Lyrically the album is teeming with the substantive lyrics that have made Chapman the most awarded artist in Christian music with 57 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, five GRAMMYs, 47 No. 1 singles and approaching 11 million albums sold. Musically there’s a sense of adventure that reflects Chapman’s ongoing willingness to experiment and leap out of his comfort zone. He’s never taken the gift of music for granted and approaches each new project both excited and humbled by the possibilities.
“I’m very, very grateful to be given the opportunity to make music and share the things that I feel like God has entrusted to me,” Chapman says. “I don’t take it lightly. I pray: ‘God, I want to know You and I want to make You known.’ God has continued faithfully to reveal Himself through dark places and reveal His mysteriousness. I get the sense that He’s telling an amazing story. He’s not confused. He’s not biting his nails worrying if the plan is going to turn out okay the way I do. He’s fully confident of His plans and He’s in control. That’s been something that I’ve held onto.”
The Glorious Unfolding is Chapman’s 18th album and his first studio album of all-original material in seven years. However, now, more than ever he felt it was time to express these steadfast messages of faithfulness, while successfully blending his trademark sound with musical creativity. “Musically, I really wanted to find those ways to make something that felt very honest and true, and yet very fresh and relevant,” Chapman says. “I felt like this had to be a little bit more exciting and energetic and I was ready to crank it up. It felt like this is the time to do that and celebrate. With this music, you will hopefully hear that and get a sense of the excitement and joy in this record.”
The album’s lead single, “Love Take Me Over,” is an exuberant anthem with an infectious melody that inspires listeners and gives the instant urge to hit repeat. “Even though it’s in the guise of a very fun, up-tempo sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs song, it’s a message and a lesson that I have continued to be in the process of learning,” Chapman says of the song. “I need to be filled with love so that I can be loving in the way I respond. I’m still learning that the only way I want to love others well in my life is when I come to terms daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes in 15 minute increments, with the fact that I am loved fully and completely, not as I should be, but as I am. That drives me, then, to a place of living a life of love for others when I realize that I am loved first. We love because He first loved us.”
One of the many highlights from the album is “Together,” a beautiful song that Chapman wrote for his wife Mary Beth. “In October, we celebrate our 29th anniversary,” he says, acknowledging that the past five years, since their youngest daughter (Maria Sue) was killed in a tragic accident, have been especially trying. “Statistics show that 90% of marriages don’t survive the loss of a child. The fact that we are together celebrating 29 years of marriage is a testimony to God’s faithfulness and God’s grace.”
Chapman delayed playing this song for Mary Beth until it was completely finished, recorded and mixed. “I sat her down and played this for her as we held hands and wept together through this celebration of God’s faithfulness,” he adds, “I’m really hopeful that this song will encourage and minister to people in a deep way.”
The Glorious Unfolding also includes a special song, “Only One and Only You,” written to encourage his daughter Shaohannah. “She’s 13, which tells you a lot of what you need to know about her,” he says with a grin. “It’s that wonderful, incredibly awful time to try to be a young lady in this world and culture. I’m just very, very proud of her and I wanted to just write a song to tell her how amazing she is.”
Other standout tracks include “Something Beautiful,” an up-tempo, forward-thinking song about the unfolding and promises of God, and watching Him turn broken things in life into something good as He’s promised. “Take Another Step,” is another high-energy declaration that talks of taking those steps of faith in times of uncertainty, when the road ahead is completely dark, whether it be good or bad, and fully trusting what God has in store.
Whether encouraging those he’s closest to in this world to see themselves as God sees them or inviting an arena full of fans to sing along in celebration of God’s faithfulness, Chapman has spent his life creating music that makes a difference. The Glorious Unfolding continues that impressive legacy. In listening to the project, it feels like a landmark album, being musically inventive, yet bursting with truth, integrity and emotional gravitas in much the same way as The Great Adventure did when that ground-breaking album released in 1992.
The latest album installment is his second record since signing with Provident Music Group in 2012. His label debut, JOY, served up holiday classics alongside his engaging original tunes. It became the latest entry in the Paducah, Kentucky native’s beloved Christmas catalog and provided Chapman and co-producer Brent Milligan a chance to explore different sounds in the studio. On The Glorious Unfolding, Chapman and Milligan reveled in the chance to experiment further to provide a fresh framework for these new songs, utilizing different textures and techniques to expand on Chapman’s signature sound.
Recorded at Chapman’s home studio, he enlisted son Will Franklin to play drums on six tracks on the album and also engaged other musical pals such as Delirious? alum Stu G on guitar and acclaimed fiddler Andy Leftwich, a member of Ricky Skaggs’ band, Kentucky Thunder, and a key creative force in the making of Chapman's Cracker Barrel release, Deep Roots. On “Sound of Your Voice,” Chapman recruited surprise guests, wife Mary Beth, daughters Emily and Stevey Joy and daughters-in-law Julia Chapman and Jillian Edwards Chapman to sing background vocals.
Recording The Glorious Unfolding was a labor of love for Chapman, helping him give voice to his own joys and challenges and he’s hopeful it will do the same for others. “The theme was this idea that God will complete the story and in fact, He already has completed it and knows the ending,” Chapman says. “Yet a part of the mystery is that He is revealing it in our lives and it’s this unfolding, incredible tale of His love for us. This album gave me a chance to tell that, to celebrate loss and hope and new life. For all of that, I’m really grateful. It really is my hope that people will hear the sound of God’s voice whispering to them: ‘I know the plans I have for you. Will you trust me? Will you trust me through the hard seasons and through the good seasons? The story is good. Will you trust me and watch it unfold?’”
