Filed under: ICEWS eb 2008
For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
Recognizing that heaven and earth have intersected inside of me has been an enormous discovery. The kingdom of God takes on new meaning, new reality. The King of heaven has come to earth; He has redeemed those who have chosen to follow HIm; and by His Spirit now reigns on the earth through the lives of His children. This discovery, coupled with a desire to write a song that would give people “ground for praise rather than just an injunction to praise,” (1) was the foundation for “King of Heaven, King of Earth.” The verses communicate the redemptive narrative while the chorus concludes with the simplicity of ”king of heaven, king of earth.”
N.T. Wright states, “When we begin to glimpse the reality of God, the natural reaction is to worship Him.” (2)Worship is birthed as we respond to the God who is not far away, but the God who is so close, that the spheres of heaven and earth collide in our hearts. This allows us to see the great acts of God as having more than historical significance, but rather as life-changing events of a Big Story with Big God, who has rescued us and given to us an eternal destiny.
1. Dudley Hall, comment on Ranchgirl’s Blog (In the Middle of the Intersection)
2. N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, p. 143
