Lord, the light of your love is shining

Scriptures:
  • Genesis 1:2-3
  • Numbers 14:21
  • Psalms 139:23-24
  • Psalms 43:3
  • Psalms 80:1-3
  • Psalms 80:3
  • Psalms 85:9
  • Isaiah 52:15
  • John 1:5
  • John 3:19-21
  • John 8:12
  • John 8:31-36
  • John 9:5
  • Romans 8:29
  • 1 Corinthians 15:49
  • 2 Corinthians 3:18
  • 2 Corinthians 4:6
  • Philippians 2:11
  • Hebrews 10:19-22
  • Hebrews 4:12-13
  • 1 John 3:2
  • Revelation 22:1-5
Book Number:
  • 533

Lord, the light of your love is shining,
in the midst of the darkness, shining:
Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us;
set us free by the truth you now bring us-
shine on me, shine on me:

Shine, Jesus, shine,
fill this land with the Father’s glory;
blaze, Spirit, blaze,
set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
flood the nations with grace and mercy;
send forth your word, Lord,
and let there be light.

2. Lord, I come to your awesome presence,
from the shadows into your radiance;
by your blood I may enter the brightness:
search me, try me, consume all my darkness-
shine on me, shine on me:

3. As we gaze on your kingly brightness
so our faces display your likeness,
ever changing from glory to glory:
mirrored here, may our lives tell your story-
shine on me, shine on me:

© 1987 Make Way Music
Graham Kendrick

The Holy Spirit - His Presence in the Church

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Tune

  • Shine, Jesus, shine
    Metre:
    • 99 10 10 6 with chorus 49 45 49 45
    Composer:
    • Kendrick, Graham Andrew

The story behind the hymn

This 1987 composition by Graham Kendrick known as ‘Shine, Jesus, shine’ enjoyed extraordinary popularity in the late 1980s and 1990s, frequently being voted the most popular worship song of its time. Even the author admits that he ‘underestimated the potential of the song’, which emerged by trial and error as he experimented with different chords on his guitar. He says, ‘Initially the starting-point was the 3 verses, without the chorus. I wrote the verses around the theme of light and holiness. I tried them at church with only moderate success. In that form it was a slow worship hymn and was pitched a little higher than it is now. I filed it away for future reference. Later, under pressure to submit new songs for the Spring Harvest songbook, I went back to my ideas file and looked at it again. I decided it needed a chorus … The phrase “Shine, Jesus, shine

A look at the author

Kendrick, Graham Andrew

b Blisworth, Northants 1950. Son of a Baptist minister who moved with the family to Laindon (Essex) and Putney. He took a step of faith at the age of 5, and began composing songs as a 15- year old, teaching himself to play the piano before he learned to read music. Studied at Avery Hill College, SE London (Cert Ed 1972) before joining Clive Calver and others in an evangelistic team in 1972. He toured schools and colleges with his music group and worked with YWAM, as Musical Director of British Youth for Christ (1976–80), and at St Michael-le-Belfry Ch, York, eventually joining the church leadership team of the S London Ichthus Fellowship (1984–2004) to specialise in music. His first published songs were written in the 1970s, and rapidly established him as the prominent songwriter/musician of a movement variously described as ‘house/new church’, ‘renewal’ or ‘restorationist’. His 1978 tour was the catalyst for the annual Spring Harvest gatherings where his work was often first aired; he pioneered praise marches with the initial ‘Make Way’, nation-wide events and a global ‘March for Jesus’ involving an estimated 12 million people from 177 nations in 1994. Other forms of open-air celebration and witness also had a strong musical element. He has lectured and written on this approach, produced ideas and texts for children and for seasons and special occasions, and published material on music, evangelism and worship. In the 1990s his songs, already well-represented in MP, began to appear in mainstream British hymnals; and The Source (for which he was consultant editor) included most of his significant material to date as well as other work. Between 1971 and 2000 he produced 28 albums. CH 2004 edn included 11 of his songs. Some of his 300-plus compositions are intentionally ephemeral or otherwise limited in scope; others go some way towards narrowing the gap between hymns and songs, while often requiring musical expertise for adequate performance. His more recent work has a strong element of social and moral concern. Almost invariably, text and tune go together. He has appeared at major events in most denominations, and lives with his family at Croydon, Surrey. Among other honours he has received a Dove award for international work, 1995. See also Selling Worship by Pete Ward (2005) where he is often quoted and his development sympathetically discussed. Recent indications of his broad acceptance are his 2 items in Common Praise (2000) and 11 in both Christian Hymns (2004 edn) and Sing Praise (2010). Nos.200, 207, 294, 315, 336, 354, 358, 365, 369, 384, 396, 397, 415, 434, 464, 468, 489, 494, 533, 589, 619, 667, 674, 700, 723, 744, 803, 816, 826, 835, 944, 953, 955, 957, 1242.