Category Archives: original worship songs

original worship songs.

Journal, original worship songs, songs & scripture

Heaven Is Yours

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Heaven Is Yours
Words & Music by Cameron Gray, 2011. © 2011 Rough Harbor Music.

Heaven is yours, to the highest heaven
The Earth is yours, and all therein
Oh what is man, that you would regard him
Yet you set your love upon the least of us

King of all kings, your Name above all names
In every age your righteousness reigns
Father of glory, forever holy
Yet you set your love upon the least of us

CHORUS:
You are my God, you are my praise
You have done wonders I have seen with my own eyes
You are my God, your Name above all names (Your majesty reigns)
And you set your love upon the least of us
And you set your love upon the least of us
Thank you Lord

Light of the world, desire of nations
Mighty in mercy, mighty to save
Gracious Redeemer, Beautiful Savior
And you set your love upon the least of us
(Repeat CHORUS)

BRIDGE:
King of Creation
Rock and Foundation
True Consolation
Mighty Salvation
(Repeat CHORUS)

Scripture:
Deut 10:14-21: To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today…. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

Ps 198:1, 1 Tim 6:15, Phil 2:9, Rev 15:3, Isa 6:3, 1 Pet 1:16-25, John 8:12, Hag 2:7, Isa 40:28-31, Zech 3:17, Jer 23:6, 1 Pet 4:19, Ps 18:2, Matt 7:24, 1 Sam 2:2, Luke 2:25, Luke 2:11

Journal, original worship songs

Winter In His Heart of Gloom

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Bruce over at cardiphonia.org invited some folks to write new music for a collection of hymn texts based on the Apostle’s Creed called Lyra Fidelium. The whole collection of new tunes, along with chord sheets, is available for free download on BandCamp. Check out the original texts by Samuel John Stone, and read Bruce’s intro of the idea. Thanks Bruce for a fun and encouraging project!

Article XI, The Resurrection of the Body
Winter In His Heart of Gloom
Words by Samuel John Stone (Lyra Fidelium,1866) and Cameron Gray, 2010. Music by Cameron Gray. ©2010 Rough Harbor Music.

Winter in his heart of gloom
Sings the song of coming bloom;
So o’er death our souls shall sing
Lays of the eternal spring
Then decay shall be no more
And, the weary seed-time o’er,
All the dead in Christ shall rise
For the Harvest of the skies

Then there shall be, there shall be
Then there shall be, there shall be
Then there shall be sorrow no more, no more

We from earth to heaven shall soar
In that flesh which once we wore,
Deathless now and glorified
Like our Lord and at His side
This is life’s eternal Spring
This the coming joy we sing
Look we ever toward that Day
Be it near or far away
(Chorus)

Mid the sorrow and the strife
Tis the music of our life,
And our song has this refrain,
Our Redeemer comes again
Our Redeemer comes
(Chorus)

original worship songs

Awaken The Dawn

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Awaken the Dawn
Words & Music by Cameron Gray. ©2010 Rough Harbor Music.

Day is breaking,
My heart awakened to you,
Awakened to you.
You are worthy,
All of your mercies are new,
Mercies are new.
World is turning,
My spirit yearning for you.

And this darkness, only for a time.
I can see forever, breaking through the sky

With a song
I will awaken the dawn,
I will awaken the dawn,
For you have made me your own,
I will awaken the dawn,
I will awaken the dawn.

Helpless, hopeless,
Blinded and broken was I,
Broken was I.
Your love sought me,
Your blood bought me and I
Owe you my life.
Eyes wide open
Feel like I am finally alive.

Singing Alleluia

I will awaken,
I will awaken,
I will awaken the dawn.

harbor music team, original worship songs

Crown Him With Many Crowns (Gray)

Crown Him With Many Crowns
Words: Matthew Bridges, 1852. Chorus & Music by Cameron Gray.
©2010 Rough Harbor Music

Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as they matchless King
Through all eternity.

CHORUS:
Crown Him! Lift up your voice
Crown Him! Ye saints rejoice
Crown Him! With songs of joy
Crown Him with many crowns

Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.
(Chorus)

Crown Him the Lord of love,
Behold His hands and side;
Those wounds yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Throughout eternity.
(Chorus)

harbor music team, original worship songs, songs & scripture

O Come, Dwell In Me

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O Come, Dwell In Me
Words adapted from Charles Wesley’s hymn, c.1788. Music by Cameron Gray, 2010. ©2010 Rough Harbor Music

O come, dwell in me,
Spirit of Christ within;
Bring Thy liberty
From sorrow and fear and power of sin.

Hasten
The joyful day which shall this night consume;
Old things
They shall be done away and all will be made new.

You make all things new.

Scripture References:
Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 14:23; Romans 8:15; I Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17

original worship songs

Ye Simple Men of Heart Sincere, Songwriting Exercise

Version 1:

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Download MP3 | Chord Chart

Version 2:

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Bruce shared this link to a collection of Advent and Nativity hymns by John Wesley. I loved the first one I saw, so I wrote a tune to go with it and made a quick recording (version 1). After posting it here and getting some feedback, I came up with an alternate tune and made another quick recording (version 2). Now my idea is to turn this into a music-writing exercise, attempting to approach Wesley’s text from a variety of melodic and stylistic angles. Unfortunately, I don’t have that many ideas, so this might be a short exercise. If you’ve got an idea for this text, record it and send it to me and I’ll post it here. I’d be really interested to see what people come up with.

