30 minute read
Team Dynamics
Tech teams are built on trust and empathy.
Every church deals with production, whether we have 60 people in our services or thousands. My worship leadership experience includes both small churches and large ones. Every church—regardless of size—needs a way to show lyrics, amplify the sound, and invite people to engage through some form of production technology. But, production is an awkward hat to wear, let alone discuss. In my book, The Six Hats of the Worship Leader, I started a conversation about how to "wear a hat, share a hat, or give a hat away." Leading worship is more than music, and it's more than being in front of people. When appreciation for the people who wear the hat of production or tech lags, the results frustrate.
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When a lyric is too late, or misspelled, heads turn back to the tech booth. This scenario is horrifying to the person advancing the screens as the whole production team intends to be invisible. What is even worse is when a worship leader or pastor from the front calls out the person or makes more obvious the error! When a microphone misses the first words of the worship leader's intro, heads look to the audio engineer without the knowledge that the worship leader turned on his microphone, forgetting that it takes at least three full seconds to find the radio signal that transmits to the PA system. Yes, tensions not only grow but possibly inhibit the atmosphere of the entire worship team and crew when such things happen. And, no matter how professional the situation, they will happen. The good news is that there are some ways to help the people who wear the Technical or Production Hat of the worship leader.
Production and Tech
Here are seven tips to help establish a basic level of trust. The main thing to remember is that empathy matters. Walking in the shoes of the production team creates a culture that listens and empowers people already wired to go the extra mile for the rest of us!
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Put all hands on deck. Build unity by sharing the hat for set up and clean up. When audio lines need checking before rehearsal, the band can come early to help. If you worship in rented facilities, everyone needs to pitch in! We, as musicians and technicians, are one team.
Choose leadership. Challenge the technical director to participate in setting the vision for the service. Maybe, the first step is to put in place a person to lead the production team. Tech is part of worship leadership, too.
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Commit to punctuality. As a whole team, show up on time to keep morale strong. Being first in and last out is the call of those who serve in tech. Be aware of what your actions speak to your teammates.
Spread the thanks. Thank people both on and off the platform. Have you thanked the techs for their work lately? Thanking people for their contributions—on stage or not— indicates a healthy team.
Communicate intentionally. Protect your team by offering insights when no one is in earshot. And, if your feedback can wait, send it later rather than during a service.
Kill the cliques. As a musician, I understand the bonding that is special when you play music together. However, we want more than musicians and music to lead worship. Include in your relationships and care for people in the production team.
Grow in skill. Helping people master a skill may be the most effective investment and motivator. When is the last time you offered a workshop, video, or training experience for your tech team or leaders? When your production team grows, so does the entire team.
I imagine a worship team as a whole unit made up of very different skills, roles, and personalities. As we explore each hat or role worship leaders wear, we need to remember an important principle: When a worship team operates in unity behind the scenes, it leads people better in worship from the stage.
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MUSIC.
2020 SONG SELECTIONS 40
THE LOST & MISSING PRAYER 41
SONGWRITING MASTERCLASS 42
PAUL & HANNAH MCCLURE 44
ALBUM REVIEWS 47
2020 SELECTIONS
Let my soul now rest, I am in your hands; all my future and my past. As the things of earth grow strangely dim, all will come to light at last.”
"TAKE HEART" BY SARAH KROGER
"Take Heart" is a fine example of meeting yourself with a Gospel charge. While we are suffering, the truth is critically important and most difficult to discern. In worship, it is crucial that we are honest about the way we feel, our desires, and our misguided wanderings. Only from that place should we preach the unwavering Good News to ourselves. For we do not want to honor God with our lips while our hearts remain far away. "Take Heart" encourages us to bring our whole selves, the parts we’re proud of as well as the parts we wish we could change, and offer living sacrifices to God. May this song comfort and encourage you.
W R I T T E N B Y GREG LAFOLLETTE
SONG DISCOVERY DIRECTOR OF CURATION
Greg is a musician and producer in Nashville,TN. He is the resident artist at a local church plant, Grace Story Church, and serves as their director of arts and liturgy.
