Desert Island Hymns

We now turn to J P Hunter’s Desert Island Hymn coming from the pen of Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend in their hymn of affirmation, ‘In Christ Alone.”

In Christ alone was actually the first song Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend wrote together. They had been introduced by a mutual friend at a worship conference, where they had a coffee together and talked about their backgrounds, musical influences, and motivations to write. Keith promised Stuart would send him a CD with a bunch of melodies he’d been working on, and Stuart thought no more about it.

Then a few days later the CD arrived and the first melody on it really hit him – it was tuneful and memorable, and yet had gravitas and real emotion. Stuart began to feel the pressure to write lyrics that were of a comparable standard!

The only thing he could think was to base it on the eternal theme of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Stuart comments,  “The verses came in a fairly linear way, but as the third verse developed, I was getting pretty excited as I thought about the amazing implications of Christ’s finished work on the cross. I wanted to write a fourth verse that was about us – but not just as an emotional response, but as a undeniable statement of the power of Christ to sustain us in this life.”

1.In Christ alone, my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

 

4.No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

 From life’s first cry to final breath,

 Jesus commands my destiny.

 No power of hell, no scheme of man,

 Can ever pluck me from his hand;

 Till he returns or call me home,

 Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.