By Brother Steve Rankin 

I think it was Christmas 1987 when Joni gave me a cassette (yes, kids, a cassette) of a guy I’d never heard of. His name was Michael Card, and the album/cassette was called “The Final Word.” I started listening and was quickly taken with Card’s ability to write music that had real theological depth and melodies that moved the heart.

The timing of this gift was perfect. I was fresh out of seminary in my first pastoral appointment and trying to find my way. Many people know (especially clergy) that seminary can be a difficult time. Everything about one’s faith gets scrutinized, dissected, gone over, and then, hopefully, put back together in a stronger, more adequate way than it had been.

Anyway, I was going through some of this sort of re-entry into the weekly rhythms of pastoring and trying to be a real Christian at the same time. And Michael Card’s music came into my life at just the right time. Here’s a sample of “The Final Word.”

You and me, we use so very many clumsy words. The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard. When the Father’s wisdom wanted to communicate his love, he spoke it in one final perfect word.

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son. His final word was Jesus, he needed no other one. Spoke flesh and blood so he could bleed and make a way divine. And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

I weep as I type these words. Their truth overwhelms me. That God would become a human for our sakes, sharing our life and dying our death, and then rising again to share his divine life with us, is news that never ceases to amaze me. It is the best news ever by far.

This song is not exactly a worship song and it’s certainly not a camp chorus, but I can tell you when I hear it or sing it, I worship. If you’ve never heard of Michael Card or his music, I hope you’ll go looking for him. And listen to The Final Word. All of it.