Hymn of the Month at FBC Farmersville

I am very excited to announce that we are going to start singing a “Hymn of the Month” at FBC Farmersville. Blogs like this insightful blog by Trevin Wax (which by the way, uses an accordion analogy, haha! Check it out https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/defy-decay-rate-worship/ ) have spurred Pastor Bart and I to want to adopt a hymn of the month in an effort to continually foster great congregational singing. We are doing this, hopefully, to help in our church’s spiritual life in these ways:

1. I want us to be familiar with most of the material we sing in worship so that everyone can sing it loud and sing it well! Repeating a song all month long will help everyone learn the song super well, so that everyone, young and old, can sing in church together. Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” In order to do that in song, young and old alike need to know the songs!

2. I want to resource families to worship at home. I am making packets for you to take home so that you can sing the selected hymns or songs all month long in the car or at home for family worship!

3. It is an immense blessing to carry a song with you through your whole lifetime. I am going to mainly focus on hymns that have stood the test of time and can be sung throughout the entirety of your Christian life. Great hymns will continue to have layers of meaning for you. This doesn’t mean we will only sing old hymns in church or for hymn of the month. We are going to sing “Ancient of Days” by CityAlight, which is a modern hymn, in November. However, I will try to focus on songs and hymns you can sing 50 years from now which will still nourish you spiritually.

4. We need songs we can sing in times of suffering, illness, and death. What will you sing when your parent, spouse, or child is about to go into surgery? What can you do in the wake of losing a loved one? Although we don’t face intense persecution right now, what if one our church members was called to go to a difficult mission field and was put in prison? How could you be like Paul and Silas and sing in prison if you don’t have any good songs to sing? I want you to know the melody and words to songs like “Amazing Grace” and “It Is Well With My Soul,” which, by God’s grace, can carry you through difficult times.

So our fall 2024 Hymns of the Month include: 

September: “Amazing Grace! How Sweet the Sound”

October: “Great is Thy Faithfulness”

November: “Ancient of Days”

December: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”

Any child or adult who sends a video of themselves singing all the stanzas (verses) by memory or can sing the stanzas all by memory to me in person will receive a personally name-stamped hymnal! Also, for an easily memorized hymn like “Amazing Grace,” I have an extra challenge for us. On the last Sunday of the month, which in September will be September 29th, we will attempt to sing “Amazing Grace” a cappella and by memory, with no words on the screen and no music from any hymnals. I hope you’ll endeavor to sing these hymns at home as well as at church and be prepared to sing them by memory! I believe it will enrich your weekly and daily worship and spiritual life.

Reflections as 2023 SBC Music Director

God called me to ministry when I was 16 years old. He called me to serve His church and to lead people to worship the matchless excellencies of Christ Jesus. To me there is nothing greater than singing songs to my savior. As a worship leader, I have the exciting responsibility of inviting others to join in the song!

Last week I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead worship for my denomination’s annual meeting, and it was absolutely incredible! At times, there were 18,000 people in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA, as I led worship for the Southern Baptist Convention. Most worship leaders will never have that opportunity, so I am very grateful that God stewarded me with the job. It had been a dream of mine to lead an original song for such a large group of people, and God allowed me to sing the song I co-wrote with Kris Redus, “Do Not grow Weary,” as the final song last Wednesday. How cool is that!?

As I reflect on the experience, I wanted to share some things I learned/re-learned and some things I am thankful for.

Three Things I Learned/Re-Learned:

1)     People Who Love Jesus Love to Sing Together

I know that because of my love for Jesus, I love to sing. It doesn’t take much to get me up on Sunday morning to worship God, because all I have to do is think about the amazing fact that God demonstrated his own love for me through Jesus dying on the cross for me even when I was a sinner (Romans 5:8). Yet sometimes it seems like worship can be so lackadaisical, and worship leaders often complain about how lethargic and unengaged their congregations are.

