AWESOME GOD

“Awesome God” is considered a contemporary worship song written in 1988 by Rich Mullins, who was born in 1955 in Richmond, Indiana.

His parents were John and Neva Mullins and he had two brothers and two sisters. He grew up in the Quaker church and was taught to play hymns at an early age by his great-grandmother.

Mullins played the piano, sang and wrote songs for the New Creations Choir in Richmond, Indiana. He attended Cincinnati Bible College there from 1974-1978. He became engaged in the 1970’s but his fiancé broke it off. In the 1980’s he went to Nashville to publish and record his music.

Mullins suffered most of his life from the belief that his father did not love him. He fought loneliness and depression, seeking, love, friendship, intimacy, trying to understand God and what God wanted from him.

His music was very popular and the sale of his albums and concerts made a lot of money. Mullins believed that to be a Christian one had to love like Jesus loved. To love and reach out to the poor and broken heart-ed. So he only kept from his income a modest sum and gave the rest to charity.

On September 19, 1997, Mullins and his friend, Mitch McVicker, were going to a benefit concert at Wichita State University, when his Jeep rolled over. Mullins was killed, but McVicker survived. Mullins was only 41 years old.

Speaking of the song, Awesome God, Mullins said in a Lighthouse interview that it was the worst-written song that he ever wrote. It was poorly crafted. Poorly crafted or not, the song is loved and sung in churches all over the country. It speaks to peoples’ hearts, our God is indeed an Awesome God!

AWESOME GOD

[VERSE 1]
When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain’t just putting on the Ritz
(Our God is an awesome God)
There’s thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fists
(Our God is an awesome God)
And the Lord wasn’t joking
When He kicked ’em out of Eden
It wasn’t for no reason
That He shed His blood
His return is very close
And so you better be believing that
Our God is an awesome God

[CHORUS]
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God

[VERSE 2]
And when the sky was starless
In the void of the night
(Our God is an awesome God)
He spoke into the darkness
And created the light
(Our God is an awesome God)
Judgement and wrath
He poured out on Sodom
Mercy and grace
He gave us at the cross
I hope that we have not
Too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God

[REPEAT CHORUS]