She believed those words to be true. So she held up her heart, and God has been giving it dreams and holding it high ever since.
Fast forward to 2005. When Christy and Nathan Nockels—best known as Watermark—made the decision to take their professional duo off the road to spend more time with their young family. It was a matter of necessity and trust; an end to a rewarding season, in pursuit of something unknown but even more important than recording success.
“It was so freeing to clear the table of everything, to go out with a blessing,” Christy says of that decision. “But God began to peel the layers back, to reorganize my mind and my world, so I could begin to see all that he was doing through me.”
It was during this revealing season that Christy became even more convinced of her calling. “My cause in life is to be a songwriter for my generation to proclaim Jesus’ renown,” she says. But what she didn’t know was how to pursue that desire while fulfilling her highest calling. “God stripped a lot away and taught me that He is the desire giver. When I didn’t think I’d ever record again on a label, He showed me, ‘Christy, if you focus on your children and your husband, I will take up your cause.’ ”
In 2008, when talks with Passion’s Louie and Shelley Giglio about signing with sixstepsrecords turned to talks about the new church the Giglios were launching in Atlanta (www.passioncitychurch.com), Christy knew that this was the unexpected turn for which God had been preparing them.
When she told Nathan about the opportunities in Atlanta, there was no hesitation. “We need to put the house up for sale,” was his reply. When their house sold after four days, without so much as a sign in the yard, God put a big exclamation point on their new path. After the move in July of 2008, surrounded by boxes and furniture yet to be assembled—doing ordinary mom things—Christy began recording song ideas into her iPhone. She began dreaming previously unknown melody lines, waking up in the middle of the night to take notes. And the songs just kept coming and coming.
Produced by Nathan Nockels, Light Life Up, Christy’s solo debut on sixstepsrecords, is the powerful, “real-life at worship” result of this season of refocus, desire and confirmation.
“More than ever before, the songs I found myself writing were responses to things going on around us,” Christy says of what would become Light Life Up. “I’d always written songs to sing over people, but these new songs are songs to sing with people, to lead people in worship. It was amazing confirmation, and out of that came a trust that I can still lead my generation and be a mom...”
“With you, I can do anything. I can go anywhere... you are the song I bring. I may live and I may die, either way you’re glorified, bless the day I give my life away...”
The title-track and first single “Light Life Up,” inspired by the Passion Conferences Regional event in Boston and the explosive worship response of the students there, is the centerpiece of the release. “There I was, wondering how I could be somebody these students could relate to and look up to, feeling God calling me to a deeper place of leadership, asking, ‘Are you sure, Lord, that you don’t need somebody younger?’ But in Boston my heart just exploded, seeing these Ivy League students so hungry, such expectancy on their faces. I didn’t want to leave.”
On the airplane, just after takeoff, Christy looked down on the city lights of Boston and wrote a song for those students... and for herself. A revelation of truth that God has called us to light this world up with our lives, to give ourselves away to glorify His Name. It was the first of many songs that both confirm and proclaim the desire of Christy’s heart.
The opening track, “No Not One,” co-written with Brandon Heath, is a soaring pop anthem declaring Jesus’ fame in definitive terms. Packed with more of the ‘Passion’ sound and energy than one might expect from Christy’s Watermark era, “No Not One” celebrates in no uncertain terms what it feels like to be forgiven and confident as a child of God. “I hadn’t co-written too much except with Nathan, so I was a little nervous, but Brandon was a worship leader in Texas at the time, and we had a lot of the same ideas, playing off the old hymn,” Christy says. “I knew it would be a really great song to lead, and I’m always looking for celebratory songs, so this one fit really well.”
“Keeper of history, glorious mystery... We trust no other Name, our hope is in you...”
One of the highlights of Light Life Up is Christy’s spin on “A Mighty Fortress,” an unforgettable, ‘repeat-set’ proclamation of faith in fearful times. “When you look at the world around us, you can’t help but fear for your children,” Christy says, “so I needed a reminder of God’s promises to us, that we will reign with him forever. That his kingdom is unshakeable. I want to lead my children in that kind of trust. That’s what this song and ‘You Are Able’ are all about.”
Inspired by a sermon her father/pastor used to preach about the Hebrew slaves who were given their freedom, only to choose to stay with their master, “My Master”— a stunningly beautiful ballad—holds a special place with Christy. “It’s not really a popular thing to call Jesus your Master in our prideful culture,” Christy says, “but what a sweet relationship that can be and the joy of renewing that vow... ‘I take your name and live in liberty... my life is yours forever...’ That story has had such an impact on my life; it’s such a precious one for me.”
In these and in all the passions on Light Life Up, Christy Nockels unintentionally reveals what happens when a woman—or any one of us, really—stops chasing her own dreams and allows God to bring his dreams for her into marvelous light.