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2019
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Give Thanks Asaph
WRITTEN BY ASAPH
Take Heart Sarah Kroger WRITTEN BY SARAH KROGER
Higher Century Worship
WRITTEN BY DANIEL ASHER & CENTURY WORSHIP
Still You Are Good Calvary Music WRITTEN BY JENNIE MAHOOD
Hope Has A Name River Valley Worship WRITTEN BY AARON JOHNSON, BENJAMIN CRUSE, EVAN JOHN, RYAN WILLIAMS
Abide With Me Sara Groves WRITTEN BY HENRY FRANCIS LYTE, JUSTIN SMITH
He Wears A Crown Bryan McCleery WRITTEN BY BRYAN MCCLEERY, JOSH LAVENDER
My Prayer Frankie and Jen Krasinski WRITTEN BY FRANKIE KRASINSKI, JEN KRASINSKI
Stay Close Awaken Worship Collective WRITTEN BY JOSH LAVENDER AND TAYLOR WILDING
Set Free Valley Worship WRITTEN BY MATTHEW FERRER, BEN LOUNSBURY, JOEL CEBALLOS, CHRISTOPHER FINK
Psalm 132 (A Church Established) Cardiphonia Music WRITTEN BY ISAAC WATTS, JOEL LIMPIC
Light After Darkness Advent Birmingham WRITTEN BY FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL, ZAC HICKS
Hallelujah, Christ Our King The New Collective WRITTEN BY SCOTT DYER, MICHAEL ROSSBACK, CORBIN PIERCE, MICHAEL NEALE, CYNTHIA JEHL
Welcome Here The Journey Collective WRITTEN BY RUSS MOHR
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THE LOST A N D MISSING PRAYERS
Post your thoughts on prayers that are lost and missing on our discussion board
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
BY JOSH LAVENDER
WORSHIP DIRECTOR, TRINITY CHURCH INDIANAPOLIS Josh is the co-founder of Wesleyan Worship Project and Awaken Worship Collective. He is a composer, artist, author and Song Discovery Alum
Afew years ago, I was at dinner in California with two dear friends, Andrea Hunter and Lester Ruth. Lester has done amazing work analyzing CCLI data to find trends and recognize both what churches are singing, and what we’re not. As we talked about worship that night, the conversation led us to a topic that resonated deeply with all three of us—lost and missing things in our worship services. We talked about the kinds of prayers and songs that seemed to disappear over the decades, and Andrea suggested we end by asking the Lord if there was something he wanted us to do about it.
THE POETS RELEASED
Since that dinner there have been a series of songwriting retreats that my own church, Trinity Wesleyan Church, has been hosting in Indianapolis. At these retreats we’ve asked worship scholars to help us revisit faithful lyrics, and release poets and artists to bring new life to sung prayers—worship songs—that are lost or missing.
In the spirit of this vision, this column, “Lost and Missing Prayers” will look for the themes that need renewal or rediscovery and invite worship leaders and songwriters to fill the gaps with new worship songs! There are many different layers of lost and missing prayers. Sometimes a certain type of song might be present in one congregation and not another. Different Christian movements emphasize different parts of the faith, so what might be lost or missing in one movement could be very much alive in another. In this column we will highlight different themes of sung prayer that we believe are lost or missing, themes that have the potential to richly bless God’s people. We want to invite you on this journey to search for the gems of the past and rediscover them for the Church today.
SHINING LIGHT AT HOME
Maybe there’s something lost and missing in your church. Many great songs are written because there’s something a particular congregation needs to pray at a certain time. For example, I think of Matt Redman’s “The Heart of Worship” or Desperation Band’s “Overcome.” These songs were written in response to a local congregation’s need. It seems like God breathed on both of these songs and sent them all over the world, but they were written for a specific season with particular people in mind. C. S. Lewis reminds us that “the light that shines the farthest shines brightest nearest home.”