Coming into the SBC 2023, I wanted to pick songs that people knew, therefore removing any barrier to them singing along. I remember one of the first things Mrs. Tracy Barber, Bart’s wife, told me about picking music was, “Those people love Jesus and will sing if you just give them something they can sing. Often no one knows the songs, and they can’t sing along.”

It is challenging to pick songs for a group of people as diverse as Southern Baptists are. I know that we have churches who sing traditional hymns, southern gospel, modern CCM, modern hymns, African-American traditional hymns, gospel, bluegrass, the Gaithers, Bethel, the Gettys, Hillsong, Passion, Fanny Crosby, Chris Tomlin, choral music, band music, and everything in between. So I intentionally chose really well-known contemporary songs by referencing the CCLI Top 100 and the Southern Baptist CCLI Top 100 (yes that is a thing), but avoided controversial songs. I also chose interesting modern arrangements of well-known hymns. We did some gospel because we were in New Orleans. We did bluegrass and Southern Gospel/Southern Rock versions of “Because He Lives” and “Victory in Jesus.” I also tried to choose songs by Baptists because I am tired of us outsourcing all our lyrics to people who don’t agree with us theologically and missiologically. God has given us a voice for our own churches!

At the end of the day, the most important step was praying and asking God to bless the work. I told the choir, orchestra, and band that our top two goals were to “Exalt Christ” and “Encourage the people to sing.” I believe God answered those prayers. The participation was through the roof during our group worship times and the singing was particularly gripping as we sang “Amazing Grace,” “Behold Our God,” and “Revelation Song.” Everyone gathered together to exalt Christ, and it was a blessing to sing and worship Him together. Praise God!

2)     The Word of God is Powerful and Important in Corporate Worship

I am so grateful that every pastor and every church I have served with has understood the importance of reading the Bible during the entirety of corporate worship and not just before the sermon. Paul told Timothy “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13, ESV). Many times it is argued that reading Scripture in between songs interrupts the flow of worship. First off, this is an unbiblical argument. Flow is important, but following God’s word is more important. Secondly, I find it to be false. Scripture augments the flow of worship when done well.

If you missed it, go back and watch Nelly Juarez read the full chapter of Revelation 4 before we sang “Revelation Song.” It was so powerfully moving and worshipful that it helped exalt Christ, helped us focus on our heavenly Father and the Lamb on the throne, and led beautifully into the singing of the song that is based on that scripture. I am very grateful for “Christ-Centered Worship” by Bryan Chappell, “Worship Matters” by Bob Kauflin, and “Scripture-Guided Worship” by Joe Crider (who will be leading the music at the SBC in 2024), which all have shaped my commitment to the public reading of Scripture in corporate worship.

As “people of the book,” Baptists should be leading the way in our commitment to the public reading of Scripture in worship, not lagging behind, like it seems we have been for decades. Y’all, God’s Word is SO GOOD! Make it a priority to read it more in your worship services!

3)     Worship Leaders Continue to Need Quality Training

a.     In congregational song

b.     In music

c.      In technology

d.     In philosophy

e.     In Pastoral care/shepherding/ministry

Although the job of SBC Music Director can be done by a variety of people and can be accomplished in a variety of ways, the experience and teaching I have received in the five areas enumerated above helped me be able to serve in this role. I also serve as an Adjunct Professor of Worship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and am very grateful for the men and women serving in colleges, universities, and seminaries who are teaching the next generation of worship leaders. Let me recommend that we double down in our commitment to teach in these five areas.

Congregational song will help worship leaders “know the room” and “know the history” which helps them pick singable songs to edify the people. Music theory and training in voice and instruments is necessary for us to be as excellent and skilled as possible as leaders. I admit I learned about almost all of the technology used last week on my own. However, higher education is doing more now to teach the next generation about In-Ear-Monitors, click tracks, STEMs, audio-visual-lighting, video editing, and presentation software, and this is so necessary. Philosophy helped me formulate my commitment to a variety of musical styles when possible, utilizing multiple languages at times, including a choir, and planning a biblically-informed flow of worship. Pastoral care and shepherding is so critical for worship leaders so that we don’t just plan songs but also minister to souls.

