"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:4 (NIV)
The original idea for this song about the power and significance of baptism had been sitting on my laptop for a while, unfinished. The catalyst for completing the idea came when Pastor Brian shared that he had it on his heart to have a special baptism service at church.
At our church we have the baptismal pool at the front of the auditorium and people are baptised as the congregation witness their declaration and worship with them. We set about finishing "Beneath the Waters (I Will Rise)" for this service so that people would have a declaration to sing as they rose from the waters of baptism.
In its essence, this song is about rising to the new life Romans 6:4 speaks of as well as acknowledging the submission to Christ's Lordship that baptism represents. In a broader sense, however, it has become a powerful confession of faith and salvation that has found a place across the life of our church, not just in a baptism setting.
