A Few Quasi-New Songs!

I am excited to bring a few of these songs into the Restoration music rotation.  You may have heard them a couple times at Restoration or many times elsewhere.  I would like to formally introduce you. : )

In the Name of God the Father – You probably have not heard this one anywhere but during Restoration during communion a couple of times.  A really amazing website called cardiphonia.org is a powerful musical resource, and I found this one on there when I was trying to find more Eucharist songs.  This song does a wonderful job of describing the celebration of Christ with us through the Eucharist.

White as Snow – If you were at the nine or eleven o’clock this past week, you heard Danny Murphy lead you in this during the Eucharist set.  You may have also heard it used during the Maundy Thursday service while feet were being washed.  You may have also had the pleasure of hearing Jon Foreman’s (lead singer of Switchfoot) Season EP’s.  (You can check out Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall and buy/download the mp3s here.  “Limbs and Branches” is a compilation – not as good as all four.  The Spirit has used these albums as a powerful part of my personal formation.)  “White as Snow”  is rooted in Psalm 51.  We should all be reminded through a meditative piece like this that “the sacrifices of our God are a broken and a contrite heart.”  I hope that this song can minister to you the way it continues to minister to me.  I just broke down in tears again ten minutes ago as I was listening to it because our God is so gracious.  He knows you so deeply, and he still loves you!

Here is Love – If you were at the five o’clock service you heard Jamie Brown lead this.  It is a powerful hymn about God’s love for you.  Matt Redman has done a version of this which is popular in a number of churches in the area.  I would like you to note the lyric, “Heaven’s peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love.”

I also just retooled the song Majesty.  (Time to go on a little rant here.)  I love hearing people sing, and people stop singing when they cannot reach the notes.  At Majesty’s lowest comfortable range, the congregation has to do a crazy vocal jump from a low Bb to a high D and then linger on that high D.  That is not kind.  We could just not sing it, but it’s too good.  It combines God’s majesty and intimacy too well to toss out of the Restoration canon, so I have done a no-no.  I have tweaked the tune.  The overall thrust of the melody is the same; I have just moved around some 3rds and octaves to avoid pain and crazy jumps.  I would love for you to take a listen so that you can adjust minds to it before Sunday.

So the Scripture verses and music for Sunday are posted at restorationmusic.wordpress.com .  I would love for you to use it!  Meditate on the Scriptures and the songs so that when you join the rest of the choir (the congregation) you can sing well with one voice to the Majestic Lover of this guilty world.