar again" makes some sense in the context of Romans 12. But I'm thoroughly confused on what the songwriters, on what the worshippers want multiplied? Theoretically, we're sacrificing ourselves on the altar--giving up our will, our selfishness, our desires, our sins, our pride, our ego, our stubbornness, our independence, our need to be on the throne, our tendency to make idols, our worldliness. Surely these things don't need to be multiplied. Are they talking about spiritual gifts or spiritual fruit? If so, it makes sense in that you'd want more, desire more...but would you really be talking about this in context of sacrifice and surrender? The song mentions this "And multiply, God, all that I am" at least twice. So it must matter to the song's overall meaning.... If only I knew what it means--what they meant--I'd have a better guess on if it lines up with Scripture.
"Set me on fire, set me on fire" and "Set me on fire, set me on fire." Assuming they mean "fill me with Your Spirit." But then again they are talking about sacrifices at an altar. So the figurative language continues. My question: Do we really want to be set on fire? Even if God is the one setting the fire?
"Here I am, God, arms wide open pouring out my life gracefully broken." Arms wide open, I'm assuming, is continuing the surrender/sacrifice theme. As is "pouring out my life." But what does the phrase gracefully broken mean?!
Gracefully is an adverb meaning "in an attractively elegant way." A second meaning is "in a respectful and dignified way."
Graceful is an adjective meaning "characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant.
Graciously is an adverb form of gracious, see below
Gracious is an adjective meaning, "godly" "pleasing, acceptable," "marked by kindness," "merciful, compassionate."
There is a BIG difference in the two words. There are pages on the internet showing the difference between the two trying to help writers determine which word should be used based on different contexts. I think the songwriters MEANT gracious but used graceful. I'll rephrase that. I think there is biblical and experiential proof that God GRACIOUSLY breaks us. That our brokenness is God's mercy, kindness, and compassion at work. God is providentially, graciously, lovingly at work in our lives--not to make us comfortable, not to make us feel comfy-cozy, not to make us feel warm-and-fuzzy on the inside, not to make us feel blessed and favored, but to make us holy and acceptable. I think there is little to no evidence that God GRACEFULLY breaks us. When we're broken, it is messy and ugly--at least from our perspective. There's nothing beautiful or elegant about it. There is nothing dignified and respectable about it. Our hopes, our dreams, our wants, our desires, our plans, our wills, our pride, our independence, our self-esteem, our self-confidence, our self-righteousness--are being broken, even crushed.
The next verse--beginning with "My heart stands in awe of Your name..." and ending with "You won't forsake me, You will be with me"--is actually straightforward, easy to understand, and biblical. In fact, if this verse wasn't part of the song, I would be more willing to dismiss the whole song as junk.
The next section(s) of the song are repetitive--extremely so. But there are a few more phrases that are worth examining: I'm strong when I am weak/ I will be free/ Your power and work in me/ I'm broken gracefully..
I think the idea of being strong when weak comes from 2 Corinthians 12. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” There are several places that speak of being made free. And of course, God's power is at work in us when we are Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.
There are phrases that are definitely biblical. There are phrases that are over-used cliches (Here I am, Lord...Arms Wide Open...Set Me On Fire...I Surrender All...) with a somewhat mechanical feel, in my opinion. And some parts of the song are just CONFUSING and COMPLICATED.
I'd love clarification on WHAT the songwriters want multiplied in us. I'd also love to know WHY they went with the word GRACEFULLY instead of GRACIOUSLY. Are they making a theological argument that the way God breaks us is BEAUTIFUL and RESPECTABLE and ELEGANT and DIGNIFIED from God's perspective if not our own?
As for the melody, I could actually close my eyes and imagine a chorus of dancers doing a modern dance number to this song.
Here are the lyrics:
Take all I have in these hands
And multiply, God, all that I am
And find my heart on the altar again
Set me on fire, set me on fire
Oh, take all I have in these hands
And multiply, God, all that I am
And find my heart on the altar again
Set me on fire, set me on fire
Here I am, God
Arms wide open
Pouring out my life
Gracefully broken
My heart stands in awe of Your name
Your mighty love stands strong to the end
You will fulfill Your purpose for me
You won't forsake me, You will be with me
Here I am, God
Arms wide open
Pouring out my life
Gracefully broken
Pouring out my life again
Here I am, God
Arms wide open
Pouring out my life
Gracefully broken
Oh, gracefully
All to Jesus now
All to Jesus now
Holding nothing back
Holding nothing back
I surrender
I surrender
I surrender
I surrender
Here I am, God
Arms wide open (here I am, here I am)
Pouring out my life
Gracefully broken
Here I am, God
With my arms wide open (with my arms wide open)
Pouring out my life
Gracefully broken, oh
Your power and work in me
I'm broken gracefully
I'm strong when I am weak
I will be free
Your power and work in me
I'm broken gracefully
I'm strong when I am weak
I will be free, yeah
Your power and work in me (work in me)
I'm broken gracefully (broken gracefully)
(I'm strong when I am weak)
I will be free (I will be free)
Your power and work in me
Are gonna work in me (I'm broken gracefully)
I'm strong, I'm strong
I will be free
Your power and work in me (your work in me)
I'm broken gracefully (I'm so broken)
I'm strong when I am weak (I'm strong)
I will be free
Your power and work in me
I'm broken gracefully (I'm broken gracefully)
I'm strong when I am weak
I will be free
Here I am, God
Arms wide open
Pouring out my life
Gracefully broken
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
No comments:
Post a Comment