Dr. Constance Cherry, one of my worship teachers, always encouraged her students to take reverently the task of putting words on the lips and in the hearts of God’s people. It is the role of worship leaders and songwriters to be sensitive to both what God is saying in His word and by His Spirit, and to what the community needs in a particular moment. We get the blessed work of holding both the Scriptures and the community and humbly offering weekly scripts to put God and his people in conversation.
May God make us sensitive to what might be lost or missing in the sung prayers of our people.
MASTER CLASS // SONGWRITING
The most effective leaders are those who commit to lifelong learning. They seize opportunities to gather new experiences, and they ask good questions. More specifically, they ask the right people good questions. The heart of Worship Leader is to help you become the most effective leader you can be by providing resources from and access to the right people—seasoned leaders who have traversed roads you may be on at this very moment.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more seasoned, informed, and experienced leader than Matt Redman. With 16 albums and eight books to his credit, not to mention iconic songs like "10,000 Reasons" and "The Heart of Worship," and his most recent release, Glory Song, Matt has helped craft the era of modern worship music and ministry.
Accolades aside, Matt possesses a wealth of knowledge and insight, which is why Worship Leader is thrilled to partner with him by launching an interactive Q&A column to be featured inside the magazine and on WorshipLeader.com. Readers are encouraged to send their questions on anything about worship. From musical to technical to spiritual topics, Matt is ready and waiting to offer you his expertise and perspective.
Stay tuned to worshipleader.com for more information and details of question submission. In the meantime, check out the video below from Matt to you. You’ve got good questions. He’s got answers!
with Matt Redman
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We’ve seen an electronic infusion into worship music the last many years... and it feels as if that’s waning... What do you think will be the next stylistic movement for congregational worship?
You’ve got questions. He’s got answers.
ASK MATT
He’s one of the most well-known and respected songwriters and worship leaders in the world. And now, Matt Redman is sharing his hard-won wisdom with you!
Read below as Matt helps tackle the intricacies of compelling song-writing and shares insight on maximizing your effectiveness as a leader within smaller contexts. That’s an interesting question—and a really interesting assessment of where things are currently at in terms of genre and musical expression etc. The first thing to say is that if we take a few steps back, we remember that it’s a much bigger picture than we often think about. Right now, all around the globe, there are so many expressions from so many tribes and tongues, both the young and the old, both the curious and the conservative. Even here in the USA I love the privilege of teaming up with people expressing their worship loudly and electronically and then, sometimes even in the same week, jumping in with folk like Keith and Kristyn Getty, who take a more hymnic and traditional approach are doing wonderful things through the ‘Sing!’ Conference. Or— another example—on my last record, having the opportunity to sing with one of the best gospel choirs in Los Angeles; and then on my new album, featuring a classical chorale. To me all this diversity simply points to the worth of Christ—He’s far too glorious to be contained by just one expression! So I think in asking a question like the one above it’s really important to first acknowledge the big picture. It can be all too easy to only see what’s right in front of our face, but when we step back a bit, we can see there’s far more going on, in far more imaginative and creatively diverse ways than we could ever really track. THE SHIF T & WHAT DRIVES IT?
Anyway… back to the actual question! Yes, in some streams and expressions of church worship music, there does seem to be a degree of fluidity where we lean heavily into some aspects of expression, and then after a while lean into something different. I think it often happens in streams of the Church that like to track with what is happening around them in contemporary music culture. Writers, teams or leaders/artists try to keep pace with subtle or sometimes seismic musical shifts for reasons such as relevance and welcome. And much of it seems to be almost cyclical: I can remember 20+ years ago when some people were advising me to stop leading worship on an acoustic guitar, because “it wasn’t where culture was at.” And then up popped Coldplay, and we were good again for a while, ha! And then Adele arrived; all of a sudden you were even good with just a great melody, a great vocal, and a piano. And that was an encouraging moment I felt for so many worship leaders, that it didn’t always have to be the grand and the programmed and the complex; it could just be a heart, some voices and a great song. THE BIGGER PICTURE I’d agree with your comment that there have been some shifts towards the organic and away from the electronic. Having said that, electro and programming and Ableton and Loopcommunity.com and Multitracks.com are still very much alive and well too! And maybe that’s the beautiful thing: that some of the Church leans back towards the breath-filled, and the hand-played and the uncomplicated, while other streams move forward with those more computer-driven expressions. And all do so for the glory of God and the furthering of His gospel among different people groups. THE NEW AND THE CONSTANT
So my answer would be that I’m always keen to see what each generation unveils creatively, but I think it’s impossible to sum up the “next” or the “new.” There’s just too much going on— too broad of a creative spectrum across the Church to be able to get handle on it. My gut instinct though is that there are a few factors that will always win the day. We can move away from them at times, but we always seem to keep coming back to elements such as an inspiring melody, a repeatable hook, singability and a human touch—by which I mean instruments played by a human hand and voices less compressed and processed.
