One of the distinctive doctrines of our faith is the belief that God is triune in nature. One God in Three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And while all orthodox Christians confess this, the church as a whole hasn’t built a huge catalogue of songs that celebrate this truth. However, the songs that do (and do it well) are usually sung for a long time. Hymns like “Holy Holy Holy” and “All Creatures of Our God and King” have become trademark Trinitarian songs of worship.
As the “Praise and Worship” movement began, songwriters began to try to capture afresh some of the core doctrines of the church in song. Songs like Donna Adkins’ “Glorify Thy Name” and Graham Kendrick’s “Shine Jesus Shine” are lyrically (and even structurally) trinitarian, and have become standards in the church. And today, as more and more songwriters’ music become available to the church today, a small and growing number of trinitarian songs are emerging that the church all over the world can sing. Here are some of my favorite trinitarian worship songs and why I believe they are worth singing:
1) How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reeves
This one is not technically modern, but it is one of the only newer worship songs that is globally sung that mentions God in three persons. It is the grandfather of the newer Trinitarian worship songs, and your church will likely already know it when you lead it.
2) You Are So Good To Me – Ben Pasley, Don Chaffer and Robin Pasley
This is the other not-so-new worship song that keeps resurfacing in the church, largely due to Third Day’s rendition that still gets airplay on Christian radio. There are great verses for each of the persons of the Trinity, and, honestly, it makes me nostalgic for that first Enter The Worship Circle album.
3) Our God Saves – Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche
This is a fantastic gathering song. Brown and Baloche write with the aim of gathering the church around the Triune God to worship, and it should be used to do just that.
4) This I Believe (The Creed) – Ben Fielding and Matt Crocker
Tapping into the creedal heritage of the church, this song teaches the church to sing its theology (a very Wesleyan idea!), confessing our beliefs in both the nature and works of God together.
5) Remember – Laura Story
This song centers around the eucharist and what it means to commune with God through the work of the Triune in salvation. I found this one recently, and am planning on using this as our church responds at the table each week.
6) Glorious The Three – Jeremiah Carlson
This is another song that is new to me, but the first time I heard it, I was blown away. The primary focus is to talk about the divine community, and what it means for us to commune (and be welcomed into community together) with and by God’s grace. A very unique and wonderful trinitarian song that would tie well into any discussion on community and communion.
7) Grace Alone – Dustin Kensrue
Thrice frontman and former Mars Hill worship leader Dustin Kensrue wrote a number of great worship songs on his solo project The Water and the Blood, and this song is one of a couple that mention the Godhead in three persons. This particular song uses its verses to explore the economy of the Godhead in saving us.
8) Praise The Father, Praise the Son – Chris Tomlin and Ed Cash
With verses that plunge into both the worship of God in heaven and the great descent of the Son to redeem us, Praise the Father captures the high praise of creation as it rises to the Triune God.
9) Who You Are – Haley Johnson and Jenn Johnson
Every Bethel album that comes out has one or two tracks that really haunt me (in a good way); this is one of those songs. Each verse names the character of one of the persons of the Godhead, praising God for God’s revelation to us.
10) We Believe – Matthew Hooper, Richie Fike and Travis Ryan
Most people who listen to Christian radio will know this song, as the Newsboys’ rendition of We Believe was one of the breakout songs of 2014. It’s very creedal in the chorus, and a wonderful congregational confessional song.
11) Triune Praise – Shai Linne
Unless you have someone in your congregation who raps well (and a congregation in which that would be well-received), this song may not be contextually useable. But it’s definitely worth sharing. A beautiful song of praise about God’s Triune nature.
12) Make Us One – Aaron Keyes, Bryan Brown, Evan Wickham, Michael Gungor
This is a great song either for a call to worship, an interlude, or the end of a program. It’s a prayer asking God to make us one, and is based on the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit. That’s great practical, lyrical theology.
When your church sings of the Triune God, which songs do you sing? What would you add to the list? Let me know; I’m always looking to grow our vocabulary in worship.