When the storms of life hit, and they surely do, there is confidence in knowing Christ is our anchor! How re-assuring to know that in turbulent times, we can remain steadfast and sure regardless of how fragile we may humanly feel! In the re-working of anthemic hymn ‘Will Your Anchor Hold’, writers Colin Webster and Phil Moore kept the original chorus line but added a fresh melody and additional words to the verses. The result is stirring and sustaining.
Growing up in the Boys Brigade, Moore recalls being impacted by the original version of the hymn yet felt that although the chorus was very strong melodically, there was room for modernising the verses and adding more lyrics. “I sat down at the piano,” remembers Moore, “and came up with the bones of a melody which I then sent across to Colin.” With more than a touch of candour, Moore admits to saying to his co-writer, “Here’s a broken song, will you fix it.”
This encounter reveals a little of why their writing partnership is so effective. There is a humble honesty in their teamwork and a mutual respect for each other’s giftings. As they examined the original words, they acknowledged the strength of theme and nautical imagery first penned by Priscilla Jane Owens in 1882 but decided to chisel out some additional lyrics to serve a wider sphere of relevance and usage. This desire has indeed been accomplished, as a number of churches have already been blessed and encouraged by adding ‘We Have An Anchor’ to their worship database.
Resonating with Hebrews 6 verse 19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,” Moore enthuses about how timely the understanding of having Christ as our anchor actually is. “When we’re going through difficult experiences, and when everything around us is changing and we feel we could easily be swept away by life, Christ is our anchor and will remain the same.”
What a captivating image - Jesus Christ is our anchor! And Moore & Webster definitely do musical justice to that image as they remind us how firmly and deeply grounded we are in Christ’s amazing love.