Thanks Kyle for your question—very thought-provoking! It can be all too easy to only see what’s right in front of our face, but when we step back a bit, we can see there’s far more going on, in far more imaginative and creatively diverse ways than we could ever really track.
the McClures
W H E N L E A D E R S H I P T E L L S Y O U
T O BE YOURSELF / /
Transplants to Redding California from High Pointe North Carolina, Paul and Hannah McClure, have been serving at Bethel Church for quite awhile. Once they were just attenders at the Bethel School of Ministry but now they are heavily involved in writing, leading worship, and Paul even manages the worship department. We caught up with them on the heels of their recent release of a surprising solo project that, at the encouragement of their leadership, pays homage to their southern roots but with the spirit and faith of their west coast church home.
WORSHIP LEADER (WL): Thanks for joining us today. We are excited to talk with you guys.
PAUL: We are church kids at heart. Both of us are PK’s and really…worship leaders are my favorite genre of people to talk to, because they get the struggles and all the stuff.
WITH STEVE REED
WL: You guys are a big part of Bethel but it seems a lot of people are confused about what exactly Bethel is or understand the difference between the church and the record company:
PAUL: Yeah it’s confusing. I work for Bethel church in a full time position. Bethel music is a separate thing but yet still the same thing. My office is at Bethel music but I don’t work for them. (laughs)
Bethel church is in Redding California, Bill Johnson is the pastor and his father was the pastor before him. Bill has been the pastor for 20+ years. Brian and Jen Johnson took over the worship department when they were newly married like 20 years ago and then in about 2010 Bethel Music kinda started. I tell worship leaders a lot when they ask, “Hey, we want to start doing albums. How did you guys do that?” Brian started it because he had to. It wasn’t the cart before the horse. It wasn’t
let’s start a label and then try to write songs. They were leading these songs that had life on them that were creating encounters. They were doing stuff and then they created the label out of necessity because they thought these songs were supposed to reach the world. I think that’s important. A lot of people just want to be awesome, but it's like just be awesome because you're already awesome.
So the mandate of the Bethel Music is to export what is happening at Bethel Church. Anyone who is on the label of Bethel Music, that lives in Redding, is required to be a part of the church. Everyone that is in the touring band, anyone who leads, they lead twice a month minimum. We are a part of the church and then we export that to the world. Everyone is rooted in the local church and what God is doing here. All of our songs are being led at church and coming out of those times. So the people involved are obviously connected but Bethel is very much a music label because there are also people who are attached to the label who do not live in the Redding. Like the Helsers in North Carolina, Brandon Lake, and Cory Asbury for example.
Another thing that confuses people is when someone from Bethel Music puts out an album like ours, an artist album, that’s even more confusing.
Bethel Music’s main albums are the collective live albums. That’s the thing that’s our heart, writing songs for the church to sing. The beauty, and the thing Bethel also believes in, is that they also want to hear your own unique artist take on your music. So when we write for a collective album we are very much like, “Hey, here is our song and they produce it in a way that fits the collective sound.” But then to the indie artist they say, “Hey, be you and be free to be you,” which is beautiful honestly. I think when you attached the Bethel name to it, it confuses people because they are used to the live worship.
WL: Your album has a very North Carolina southern roots sound to it. How has northern California taken to your music?
