How deep the Father's love

Writing this song was an unusual experience for me. I'd already written quite a few songs for worship, but all in a more contemporary worship style, drawing from my own musical background. But I distinctly remember getting this feeling one day that I was going to write a hymn! Now, like most people, I am familiar with hymns - they form part of my church background, and I love the truth contained in many of them. But I don't go home at the end of a busy day and put on a hymns album! So I don't think of hymns as where I'm at musically at all!

Nevertheless, I'd been meditating on the cross, and in particular what it cost the Father to give up his beloved Son to a torturous death on a cross. And what was my part in it? Not only was it my sin that put him there, but if I'd lived at that time, it would probably have been me in that crowd, shouting with everyone else 'crucify him'. It just makes his sacrifice all the more personal, all the more amazing, and all the more humbling.

As I was thinking through this, I just began to sing the melody, and it flowed in the sort of way that makes you think you've pinched it from somewhere! So the melody was pretty instant, but the words took quite a bit of time, reworking things, trying to make every line as strong as I could.

After it was finished, I remember playing it to Dave Fellingham a few minutes before a time of worship. I was worried it was perhaps too twee, too predictable. Dave, in his typical demonstrative and over-enthusiastic way, shrugged his shoulders and said, "yeah, it's good", and that was that. It was only when I began to use it in worship, and all sorts of people of different ages and backgrounds responded to it so positively, that I thought that it might be a useful resource to the church at large.

Now I'm finding it gets used all over the world, by all sorts of churches; it seems to be as accessible to a traditional church as it is to a house church, and I'm excited by that. But it has perhaps branded me as an old man before my time. It was fed back to me that at a conference a couple who loved the song were surprised to hear I was still alive...

Stuart Townend

WANT TO DOWNLOAD THE SHEET MUSIC TO THIS SONG? Visit www.kingswaysongs.com - the quick, easy way to get music for your church.

Comments

[Amool]

"In Christ Alone".....one of the best songs of my life. i literally lived on this song, found the strength of God through the words...the power of Christ...i never would have thought of it that way. Thankyou Stuart for your wonderful ministry with songs like this, and I pray that you will be blessed and be a blessing to the world.

[Elizabeth]

I heard this song for the first time last night during worship at my church and loved it on first hearing (which is rare). I look online and see that it is written by the same man that wrote my favorite worship song, In Christ Alone. Stuart, thank you for blessing us with your gifted songwriting.

[Gateway Melodies]

What a thought provoking song! I love the words, the melody and simple instrumental arrangement. As a young song writer, you inspire me and it's my dream that we will do a song together one day. Thank God you are still alive!

[Valerie]

We sing this song in my church all the time. It's simple and beautiful - makes me cry every single time (and I'm not the only one).

[Andrea]

This must be my all-time favourite song, but I have yet to manage to sing the second verse without crying, or at least having a huge lump in my throat. Thank you so much

[Thomas z]

Hi. I have wept when I listened to "How deep the Father's love". I may not explain by words, but the feeling was from deep inside of my heart. I am a student from China mainland. now stay in Malaysia, once a commonwealth of Nations in the southeast of Asia.I am far away from home. I have been believing in Jesus Chirst just for one of half month. I attend Kulua Lumpur Bapist Church & Communation Bapist Church (Koto Damansara). there were so many things happened to me in this one and half month. I knew that the rewards all from God. He changed my life. "Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart: his wounds have paid my ransom." Thank you, because your song speaks that what I want to speak. Thank God.

I might not use the proper English, please excuse me.

God bless.

[Eric]

what a great song. I just recently heard it when my daughter sang it at our church. The words of this song are so convicting. I identified with "Ashamed I heard my mocking voice". Thank God for this song and the message of His deep love for us. So simple a child can receive it and so complex that none of us "can give an answer".

[Tena Chu]

The first time I heard this song was about 3 years ago at our church's English service. For some reasons my tears just start coming non-stop. I was so touched. I am the conductor of our choir and I'm still looking for a nice choir arrangement for this song. Do you happen to know of one? I thank God for giving you such great gift.

[Edwin Magoga]

This is a great song. Glory to God for the annointing.

[k jayashree]

im really blessed by the songs n i wan to be a blessing for others too. kindly send the lyrics of all songs. thank you

[Chua MK]

Hi Stuart, Praise the Lord for this wonderful song. We would like to share this song with our mandarin speaking congregation. Does anyone know if there is a mandarin translation of this song? Thanks

[victoria]

Hi Stuart, I also just want to say that im grateful for Gods work through you. I had recently strayed away from God, but God in His infinite mercy drew me back. I had a dream and in the dream my church worship leader was singing "How Deep"...but she only sang the first line, so when I woke, I researched it on the internet and the power of the words was real in my life. God definitely works in mysterious ways. I know now that Jesus has paid the price for my shortcomings. I have since rededicated my life back to God through this song. God bless you and I pray that your anointing will be on the increase.

[David Gish]

Hi Stuart,

I've heard this song several times in church but only yesterday noticed the copyright date. I thought, "1995?! You must be kidding me! Surely that refers to the words, not the melody." I was delighted to discover otherwise. It has a timeless quality much like "The Water is Wide" or "Be Thou My Vision". The words are full of theology, something quite lacking in modern "praise" songs. You have written a classic hymn that will find a lasting place in the psalter. God bless you.

[Linda]

I was listening to this song sung by Fernando Ortega the other night and had to hear it over and over and I wept as I contemplated the sacrifice of Jesus for us and how it is beyond our understanding that He would do that for us. Praise Him for giving you this song so we can express our love for Him. Bless You!