Fairest Lord Jesus
Christy Nockels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O Thou of God and man the Son
Thee will I cheris, Thee will I honor
Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands
Robed in the blooming garb of spring
Jesus is Fairer, Jesus is purer
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight
And all the Twinkling starry host
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast
Beautiful Savior, Lord of all nations
Son of God and Son of Man
Glory and honor, praise, adoration
Now and forever more be Thine
You are fairer still, today
You are fairer still, today
Precious Jesus, Lord, You are adored
As we worship, as we worship
The lyrics of Christy Nockels's song, Fairest Lord Jesus, are a beautiful expression of the singer's adoration for Jesus. The song begins with the acknowledgement of Jesus as the ruler of all nature, both divine and human, and declares the singer's desire to cherish and honor him. The second verse describes the natural beauty of the world, but importantly, emphasizes that Jesus is even fairer and purer than the natural world that surrounds us. In the final verse, Jesus is referred to as the "Beautiful Savior" who is the Lord of all nations. The song concludes with a declaration of glory, honor, praise, and adoration for Jesus, both in the present and forevermore.
The lyrics of Fairest Lord Jesus have a rich history, having been translated from a German hymn called "Schönster Herr Jesu." The hymn was originally written in the Middle Ages, most likely in the twelfth century, by an unknown author. It was later translated into English by Joseph A. Seiss in the nineteenth century. The hymn has been popular among various Christian denominations, and it is often sung in churches around the world. In addition to being sung in English and German, the hymn has been translated into several other languages, including Spanish, Finnish, and Swahili.
Line by Line Meaning
Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature
Jesus, You are the fairest and most just Ruler over all of nature and the universe
O Thou of God and man the Son
You are the Son of God and man, representing both divinity and humanity
Thee will I cheris, Thee will I honor
I will cherish and honor You above anything else
Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown
You are the glory, joy, and crown of my soul, the most precious to me
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands
Nature is beautiful, but You are even fairer and more beautiful than the meadows and woodlands
Robed in the blooming garb of spring
Spring flowers and blooming plants are beautiful, and You surpass their beauty
Jesus is Fairer, Jesus is purer
You, Jesus, are the fairest and purest of all, granting a hopeful heart
Who makes the woeful heart to sing
You bring salvation and joy, making sorrowful hearts sing
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight
Sunshine and moonlight are beautiful, but You shine even brighter and more radiantly
And all the Twinkling starry host
The stars in the sky are lovely, but You outshine them all
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
You shine brighter and purer than any of the angels in all of heaven
Than all the angels heaven can boast
Your radiance surpasses even the most revered and powerful angels in heaven
Beautiful Savior, Lord of all nations
You are a beautiful Savior and Lord over all nations and peoples
Son of God and Son of Man
You are both the Son of God and the Son of Man, connecting us to divinity and humanity
Glory and honor, praise, adoration
We give You glory, honor, praise, and adoration
Now and forever more be Thine
All of our worship and devotion is Yours, now and forevermore
You are fairer still, today
You are still the fairest and most magnificent, even as time passes
You are fairer still, today
You are still the fairest and most magnificent, even as time passes
Precious Jesus, Lord, You are adored
We adore and treasure You above all else, dear Jesus
As we worship, as we worship
Our worship is continually directed toward You and You alone
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jonnaphril Lastima
The meadows, the woods, the mountains, the sunlight, the moon, the stars, the rainbows and all other beauty of nature makes me smile, even in a gloomy day. But yes, it is JESUS, who is fairer still than all of these, when I think about who He is and what He has done, is what makes my woeful heart to forget its foes and sing with great joy!
dawn marie
Amen I heard a prophet say that Jesus came to him and asked him to play this song(*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
dawn marie
Jesus loves when we sing this song to him❤( ˘ ˘)♥
ShenMaC L
goosebumps goosebumps all over my body......
LookingUp2
Thank you! What a blessing. Brings Joy! :)
A Scott
Just had a worshipful time in my office. Thanks for posting this.
BipolarForJesus
Bob, this is quite enjoyable, your photos, music, band & message all together made for quite a performance!
Oluremi Ogunde
Simply divine, thanks so much!
mkl62
I am an ELCA Lutheran from South Carolina. I play the piano and organ. Today (April 6), I filled in at a local Presbyterian Church. I played this as the Hymn of Praise.
Bob Marshall
@teddybears2011 Thanks, it's comments like this that makes it all worthwhile to make these YouTube videos. It's more than just a hobby to me, it's like a ministry. I am heavily involved in ministries at my church, but I can only touch a handful of people there. Through my videos I have touched hundreds of thousands of people. Thank You, God.