Who You Say You Are
Who You Say You Are
"This song is one my favorite songs I've ever written. So many people (unbelievers and believers) don't know the full extent of their beliefs, and this song communicates the truth that Jesus isn't offended by our wondering and encourages us to add direction and hope to our wondering. Even when we know and believe what he said, life challenges those truths. After everything is said and done, he is the truth and the life, he's the only way." (Kierre Bjorn Lindsay)“‘Who You Say You Are’ reminds the church that we are a work in progress together, and it is Christ doing the work in us. Our response leads us back to him even in the midst of our imperfections, even the imperfections of our very faith and understanding.” (Isaac Gill)
“This song is a reminder to ourselves, that God is a good God. And if He really is who he says he is, we should never be afraid to come to him with our doubts or our questions. He who is the truth can, believe it or not, also handle it very well.” (Jenny Wahlström)
WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE
Written by Kierre Bjorn Lindsay (BMI), Isaac Gill (ASCAP), Jenny Gajicki (STIM), Amos Housworth (BMI)
© 2018 Common Hymnal Digital (BMI), KeyHeir Music (BMI), Benjo Darro Music Company (BMI), Common Hymnal Publishing (ASCAP), Isaac Gill Music (ASCAP), JenWah Publishing (ASCAP) (admin by IntegratedRights.com). CCLI 7130503.
VERSE 1
A2 Eadd9
You, you’re not afraid of our questions
A2 Eadd9
You, you’re not offended by our fear
A2 Eadd9
We, we just really want to trust you
F#m G#m A
So we bring what we have
A E
Would you meet us here?
CHORUS
A2 G#m
Lord, you have told us you're for us
D A
Even when we don’t understand
A2 G#m
And we are leaning on that promise
D/F# A E
Believing you are who you say you are
VERSE 2
You, you don’t see us for our failures
You, you always find the best in us
We, we may stray but you are faithful
So we fall into you
We know you’ll raise us up
BRIDGE
E A B
You said you are the only way
A
Truth and the life
B C#m
You stay the same
G#m
O Great I Am
A
Our reason why
More Songs Written By Kierre Bjorn Lindsay (Kierre Bjorn)
More Songs Written Jenny Gajicki (Jenny Wahlström)
“Who You Say You Are” was written from the perspective of someone who is a believer and follower of Jesus, but has questions, worries, doubts, and fears that they aren’t afraid to voice to him because they have relationship and not just religion. When we sat down to write, we knew we wanted to write something honest but we also knew we wanted confidence, peace, and joy to be the overwhelming effect. The truth is that Jesus once walked the same Earth that we walk; he felt every emotion and temptation that we feel and there is so much comfort in that truth. Those moments of weakness are not moments of failure, they are opportunities to experience the supernatural strength of Jesus; according to 2 Corinthians 12:9. Our prayer is that as you deepen your relationship with Jesus, let your doubts cause you to lean further into him, allow your fears to trust his sovereignty, and let any questions you have push you to deconstruct any bad theology you were taught…and find out how real and loving he is.
Jenny, Kierre, and I sat outside in the sunlight on an April afternoon, when the temperature couldn’t make up its mind as to whether or not it was cold or warm. We chatted for a while and arrived on a conversation about doubt and uncertainty.
In many modern church settings we don’t leave a lot of room for our own frailty and uncertainty, as if our performance or faith determines God’s identity. Rather than the other way around.
In reality, if God is God, he is God with or without us. He doesn’t look at us and think we are failures because we aren’t the most confident or the most persuasive or the most exemplary. Jesus knew Peter would deny him, but still chose him to be the first apostle to begin a movement that would spread.
When we wrote “Who You Say You Are” we wanted to tie these ideas together while also creating a collective group response. Often we hear modern songs that make everything about the individual self, the experience and faith of oneself. We seldom identify as a collective group that is on this journey together.
“Who You Say You Are” reminds the church that we are a work in progress together, and it is Christ doing the work in us. Our response leads us back to Him even in the midst of our imperfections, even the imperfections of our very faith and understanding.
Special thanks to Amos Housworth for helping bring the song together and adding the finishing touches with your awesome cello playing!
Its easy to picture God, being this busy Father sitting at his desk, in his office and that we, as his children shouldnt be bothering him if we havent got anything very important to ask or tell him about.
But in projecting that image, we assume that God is just like a human being, (just maybe a slight better version): A person who has limited amount of time, patience, love, grace,kindness. And that our flaws and incapacity could actually have the ability to shake him.
But that’s not the case at all.
God cannot be threatened by our questions to him, he knows that we can’t understand everything. He doesnt become smaller when we are being afraid or have doubts. He isn’t like that.
God is not dependent on our faith, but he wants us to have it because we are so much better with it.
So we wrote this song because we wanted to remind ourselves of that. To actually dare to believe that God is who he says he is: a good Father. A good shepherd. A mama bird who takes her children under her wings.