Photo by Jeremy Bishop
We the Kingdom began their career in 2018, releasing one album and 6 EP’s. These include:
- Live at the Wheelhouse (EP, 2019)
- Live Acoustic Sessions (EP, 2020)
- The Awakening (EP, 2020)
- The Battle (EP, 2020)
- The Journey (EP, 2020)
- Holy Water (2020)
- A Family Christmas (2021)
We the Kingdom won a GMA Dove award in 2020 for New Artist of the Year.
Also, check out my reviews of Child of Love, God So Loved, Don’t Tread on Me, and Holy Water.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
The subject of “I” is not directly clarified; However, many of the things said by this person come directly from the mouth of Jesus/God in Scripture, including:
- Standing at the door
- Asking the weary and heavy laden to find rest in Him
- Parable of the Prodigal Son
- Great plans
- Making all things new
- Placing the stars
Now that we’ve established the identity of “I”, I must offer my warning: Speaking for God is a very dangerous prospect that ought to be handled with care. Old Testament prophets were killed for falsely speaking on God’s behalf. In this song, We the Kingdom did fine.
This song also tells us that Jesus relentlessly pursues us, shows how much He loves us (understood as the cross), is the source of our power, calls us to put our trust in Him, like Peter did when he walked on water. It also says He sings which, to my amazement, is supported in Scripture! See section 2 for my proof.
My chief issue is that “God” in this song does not call us to repent, surrender, obey, or glorify Him. “God” wants us to trust and offer our weariness, but there’s no sacrifice involved. Also, He didn’t create the stars so that we would merely remember His name. The demons believe, and shutter. Finally, it wasn’t just all for me. He created the universe so that He would be glorified.
Score: 5/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
Most of the entire song aligns with God’s inspired Word, except Bridge, where “God” creates the stars so that we would remember His name and that if was all just for us.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
I’m standing at your door
My heart is calling yours
Jesus stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20).
Come fall into my arms
You’re weary from it all
Christ provides rest for those exhausted (Matthew 11:28-30).
Been running for too long
I’m here to bring you home
He is also the Father-figure who waits for the prodigal to come back home (Luke 15:11-32).
[Chorus]
I’m reaching out, I’ll chase you down
God pursues His fallen children, calling out to us by name (Genesis 3:9).
I dare you to believe how much I love you now
This is a similar challenge Jesus gave to Thomas, daring him to believe because he saw His marked hands and feet (John 20:24-28). How much does Jesus love us? This much.
Don’t be afraid, I am your strength
Our strength is found in God (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 22:19, Psalm 28:7-8, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 118:14, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 33:2, Isaiah 40:29-31, Habakkuk 3:19, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 6:10, and Philippians 4:13).
We’ll be walking on the water, dancing on the waves
Much like Peter did in Matthew 14:28-29, this requires faith in Jesus.
[Verse 2]
Look up and lift your eyes
The future’s open wide
I have great plans for you, oh, yes, I do
Borrowed from Jeremiah 29:11.
Your past is dead and gone
Your healing has begun
I’m making all things new, ohh
This is what Christ came to do (Isaiah 42:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Revelation 21:5). Namely, to rescue us from our spiritual deadness into life with Him (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24). Also, contains a reference to Casper the friendly ghost.
[Spontaneous]
Dancing on the waves
Can you see us just dancing?
Essentially repeats Chorus, line 4.
[Bridge]
I set every star into place
So you would remember my name
Though this doesn’t cause us to remember the name of Jesus specifically, the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:18-20), causing us to remember the name of God. However, even the demons believe and shudder (James 2:19).
I made it all for you
You are my masterpiece
We know this based on Genesis 1:28-31. Namely, that God gave man dominion over the earth, told us that He gave us plant life for food, and said we are “very good”, as opposed to just “good”. Also, He gave us animals to eat, with some stipulations (Genesis 9:3-5) that were removed under the New Covenant (Acts 10:9-16 and Hebrews 8:13). However, It’s also true that God made the stars so that He would be glorified (Psalm 19:1-4), which is curiously absent from these lyrics.
You are the reason I sing
This is my song for you
Yes, God sings! Take a look at Zephaniah 3:17. Though this Scripture doesn’t say that the stars are “my song”, Psalm 19:1-4 tells us that the stars declare God’s glory. Thus, it’s one way God communicates with us.
Every star in the sky
I set every star into place
So you would remember my name
I made it all for you
My love, my love
You are my masterpiece
You are the reason I sing
This is my song for you
Essentially repeats lines 1-6.
Score: 7/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Unbelievers unfamiliar with the many references to Scripture will likely think it’s a human lover wanting to be with their partner. Maybe the phrase “I set every star into place” will cause them to think it might be about God. However, this could be easily taken allegorically. Also, it does not call them to repentance, leading to potentially follow Jesus without obedience required.
Score: 3/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies Jesus as the One who chases after us, gives our weary hearts rest, speaks to us through His creation, and makes us new. However, it doesn’t glorify Him that complete and total surrender is absent, which is seemingly not required to follow Him.
Score: 5/10
Closing Comments
We the Kingdom’s Dancing on the Waves is a missed opportunity. It references many of Jesus’ teachings as though He says them to us, including door-knocking, rest for heavy laden, patience for us to arrive home, and relentlessly pursuing us, bringing Him glory. However, without repentance, obedience, or surrender, it leads us to think that we can follow Jesus without changing. Unbelievers who are unfamiliar with these Scriptual references will think it’s a human lover wooing their partner.
I cannot recommend it for corporate worship.