PAUL: I think people have been receptive to it because it just feels like us. Like fully. We’ve been on albums since 2015 with Bethel Music, but never got to be free to create ourselves. We are both stoked because we worked on this project for so long. To release it and be like, ‘Wow, this really feels like us,’ has been really exciting.
WL: Talk about that challenge when you work at a church, how you’re coming under their vision vs. your personal vision. You do songs like your church wants to vs. how you would do it differently.
HANNAH: That was an interpreting process for us because we had been writing for this album since 2016. It was a really long process. We got feedback at one point (from leadership) saying that they couldn’t feel our story in it. We had been so used to writing for the corporate church and just thinking about corporate songs, which is hard and amazing, and they just wanted more of us. Just to feel that they could get to know us. Just more personal.
WL: Which is probably the exact opposite advice you’ve always heard
PAUL: Exactly. Make sure people can relate. Since we’ve moved here that’s how we’ve written, being relatable and being a bit more general.
HANNAH: Actually it’s quite a vulnerable process. Getting that feedback and looking at ourselves and even questioning, “What do we have to say and what is our message?” It just challenged us and so we went back to the drawing board a couple of times just reworking things. We ended up writing Now I See which kind of launched the whole project. We wrote it and showed it to Brian and Joel and they were just like. “This sounds like you guys, this is it. This is what we’ve been looking for.” Just as far as the sound of going back to our North Carolina roots and just the language of it and how the lyrics are relatable but tell more of a story. That kind of launched us from there, “Ok, this is the direction we are writing and we can have it be relatable but still more personal and tell a part of our story.”
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EPISODE 1 MATT MAHER
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To launch our new podcast series we sat down around a grand piano with writer and worship leader Matt Maher to talk about his path from growing up in Canada to being a jazz piano major in Phoenix to now leading worship around the world. With practical examples Matt shares some tips on how to play the piano in a group vs by yourself and what to do if you’re classically trained in a sheetmusic-less world.
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ALBUM REVIEWS BYEDITORIAL STAFF
"OUR CHAMPION" SINGLE BY AWAKEN WORSHIP COLLECTIVE
www.awakenworshipcollective.com
Incredible lyrics that uniquely displays our positioning in God's universe. Igniting the total reliance that we should have in Him as He fights our battles for us.
Great song in the field of great songs. Could easily get lost in the mix of worship collectives now putting out equally evocative music.
Featuring Taylor Wilding and Jennifer Wilding on lead vocals, Our Champion highlights God's ability to transition “our weakness into worship” and using God's omnipresence as THE source of our strength. The sole goal of Awaken Worship Collective is “creating resources for a great awakening in our day.” They have achieved an opportunity for that with their call to battle, “Our Champion,” a great song for personal listening and encouragement.
This group of writers, speakers, creatives and worship leaders realize that awakening can only come through the power of God and His championing for His people.
SOLACE BY MASTER'S VOICE
www.mastersvoice.com
A phenomenal entry into the Southern Gospel worship movement. This quintet has great things in store. They even feature their sound technician on their website as an equal contributor to the album is admirable.
The band uses a variety of lead singers as they segue through the album that at times can be good, but in this instance creates a dynamic that is too much variety. “At Home” is the weakest track on the entire album.
Southern Gospel lovers who are looking for their “Gaither Vocal Band” fix need look no further than Master's Voice and their January 2020 release on Sonlite Records, Solace. Solace features a typical fare of down home lyric expressing the honor and worship to which God should be attributed with the occasional “human perspective” ode thrown in to bring balance to the project.
Supported by the strength of songs like “Last of the Last Days,” “Five Minutes,” and the brass section flavored, “He's Coming Back,” Solace is a perfect edition to any fan of the genres playlist.
S O N G D I S C O V E R Y
E X I S T S T O P R O V I D E
SONGS & RESOURCES
T H A T A D D R E S S T H E
NEEDS OF THE CHURCH.
