Last fall, the Ballard campus band Kenosis recorded "Destructor." It is not a light song by any means and is, moreover, at odds with most people's definition of a "worship song." In this video, Kenosis band leader and Ballard Pastor Joel Brown and bandmate, Hannah (vocals, keyboards) show you how to play the song. Then below, Pastor Joel asked Hannah to write about what God taught her as she wrestled with the lyrics.

Kenosis, "Destructor"

[audio:http://blog.marshill.com/files/2011/01/Destructor.mp3]

by Hannah Moreno

Destructor. The title is heavy. The lyrics are heavy. This idea of God as wrathful judge feels heavy, and even, perhaps, downright oppressive. When we set about arranging this song as a band, I really struggled with how a song like this could be used in a corporate setting. Beyond that, I struggled with the whole idea of God as being destructive and wrathful. One doesn’t often hear songs celebrating this side of God’s character. But I’ve come to the realization that a deeper understanding of God’s holiness and justice is crucial in worship. While the text of this song may not initially arouse a spirit of joyful celebration, it should invoke a sense of fear and awe, reminding us that God is holy and we are not. And it isn’t until we grasp this idea of God as a just judge—a God who destroyed entire civilizations in wrathful fury—that we can fully understand the weight of grace.

"Our salvation means a lot more once we understand the weight of what we’re being saved from."

This song explores this theme of God’s wrath throughout Scripture—from the flood that destroyed nearly all of mankind, to the eventual reaping of the earth described in Revelation 14—culminating in a theme from the Song of the Lamb found in Revelation 15, in which every nation will eventually worship and fear the one true God. God will have his glory. We have been pursued by a holy and just God, who generously pours out unfathomable grace. In contrast to the wrathful nature of his punishment and vengeance, our salvation seems all the more miraculous. This angry, powerful, righteous God of the Old Testament is the very same God who loved the world so much he sent his Son to die in our place. This God-judge is the same God who is actively pursuing and saving us. Our salvation means a whole lot more once we acknowledge and understand the weight of what we’re being saved from. Sure, we can sing all day about the love of God, and should, but how much more profound is that love when we understand it in relation to his justice? Our God, who is holy and sovereign and who has the power to smite us, instead pursues us, loves us, and gives himself for us. Hannah Moreno has been a worship leader in various contexts since she was 11 years old and has been playing with Kenosis since October 2010. Read the lyrics to "Destructor" here and download the track here.