Three Things I Am Thankful For:

“I Thank my God every time I remember you, in all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

1)     I Am Thankful for My Pastor Bart Barber

I am so grateful that God stirred in Pastor Bart Barber a willingness to recommend to the search committee a 24-year old seminary graduate to be Associate Pastor/Worship Pastor at FBC Farmersville in May of 2015. Bart is the kind of pastor who always tells you what a great a job you are doing. He is the kind of pastor who sneaks up in the tenor section of the choir every now and again just because he loves to sing and be involved. He is the kind of pastor that has rejoiced with me when I have rejoiced and mourned with me and my family when we have mourned.

I am so thankful that Bart asked me to lead the music at the SBC in 2023. He and I are in complete agreement on worship philosophy. Any plan I come up with is generally what he is thinking already. Any time he makes a request, it is pretty much what I was thinking already. It is fun to be on the same wavelength like that. At one point in the convention, Bart was kicking things back to the worship team and he told the messengers, “I know James Cheesman like the back of my hand, and I know he would want you to stand right now- right James?” He was right; we were about to read a call to worship and then sing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.”

Bart was so encouraging to me throughout the convention. He came by and saw the choir and band multiple times and excitedly thanked them for their leadership and remarked how great the congregational singing was. I was also grateful for Bart’s even-keeled, gracious leadership during the business meeting of the SBC.

2)     I Am Thankful for The Amazing Team God Assembled

We had an amazingly fun time playing and singing together last week. The team had such a spirit of camaraderie and joy that it was palpable and contagious. It was bittersweet when we finished our last set because we all enjoyed the time together so much! Thank you to all who sang on the platform with me, who played in the band, who played in the orchestra, and all who sang in the choir either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Thank you to the Lifeway production team, led by Kevin Jarrell. Thank you to Duran, Adrian, Chris, and Chuck with Lifeway. Thanks to Blackhawk audio, including Rick, James, Austin, Tristan, and Jaylon.

Here is a list of all the musicians, who came from Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee:

• James Cheesman (vocals, mandolin, piano) FBC Farmersville TX

• Georgia Logan (fiddle) FBC Covington LA

• Augustine Hui (acoustic guitar, vocals) Metairie Church, Metairie LA

• Kenny Hilliard (banjo, guitar, mandolin, vocals) Nashville, TN

• Claire Hilliard (vocals) Nashville, TN

• Hugo Encorrada (bass, upright bass) Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX

• Quint Adkins (drums) Westwego, LA; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

• Chris Callahan (electric guitar) New Orleans, LA

• Rick Draper (organ, vocals) Baton Rouge, LA

• Sterling Shanks (vocals) First Baptist Church Hurst, TX

• Chloe Ward (vocals) SWBTS

• Adam Watson (vocals) FBC Covington, LA

• Stephanie Venson (vocals) FBC Covington, LA

• Daram Choi (piano) FBC Covington, LA

• The orchestra of FBC Covington, LA

• Larry Cheesman (trombone) FBC Cuero, TX

• Tuesday: combined choirs of FBC Covington, LA, FBC Farmersville, TX, and Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, and Southwestern A Cappella

• Wednesday: vocal team- Southwestern A Cappella (SWBTS)

• Wednesday: combined choirs of FBC Farmersville, TX, New Orleans Singers (NOBTS), and FBC Mandeville, LA

• Directors: Adam Watson and David Logan, FBC Covington, LA. Ellis Lindsey, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Dr. Jessica McMillan, New Orleans Singers. Dr. Chuck Lewis, Southwestern A Cappella. Jared Purvis, FBC Mandeville, LA.