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"CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED" SINGLE BY CODY CARNES
www.codycarnes.com
Another great song for the church. Easily singable by most congregations regardless of demographic. “Christ Be Magnified” will be showing up in new song rotations all over the world very soon.
Absolutely nothing. Great song that needs to get a complete orchestral arrangement and find its way to the church quickly.
"We find our native cry and inmost melody when worship to Jesus is expressed out of us.” says, Cody Carnes writer and singer of the new worship song, “Christ Be Magnified.” Debuting this song at the 2020 Passion conference is one way to put that “native cry” on display as 65,000 twentysomethings found their “inmost melody” and magnified the name of Jesus together.
Following closely on 2019 successes like “Nothing Else,” “Heaven Fall” and “Run to the Father,” Cody Carnes blasts into 2020 with his new single, capturing the flavor of what it means to be a worshiper in the new decade. With raw, emotive lyrics harkening back to “Ain't No Rock,” Carnes boldly declares with this generation the real desire for an authentic daily encounter with Christ.
Worship with Carnes and his wife Kari Jobe as they tour together this spring where “Christ Be Magnified” will certainly be a part of the worship set.
"THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU" SINGLE BY MARTY AND MISHA GOETZ
www.itsmishamusic.com
This song needs airplay everywhere! There is nothing that should be changed about it unless it is more and more people hearing its encouragement and beauty.
Absolutely nothing.
Have you ever felt hopeless? We all have. One of the passages of Scripture that has provided comfort in those moments is Jeremiah 29:11. It has been put to music many times, but none quite so poignantly and elegantly as Marty and Misha Goetz have written in their single “The Plans I Have For You.”
Being Messianic Jews, the Goetz gravitated towards this passage of Scripture as the inspiration for the song because of the incredible promise given to the nation of Israel at one of the most tumultuous times in their history.
Written from the perspective of a back and forth between one who has lost hope and God, “The Plans I Have For You” is an exquisite reminder that we are never out of His sight and that His ways are greater than our ways.
The song is featured on their project, Marty and Misha Goetz: Live from Jerusalem taken from a concert on their first annual tour of worship together through Israel in 2018.
EDEN TO ETERNITY BY SEU WORSHIP
www.www.seu.edu/seuworship
This could potentially bring attention to SEU Worship on a larger level than previous releases. With its youth oriented feel and positive positioning, Eden to Eternity will be a great entry into the electronica worship genre.
This is definitely an album with a specific generational appeal. Twentysomethings and younger listeners for which it is intended should enjoy the electronica feel of this EP.
From South Eastern University in Lakeland, Florida comes the newest EP release of the University's worship collective, Eden to Eternity. The EP is set to release in February and the single “Higher Than I” is already available at your favorite streaming service. This worship movement includes song writers, creatives, and musicians who combine head bobbing, synth driven, music with positive, God-focused lyrics all wrapped up in a worship listening package that guarantees a new experience.
"FAMOUS FOR" SINGLE BY TAUREN WELLS
www.taurenwells.com
Wonderfully introspective song that calls believers to seek out the absolute best relationship they can have with God through their personal listening and worship time enabling them to do the great things He has planned for them.
Written for personal listening and worship. Would love to see what Wells could do with a church application of “Famous For.”
Coming fresh off of winning 4 categories at the 2019 Dove Awards is the new single by Tauren Wells, “Famous For.” Sure to soar up the CCM charts, the single is from his upcoming project Citizen of Heaven. Wells is joined by Bethel Music's Jenn Johnson on “Famous For,” the strong anthem imploring God to release His attributes into us through the Holy Spirit empowering us to do what only He can do. It is a heart cry for this generation to our God of “exceedingly” and “abundantly” to bless and move as we navigate the waters and fire of this life.
“Famous For” shows the maturing that Tauren Wells has done since being the front man for the Grammy nominated band Royal Tailor only heightening the anticipation for Citizen of Heaven. A gifted artist whose song writing and ability to play a multiplicity of instruments will continue to see him be an encouragement to Christian radio listeners as he hones his craft.
