The City Harmonic has made quite an impact on worship music over the past eight years with their standout anthems "Manifesto," "Mountaintop," "Holy (Wedding Day)," "A City on a Hill," "Praise the Lord" and "Let There Be Light." The Canadian band announced late last year their plans to close this chapter of their lives in 2017.

The band, consisting of front man Elias Dummer, bassist Eric Fusilier, guitarist Aaron Powell and drummer Josh Vanderlaan, are closing their ministry with Benediction Live. It is a selection of standouts from over their career, recorded live in Hamilton, Ontario. I had the chance to speak with lead singer Elias Dummer about "Honestly."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

The funny thing is that the beginnings of the song "Honestly" began over a decade ago. Songs we played together over the years are sometimes older than the band itself. 

In a lot of ways the song is drawn from Psalm 51, which people know from David praying "create in me a clean heart." Then David says, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Later in verse 16 he says, "My sacrifice is a broken and contrite heart, You God will not despise." Sometimes when we read the Psalms, we read the highlight reel. We read the part we already know and miss some of the gems sitting underneath. In looking back on David, we are told he was a man after God's own heart, that he had a broken and contrite heart. I think what's amazing about that, why I wrote this song in the first place, why this song is important to me right now and why we added this bridge, is that at the end of the day, every Christian starts their journey with Christ and journey of faith with brokenness if it's an honest pursuit of Jesus. Whether it's a brokenness we already had, or brokenness we needed to see Jesus.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV): "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Psalm 51:10-11 (NKJV): "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."

Acts 13:22 (NKJV): "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'"

Galatians 2:19 (MSG): "What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily."

What is the takeaway message?

We fall into patterns that allow us to forget how badly we need Jesus. Whenever we forget, and for us as we are closing the curtain for our time as a band, we know that success is not the measure of godliness. Pursuing God for us looks like following what God has called us to, even if it looks like closing the door on a good thing. That's what this song is about: "can I let go of all that You've given, if it meant that it all would be Yours?" 

I think sometimes we confuse Christianity with positivity or a moral book. While it can be healthy to be positive and having nicely defined morals is a good thing, I think at the end of the day, Christianity is the pursuit of Christ-likeness. The single most memorable example we have of Jesus is the Cross. If we are trying to be like Jesus, that looks like the Cross, taking on brokenness and humility in order to find ourselves truly in Christ. That's what in so many ways makes this a worship song and a dangerous prayer. It's dangerous because I believe it's a truly Christian prayer.

For this album, we wanted to make a live worship album that would help people understand our mission as a band. We are a worship band trying to lead people into the presence of God. What's interesting for me about this song is that it melds two eras of our lives together. Benediction is a word we associate with an ending or a goodbye. It's an end of one thing and a sending to another. We leave church to bless our families and be Jesus to people. As we part ways as a band, it's the end of our band and the beginning of what we go on to do, the beginning of what the church goes on to do. Go out and be the church. That's what this album is all about.

Lyrics:
Could I let go of all that You've given
If it meant that it all would be Yours?
Could I sit at your feet, and forget about me
And remember what I'm here for?
 
Honestly, I need to be broken
Honestly, I need to fall down
Go ahead and shake my foundation
'Cause Honestly, I'm figuring out
That of all that I have, all that I need is You
Honestly
 
If I leave behind all that's familiar
Could You do what has never been done?
If I believe in You like You believe in me
Could you finish the work You've begun?
 
Honestly, I need to be broken
Honestly, I need to fall down
Go ahead and shake my foundation
'Cause Honestly, I'm figuring out
That of all that I have, all that I need is You
Honestly
 
I'm prone to wander, but where could I go that You aren't there?
So here's my heart, Lord, with all of its' doubts and fears and prayers
 
Honestly, I need to be broken
Honestly, I need to fall down
Go ahead and shake my foundation
'Cause Honestly, I'm figuring out
That of all that I have, all that I need is You
Honestly

I don't often hear an album that foundationally brings me back to when I wasn't a Christian, what I need to strip away from my religiosity and from my use of "Christianese" language. This selection of songs is a fitting farewell, sending out listeners to live out these songs on Benediction. "Honestly" challenges me to think about what I'm allowing to rule in my heart instead of giving myself completely to God. 

This song is all about trusting in God and confessing to Him and others when you fail or have struggles. Lay those at the feet of Jesus, and He'll take them from you and release you from that burden. "Honestly" is a great prayer to rid ourselves of worldly distractions and temptations that lead us away from God, praying instead to "be a man after God's own heart." The theme is relatable for all believers and truly has a David-like psalmist yearning for God.

I was hooked by the Psalm-like reflective tone of the song, which has sincere and prayerful lyrics. If you don't know how to word your prayers of thankfulness for what Jesus has done for you, just sing along with this incredible song of faith. What I love about this song is that it includes a testimony of submission to the Lord that we can all pray about our personal struggles. Our weaknesses are nothing to hide. In fact, because of our weaknesses God's grace and strength are perfectly revealed. I sing this song at the top of my lungs and proclaim to God: "Honestly I'm figuring out / that of all that I have / all that I need is You." Amen to that!

Listen to the song below.