What glory has been shown to us, what wisdom on display,
that we have been redeemed and saved to follow in your way.
The chosen one, the Lamb of God, who came to Earth to dwell
was pleased to take the sinners’ place, our Lord Emmanuel.
Emmanuel! The Lord with us! Creation rise to sing!
Behold him now in highest praise, our God the Saving King!

What Splendour is revealed to us, what humbleness and love
that Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, was sent from Heav’n above.
Such miracle – our God with us! What tongue can fully tell
the wonders of our Prince of Peace, our Lord Emmanuel.
Emmanuel! The Lord with us! In wonder we shall sing!
His name is worthy of all praise, our God the Saving King!

What grace has overwhelmed my heart, and won me to your name,
has truly conquered all my sin and cast away my shame.
What love has come to save the world, torn down the gates of Hell,
has triumphed over fear and death: Our Lord Emmanuel!
Emmanuel! The Lord with us! Forgiven hearts shall sing!
Forever he shall be our praise! Our God the Saving King!

What praise we sing, what joy we’ve found, what comfort and what peace!
What mercy and what thankfulness has brought us to our knees!
Whatever trials and storms we face, we know that all is well!
Because he ever prays for us, our Lord Emmanuel.
Emmanuel! The Lord with us! With grateful thanks we sing!
We live to give him every praise! Our God the Saving King!

Daniel Stafford & Roo Stewart
©2012 Daniel Stafford & Rooster Music; admin. by roostewart.com

Story of the song

I got a lovely message one day from my friend Daniel, who, as a worship leader at a church in Oxford, had written a rousing hymn inspired by a New Testament verse:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

When I heard the song for the first time, I realised Daniel was on to something special. Daniel had crafted the lyrics and come up with a singable melody, but I thought that it could benefit from a little bit of polishing up to make it even more singable by a congregation.

Unknown to him, I tweaked the song very slightly to ensure that the meter and stress of the lyrics in each verse was consistent. I also reshaped the tune slightly to give it a bit more range and melodic interest.

Apprehensively, I sent the reworked version to Daniel for his comments. Would he appreciate my tinkering or would it have been an insult to his already considerable work? Thankfully, Daniel was enthusiastic and so we shared ownership of the song.

I “road tested’ the hymn at the church where I was working, then eventually I introduced the hymn at the ‘New Horizon’ Christian conference the following year. Its biblical basis and Celtic lilt were embraced and appreciated, with people asking for the music and lyrics so they could introduce them in their own churches.

You are welcome to use the lyrics, chord chart and piano score for non-monetised purposes – for example, in a church service. For any other purpose, please get in touch.