Songwriters: Olwen Ringrose, Chris Taylor
This song is a co-write with the wonderful Olwen Ringrose for the Resound Worship 12 Song Challenge. It was a fantastic honour to write this with Olwen.
The idea for the song came because we both have family/history/roots in Yorkshire, and Olwen lives in Wales. Both places have a strong identity tied to the land – the hills, the valleys, and the stones that define the landscape and the buildings in which we worship. People from both Wales and Yorkshire are incredibly proud to be from “their place”.
After putting aside ideas for writing a song about mining or mills (dark and satanic, or otherwise) we put some words together speaking of the fact that we, in this place, in this time, are a small part in the present and coming kingdom of God – and we have a job to do to bring that kingdom near. This resonates deeply with me, as the church in which I worship is (or has parts) 900+ years old, so every Sunday I’m surrounded by the echoes of hundreds of generations of worshippers.
Olwen also put together this lyric video:
Lyrics
Verse 1
These stones were worked by ancient hands
Many feet have trod these paths
And though our lives are shifting sands
The truth will always last
Generations came before
Built an altar for the Lord
A place of faith where one and all
Can come and worship HimChorus
This is where we belong
Where we lift our voice in song
Singing Lord let Your kingdom come
This is where we belong
Where we lift our voice in song
Singing Lord let Your will be done
In this placeVerse 2
So now we come to take our place
Our turn to live the life of faith
Trusting Your eternal grace
Your work now in our hands
Where these hills have ever stood
We declare that God is good
As we serve our neighbourhoods
We'll build for those to comeBridge
God of mercy, God of grace
You will come to take Your place
And reign forever
Then our striving will be done
We will see Your kingdom come
On earth as in heaven