Comments on: Can You Help Me With the Romans 8:1 Song?

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:55:12 +0000

*disclaimer: I'm not a professional or a music theorist by any means, i just like music, that's all. so my comments aren't based on much more than personal preference. but here you are — for whatever it's worth! *

The chorus, I like.
It's simple. It's repetitive, and I think that's helpful in actually internalizing the truth that indeed "i can never be condemned"

The first verse… could use work.
in general, it's awkward and uncomfortable for listeners to follow. i don't know if it's the tune but i have a feeling it's just cuz the song's still in the rough stages. once you nail the tune and have a better grasp of the lyrics, i think the tune will flow more smoothly.

more specifically: i would work on the first two lines.
If you could capture more .. i guess, the *essence* of how you actually feel in those despairing moments.. instead of vague/cliche/catch-all phrases like "when i'm cold and down and out, etc." not because they're bad. but because there are better, more powerful ways to use your first line.

actually, i think that despair line is okay, so it's just the first line, about cold, that i thought was cheesy…

- on another note.. are you related at all to mark altrogge?..
the song "it was your grace" by sovereign music gets a perfect 10 from me!!
for some reason i thought you wrote that, but i looked again, and the name was mark.
is that your pen name? hahahaa

By: StephenAltrogge

StephenAltrogge — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:55:58 +0000

Yes it is precious rest. I love when you say, "Our only hope is his performance." Amen.

By: Jeri Tanner

Jeri Tanner — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:06:20 +0000

Hi Stephen,
I like the song! I just read that passage to my great encouragement yesterday. I love the "therefore" in 8:1; I hearkened back to 7:11, "For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me." We're no match for it, we can never perform it. Our only hope is his performance; "God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could never do."

I forget, and so easily fall into performance mode. Failing, I get that slinking condemned feeling of failure before God (though one can never put one's finger on exactly why!) But "by this we shall know…and reassure our hearts before him; for in whatever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." Precious rest.

By: StephenAltrogge

StephenAltrogge — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:05:49 +0000

Thanks Lisa! Hopefully we'll get to sing it someday!

By: lisa

lisa — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:36:55 +0000

Catchy…. will be in my head now for the rest of the day…. that's a good thing! What a great verse. I can imagine us singing this in church. Thanks for sharing it, Stephen!

By: StephenAltrogge

StephenAltrogge — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:32:56 +0000

That's a great point Laurie. So often we forget that Christ's righteousness and obedience has been credited to us. I may be able to include that here…

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:19:40 +0000

I really like your lyrics so far. I like the melody too. This may be a whole different subject, but I was thinking about how often my condemnation is because I have sinned maybe in the same area over and over. What helps me get out from under that condemnation is meditating on Christ's death for that sin, but the other part is the truth that at every point where I failed, Jesus obeyed. And His perfect obedience has been accredited to me. Amazing!!! Okay, it's back to teaching vocab for me. Go Kentucky!