[Robin Garrett]

"How deep the father's love for us" is among the most beautiful and inspiring worship songs I have ever heard. My fiance and I love it so much we are planning to have it played at our wedding. Thank you so much for putting what so many Christians feel in verse.
Robin Garrett

[Robin Garrett]

"How deep the father's love for us" is among the most beautiful and inspiring worship songs I have ever heard. My fiance and I love it so much we are planning to have it played at our wedding. Thank you so much for putting what so many Christians feel in verse.
Robin Garrett

[Tom (Jn.17:21) Mackey]

Dear Brother Stuart,
I was a little reluctant to go church visiting today, because I knew they most likely would not have communion, which I am used to having every Lord's Day. But the last song in the worship set before the pastor's message was "How Deep the Father's Love For Us". This hymn drew my heart around the Table of the Lord in the Spirit, providing precious, close communion even without the physical elements. It touched me so deeply, after coming home, I got on Cyberhymnal to track down this beautiful, classic hymn - but it wasn't there! So I googled the first line and discovered it came through a contemporary believer! Like "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", it will be sung and treasured by the household of faith 'til Jesus returns.
Yours because we're HIS,
Tom (Jn.17:21) Mackey
Newark, Ohio, USA

[Carolyn Groves]

I heard this song for the first time this morning. I wish that you could just spend at least one Sunday in this little country church.It has been there for many many years;as a matter of fact, my grandfather preached in it in the 1930's or so.It is out in the woods and when you walk into it, you immediately feel the persence of God in it. There is not a large congregation here but I beleive that one day God will send a large number of Godly people. But this morning on the way to church, my sister-in- law was listening to the CD, singing it and she had the words to it. I thought it was the most beautiful song! The words were so sincere that it seemed like they came from someones heart, so I thought that I would get online when I got home and try to find the music to it.And there it was-this site-a chance to tell you how much I love the words and music and voice! May God bless you in all that you do.
Carolyn Groves

[Teressa]

Dear Stuart- We are singing How Deep as part of a tenebre piece for Palm Sunday in a few weeks and while at rehersals one of the members of our choir was asking about this song. I wasn't sure who the writer was, of course you are credited at the bottom of the music, but I was thinking..well yeah, he wrote the words but where did the melody come from? I was shocked to find out that the melody is contemporary!! Our choir and church is VERY traditional- clinging to straight hymns whenever possible so for the entire choir to absolutly adore this piece is a miracle in itself. By the way I am the youngest member of our choir by about 35 years (I am 30..) so I was the only one other than our conductor who had any clue who Stuart Townend was!! I am looking forward to Wednesday at choir practice to reveal my little secret about this song- I am sure it will be a good lesson in not judging a song by the year (century :P) it was written!

[Candace Fluckey]

I love How Deep the Father's love for us. I had some of my good friends sing it at my wedding. I wanted to express to the guests that without His love our love is nothing.

[Phillip A. Skiles]

Stuart, some of my family had heard of this song when Daddy went to be with the Lord in June, 2005, we decided to have the Grandchildren sing this in his home-going service.
We had been around his bedside the last two days before he passed and sang with him, Hymns of worship and adoration to our Precious Jesus. We had been singing for about an hour on June 22, 2005 and the nurses came in and took his vitals and we saw he we preparing to depart and Be with Jesus. The nurses left and I turned to Daddy and called; "Daddy..." and he turned (with eyes that were dull and yet as a child looking for reassurance...) "Why don't you just go and be with Jesus?" Daddy had told me in 1960 that the Lord was coming in the next ten years, but yet the Lord had tarried for over 45 years at that point... As I told him this, he turned and looked at the ceiling and is was as if He saw someone, someone He was so very happy to see and he then raised his hand as if in salute, then as he lowered his hand, He took two small breathes and then... he was gone,... gone to rest in the bosom of our lovely Jesus. The rest is a celebration of his memory and of his homegoing. Such a treasure was ours to see Him go home to be with Jesus! In the home-going service we wanted only The Lord proclaimed and uplifted! And Your lovely song we used to minister to the people of the incredible worth of our most Precious Jesus!

[Kevin]

Your abilities as a hymn writer are outstanding. I really think that most people in my church think this song is two hundred years old. Just today, the pastor commented how he used to sing this song back at his Methodist church when he was a kid in Kansas. I laughed. Please, take this as the highest compliment. When people think they know the song, they sing with more of their heart - old hymns done with a guitar usually do best around here, and when people think its old, they sing louder and focus less on the "music" and more on actually worshiping. Thank you for this song.

[Stephanie]

Hello Mr. Townend,

Just this morning I was listening to a worship CD and Joy Williams came on with your song "How Deep the Father's Love for Us." I had heard it before but it struck me very strongly this time. I had just finished reprimanding 2 of my little daughters for not cleaning up the mess they made in their room. Even though I was trying to keep a level head about it, I did get irritated with them. And I know that this is not the way to correct your children. So, then, I heard the song come on, and I sat down to listen to it, and started crying. Just to think about how God was so gracious and merciful to punish His son for MY sin and yet I turn around and fail to show love and mercy to others, namely, my children. So my daughters came in and saw me crying, so I sat them down and shared with them what was in my heart, and I apologized to them, and then we listened to the song together. Thank you so much for your profound music and I praise God that He uses it to touch my heart and change my life!

[Myra Warren]

Beautiful and so meaningful. I am touched everytime I hear it or sing it. What an awesome God. I thank you for using the gift God has given you to bring glory to Him. God bless you.

Myra

[Kenny B]

Stuart,

We sang "How Deep..." at church this morning. ALL the words are impacting, bringing tears to my eyes.

But the last line "But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom" catches my attention because of the word "ransom." I've been developing a Sunday School lesson (I'm an adult Sunday School teacher) defining & developing the 3 words: Reconcile, redeem, and ransom. Each section of the lesson will begin with a song with that word. The ransom word will come from your great contemporary hymn.