O Rock of Ages

I love huge conference worship with thousands of people.  We just had a big conference a couple weeks ago.  It’s like a slice of heaven, all being together and hearing all the voices praising God.  But there is also something just as awesome about a small group of people gathered in a living room singing praise.  It’s so great to see our churches using more technology, cool lights and video and amazing worship bands.  And we have some amazing singers that lead us.   But I pray we never lose the voices of simple songs to God in  small group gatherings, at our baptisms, our leaders meetings.  We’ve started to sing more in our staff meetings and I really appreciate that, taking time with about twenty or thirty of us to sing four or five songs and get our hearts where they need to be.  When I first started writing songs for the church to sing years ago that was my primary objective – to write simple songs.  When Geoff Fawcett and I started River City Music along with Sherwin Mackintosh our motto was songs “from campfire to conference” and we tried to ask of every song – is this song “scale-able?”  Would this tune work a cappella with just a few people?

Many of our churches around the world are only a few gathered on Sundays and throughout the week in homes, and you know what – that is so cool.  That is so first-century! So the next several weeks on the blog I’m going to be posting simple songs that we like to sing with our small group.  I’m using ukulele also because its very easy to learn and many of our teens are into it right now (thanks for that, Train and Jason Mraz).

This week I’m sharing a song Geoff Fawcett wrote years ago called “O Rock of Ages.”  Hope you enjoy it and love to sing it!

O Rock of Ages – recording with guitar

O Rock of Ages – rehearsal recording

O Rock of Ages – a cappella

Click here for lyrics with chords

Click here for sheet music for SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass)

O Rock of Ages

O Mighty rock!  O living stone,
My God who lives upon the throne
You never change, you never die
On you, my God, I can rely

O Rock of Ages,  Live forever,
O Rock of Ages,  Mighty God!

When all around my soul gives way
I call your name, you hear me pray
Your mighty hand comes reaching down
To set my feet on solid ground

When all I had was shame and need
You came to earth to love and bleed,
The Holy Rock was cleft for me
I drink of life, my soul is free

If Kingdoms rise or turn to sand
My life is safe within your hand
If all I know goes up in flames
Your love for me is still the same

This earthly tent, this house of clay
Will fade to dust and blow away,
The lights go dim, I leave the stage
And fly to where I’ll never age

Verse:
Am   /   G   F   /   C   /  G
Am   /  G   F   /   C /   G

Chorus:
Am   G  /  F   C   /  F   C   /   G
Am   G  /  F   C  /    G     /     C

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