The Gospel + Art

The Gospel + Art

Sovereign Grace Music

My buddy since high school Jason Sears asked me to pick my top 5 fave songs from Sovereign Grace ministries. Here's my answer with links to hear a portion of the song from SGM's site.

• His Forever
• Let Your Kingdom Come
• Before the Throne of God Above
• I Will Glory in My Redeemer
• Covenant of Grace

Note: SGM's new CD Come Weary Saints is my favorite album, and has none of these songs! The songs I chose were songs we sing regularly in worship. Be sure to visit SGM's music store and buy some of these songs!

Also drop by Jason's pages. He's one talented brother.
http://www.myspace.com/intentionalworship
http://www.myspace.com/jasonsearsmusic

Get this CD

Come Weary Saints

undistract: t4g - Sovereign Grace Session 1

Dave Wilcox, the technical director at Covenant Life church (church home base for Sovereign Grace Ministries) keeps a wonderfully helpful blog at www.undistract.net.

Today's post, a reflection on some things C.J. Mahaney said to a group of pastors, really challenged me to become a greater servant to the servants around me.

Here's some of what Dave said:

While the discussion was definitely aimed at the pastors of Sovereign Grace churches, I did take away this one thought that was very applicable to technical ministry: Church leadership exists for the people of the church, not the other way around.

The question immediately jumped to mind: Is this truly the way I view my leadership role in the church? It should be. My job as technical director is to enable volunteers to serve the pastors and the church. Many times, however, I get so tied up in serving the pastors myself that I subtly change that sentence to... My role as technical director is to serve the pastors, and the volunteers are here so that I succeed.

Application:
So how am I treating the church as if it exists for me, and not the other way around?

How am I treating musicians as if they exists to help me do my job, and not enable them to serve the church to their greatest potential?

You and You Alone - Review

Pat Sczebel is an associate pastor at Crossway Community Church and a worship songwriter. He is the author of one of my favorite songs - His Forever, which you can download for free HERE. Pat and his son Joel recorded an album last year entitled You and You Alone. Pat sent me a copy to recently to review on the blog, so here I go. (If you want another review, check out Bob Kauflin's.)

Trust in You
A fast 4/4 rock n' roll anthem, very youthful about God's sovereign rule over all creation and our trust in him. In my opinion, should have been called "You Reign" since that is the predominant phrase. The strong lyrics match the attitude of the young, sold out heart of the singer:

In joy and in suffering
Always I'll keep singing
You are good
Jesus, you are good

Over All
Laid back, 4/4 southern rock tune declaring to God is sovereign, is seated on the throne, that none can thwart his plan, for he is "over all".

Yesterday, Today, and Forever
A medium tempo, 4/4 Scripture song; too wordy in my opinion on the verses, but the chorus is memorable.

The Greatest of All
A slower 6/8 swing that borrows lyrics from Fanny Crosby's "Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It". Great lyrics, but the slightly jazzy, B-3 based accompaniment seems stylistically juxtaposed to the emotion of gratitude of the song.

In You
A relaxed, guitar-based, 4/4 celebration of God's grace, mercy, shelter, forgiveness, love and rest.

I Surrender All
As the title says, a song of aspiration to give everything to Jesus, because Jesus laid down his life, purchased our freedom, and made us heirs. Stylistically, the song bears a kind of sultry jazz feel, freely borrowing some diminished and major 7 chords here and there.

You Are Good
A bass guitar 1/8 note driven singable tune that begins with a screaming bottle neck electric guitar a la U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky". A creative song; memorable. Rejoices in the incarnation, the atonement, and God's gracious and merciful commitment to defend and forgive us. Download it HERE.

Lord, You Are Gracious
A piano-based ballad led by nice female vocals. The electric guitars and drums are kind of overkill for my taste. Great lyrics with a memorable melody. Very sweet. Moved my heart.

Your Son was perfect,
Blamelessness itself.
Father, you turned your face away;
You bruised and crushed him,
That I might know your grace
For all my days.

You Alone
A 3/4 modern hymn with a short refrain at the end of every verse; very, very nice! Only electric guitar accompaniment with lots of chorus effects. A hymn of aspiration. Rehearses the gospel as if the worshiper is standing before God's throne.

You and you alone
Will be my song,
Will be my joy forever.
Take all of my days,
I give my life
To bring you praise.

Jesus, You Are Beautiful
An easy-listening tune that goes back and forth between Dmaj7 and Gmaj7, then heads into the album's characteristic heavy drums and guitar sound. It's kind of weird to mix these styles to me. It also bothers me that Pat breathes between beauti and ful. I have a pet peeve about that kind of thing.
Lyrically, the song is reminiscent of Tim Hughes' "Here I Am to Worship":

Son of God you saved me,
Rescued me out of darkness;
Caused these blinded eyes to see
Just how beautiful you are.

But the song's theme is that Jesus is beautiful, and I love him because he first loved me. No matter how it's sung stylistically, such truth is never hard to enjoy singing.

Critique
The album closes with an recording of a small group singing "I Surrender All" accompanied by just acoustic guitar. When I first heard the CD a few days ago, my first thought and wish was that the entire album had been a recording of the church singing these songs. So hearing this last song done this way was relief. The whole album seemed over-produced, sounding a little too ambitious to me. The drums and guitars too heavy. The timing was off in a few places, and the singing got pitchy here and there. However, the Sczebels aren't trying out for American Idol. They are trying to provide "doctrinally rich, Christ-exalting, contemporary songs for worship". In this regard , they've met their goal. And I plan to use a couple of these songs (Lord, You Are Gracious and You Alone) in worship services at my church.

Thank God for Sovereign Grace Ministries, Bob Kauflin, and Joel and Pat Sczebel. I pray that God will continue to use them to bring us new songs.

"Savior" Downloadable LEAD SHEETS

Click here to find and freely download the new Christmas music from Sovereign Grace's new album, SAVIOR: Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man

Worship Matters: President Bush at the WorshipGod06 Conference

Hillarious! Worship Matters: President Bush at the WorshipGod06 Conference