i celebrate the day.

New song.  New favorite Christmas song probably.

I was in the car today after dropping my sister off, and I was listening to the local Christian radio station.  Obviously because of the proximity to Christmas, they were playing Christmas music.  I really love Christmas music more than I did I think because I recently took a vocal arranging class.  One thing my professor taught my class is if you're going to arrange for a well-known piece, you have do something to it to make it better than the original.  So as I'm listening, a "new" version of Silent Night coupled with Away in a Manger comes on.  So, me being a little critical, was thinking, "What is so great about this arrangement of these two pieces?"  It wasn't until the second part of the song, or as it's called, the "I Celebrate the Day" part came on, did I realize what made this piece special.  This was also about the point when I realized that these were done by Relient K, whom I love.

What I love so much about Relient K is how so many of their songs are so personal and blunt.  Matt Thiessen, the lead singer, guitarist, pianist, and primary song-writer for the band, speaks whole-heartedly and truthfully in the "I Celebrate" portion of this piece.  Here are some lyrics for you:

I Celebrate the Day- Relient K

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life


I feel like this piece blows my mind.  I love how conversational this song is.  I would challenge you to go on iTunes and buy this and listen to it everyday.  The questions Matt Thiessen asks in this song are incredible and he phrases it so beautifully.  I honestly can't say anything more about this piece because it touches me so deeply.  Matt says it perfectly and I hope it affects you the way it has truly grabbed me. 


Today, I do celebrate the day that Christ was born to die so I could one day pray for Him to save my life.  How amazing is that?

http://relientk-music.blogspot.com/