Final Score: 5.5/10
Artist Info
Track: Dancing on the Waves (Live) (listen to the song)
Artist: We the Kingdom
Album: Holy Water (Deluxe)
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2019
Duration: 4:30
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2019 We The Kingdom Music (BMI) Neon District Music (BMI) Bay19 (ASCAP) Scott Cash Publishing Designee (BMI) Angie Feel Good Songs (ASCAP) Capitol CMG Genesis (ASCAP) Capitol CMG Paragon (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
10/25/2022 – After a brief email exchange with Adison Ransley, I changed my mind on this review, lowering it from 9/10 to 5.5/10.
Comments
Nancy Bryant Huff
While I appreciate the serious evaluation of the song’s merits and faults, I want to give another angle on which to view This song. I am 67 y/o white woman that is no fan of much contemporary Christian music. My issue of “praise” music with its repetitiveness reminds me of my time in the Middle East with the rocking/self-soothing motions seen there as they worship.
I just recently discovered Walking on the Waves. What struck a deep place in my heart was the phrase “I dare you to believe how much I love you now” .Many women I pray for and with struggle with their self -worth.What we really need to hear is that we don’t have to deal with our shame and our guilt anymore.Because of the love of Christ we’ve been set free. This is what this song says to many of us.
As To being mistaken as a song for a human lover -That would be a very unhealthy relationship cause no human could love like this, nor make such claims. No human could tell me they would be my strength. No human could actually Make the claim that they hung stars in the sky to remind me who they are. And as for a human lover chasing me down- that would be stalking.
My traditional Christian background kept dredging up the past. That was who I was. Now I am the daughter of The King. Knowing I am truly known and truly loved frees me to want to serve my Father the King well. Only Grace has that power! That’s what this song gives me. Grace.
Jerrod
I’m not so much concerned that the song doesn’t include repentance from sin, etc. Every worship song doesn’t have to say every THING. And this song isn’t ABOUT repentance, and it doesn’t have to be, nor is it necessary to mention. How many of the Psalms praise God for His lovingkindness without making mention of repentance? A sermon about salvation that lacks repentance is an incomplete Sermon. But my personal philosophy is that a worship song only need to speak truthfully in what it says, not necessarily in what it doesn’t say. So I don’t think this is a fair assessment of a worship song, necessarily. (But we could thumb-wrestle over that, I suppose.)
That said, like the reviewer, I am bugged by the implication that God’s creation of the stars were solely for the purpose of mankind. If I was going to make a point about God revealing Himself to us through creation as a sign of His love and mercy, that’s absolutely an inspired/inspiring message that is worthwhile to sing about, but I felt like the Bridge of this song took that a bit too far. For a moment, the song directed the listeners attention into a confusing and distracting, even man-centric, direction.
dreamlandsoftly6d4de7e1ee
Very well said.
Seth Stanley
Thanks for your thoughtful comments on this song, it bothers me to no end. Besides the fact that nature metaphors are way overused and cliche at this point in CCM, it has weird tensing and personal pronouns. The bridge is the worst. Whenever a song-writer writes a song as if God were singing it, I cringe because a.) God didn’t say those words, b.) it’s super awkward to sing to yourself as if you are God. Also, “I made it all for you?” Nah…God created everything for His glory and enjoyment, and we are His blessable image-bearing covenant partners who get to enjoy the fact that we were created to experience creation in much the same way as he does (taste, smell, sight, sensation, etc…) and be grateful that He made an enjoyable world. But I am not the reason for creation, it was not all for me. Such self-centered foolishness.
Omar
Well, sirs, yes, He “made it all for us” and thag can actually backed up in 1 Timothy 6:17 where it states everything God gave us is for our enjoyment. Everything he gave to us, he made for us to enjoy. Let’s not get legalistic, really.
We know that God did not use those exact words but it’s a paraphrase of truths we find God speaking in the Bible, and I think the song is about just singing those paraphrased truths out loud to remind us of God’s care and love for us.
I usually change the pronoun “I” for “you” while I sing these type of songs because I personally love sing directly TO God in second person, but I won’t judge this way it’s judged here. There’s more productive things to do.
SARAH JEAN PATTERSON SCHMITT
I personally, for myself….love to listen to this song .. ALONE. I struggle severely with just not being able to accept that Jesus really loves ME. I know He does. This song just reaches into my heart and reminds me that God doesn’t think I’m disgusting. I do love your website though. Thank you for posting this.
Harold Geern
Just gotta be honest here. I hate this song. The entire premise makes no sense. Dancing on the waves?? We as terrible sinful humans are the reason God sings? Just seems like another modern wishy washy barely graze the surface kind of “Christian Worship Song” that maybe sounds good to the ears while having nothing to say.
Vince Wright
Harold,
Thank you for your honesty! It’s not my favorite either.
-Vince Wright
Jessie Penn
Absolutely, Harold, we are the reason He sings. Read the 3 parables in Luke 15. Its so amazing that each one ends with the Lord rejoicing, for the lost one who has been found. Such a beautiful picture of His love for us & how we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus. God actually gave me an amazing personal revelation that filled me with unspeakable, unreasonable joy in a moment of deep pain & fear. My 15 year old son who was rebelling and angry that he was being held accountable packed a bag and took off. I drove off looking for him, but couldn’t find him, and I was feeling hopeless & forlorn for him. I turned on worship music & this song came on, & it was just such an affirmation of love of the Father for my boy. It was like a promise to me, that He’s standing at the door, calling & waiting. The presence of the Lord in that moment was tangible. His promises can be trusted.
Also, I have no idea why “so you would remember my name,” does not translate to you as God being glorified??? To remember Him is to glorify Him! & He IS worthy!
Jolee
I looked at the lyrics to this song and it says “You are the reason I sing.” God is not singing here. This is just confusing 😟