Is it Christmas already?

Ye Simple Men of Heart Sincere

Words by John Wesley, 1810. Music by Cameron Gray, 2009
©2009 Rough Harbor Music

Original text:
Ye simple men of heart sincere,
Shepherds, who watch your flocks by night,
Start not to feel an Angel near,
Nor tremble at his glorious light.

A herald from the heavenly King,
I come your every fear to chase;
Good tidings of great joy I bring,
Great joy to all the fallen race.

To you is born on this glad day,
A Savior, by our host adored;
Our God in Bethlehem survey,
Make haste to worship Christ the Lord.

By this the Savior of mankind,
Th’ incarnate God shall be displayed,
The Babe, ye wrapped in swathes shall find,
And humbly in a manger laid.

original worship songs, songs & scripture

Isaiah 12

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Isaiah 12
Words and Music: Cameron Gray. ©2009 Rough Harbor Music

Sing to the LORD, come lift up and sing,
God is one, for all He’s done lift up and sing,
Make his Name known to all of the world,
For His banner of love stands unfurled

CHORUS:
Surely God, You are my salvation,
I will trust, I will not be afraid
Surely God, You are my salvation,
And my God, You are worthy to be praised,

Come give thanks, come call on His name,
Come take part, open your heart to praise and proclaim,
And with joy we will draw from that spring,
Oh, and satisfied lift up and sing
(Repeat CHORUS)

BRIDGE:
You are my strength and my song,
Make straight my way, make me Your own
(Repeat CHORUS)

You are my salvation

Scripture References:
Isa 12:1-6; Isa 11:12; Deut 6:4

In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.

Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.”

With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

harbor music team, original worship songs, songs & scripture

Awake, Awake

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Awake, Awake
Words and Music: Cameron Gray, 2006. ©2006 Rough Harbor Music

Awake, awake my soul and sing—
Did not thy Lord thy salvation bring?
Did He not make His favor known,
And bear for thee the curse that was thine own?
Does not His sacred Word proclaim
Thy salvation sure in Jesus’ name?
Awake, Awake! Awake, Awake!
Awake, Awake, Awake, Awake!

Awake, awake my tears and flow—
Have you not heard—O, do you not know?
How thy sweet Savior bled and died,
How He upon that cross was crucified?
And by the merit of His blood
Thou art forever reconciled to God!
Awake, Awake! Awake, Awake!
Awake, Awake, Awake, Awake!

Awake, awake my tongue to tell—
When in thy sin thou stood condemned to hell,
Did thou not call His judgment just?
Did thou not in His mercy put thy trust?
And is thy faith not satisfied?
In Christ thy sin has all been crucified!
Awake, Awake! Awake, Awake!
Awake, Awake, Awake, Awake!

Scripture References
1 Peter 2:24; Psalm 89:17

harbor music team, original worship songs

O In The Grace That Calls Me Home

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O In the Grace That Calls Me Home
Words: Combined texts from the Gadsby Hymnal: Watts (752), Swain (738), Hart (740), c. 1838; Chorus & arr. by Cameron Gray, 2006; Music: Cameron Gray, 2006. ©2006 Rough Harbor Music.

O, in the grace that calls me home
See how my Lord’s bright glory shines.
There on the cross ’tis fairest drawn
In precious blood and crimson lines,
In precious blood and crimson lines.

O, the sweet wonders of that cross,
Where God my Savior loved and died;
Her noblest life my spirit draws
From His dear wounds and bleeding side,
From His dear wounds and bleeding side.

O, the vast mystery of that love;
How high, how deep, how wide it rolls.
It’s fountain springs in heav’n above,
It’s streams revive my sorrowing soul,
It’s streams revive my sorrowing soul.

CHORUS:
My treasure is Thy precious blood;
Fix there my heart, fix there my heart;
Thy righteousness my own, my God;
Fix there my heart, fix there my heart.

I shall forever speak His name
In sounds to mortal ears unknown.
With angels join to praise the Lamb
And worship at my Father’s throne,
And worship at my Father’s throne.

Recorded in December 07. Erica Schroeder on backing vocals, Johnny Ciccolella on piano, Will Turner on violin, me on everything else.

Instrumental Version:

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harbor music team, original worship songs, songs & scripture

Hosannas On My Tongue

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Hosannas On My Tongue
Words: Isaac Watts, 1748, from the Gadsby Hymnal #409, altered by Cameron Gray. Music: Cameron Gray, 2008. ©2008 Rough Harbor Music.

To Him who loved me first
While I was in my sin
To Him who bore that curse
Just to make me safe in Him
To Him who formed my heart anew
Is endless praise and glory due
Is endless glory due

CHORUS:
The Father’s love shall ever run
Through my immortal song
I bring to God the Saving Son
Hosannas on my tongue
Hosannas on my tongue

Let every saint above
And angel around the throne
Forever bless and love
The holy Three-in-One
For mercy wrought by Spirit’s grace
I join my heart in grateful praise
I join my heart in praise

Scripture References
1 John 4:19; Eph 2:4-5; Gal 3:13; Eze 36:26; Mat 21:15; Ps 118:25-26; Rev 7:9-12

Hosanna: From the Hebrew “Hoshana”, meaning please save or save now.

Notes
Found these Isaac Watts lyrics in Gadsby’s and put them to music. I tweaked the words a bit, but not too much.

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. – C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory