Introduction
We spent some time last week talking about praise hymns and whether Sinner Saved by Grace fit our personal definitions of praise hymns. This week, I want to reach back to a song that I’ve used as a source of comfort over much of the past 15–20 years: Step by Step. I first heard this piece in the early- to mid–1990’s, when I went on the Walk to Emmaus. It was one of the first pieces where I learned the chord accompaniment (it’s pretty easy), and I’ve sung this to myself in a variety of times of stress. This simple praise chorus is something that just works for me. A particularly troubling time was when I moved to Michigan, after having been downsized from my job with “The Eastman” up in Kingsport. I had to move up to Michigan in January, leaving my family behind in Kingsport. The loss of that job ended a lot of dreams for us, and I had a hard time being by myself and away from my wife and children. I sang this song a lot during those several months. I still sing it often, particularly when I’m facing temptation or other emotional challenges.
So, with today’s session, I want to talk about this song, in particular, and about this kind of quiet praise singing, particularly when we’re by ourself.
As it turns out, the author of Step by Step is also the author of another well-known praise song, Awesome God. That’s another one that I really like, though it’s more of something I enjoy in a group, rather than something I’ve sung that much when I’m by myself. Listening to Mullins (see the YouTube videos linked below), he talks about Step by Step in the context of the longer Sometimes by Step as a prayer. It’s very much that for me, while Awesome God is more of a group praise song.
- Are there times when you felt lonely or emotionally challenged that you’d like to talk about?
- Are there particular songs or spiritual practices that help with those time?
- I’ve spent some time in therapy, and one thing we discussed is that song is often a powerful tool for dealing with temptation. Is it that for you? Why?
Step by Step
In digging into this song, I find that it’s a lot more recent than I expected. If I have this correct, the chorus that I’m used to came from a collaboration between Rich Mullins (1955–1997) and David Strasser (aka “Beaker”, for his apparent resemblance to the muppet). Mullins came out with an album The World as Best I Know It in the very early 1990’s, and this chorus was on volume 1. An expanded song, into Sometimes by Step was on volume 2. I wasn’t familiar with the longer song, and that’s what we’ll take a look at.
For Sometimes by Step and Awesome God, I’ve referenced the YouTube videos of Mullins himself in concert. Both of these include some preamble by Mullins that expresses his perspective and testimony. In this case, I like the idea of letting the artist speak for himself, particulary since he’s passed away.
Sometimes by Step
(1992) Rich Mullins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2KOCgC8DnUSometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You’d already doneCHORUS:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my daysSometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit just for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reachCHORUS
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
More about Rich Mullins
There are a lot of pages about Rich Mullins, who died at age 41 in a traffic accident. The Wikipedia page about Mullins is one source of information I used. I particularly liked the quote referencing his perspective on working with the poor:
Jesus said whatever you do to the least of these my brothers you’ve done it to me. And this is what I’ve come to think. That if I want to identify fully with Jesus Christ, who I claim to be my Savior and Lord, the best way that I can do that is to identify with the poor. This I know will go against the teachings of all the popular evangelical preachers. But they’re just wrong. They’re not bad, they’re just wrong. Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in a beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken….[1]
Mullins was also responsible for another very well-known praise song, Awesome God
Awesome God
Awesome God
(1988) Rich Mullins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJL_bChiTI0When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain’t just putting on the ritz
(Our God is an awesome God)
There’s thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fists
(Our God is an awesome God)
And the Lord wasn’t joking
When He kicked ’em out of Eden
It wasn’t for no reason
That He shed His blood
His return is very close
And so you better be believing that
Our God is an awesome GodOur God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
(repeat)And when the sky was starless
In the void of the night
(Our God is an awesome God)
He spoke into the darkness
And created the light
(Our God is an awesome God)
Judgement and wrath He poured out on Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that we have not
Too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome GodOur God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
(repeat, multiple times)
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From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQnFU5JvuWY&mode=related&search= (The quoted speech begins at 7:40 of this video reference), as cited on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Mullins. ↩
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