Chris Tomlin on The First Hymn, Early Church, and Worship

Chris Tomlin, award-winning worship artist and songwriter, is stepping into one of the most meaningful projects of his career. The First Hymn is a new film built around the discovery of what many scholars believe is the oldest known Christian hymn, nearly 1,800 years old, found on a torn piece of papyrus in an Egyptian trash heap and preserved in a vault at Oxford. Chris opens up about what it felt like to be asked to bring something that precious back to life, and the responsibility that came with it. Ancient worship, the enduring power of hymns, and the everlasting King: Chris shares what this project stirred in him about the pure, unfiltered heart of praise, and why a song that old still has something powerful to say to the church today. He also gets real about what God is teaching him on the Winter Jam tour, how gathering with thousands of people in worship cuts through the noise of a broken world, and why after 30 years of leading people to God in song, it still moves him every single night. Highlights The discovery of the oldest known Christian hymn, found in a trash heap and preserved at Oxford Why the hymn references the Trinity a full century before the Council of Nicaea How historian and theologian John Dixon guided Chris and Ben Fielding through the creative process The difference between songs of deliverance and songs of transcendence, and why both matter What this ancient song reveals about the pure, undivided praise of the early church How Holy Forever and How Great Is Our God connect to that same eternal thread What God is teaching Chris on the Winter Jam tour and the hunger for worship he's witnessing Why he called his new album The King Is Still the King and the hope it points to Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Chris Tomlin website: https://christomlin.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christomlin/ 🌐 The First Hymn movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36458791/ 🎵 New album: The King Is Still the King 🎤 Winter Jam Tour: https://jamtour.com/ 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.