THE GLORY
Andy touched the keys of the out-of-tune piano, letting the notes filter through the mid-morning quiet. The clear beginnings of a melody played through his mind. There was something there that he wanted to explore.
It felt slightly old-fashioned, with a hymn-like progression that made him think of the divinity and humility of Jesus, how inextricably tied together they were. In it were echoes of a passage he’d read recently in Philippians 2:7–8 (NIV) ...rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself...
Over the next 20 minutes, Andy wrote the first verse and chorus. The flow came easily.
My eyes have seen your beauty
In unexpected places
You’ve always used the lowly
As cathedrals of your presence
It felt slightly old-fashioned, with a hymn-like progression that made him think of the divinity and humility of Jesus, how inextricably tied together they were. In it were echoes of a passage he’d read recently in Philippians 2:7–8 (NIV) ...rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself...
Over the next 20 minutes, Andy wrote the first verse and chorus. The flow came easily.
My eyes have seen your beauty
In unexpected places
You’ve always used the lowly
As cathedrals of your presence
‘Cause the Glory, the Glory,
the Glory has been yours forever
So the Glory, the Glory,
the Glory will be yours forever
He knew there was something special in it. Quickly creating a demo, he posted it to Instagram—the first time he’d ever put unfinished work on social media.
Not long after he posted the demo, he received encouraging messages, including one from singer-songwriter, Cody Carnes. “I love this. I hope you finish it.” But every time Andy tried to write the rest of the song, he got nothing. What was going on? He had felt so inspired. What was he going to do with it now?
He decided to go back to the Source. The image of Jesus stepping down into the world with such incredible humility kept returning to mind. The song was meant to be about Jesus’s glory through that humility. To Andy, it seemed fitting that he take that to heart. Initially, he thought this would be his own project, but he came to realize that he needed to release it to others. Humbly, he asked friends in the industry for their input.
“It was like breaking new ground with old friends,” he said. “Working together to create something that felt timeless and fresh at the same time. It’s a cutthroat industry, but it doesn’t have to be.” Over the course of several collaborative songwriting sessions with Cody Carnes and Cecily Hennigan, they developed several more verses.
Why do you give your image
To those who don’t protect it
Jesus you never have been
Concerned with reputation
the Glory has been yours forever
So the Glory, the Glory,
the Glory will be yours forever
He knew there was something special in it. Quickly creating a demo, he posted it to Instagram—the first time he’d ever put unfinished work on social media.
Not long after he posted the demo, he received encouraging messages, including one from singer-songwriter, Cody Carnes. “I love this. I hope you finish it.” But every time Andy tried to write the rest of the song, he got nothing. What was going on? He had felt so inspired. What was he going to do with it now?
He decided to go back to the Source. The image of Jesus stepping down into the world with such incredible humility kept returning to mind. The song was meant to be about Jesus’s glory through that humility. To Andy, it seemed fitting that he take that to heart. Initially, he thought this would be his own project, but he came to realize that he needed to release it to others. Humbly, he asked friends in the industry for their input.
“It was like breaking new ground with old friends,” he said. “Working together to create something that felt timeless and fresh at the same time. It’s a cutthroat industry, but it doesn’t have to be.” Over the course of several collaborative songwriting sessions with Cody Carnes and Cecily Hennigan, they developed several more verses.
Why do you give your image
To those who don’t protect it
Jesus you never have been
Concerned with reputation
What kind of king of Glory
Becomes what he created
Leaves a throne to suffer
For the sake of his beloved
And chooses to show power
By choosing not to use it
Your life a perfect offering
It was your joy to lose it
You are the highest who went lowest
The healer who was broken
Jesus all the Glory is yours
Andy was grateful for the peace and encouragement he felt in the collaborative creation of the song. “I needed it for the work God was doing in my heart. I needed the process and humbling of it.”
