19 December | St Albans, UK [David Neal]
For many of us, the earliest songs of faith we learned as children conveyed a simple yet powerful message: the gospel is a light in a dark world.
We sang them with young voices and uncomplicated faith — “Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for Him each day.” Long before we understood doctrine, we were learning to hope.
Shine, Jesus, Shine — and the Adventist Connection
Then, in the late 1980s, another song built on the same theme and became a new anthem for a generation. Written in 1987 by British songwriter Graham Kendrick, “Shine, Jesus, Shine” gave fresh language for renewal, mission, and expectation. Inspired by the biblical vision of God’s glory filling the earth, the song became a global worship anthem after its introduction at Spring Harvest, capturing the spirit of contemporary Christian praise and a longing for God’s light to break through.
It was during this period that Kendrick first connected with the London Adventist Chorale, who recorded Shine, Jesus, Shine nearly forty years ago at Balham Church. Few could have imagined then that the song — or the collaboration — would return full circle decades later.
Fast forward to 2025
As London Adventist Chorale member and Stanborough Press Manager Elisabeth Sanguesa explains, “At a time marked globally by despair, distress, uncertainty, and deepening division, Kendrick’s producer had a vision: to bring Christians together once more — across cultures, denominations, and nations — to pray, worship, and proclaim hope.”
“The result is”, added Sanguesa, “A new remix of Shine, Jesus, Shine, released on 19 December, led once again by the London Adventist Chorale, under the musical direction of Ken Burton, a UK Adventist.”
“What emerged was far more than a recording session”, continued Sanguesa. “Nearly 200 voices came together — representing over 60 church groups, including singers of Punjabi, Chinese, and many other nationalities, spanning countries and continents. A children’s choir added its own bright testimony. Prominent soloists from the UK gospel scene stood alongside volunteers, all offering their gifts freely, united by prayer and worship.”
I Know the Quality You Bring
The London Adventist Chorale was invited to provide vocal leadership and musical precision, with Ken Burton leading the choral arrangement — a deeply meaningful moment, given the Chorale’s historic connection to the song.
Reflecting on the collaboration, producer Steve Thompson, long-time musical director, record producer, and arranger for Kendrick for more than 35 years, said: “I definitely wanted to work with the Adventists because I know the quality you bring. You may take it for granted, but there’s no other choir I’ve worked with that has your unique sound. You Adventists bring something special.”
To Let Jesus Shine
At its heart, this project has a single purpose: to let Jesus shine — to allow His light to be seen and known in a world longing for hope. Releasing the song during this Advent season is no accident. This is the time when Christians remember that light entered the darkness, and that darkness did not overcome it.
As we look back over the past year, the daily news alone reminds us that it has once again been a challenging time — both nationally and globally. Yet this new remix of Shine, Jesus, Shine offers something profoundly reassuring: a reminder of the deep and lasting hope that Christ still brings to today’s world.
In a season when many are searching for reassurance, this reimagined anthem becomes both prayer and proclamation — affirming that Christ’s light still shines, still gathers His people, still sends them in mission, and still gives hope that endures beyond uncertainty.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
[Photo: Still taken from the official YouTube album thumbnail]
