His Good Providence and the Cure for Our Anxiety

This is one of the few times I've written about my Christian faith on this blog. I do so unashamedly, but fair warning that this was mostly written for people who are believers in Christ. I hope that even if you do not believe, you will still read on.

What Is This Album About?

I had several ideas in mind for this short album. One was to create arrangements that someone might listen to as they are preparing for bed, especially if they are feeling anxious or worried. By hearing these hymns, and if they are familiar with the lyrics, they could find comfort in singing truths that bring them peace.

Another idea was to create something musically interesting. There are many ways to interpret hymns—the traditional hymnal way, the romantic way (as if they were written by Liszt), and the modern way. I've heard many modern arrangements of hymns, but often they are boring musically. They usually start out with a broken chord playing 8th notes and then come in with the melody. I wanted to keep the listener engaged yet arrange them simply enough that if you know the lyrics you can sing along to them.

I also wanted the arrangements to go somewhere unexpected. You'll hear quite a few instances where substitute chords are used or we jump out of the key briefly with secondary dominants for you music theory nerds.

A few of the hymns are also played outside their original key and in a lower key than normal. I played them this way to add a different mood and to give them a slightly melancholy quality to them. Once at church, someone started the a capella version of the Doxology several keys lower than we normally sing it. The effect though was beautiful. The song took on a much different quality that I liked, so I decided to try it here.

Why a Hymn Album and What Is a Maverick Molecule?

For a while I have been wanting to release a hymn album. Though this EP has only five tracks, I wanted to focus on the theme of God's providence—that is to say God's sovereignty over every situation. As theologian R.C. Sproul has said, "there are no maverick molecules" in the universe. God controls all things and all circumstances.

Having experienced anxiety in my own life, I know that sometimes no technique can magically remove the anxious feelings. But focusing my mind on the truths of God's Word has been helpful, and singing hymns can be a great way to gain that focus.

All Creatures of Our God and King

The first track is All Creatures of Our God and King. This is first because it sets the stage with the title that God is King over every living thing. The lyrics to this hymn include imagery from nature and calls on all nature to give praise to God. One way to get rid of worry is to be in awe of our Creator and to give Him the praise due to Him. A simple look at the nighttime sky usually helps to put me in my place. It's humbling to think of such an awesome God and yet comforting to know that, because of Christ, I am His child.

This Is My Father's World

In this hymn, we are reminded of God's being in control of the entire earth. We are told in the lyrics that "though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." There is evil in the world to be sure, but God is the just ruler, and He will one day judge the wrong and the evil of this world making all things new. The hymns then asks, "Why should my heart by sad? The Lord is King, let the heavens ring! God reigns! Let the earth be glad!"

All to Jesus I Surrender

The next hymn is meant as more of a response to the news of God's sovereignty. If All to Jesus I Surrender actually means all—then it means even my anxiety and worry. Philippians 4:6 reminds us that we should not be anxious for anything but in prayer and thanksgiving bring our requests to God. The next verse tells us that if we do that "the peace of God which passes all understanding" will guard our hearts and minds. I've gone to that passage over and over again. In a way, worry is a problem because it demands to have everything settled. Even our worries must be surrendered to God in order for us to have peace.

I Need Thee Every Hour

This selection is placed here because sometimes, though we pray and ask for God's peace, we may not actually feel better. In those times we need to just depend on the Lord and know that He is in control even over our feelings. I've read that one technique for anxiety is to acknowledge that you're having it. In some sense stepping out of ourselves to say, "I'm anxious now and sometimes that happens." But a better way for me to do that is to remember that I am in need of God's grace every hour and every moment, and that His grace is always available.

We Rest on Thee

The music to this hymn is of course the melody from Jean Sibelius' work Finlandia. In this piece, the way I played the melody suggests a sense of anxiety. The notes seem uncertain and the timing is irregular. But then very quietly we hear strings floating in. Gradually the strings grow in intensity. They are steady and warm. They convey a sense of calm and peace. Even though the melody is in a sense nervous it continues just as we must continue to pray and cry out to God in times of distress and worry. Eventually, the strings overtake the melody and end in a calming wave of sound.

Rest is something we all need. Peace is something we all want. There is only one way to cure our anxieties and have everlasting rest and peace, that is to trust in Jesus Christ.

His Good Providence releases October 2. You can presave the album here.