In 2023, Andy joined Seacoast Church’s worship team and moved with his wife, Michelle, and family to Charleston. As the song came together, Micah Nichols and Garrett Abel of Seacoast Music, acted as the driving forces for “The Glory” to become a part of a new project, the new Seacoast album, Courage, released in September 2024.
“All these voices on the album, all the worship leaders,” Andy said, “they’re from our church and speak to the heart. I felt humbled to have this opportunity, to be a part of it.” No longer would he let fear hold him back from what God had called him to do. “Humans are so good at forging God’s signature on words we say over ourselves,” he said. “But God speaks words of life.”
You’ll be enthroned on our praises
For all generations
Jesus all the Glory is yours
Yet, Andy felt there was still a verse missing. “The Glory” wasn’t finished. Returning to his home studio one evening, he prayed for words clearly from God’s heart. “I feel like he did give me a final revelation to write that last verse,” Andy said. “Because they clearly weren’t my words. I can only attribute it to the kindness of God.”
Becomes what he created
Leaves a throne to suffer
For the sake of his beloved
And chooses to show power
By choosing not to use it
Your life a perfect offering
It was your joy to lose it
You are the highest who went lowest
The healer who was broken
Jesus all the Glory is yours
Andy was grateful for the peace and encouragement he felt in the collaborative creation of the song. “I needed it for the work God was doing in my heart. I needed the process and humbling of it.”
In 2023, Andy joined Seacoast Church’s worship team and moved with his wife, Michelle, and family to Charleston. As the song came together, Micah Nichols and Garrett Abel of Seacoast Music, acted as the driving forces for “The Glory” to become a part of a new project, the new Seacoast album, Courage, released in September 2024.
“All these voices on the album, all the worship leaders,” Andy said, “they’re from our church and speak to the heart. I felt humbled to have this opportunity, to be a part of it.” No longer would he let fear hold him back from what God had called him to do. “Humans are so good at forging God’s signature on words we say over ourselves,” he said. “But God speaks words of life.”
You’ll be enthroned on our praises
For all generations
Jesus all the Glory is yours
Yet, Andy felt there was still a verse missing. “The Glory” wasn’t finished. Returning to his home studio one evening, he prayed for words clearly from God’s heart. “I feel like he did give me a final revelation to write that last verse,” Andy said. “Because they clearly weren’t my words. I can only attribute it to the kindness of God.”
“Why did he give me the words?” Andy asked. “I can think of all sorts of reasons why he shouldn’t have. I know what my temptation is when dealing with the slightest amount of glory. Yet, there was Jesus, in all his incredible glory, choosing humility.”
Should I be met with suffering
I know that’s where you’ll meet me
My pain is not a mystery
To the one who walked through all things
When the blessing feels like breaking
And the promise feels so distant
God use it for your glory
And help me not to miss it
“Every song is a miracle—how something exists now that didn’t before. I just want this song to help people love Jesus more.”
Then, Seacoast Music and the Chosen team proposed featuring “The Glory” at the conference. “Every once in a while,” Andy said, “God will breathe on something and take it further than you could expect. To have a song I was a part of writing, is an absolute honor."
Should I be met with suffering
I know that’s where you’ll meet me
My pain is not a mystery
To the one who walked through all things
When the blessing feels like breaking
And the promise feels so distant
God use it for your glory
And help me not to miss it
“Every song is a miracle—how something exists now that didn’t before. I just want this song to help people love Jesus more.”
Then, Seacoast Music and the Chosen team proposed featuring “The Glory” at the conference. “Every once in a while,” Andy said, “God will breathe on something and take it further than you could expect. To have a song I was a part of writing, is an absolute honor."
“Women of Chosen, I sincerely hope that God touches your heart through this music as much as he has touched mine. Please remember that you are an image-bearer of the most high God. You are a place where his glory dwells.”
- Andy
SEACOAST MUSIC'S LATEST ALBUM, COURAGE, IS AVAILABLE NOW.