3)     I Am Thankful for My Church: FBC Farmersville

We have an amazingly supportive church. Thank you to all the staff who helped give people rides in New Orleans and helped me get everything done. Thanks to the volunteers like my wife Megan Cheesman, along with Heather Hodge, Judy Williams, Barbara Williams, Bob Collins, and Joanna Robertson who helped with choir music, shirts, and logistics.

I love my FBCF Choir! It was so awesome to have 27 of them singing both days. I am thankful for their commitment, hard work, and hearts for worshipping the Lord! On Tuesday as Sterling and Chloe were rocking “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” I was just minding my own business, stepping to the gospel groove, when I looked over at the choir for a split second. I saw a handful of our choir members with their hands raised and singing their hearts out, and it brought me to tears right there on the platform. There is no one greater than Jesus. There is nothing better than getting to worship Him. The fact that I got to lead worship for our family of churches with my FBCF church family on the platform with me last week was something I will never forget!

Angels From the Realms of Glory

“Angels From The Realms Of Glory” by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Historical and Devotional Analysis by James Cheesman

Historical Background

“Angels from the realms of glory” has become my favorite Christmas hymn. It was written by James Montgomery in 1825. Montgomery is considered the first hymnologist in the English language, and he is one of the greatest British hymnwriters of all-time, along with Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, William Cowper, and John Newton.

The son of Moravian missionaries, James Montgomery edited and published the Sheffield Iris newspaper from 1794 through 1825. Yet he was most renowned as a hymn writer and poet. He was close friends with William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, and Samuel T. Coleridge, was the Poet Laureate of England, and was given an annual pension to write poetry by the Prime Minister for the last nineteen years of his life.

Montgomery first published “Angels from the realms of glory” in the Sheffield Iris on Christmas Eve of 1816, with five stanzas. He reprinted it with the title “Good tidings of great joy to all people” in The Christian Psalmist in 1825 as number 487.

Fig. 1 The Christian Psalmist. (Glasgow: William Collins, 1832).

Text: Theological Background

“Angels, from the realms of glory” features many of the main characters of the Christmas story outside of Jesus and his family. The subjects of the original five stanzas in order are:

One: Angels

Two: Shepherds

Three: Sages

Four: Saints

Five: Sinners

Notice the alliteration in stanzas two through five. The first two stanzas are derived from Luke 2:8-20. The third stanza about the wise men, or sages, comes from Matthew 2. The fourth stanza’s subjects are Simeon and Anna, who in Luke 2:25-38 are revealed as righteous and devout believers who have been “watching long in hope and fear” for the coming Christ. The fifth stanza is a call for believers who have already repented, and non-believers who need to repent, to also join in the worship of the angels, shepherds, sages, and saints of old in the worship of the newborn king.

            Montgomery masterfully alludes to many other scriptures in this hymn. Job 38:7 says, “When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy,” in reference to the angels shouting and singing at creation. Montgomery connects the worship of the angels at the birth of Christ to their rejoicing at the creation of the world in a way that expands the wonder of the historical moment of the incarnation!

            In stanza two, Montgomery acknowledges Christ’s title of “God with us,” or the “Immanuel” of Isaiah 7:14. The citation of “infant light” also refers to the gospel of John’s emphasis on Jesus as the “Light of the World” (John 1:9, John 8:12). In stanza four, Montgomery interprets Jesus’ appearance in the temple as a baby as a fulfillment of Malachi 3:1, which states, “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.”

            The fifth stanza has been frequently omitted from hymnals, likely due to its severe sounding opening lines. It is a shame, though, for in this omission is lost a beautiful invocation of Psalm 85, sometimes called the Christmas psalm, and verse 10 specifically: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”

The whole fifth stanza moves from our condemned, sinful state to the realization that the newborn Christ will satisfy justice’s demands, pour out his mercy, and thus save us from the chains of doom and pain. When stanza four is sung as the last stanza, it causes the singer to put themselves in the place of the “saints” who rejoice after waiting for the Christ, which is certainly a helpful perspective. However, Montgomery’s original final stanza leaves the worshipper with a more fully-orbed reason to gratefully, “come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King.” 