Beginning in September 2014 until April 2015, Chapman revitalized the well-known concert series "Sam's Place: Music for the Spirit" concert series. The series was once a month and was held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with featured performances by the likes of MercyMe, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Third Day.
the invitation
Steven Curtis Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The King looked out from His throne
He saw the sick and the homeless and hungry
He saw me lost and without hope
And moved with compassion
He sent out His only Son
With the invitation
To come
This is your invitation
Come just the way you are
Come find what your soul has been longing for
Come find your peace
Come join the feast
Come in
This is your invitation
So I stood outside the gates and trembled
In my rags of unworthiness
Afraid to even stand at a distance
In the presence of Holiness
But just as I turned to go
The gates swung open wide
And the King and His only Son
They invited me inside
This is your invitation
Come just the way you are
Come find what your soul has been longing for
Come find your peace
Come join the feast
Come in
This is your invitation
So now will you come with me
To where the gates swing open wide
The King and His only Son
Are inviting us inside
This is our invitation
Come sinner as you are
Come find what your soul has been longing for
Come find your peace
Come join the feast
Come in
This is your invitation
This is our invitation
This is the invitation
The lyrics to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "The Invitation" describe a scene in the palace of the "land of mercy." From his throne, the King observes the sick, the homeless, the hungry, and the lost, and, moved by compassion, He sends His only Son with an invitation to come. The singer, hesitant and in rags of unworthiness, stands outside the gates and trembles, afraid to approach the Holiness within. But just as he turns to go, the gates open wide, and the King and His Son invite him inside. The chorus of the song repeats the invitation to come, just as the listener is, to find what their soul has been longing for, to find peace, and to join the feast.
The song is a powerful reminder of the invitation of God to come to Him just as we are, rags and all, without needing to clean ourselves up beforehand. It demonstrates the compassion and kindness of the King who sees us in our brokenness and gives us an open invitation to come and find rest and hope in Him. It reminds us of the power of God's grace to transform us and draw us into deeper relationship with Him, just by accepting His invitation. Ultimately, the song is a call to action, inviting the listener to join in the invitation and to lead others to the King who is waiting with open arms.
Line by Line Meaning
In the Palace in the land of mercy
The song sets the scene of the Palace in the land of mercy, where the King reigns with compassion and justice for all.
The King looked out from His throne
The King, the embodiment of hope and authority, gazes upon His kingdom, extending His grace and mercy to all His subjects.
He saw the sick and the homeless and hungry
The King perceives the suffering of those who are sick, destitute, and starving in His kingdom.
He saw me lost and without hope
The King also sees that the singer, like many others, is lost without hope and direction in the midst of the kingdom's chaos and crisis.
And moved with compassion
The King's empathy for the suffering and His love for the lost child moves Him to take action.
He sent out His only Son
In His ultimate act of love, the King sends His beloved Son, thereby redeeming the lost and suffering people.
With the invitation
The Son carries the King's invitation to all of His subjects, beckoning them to the Palace and the King's embrace.
To come
The Son's invitation is simple and direct: come to the Palace, receive the King's mercy, and find your way home.
This is your invitation
The song repeats the King's and the Son's invitation, urging the listener to accept the offer of salvation and love.
Come just the way you are
The invitation is extended without any requirement or condition, as the King and the Son's love accepts you as you are.
Come find what your soul has been longing for
The invitation promises that the Palace holds the key to the soul's deepest longing - to be loved, to be accepted, and to have purpose.
Come find your peace
The Palace and its King embodies a peace that the world cannot offer - a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Come join the feast
The Palace of the King is not just a sanctuary but also a place of celebration, where people gather and feast in the presence of the King and one another.
Come in
The invitation concludes with a simple but powerful command: come in and be embraced by the King and His love.
So I stood outside the gates and trembled
The song now shifts to the singer's perspective, describing their fear and trembling at the idea of entering the Palace and standing before the King.
In my rags of unworthiness
The singer sees themselves as unworthy and inadequate to enter the Palace, given their imperfections and failures.
Afraid to even stand at a distance
The singer is not just hesitant but physically distant from the Palace, reflecting their alienation and isolation from the King's grace and love.
In the presence of Holiness
The singer recognizes the King's holiness, His transcendence and perfection, which only heightens their sense of unworthiness and inadequacy.
But just as I turned to go
However, at the point of giving up, the singer has a change of heart, perhaps due to a sudden realization of the King's love and acceptance.
The gates swung open wide
The Singer's redemption is marked by the opening of the gates of the Palace, suggesting that the King has intervened to grant them access to His love and grace.
And the King and His only Son
The singer is not alone but greeted by the King and His Son, signifying that their salvation is a communal and relational experience.
They invited me inside
The King's and the Son's invitation is personal and intimate, inviting the singer to experience the depth of the King's love and acceptance from within the Palace itself.
So now will you come with me
The song shifts to the singer's invitation for the listener to join them in accepting the offer of redemption and love from the King and His invitation.
To where the gates swing open wide
The singer invites the listener to the place of their redemption, where the gates are open wide, signifying that the King's grace is extended without reservation or exception.
The King and His only Son
The singer emphasizes the profound significance of the King's and the Son's love, drawing attention to the source of the invitation and the deep impact it has on the world.
Are inviting us inside
The invitation is extended beyond the singer and now includes the listener, highlighting the King's and the Son's love's universality and inclusiveness.
Come sinner as you are
The song once again echoes the non-judgmental and unconditional nature of the King's invitation, regardless of one's sin or past mistakes.
This is our invitation
The singer reaffirms that the invitation is not just theirs but ours, emphasizing the communal and relational nature of the Kingdom of God, and our shared experience of redemption and love.
This is the invitation
The final line of the song reiterates the theme of the King's invitation, emphasizing that the door of the Palace and the King's heart is always open to anyone who seeks Him with humility and sincerity.
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.