Way back in the mists of time I wrote a number of poems/hymns/songs expressing truths of the Christian life that were particularly precious to me at the time. Lo and behold, one of them has made it onto a beautiful new album produced by members of the congregation at Christ Church Cambridge.

The piece is called “So Near”, and it expresses something of the peace of being “in Christ”. The first and third verses are mine, and the second is penned by the wonderful Vicki Mills, who also plays saxophone and sings backing vocals on the album.

So near, so very near to God
No nearer can I be
For now my life is found in Christ
I am as near as he
So dear, so very dear to God
No dearer can I be
For now the love he bears to Christ
This love he bears to me

How great, how lavish is his love
That he should call me child
How vast the grace bestowed on me
A sinner reconciled
How precious are his promises
To such a soul as this
In life, in death, I rest secure
For I am wholly his

So when the weight of guilt assails
With accusation’s chains
I run triumphant to the cross
Where sin no longer reigns
There is no condemnation now
For those who are in Christ
He is my Lord, my Advocate
My Saviour and my Life

You can listen to the track here or here, and the whole album is available on bandcamp, YouTube and Spotify.

And as a Brucie Bonus, here is the sheet music in D (easier for a guitarist to play) and in E (easier to sing congregationally).