Text: Poetic Background

Montgomery was a proponent of consistent rhyme schemes. He was particularly fond of double rhymes. He employs double rhymes in the first and third line of each stanza to increase the energy:

Angels, from the realms of glory,           a          Perfect Double Rhyme

  Wing your flight o’er all the earth,        b          Perfect Rhyme

Ye who sang creation’s story,                a          Perfect Double Rhyme

  Now proclaim Messiah’s birth; b          Perfect Rhyme

Montgomery expertly composes with several poetic devices,, including antithesis (contrasting ideas or words) and parallelism (similar ideas or words). The first two lines of stanza one contain the antithesis of “glory” against “earth.” The third and fourth line contain a parallelism referring to the angels who “sang creation’s story” and also “proclaim Messiah’s birth.”

The refrain “Come and worship, Worship Christ the newborn King,” contains the word “worship” at the end line five and the beginning of line six, which is an example of anadiplosis. To fit the tune REGENT SQUARE, which became the most commonly paired tune with this text starting later in the nineteenth century, the phrase “Come and worship” is repeated, employing the technique of epizeuxis for dramatic effect.

Stanza three contains examples of synechdoche, which is a type of metaphor. The “contemplations” the sages leave behind represent more than just thoughts; in fact, they leave behind their entire religious and vocational lives as they seek the “brighter visions” of God’s promises in the Messiah. “Desire of nations” is a metaphorical title for Jesus Christ.

Stanza four contains an antithesis in the phrase “hope and fear,” for these represent contrary emotions experienced at the same time. Finally, stanza five features personification and metaphor. “Justice” is personified as “revoking a sentence” as a human judge, and “mercy” is personified as calling to all to “break your chains.” The breaking of chains is a metaphor for finding freedom from sin, guilt, and doom through Jesus Christ.

 Conclusion:

I love this hymn as a call to worship, an assurance of pardon, and a celebration of the gospel. We are going to be singing the original fifth stanza at FBC Farmersville because of the way it takes the Christmas story and points to Christ’s ultimate purpose. Jesus came to fulfill justice and extend mercy to those in bondage to sin and death! All who have “broken their chains,” are now called to “Come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King!”

Nerdy Post-Script 1: Tune and Musical Usage

The most popular tune pairing, especially in the United States and Canada, is REGENT SQUARE by Henry Smart (1813-1879). Smart wrote REGENT SQUARE for Horatius Bonar’s “Glory Be to God the Father,” which was first published in Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship in 1867. Smart also resided in Sheffield, near Leeds, for some time. His tune is what calls for the repetition of “Come and worship, come and worship,” which has become customary. In England, many churches also sing “Angels, from the realms of glory” to IRIS, which is another name for the tune GLORIA, customarily paired with “Angels we have heard on high.” Montgomery envisioned the text being sung to the tune GLORIA.

Nerdy Post-Script 2: Other Alternate Stanzas and Lyrics

There are two alternate final stanzas which have been utilized in various hymnals. The first alternative appeared in The Christmas Box (1825) and comes from another Montgomery hymn based on Philippians 2:

  Though an infant, now we view Him,
  He shall fill His Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to Him,               
  Every knee shall then bow down.

The other option comes from the Salisbury Hymn Book (1857) and states:

All creation, join in praising

  God the Father, Spirit, Son,

Evermore your voices raising

  To the eternal Three in One.

Finally, editors have frequently changed two phrases. Baptists in The Baptist Hymnal (1991), Celebrating Grace Hymnal (2010), and The Baptist Hymnal (2008) changed “His natal star” to “the infant’s star.” Other hymnals have changed that phrase to “the morning star” or “Savior’s star.” For those desiring gender inclusive language, stanza two has been changed from “God with man is now residing,” to “God with us is now residing.”

