1) Petra is a Christia… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in 1972 by Bob Hartman, Bill Glover, John DeGroff, and Greg Hough. "Petra" means "rock" in NT Greek, making the band name a triple pun. Rising from the Jesus music movement, and initially signed to [recordlabel]Myrrh Records[/recordlabel], they fought to gain acceptance and recognition in a church culture that at the time believed rock music to be off-limits. Over time they eventually won over most of their critics, thanks to a steady approach and some solid adult contemporary airplay hits like "The Coloring Song," outside of their usual rock fare. By the mid-80's, when lead singer Greg X. Volz left the band and was replaced by John Schlitt, Petra had solidified their place as the foremost Christian rock band in the industry with a string of hit albums and singles and strong touring. The release of Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out marked a turn towards modern-sounding worship music that would soon explode into the modern worship movement.
Petra was nominated for and won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In 1991, after the release of their acclaimed Beyond Belief record, Petra became the first rock band ever to win for Group of the Year at the Dove Awards. They were also the first Christian rock band to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
For three decades Petra continued to produce albums despite changes in their line-up as well as the genre and market. On May 24th, 2005 Petra announced their retirement after 33 years of ministry. They recorded one of their final performances in Franklin, Tennessee to release it as their last album, Farewell. Their last performance finished in the early hours of January 1, 2006 in Murphy, North Carolina. Bob Hartman and John Schlitt continue to tour under the moniker II Guys From Petra.
Lineups through the years:
Early 80's Captured in Time & Space lineup: Bob Hartman, Greg X. Volz, John Slick, Mark Kelly, Louie Weaver, John Lawry
Late 80's "Beyond Belief dream team" lineup: Bob Hartman, John Schlitt, John Lawry, Louie Weaver, Ronny Cates
Late 90's Petra Praise 2 - We Need Jesus lineup: John Schlitt, Louie Weaver, Lonnie Chapin, Pete Orta, Kevin Brandow
Farewell CD lineup: John Schlitt, Bob Hartman, Greg Bailey, Paul Simmons, with special appearances by Greg X. Volz and John Lawry
More members: Rob Frazier, Jim Cooper, David Lichens, Trent Thomason, Bryce Bell, Quinton Gibson, Justin Johnson
See also http://www.petraband.com/
Onward
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before
Onward then, ye people
Join our happy throng
Blend with ours your voices
Christ the royal master
Leads against the foe
Forward into battle
See His banners go
Crowns and Thrones may perish
Kingdoms rise and wane
But the cross of Jesus
Constant will remain
The song Onward Christian Soldiers is a hymn of encouragement and motivation for Christians to unite and march forward in spiritual battle. The first verse starts with a call to action for Christian soldiers to march as to war with the cross of Jesus going on before. The metaphor of a military march is used to illustrate the importance of moving forward in strength and unity towards spiritual victory.
The second verse calls for the people to join in the "happy throng" with their voices blending with the triumph song. The use of the word "happy" illustrates the joy and optimism that Christians feel in their faith despite the battles they face. In the third verse, Christ is referred to as the "royal master" leading his people against the enemy with his banner going before them. The final verse reminds us that kingdoms may rise and fall but the cross of Jesus remains constant and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Onward Christian soldiers
We are moving forward as a united group of believers
Marching as to war
We are actively engaged in a spiritual battle
With the cross of Jesus
We are relying on the sacrifice of Jesus to give us victory
Going on before
Jesus is leading the way, guiding and protecting us
Onward then, ye people
Let's continue moving forward together
Join our happy throng
Be a part of our joyful group of believers
Blend with ours your voices
Unite your voices with ours in the celebration of our triumph
In our triumph song
We are celebrating our victory in Jesus
Christ the royal master
Jesus is the supreme leader
Leads against the foe
Jesus is leading us in battle against our spiritual enemy
Forward into battle
We are courageously advancing into the spiritual battle
See His banners go
Jesus' victory is proclaimed and recognized by all
Crowns and Thrones may perish
All earthly power and wealth is temporary and will ultimately fade away
Kingdoms rise and wane
All human institutions and empires are subject to change and decay
But the cross of Jesus
The sacrifice of Jesus will endure forever
Constant will remain
Jesus' victory and love are eternal and unchanging
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Bluewater Music Corp., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sabine Baring Gould, Arthur L. Sullivan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind