Tuesday, April 28, 2009

You Are God

One of the major themes of our ministry has been encouraging lifestyles of worship. It's even in our purpose statement: "To encourage all we encounter to lead lifestyles of worship." This is because we believe worship is not just something for Sunday mornings but what all human beings were made for. We all worship something, even if it's not God. It should be God, but regardless, every human being finds some object on which to focus his or her worship.

YOU ARE GOD is a song about worshipping God in every day moments. So many people know prayer as a bedtime ritual or something they do when gathered around the table for meals, so I wrote about praising God at night and when we eat. But we also should remember to praise Him at all times: when we're busy or tired, when we succeed and when we fail. He is our reason for being and the source of our life and breath -- the wind beneath our sails, I put it...

I praise you in the morning,
I give you praise at night.
I praise you when I’m busy.
I praise you when I’m tired.
I praise you in my victory.
I praise you when I fail.
I lift my voice to worship you –
the wind beneath my sails.


I think the reason we so often forget to praise Him is that we forget who He is. He is everything: Father, Creator, Ruler, Healer, Friend. I looked up names for God and Christ and tried to pick some of the more obscure ones as well as popular ones like Emmanuel, Messiah, Shepherd and Redeemer. That's why I included Beloved. But I also discovered Christ is called Jehovah in the Scriptures. I always thought that was just a name for God.

Emmanuel, Messiah – you are everything.
Shepherd, Redeemer – you are God.
Prince of Peace, Jehovah – you are all I need.
Savior, Beloved – you are God.


Verse 2 covers more times to praise Him: when we're sleeping, when strong and when weak. He deserves credit even for our source of life: breath and food. And He is our rescuer.

I praise you in my working.
I praise you in my sleep.
I praise you when I’m strongest.
I praise you when I’m weak.
I praise you for the air I breathe.
I praise you when I eat.
I lift my voice in worship to
the one who rescues me.


Truly no God could compare to our God. His love is beyond compare, a love like no other. He Redeemed the undeserved. And in our life long quests for an object to worship, we can never find peace until our hearts rest upon Him.

There is no other God like you.
There is no other Redeemer.
No one loves me like you do.
You’re the one my heart’s been seeking.


One of my favorite worship lyrics. The song really had no solid accompaniment until we found the right rhythm guitar pattern. That gave it the groove we needed.

This track opens with my wife, Bianca, reading Psalm 149:1-5 a great call to worship for God's people:

1 Praise the LORD. [a]
Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.


Sunday, April 19, 2009

Save Me, O God

In 1995, while I was just starting to record my first album, a contemporary Christian music CD titled Stand, I was attending First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. It was here, under the music direction of the outstanding Fred Boch (check your hymnals for the name), that I first discovered the power of contemporary praise & worship music. I had grown up in a church which pretty much did hymns. And while I had visited a few other churches along the way, it was not until First Pres that I made the weekly, regular connection with this new style and really began to embrace it.

One thing we creative types tend to do in such situations is wonder if we could perhaps one day write a tune in that style. So on my way home from church one day, I started thinking it might be fun to try. I had been combing through the psalms seeking biblical inspiration, when I stumbled upon Psalm 54: 1-2.

Save Me, O God, by your name.
And vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God,
give ear to the words of my mouth.


Word for word from the revised standard version I had the chorus of what became my first praise and worship song. I began the verses by writing simple truths about who our saving God is.

For I know you are holy.
Your name’s above all names.
And I will follow you forever,
Lifting my voice to sing:

Save Me, O God, by your name.
And vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God,
give ear to the words of my mouth.

For I know you are with me,
always, ever, here in my heart.
And I will honor you forever.
Lifting my voice with praise.

Save Me, O God, by your name.
And vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God,
give ear to the words of my mouth.


Ironically, it took me several years to fully appreciate the power of this song. It just seemed so overly simple. The melody seemed haunting and easy to learn, but I was so used to the sophistication expected from Contemporary Christian Pop music that I was just not certain this song would be embraced by anyone. I could not have been more wrong. I pulled the song out a few years back when I needed a simple song to translate for a Mexican worship workshop and the song was immediately embraced. I just had to include it on this CD. It's one of my favorites of my melodies.

Our God is a saving God. He alone is worthy of our praise. He alone is worthy of our songs. He is faithful and ever present. To Him be the glory, the God who saves.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This We Do

One of the songs which means most to me on the new CD originated 8 years ago, when my Music Director at New City Fellowship St. Louis complained that we had so few communion songs. I went home, prayed and began writing THIS WE DO.

You made the wine from the water,
And you made me from the dust.
A precious child of the Father
Sent down to suffer for us.


He was the miracle man in more than one sense. Not only did Jesus perform miracles, but He was born from a miracle -- the child of a virgin mother. A beautiful story with a horrific ending full of suffering, death -- and hope. His whole life was spent in service of the most undeserving of lots: sinners.

As we read in the Scriptures, on that day, He gathered his disciples in the upper room, took wine and bread, broke the bread...

You took the bread and broke it in two,
“This is my body broken for you.”
You took the wine: “This is my blood…
Remember me. Remember.”


Every time we take the Lord's cup, it reminds us of that upper room and His sacrifice on our behalf. One of the key symbols of the Christian faith is a reminder of the greatest sacrifice, the greatest loving act the world has ever known.

THIS WE DO, in remembrance of you.
This we give. It’s all we can do.
This we pray and cry out to you.
THIS WE DO, in remembrance of you.


Out of that love, His voice is calling us from the inside out: Come to me, all who are weary, and find rest.


Your love calls me to the Father.
Your Spirit cries to my soul,
Reminding me that you love me,
And died to make me whole.


You took the bread and broke it in two,
“This is my body broken for you.”
You took the wine: “This is my blood…
Remember me. Remember.”


THIS WE DO, in remembrance of you.
This we give. It’s all we can do.
This we pray and cry out to you.
THIS WE DO, in remembrance of you.


Every time I sing this song, I get chills. And congregation seem to have the same response. Ironically, it was only last year that I finally sang the song during communion. It just bookended the whole event with deeper meaning. I tried to include this on my 2003 album, but had production issues. This song has had the most production issues this time as well, but we managed to get it finished for the CD (with a few technical issues I hope listeners can overlook). Don't know why, but the enemy just seems to really want me to not release this song.

In any case, it's haunting melody and biblical words paint images which remind us of our Savior who bled and died for us and all that it means. Praise and honor and glory be to Him now and forever...

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I Worship You Alone

When I was doing workshops in Ghana I kept coming across these songs that made no sense. Songs with lyrics like:

"You're our warrior. You're our warrior. You're our warrior. You are." I kept asking who are they singing about?

"Let it rain. Let it rain. Open the floodgates of heaven. Let it rain." That one has verses but so often people just sing the chorus and taken out of context it's just not clear who should rain and what the floodgates will release.

That's my pet peeve about worship songs. People come in to visit churches all the time. You cannot afford to talk like insiders. You have to open up and let them in on the secret. The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not supposed to be hidden under a bushel of secret talk and mystery but shouted out to the whole world.

My friends and students in Ghana argued they needed simple songs that repeat a lot to teach basic spiritual concepts to people who can't read or don't have much education. So I set out to write a simple, repetitive song which would tell the whole Gospel story. That's how "I Worship You Alone" was born. Little did I know it would become one of my more popular melodies.

I worship you alone. I worship you alone.
No greater love the world could know.
I worship you alone.


What do I do? I worship you. Why? Because there is no greater love in all the world. Simple, but a profound truth churches often talk about. The verse fleshes it out.

Jesus, my Savior and my friend.
Son of God, you died that I should live.


Now we know who we worship and even more of why. We worship Jesus, because he's our Savior, friend, Son of God, who gave His life for us.

I actually thought it was too simple for American audiences but it has really taken off and now is performed in five languages. It continues to bless me when I sing it, and I have had really talented musicians tell me it's their favorite of my songs. Just goes to show you what do I know?

Simplicity in worship speaks to the hearts of people. Tell the story, clearly, and succinctly and let the power of the Gospel message work for you. God will do the rest, and His way is always best. Amen.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

He's Alive

I'm about to admit something that will make worship songwriting instructors cringe. He's Alive was not intentional. I had actually spent an hour trying to write a new melody to an obscure hymn whose words I really liked. I tried several approaches and failed miserably. It just wasn't working. I was writing because I needed another upbeat song for my CD. I had almost given up in disgust at my creative impotence, when I got this little germ of an idea. I had been tossing around ideas for songs which could be simple but energetic for the new congregation I will be leading starting in May, Las Tierras Community Church. Suddenly, words just popped in my head:

We will dance. We will sing.
For the glory of the King.
We will praise His name on high.
For our Savior is alive.
He's alive.


What better words to describe why we worship? What our faith is all about? This is the reason we celebrate. At the time I wrote it, in February, I didn't even think about the fact I was writing an Easter theme. But the melody and words came together and I knew right away it would be easy to teach and catch people's attention.

Praise to the one who came to die –
The Lamb of God was sacrificed.
Only His blood can set us free.
In Him, we live and move and breathe.
So we sing to our Savior,
Our hearts filled with joy.
Let our lives testify to His grace.

He is the way, the truth, the light.
His blood has paved our path to life.
All glory be to Him alone –
Emmanuel, the Holy One.
So we sing Hallelujah to Jesus, Our Lord.
Let our voices be heard in every heart.

When I started on the verses, I just told the story of Jesus as Savior -- the how and why He died. What makes him so important to us. In Him, we live and move and breathe. He is the source of life, of everything. What a joy it is to know Him. How can we help but want to sing and tell the world of His wonderful grace and joy? When you know someone or something this wonderful, you can't keep it in. You want to share it with everyone. You have to.

Be glorified. Be glorified, Oh Jesus.
Be glorified. Be glorified forever.


The bridge is just a cry of the desires of our hearts responding to His love, His sacrifice, His grace -- who He is. We want to praise Him. We want to see Him glorified and lifted up to the appropriate place of importance, of recognition for the whole world to see and honor Him.

He's alive and well and lives in the hearts of those who believe. Oh what a glorious Savior!