O Lord Defend the Innocent

I’ve been carrying this hymn title around for a couple months now. There are several reasons why, “O Lord defend the innocent” has been a prayer in my heart recently.

1. Mass shootings in schools and malls where innocent people (especially children) have been murdered.

2. The sexual abuse scandal in the SBC that is also evidence of the larger sexual abuse problem in our world.

3. People being falsely or wrongly accused. This has happened to my own mother, and it is currently happening to a dear brother in our church.

So this morning I actually wrote out a hymn text with this prayer in mind. Below is the Short Meter (6.6.8.6) text I wrote:

1. O Lord defend the innocent

The children as they play

Protect them as they go to school

And guide them on their way

2. O LORD defend the innocent

Against the shifty foe

Contend against the predator

And shield the child exposed

CHORUS: Arise, O God, arise

Defend, O Lord, defend

Protect the poor and needy ones

Defend the innocent

3. O LORD defend the innocent:

The one whose falsely blamed

LORD plead their just cause in the courts

And clear their guiltless name

4. O LORD defend the innocent

From ev’ry crooked plot

Preserve the elderly and frail

Let criminals be caught

I wrote two tunes to this text. Actually, the first I didn’t write but just adapted. The first tune I tried out is a beautiful folk tune that Smetana used in his “Ma Vlast (My Country)” symphonic poem no. 2 “Vlatava (The Moldau). It fits perfectly into a common meter melody. The second tune I wrote is kind of a modern, soulful melody. Then I wrote a third melody on my guitar, but it required the text going back to Long Meter (8.8.8.8.), so here is the long meter text:

1. O LORD defend the innocent:

   The children as they walk and play

   Protect them as they go to school

   And guide them all along the way

2. O LORD defend the innocent:

   The girl or boy out on the edge

   Contend against the predator

   Surround them with your mercy’s hedge

3. O LORD defend the innocent:

   The blameless one falsely accused

   LORD plead their just cause in the courts

   And let their name not be abused

4. O LORD defend the innocent

   From ev’ry devious evil plot

   Preserve the elderly and frail

   Let wicked criminals be caught

   Chorus:

   Arise, O God, arise

   Defend, O Lord, defend

   Protect the poor and needy ones

   Defend the innocent

Here are the three tunes. I am grateful for comments on which you like best as a congregational prayer song. https://soundcloud.com/james-cheesman-tx/sets/o-lord-defend-the-innocent

Songs For a Church Like Ours

For the rest of the spring and summer, I am very intentionally going to be writing songs for my next project. I may not stick with that title for this project, but here is the idea: I want to write and co-write songs for an album that are all 100% singable for a local church- a real local church. I imagine most of these will be written with my church, First Baptist Church of Farmersville, TX, in mind. However, if you are from another church, I want to create a song that is possibly usable for both of our churches!

The Co-Writing Process

I want to co-write with you! I believe God has gifted you with creativity, a personal walk with Jesus, knowledge of the Bible, and care for your local church, whether you are already a songwriter or not. I want you to think of ideas for a song your church could use. This could include songs your church just needs more of or songs that aren’t covered at all.

• ·        A fast, upbeat “call-to-worship” song

• ·        A new invitation hymn

• ·        A missions/commission/sending song

• ·        A song about the cost of discipleship

• ·        A new Christmas or Easter song

• ·        Something that kids could lead the whole congregation to sing

• ·        A song about baptism

• ·        A song about ordination

• ·        A song for your upcoming sermon series

• ·        A song based on a beloved scripture text

Level 1 of Co-Writing: Ideas

Some of you may have an idea for a song but don’t want to actually co-write a song. I would be happy to hear your idea(s) and write a song based on the seedling of your idea. I will be the songwriter, but I will share how the song is going with you along the way.

Level 2 of Co-Writing: Co-Writing and Finishing

If you want to actually write with me, even if you’ve never written songs before, I would love to do that! First, we will schedule an initial time together of at least an hour to get started. This could be via Zoom or in person. Then we will continue to work on the song via email, text, phone calls, and possibly subsequent collaborative sessions until it is finished.

