Another New Reformation Song

Back in February, I posted a song that Chris Anderson and I wrote for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We called it “Reformation Hymn.” I wrote about it in this post and Chris tells the backstory of how the song was written here.

Around the same time, Tim Chester, a friend from the UK, asked me if I’d be interested in putting music to some lyrics he was working on, also based on the 5 Solas of the Reformation:

Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone
Solus Christus: Christ alone
Sola Fide: faith alone
Sola Gratia: grace alone
Soli Deo Gloria: glory to God alone

I enjoyed writing Come Praise and Glorify with Tim a few years ago and thought I’d give another Reformation song a try. I like what we came up with, and we’ve creatively called it, “Reformation Song.”

The version Chris and I wrote is on the more regal side, with a stately melody in 3/4 meter. With Tim’s lyrics I took a more exuberant approach and came up with a version in 9/8.

Interns to the Rescue

On Thursday nights, I have the joy of meeting with a group of humble and gifted music and worship interns from Boyce College. I asked them if they’d be willing to come up with an arrangement of the song and they gladly obliged. I love what they put together:

Here’s the sheet music:

Reformation Song – CHART
Reformation Song – SATB
Reformation Song – LEAD SHEET

UPDATE: Reformation Song – PIANO/CHOIR/STRINGS SCORE

You can also download the song from CCLI SongSelect.

Always in Season

We’ll be celebrating the truths that were recovered in the Protestant Reformation for eternity. Salvation is in Christ alone, through faith alone, based on God’s Word alone, by grace alone, for the glory of God alone. And we can sing those truths any time.

But during this month, the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, it’s particularly appropriate to remember how glorious our salvation through Jesus Christ alone really is. Our hope is that songs like these will give us one more way to do it.