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Watch the worship music video everyone is talking about

by Cara Bentley

Over 65 different churches and Christian groups in the UK have taken part in an online music video that has got over 790,000 views. 

Representing hundreds of Christians in the country, worship singers from the UK have performed 'The Blessing', originally by Christian couple Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe, Chris Brown and Christian worship group Elevation Worship. 

In this cover version, each singer appears on screen filmed from their home and their church name comes on screen. Starting with worship leader Tim Hughes from Gas Street Church in Birmingham singing 'The Lord bless you and keep you', the video ends with hundreds of people harmonising 'He is for you' on screen. 

There are no individual names despite some famous faces, such as Lou Fellingham, Noel Robinson, Muyiwa Olarewaju, Carrie Grant and Graham Kendrick. 

Tim Hughes, who helped organise it, told Premier that after seeing a video of the same song being done in Pittsburgh in America, he got calls from his wife, Pete Grieg from 24/7 Prayer and Holy Trinity Brompton's Nicky Gumbel suggesting that UK churches do the same thing. 

"Basically, we thought, let's call lots of friends, lots of different networks and people and see if everyone can send in someone from their church singing this song and then we edited it all together. 

"It was amazing - these are musicians who aren't the most organised! We spoke to them on the Friday and Saturday and everybody had to be in by the Tuesday and everyone got behind it - everybody said yes and it's been a beautiful thing seeing it all come together."

It features members of the well-respected All Souls Langham Place orchestra, who also performed for the Royal Albert Hall's Prom Praise virtual concert on Saturday, next to a rap by Christian artist Guvna B. 

Different denominations are represented including the Church of England, Catholic Church, Vineyard, Elim, New Frontiers, the Coptic Church, Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed Church and the Salvation Army.  

There are congregation members from Holy Trinity Brompton, Trent Vineyard Nottingham, Soul Survivor Watford, Hillsong London as well as The Kingdom Choir who sang at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding.

The song's lyrics are based on the Biblical passage Numbers 6 and is a famous benediction prayer often used to end a service with. 

Those praising the video on social media included oringal writer Kari Jobe, Bear Grylls, BBC presenter Dan Walker, Most Rev Justin Welby, Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, former Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas and Gavin Calver - head of the Evangelical Alliance. 

 

 

 

Tim Hughes said he thinks there is an important shift happening in church music: "I felt like what God is doing in the church, in terms of worship, is we're seeing the sound of his people singing. There's been lots of worship leaders that God has raised up, and that's been beautiful, but I think actually the time has come where God is just raising up his church - the sound of his people - it's not one individual, it's just lots of people worshipping through song and I think this is like a little glimpse of what I believe we're going to see much, much more of."

Watch the full Tim Hughes interview with Premier here. 

Watch the full video here with the lyrics below:

The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace

The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace

Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen

The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace

Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

May His presence go before you
And behind you, and beside you
All around you, and within you
He is with you, He is with you

In the morning, in the evening
In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for you

He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you

Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

May His presence go before you
And behind you, and beside you
All around you, and within you
He is with you, He is with you

In the morning, in the evening
In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for you

He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you

Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

May His presence go before you
And behind you, and beside you
All around you, and within you
He is with you, He is with you

In the morning, in the evening
In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for you

He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you

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