·        Your name will be listed with mine as a songwriter on the song

·        We will equally share Intellectual Property and publishing rights to the song

·        I retain final say for anything recorded for my project or sung at my church

Don’t Get Any Notions of Fame or Glory

Lest you get too excited about the part that said, “Your name will be listed with mine,” or “We will equally share rights,” please understand the following: My heart is to serve Jesus and his church. I have no interest in becoming or making you rich and famous. Besides, you have very little chance of becoming rich and famous from working with me! But I will equally split any revenue that may eventually come from cowriting with you if you participate in Level 2.

Participant Capacity and Timeline

I will work with at least 12 other songwriters on this project. First come, first serve. Sign up by emailing me at jpcheesman@outlook.com or using the contact form. I will start co-writing in April 2022 and attempt to finish by mid-August. My sabbatical is to be a focused time on songwriting from June 21-August 14.

Demo Recordings and Charts

I commit to producing a chart and a demo of every song I finish, and I commit to finishing every song I co-write for this project in 2022. That way, even if we don’t use your song at FBC Farmersville, you will at least have a demo recording and chord chart for your personal or congregational use.

What Will Happen With These Songs: Sung in Church? Recorded and Released???

Again, my heart is to serve Jesus and His church. If you like a finished song, feel free to use it with your congregation, whether or not we sing it at FBC Farmersville. I reserve the final say as Worship Pastor of FBC Farmersville for what best serves our needs. I hope to compose many songs for my church with your help during this time.

I would love to release a full-length studio album. I have released professionally recorded music twice: first with my “Your Glory Alone” (EP) in March 2021 and then “Wait for the Lord’s Anointed” (single) in November 2021. I recorded the “Your Glory Alone” EP in Nashville at Sunset Blvd Studios with all Nashville pros. I recorded “Wait for the Lord’s Anointed,” in Dallas with friends. Both turned out pretty great! If I end up with enough songs for a full-length album, I may try and pursue another recording project. We’ll see!

Be Humble/Be Open

This is a reminder for me. Oh, and it’s for you too. If you work with me, just know that we need to do what is best for the song and for the church. That will mean making adjustments and changes that could hurt one’s feelings if one doesn’t remain humble and open. I may consult with other songwriters, professional consultants, pastors, theologians, and friends, before finishing a song. Please be open to input as we seek to write the best songs we can “for a church like ours!”

Summary: If you sign up, you will get the following:

·        A chance to give me an idea (Level 1) or co-write with me (Level 2)

·        Updates about the song as it is written

·        A demo recording and chord chart of our co-write (if you are better at demos than me, I might have you produce the demo! Otherwise it’s pretty fun for me to do)

Post-Script: Good places to look for ideas: Scripture, biblical commentaries, using a line or idea from an old hymn, poems, sermons, sermon series, a Sunday School lesson, Christian literature, listening to music, The Book of Common Prayer, The Valley of Vision, Every Moment Holy, any liturgy book, and even conversations!

Worship Song Highlight: "It Was Finished Upon That Cross"

This year our church is going to be singing “It Was Finished Upon That Cross” by CityAlight as our theme song for the Easter season. CityAlight is a music ministry based out of a local Anglican church in Australia, St. Paul’s Castle Hill. Ever since CityAlight came across my radar as a worship leader around 2017/2018, I have nicknamed them “Hillsong meets the Gettys.”

            CityAlight sounds similar to Hillsong United or Hillsong Worship in its instrumentation and pop vocal styling. The singers all sound youthful, and their production quality is very similar to Hillsong. Yet there is a definite difference between a CityAlight song and a Hillsong song. CityAlight has a very focused mission of writing simple, congregational melodies that are married with biblically rich lyrics. You may categorize their songs as modern hymns, along the lines of Keith and Kristyn Getty, Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, and Stuart Townend. