City On the Hill

Album: Come to The Well (2011)
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Songfacts®:

  • During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to his Church as a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, a beacon of light and truth to the world. Frontman Mark Hall told New Release Tuesday that this song, "draws a picture of two old men sitting and talking about the city on the hill." He explained: "They're trying to remember what happened to the city on the hill because it's not there anymore. As they weave through the stories, they remember the warriors thought everyone was weak so they went off and started their own city. The dancers didn't think everyone had enough spirit so they went off and started their own city. It's an allegory of the factions of the modern Church, the result of predominantly like-minded people often dwelling upon non-essentials and personal taste to go their own direction."
  • Hall was inspired by the passage in 1 Corinthians 12, which describes the church as a body, a unit that is made up of many parts. He explained to New Release Tuesday: "The Apostle Paul recognized the differences in us all—some of us are a hand, some are a foot, some an eye—but we all serve a distinct and important purpose and are interdependent. We have to dwell on our like-mindedness if we are ever going forge a lasting impact for God's Kingdom. The song reminds us that we really do complete each other in the kingdom when we come together."

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