WORLDS KEEP SPINNING BY THE BRILLIANCE
www.thebrilliancemusic.com
Following on the heels of Suite No 1 Oh Dream, The Brilliance is back with new concept record Suite No 2 World Keeps Spinning: An Antidote to Modern Anxiety. First single “World Keeps Spinning” sounds like the latter day Beatles, struggling against the pervasive loneliness we feel in a world where social media passes as community, and we wonder if we can ever love each other.
Yet it’s a hopeful song, positing that true community can provide a balm against anxiety and disillusionment.
“I wanna hear the song of peace Would you sing it over me? Can you help me to speak though I stutter?”
Their signature orchestral pop benefits from a mashup of classical pieces like Bach’s “Passacaglia” and “Fugue in C minor” and Stravinsky’s “Firebird.” The layers provide texture while thrusting the listener forward like an intricate story plot that is racing toward conclusion.
LET THERE BE WONDER BY MATT REDMAN
www.mattredman.com
Some modern worship music may be fairly criticized for a lack of theological depth. Some may be fairly criticized for generic God-talk, and lyrics that could as easily be sung to a false deity or an earthly love. But none of that can be said of Let There Be Wonder, the new live worship record by Integrity artist, Matt Redman. Let There Be Wonder is unmistakably, unequivocally about Jesus Christ, the Son of God who took on flesh, lived the life we couldn’t lead and died the death that we deserved, rising from the dead in glory and majesty.
Redman explores the varied aspects of Christ’s character and work throughout this 13-song setlist, in a way that leaves no doubt that all who worship through these songs are declaring their confidence, gratitude and allegiance in Christ alone.
Musically, it is what we’ve come to expect from Redman. The songs are anthemic and soaring yet singable, with a mix of tempos in a reliably electric pop soundscape. It is not adventurous music. Redman knows what will get people singing at the top of their lungs, what kind of melodies will stick in their minds, and he delivers it time after time, song upon song.
An hour with this record will be an hour spent declaring that Jesus is Lord (“King Jesus”), his name is the power to save and restore (“Jesus Your Name,” “In The Name”), he is all merciful (“Mercies New Every Morning”), and he has filled us with a sense of purpose and mission (“Send Me Lord”).
While this is Redman’s 14th career project, it is his first with Integrity Music. Yet Let There Be Wonder is just what you’ve come to expect from Matt Redman. This is a veteran contemporary worship leader on top of his game, shifting the attention he generates to Jesus.
I'LL BE THE BRANCHES BY CHRIS RENZEMA
www.chrisrenzema.com
Singer-songwriter Chris Renzema self-produced I’ll Be The Branches is like a musical diary in the life of a believer who longs to experience and reflect more of Christ each day. Major themes running throughout these nine songs include baptism, consecration to Christ, the experience of God’s presence, and the stubborn hope of glory in the midst of suffering.
Lyrics that are at turns visceral and visual bring the picture sharply into view, like “I’d give all my freedom, yeah I’d become a slave / To lay on your shore and be washed by your waves” from “God Be My Vision,” and “I’m a son of the valley, a daughter of fear / From the dust we’re raised and to the dust we’re reared” from “Not Yet.”
In the standout song “How To Be Yours,” Renzema identifies with the orphan who dares not hope to be loved. Then God declares his faithfulness, which is more than enough.
Waltz-time piano eases us into the story, and the sudden addition of a wall of sound propels the story along, particularly as the driving drum beat punctuates God’s message of love and grace.
“Fountain” would be a solid addition to your baptism services, and closer “Found” continues the imagery of water washing our sins away, as it sends us out with triumphal lyrics and breezy, light piano flourishes.
The songwriting and production of I’ll Be The Branches shares aesthetic sensibilities with Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers, 70’s singer-songwriters from Elton John to Carole King, and contemporaries like John Mark McMillan. From the Mumford-esque opener “I Don’t Want To Go” to the Gospeltinged “On The Banks,” we identify with the singer’s desire to wade into the water and follow wherever Jesus leads.
Author: Bobby Giles
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INSTITUTE FOR WORSHIP STUDIES 54
