Worship Spotlight #4: O Praise the Name (Anástasis)
The end of April means it’s time for our next Worship Spotlight. I hope you’ve been enjoying these so far, as Neue Thing takes one worship song each month and expands on it, allowing us to really soak in the lyrics and sing from a place of understanding and intentional worship.
I personally love taking a song and studying its lyrics. So often, we can zone into autopilot when a familiar tune hits, and a fresh reminder of the words we are singing will deepen our worship experience. Let’s get to today’s tune!
We’re taking a look at Hillsong Worship’s song called, O Praise the Name (Anástasis). Take a moment to read through the lyrics as we begin:
I cast my mind to Calvary
Where Jesus bled and died for me
I see His wounds, His hands, His feet
My Savior on that cursed tree
His body bound and drenched in tears
They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
Then on the third at break of dawn
The Son of heaven rose again
O trampled death where is your sting?
The angels roar for Christ the King
He shall return in robes of white
The blazing sun shall pierce the night
And I will rise among the saints
My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face
First things first—Don’t let the title of the song intimidate you. “Anástasis” is a Greek word that refers to the resurrection of Jesus. It can be translated as “a raising up” or “a rising from the dead.” The entirety of this song is wrapped around the foundational Gospel message of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and you’ll find that storyline throughout the verses.
I always enjoy looking into the writer’s intent for a song, and in this particular worship tune, Hillsong desired to pay respect to the hymns of old. There is a timelessness and a power in old hymns like Amazing Grace, Be Thou My Vision, How Great Thou Art, and so many others. You can hear reflections of this hymn-like-feel throughout the song.
What I love as I consider these lyrics is, I hear the entire Gospel message. I sing about the intensity of what Jesus went through, the amazing sacrifice, the tragic pain, and then the hopeful morning of His resurrection, and I think to myself—how in the world am I supposed to respond to such a priceless gift? What words could I offer Him? How would I even begin to say thank you? And the chorus is a simple answer to these questions—I sing His praises forever.
The simplicity of the chorus is my favorite part of the song for that very reason. Our response to God’s goodness, our response to His sacrifice, and our response to the hope He gives us eternally is to bow in worship forever.
What a beautiful place to be. I want to live my life in a constant response to God that consists of worship and praises to His Name.
We can do that, friends! We can choose each day to position ourselves in gratitude and praise for the LORD our God, who has handed us the most precious, eternal, life-giving gift we could have ever dreamed of.
For endless days we will sing Your praise Oh Lord, oh Lord our God!
-Emily Teterud