As I write, the skies are beginning to rumble.
May is drawing to a close, and Summer is breaking upon us with thundery conditions expected over the next few days. But you didn’t come here for a weather report – unless you’re interested in more than just what the meteorologists have to say.
In other words, spring is out, but I have a new song about Spring Rain that we’ve been singing around Ichthus for a few months now. An appropriate time of year perhaps to introduce it, but I didn’t do it for that reason; it merely provided a useful segue or means of introduction: ‘Hey everyone, as we shake off the April showers and gather to worship, I’ve got a new song about spring rain for us to sing!’ It bordered on the comical once or twice, but that all helps everyone to relax.
It’s a simple song, and all responses so far are demonstrating that to be a positive thing. A repeated refrain in the verses, a chorus with one line that repeats endlessly, and a two-line bridge that . . . yep . . . repeats, I might almost be accused of not trying hard enough. But it’s not that. Simple is singable. Simple is memorable. Less is more.
The song takes the openings words of Psalm 63 as its starting point: ‘O God, you are my God, and I will seek you,’ and is written mainly as a prayerful heart-cry from one who is thirsty for God – and experience written of in a number of the Psalms, and hinted at by Jesus too (John 7:37).
Come verse two, after penning the words ‘Only you can satisfy my deep desire,’ it was tempting to change the metaphor and rhyme it with ‘fire’ – a perfect rhyme surely, especially in a worship song? There’s got to be something about fire in there. But no – in my rulebook, you don’t mix metaphors. Choose one and stick to it. This is a song asking for God’s refreshing rain – so I contented myself with a half-rhyme (‘Pouring out the living water of revival’) and you know what? I like it.
The thing of course is the bridge, which in the contexts I’ve done it, has worked well; there’s a chance it could feel like a bit of a wet fish if not done with a bit of energy; it’s a chance to get our hands clapping, get our gospel harmonies on, be unafraid to get a smile on our faces and sing ‘Let the spring rain fall from the sky, let the heavens open wide’. And at once it’s an opportunity both for some joy and some further prayerful heart-cries. I’ve used it to release a bit of worship at the end of a set, and in the middle to evoke a bit of prayer over situations. Hopefully it’s useful like that.
Watch the tutorial video below, or go to the song’s own page for more links to downloads and the like. I hope to be recording and releasing it later this year along with a slew of other new ones!
Ben David Trigg 