I had the opportunity to participate in a pre-release, group review of Josh White’s upcoming CD, Achor* – which hits the streets November 9th.
Bottom line: Achor is highly recommended personal worship CD worth adding to your collection.
Check out the group review here and preview the tracks here.
Wondering about the CD title – her’s some info…
Music is a big part of who I am. The two songs below are resonating in me right now as my dad and step-mom died in a car accident over the weekend.
We are still grappling with it all, but the certainty is:
Soli Deo Gloria!
Blessed Be Your name [song story]:
Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name
This track off the new Hillsong Live A Beautiful Exchange release is getting the most play right now…
May my prayer like incense rise before You
The lifting of my hands a sacrifice
Oh Lord Jesus turn Your eyes upon me
For I know there is mercy in Your sight
Your statues are my heritage forever
My heart is set on keeping Your decrees
Please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
Let love keep my will upon its knees
Oh God You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God You are my God
And I will ever praise You
To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun
All Your ways are loving and are faithful
Your road is narrow but Your burden light
Because You gladly lean to lead the humble
I shall gladly kneel to leave my pride
I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
Brooke Ligertwood | David Strasser | Rich Mullins
© 2009 Sony/ATV Music Publishing Australia | BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. in U.S. & Canada by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music) | (Admin. by BMG Music Publishing)
I stumbled upon this quote today:
“For some years it has been apparent that the rage for novelties in singing, especially in our Sunday Schools, has been driving out of use the old, precious, standard hymns. They are not memorized as of old. They are scarcely sung at all. They are not even contained in the non-denominational songbooks which in many churches have usurped the place of our hymn books.
We cannot afford to lose these old hymns. They are full of the Gospel; they breathe the deepest emotions of pious hearts in the noblest strains of poetry; they have been tested and approved by successive generations of those that loved the Lord; they are the surviving fittest ones from thousands of inferior productions; they are hallowed by abundant usefulness and tenderest memories. But the young people of today are unfamiliar with them, if the present tendency goes unchecked.”
-Basil Manly, Jr., 1892
Interestingly, three albums that are in my music rotation right now are hymn-based:
PAGE CXVI’s, Hymns and Hymns II and
Sandra McCracken’s, In Feast or Fallow.
By the way, you can get PAGECXVI’s Hymns free at this link until midnight, Tuesday (May 4th).
All three are highly recommended mixes of old and new hymns – check ’em out kids!
Have you downloaded your free copy of PAGE CXVI‘s first Hymn album??? Wha…not YET???
Get it here FREE through midnight on May 4th!
You can also get their new HYMNS II album here – pre-order the physical CD or get an immediate digital download.
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Image: VISUAL THESAURUS | http://www.visualthesaurus.com
[with some creative-license editing, of course!]
When you hear the word “HYMN“, what comes to mind?
For some, it’s not a definition, but a specific song. A song that in one instance gives AND facilitates praise to and honor of an amazing, gracious, and indescribable God. Sadly, for others, the words dirge, tired, old, or irrelevant come to mind – not a reflection of God, but of the older format of songs falsely labeled such because they were written in a difference century (even though hymnody is just as active today as it was in centuries gone by.) The later view is generally unfamiliar with these types of songs and usually avoids them; while the former feel this genre is sorrowfully neglected.
Churches frequently wage battle on this soil – as they probably did when “new” songs were introduced in the 1800s…
Two posts today…I just had to share this.
I picked up a few CDs the other day (it’s weird to by music that way…most everything is from iTunes now days) – one of them was Jadon Lavik’s Life On The Inside. This CD is from 2006 and I’ll admit that I had not heard of him before…not sure how I missed his music, but this CD is GREAT! I actually bought this without a pre-listen, since the bar code on the listening system was not working – the cover looked interesting!
Anyway – every once in a while I’ll hear a song where the lyrics hit a chord in me and I immediately press the repeat on the iPhone, letting the lyrics wash over me and just sink in (this doesn’t happen too often, but when it does – wow). What a sweet time of worship on Monday’s drive home and today’s drive in. The song below brought to mind these promises of God:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” – Isaiah 49:15-16
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
– Jeremiah 29:11
“…in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
“…for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” -Hebrews 13:5-6
Thank You Lord – Praise Your Mighty and Faithful Name!
Confession time. I admit it – I watched the recent ABC series True Beauty. I guess I could call it “research on the human condition”; but really I just was just intrigued – and at times saddened – by how people act when no one is looking. Honestly, some self-examination is probably needed here also!
If you are not familiar with the show (or won’t admit it), here is the show’s description from the ABC website:
The series will determine the True Beauty of six stunning females and four handsome males who will live together in a spectacular Los Angeles mansion as they undergo a series of challenges to determine who is truly the most beautiful.
The gorgeous contestants assume they’re being judged solely on their outer appearance. They’re only half right; outer beauty is one component the judges are looking for, but contestants are also being evaluated — unbeknownst to them — for their INNER beauty as well when they’re put through scenarios and situations that require them to make moral decisions.
I will spare you the details on the show (actually you can “research” it for yourself on ABC’s website.) Most episodes were pretty sad in showing how people acted (although there was some good behavior exhibited.) I’m not completely judging, since basically we are all the same – albeit in varying degrees – and nobody’s perfect except for GOD. Honestly, I’m probably just as guilty of the vanity, selfishness, etc. that was exhibited by the show’s contestants.
The bottom line is that in addition to being a GUT CHECK for me (my heart and my actions), the show really reminded me of what true beauty is – or actually WHO true beauty is: Jesus Christ. His beautiful love for us was and is shown in SO many ways (the biggest of which was His death on the cross for you and for me). In truth, I only truly see but a glimpse of it through my sin-clouded vision (O to Grace how great a debtor…am I).
The little that I am blessed enough to see makes me want to cry out in praise:
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“AWESOME GOD AND GRACIOUS SAVIOR,
YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!”
One year ago today was the last time I saw my mom this side of heaven. I had traveled to see her and my family in Montana since she had been sick and was back in the hospital. As had been the case many times, her room was the gathering point for the family. It was a great visit – all we really did was just spend time together – with each other…with Mom. We laughed, cried, ate, talked, prayed – it was nice. In my heart, I knew her time was close and I will always be glad I went.
If someone in your life has passed away, I’m sure you’ll agree that there are things that bring thoughts of them to you as you go through any given day – leading to tears, laughter, smiles, etc. As I was driving to work recently, doing my morning multi-task drive/prayer/worship, the Charlie Hall song below came on and just reminded me of my mom and the later stages of her life here on earth.
My mom’s body was weak and tired and I know at times she simply wanted Jesus to call her home (she would often tell us that)…but it was in His time, not hers (or ours). I get chills just thinking of my mom and the lines: Finally the voice I have followed for life / has a glorious face that is lit up with light / And you’ll come for me, no more pain, peace, / No more fear, release / just lost and consumed with my glorious King.
Mom is no longer tired or in pain, just worshiping her glorious Savior in His presence!
I can only imagine the day when I will say: Finally the voice I have followed for life / has a glorious face that is lit up with light.
Maranatha!
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