About the Author:
Tim Hughes is an extraordinary individual. God has blessed his submissive spirit and carried him to great heights as a worship leader, teacher, singer and author. His song, spoken about in this article, has become one of the top 20 songs being sung in churches across America today.
Hughes was born into a pastor’s home in High Wycomee, a small town just outside of London. His parents, John and Annie Hughes, made sure that Tim and his two younger brothers had opportunities to learn music.
Tim, in an interview said, “It was also during my 16th year that the worship pastor at my dad’s church asked me to get involved in the music ministry, playing guitar and singing background vocals. As I grew older, I began to lead worship occasionally in the church services. Then the worship pastor moved to another location, and I took over the leading of a large portion of the worship in church.”
“Here I Am to Worship.” Story of the Song:
Tim said, “I began to read several scriptures but seemed to concentrate on Philippians, chapter 2 – about Christ’s humility and how he took upon himself the attitude of a servant and how he humbled himself and became obedient unto death on a cross. I was challenged with the wonder of who God really is and his sacrifice for us.”
“I sat down in my room and began worshipping him as a response to those thoughts. It was then that the initial inspiration of the song came. I began, ‘Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness …’ and on and on until I had two verses finished. I then put them aside.”
“About six months later, I thought of the verses again and said to myself, ‘I really do need to finish that song.’ I began flipping through ideas of melodies and lyrics that I had written. I came across a melody that I had saved, which sounded quite simple, and yet the feeling I sensed as I played it seemed to compliment my verses perfectly. I wanted the chorus to be a response to our Lord’s amazing sacrifice.”
“I began to ask, ‘How are we going to respond to that great happening? Do we bow down? Do we scream out? How do we say, ‘You are altogether lovely. You are worthy?’ As I finished the song, I finally felt as if the pieces had all come together and it all was complete.”
“Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with you
“So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you’re my God
“And you’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
Here I am to worship.”
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name, which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11
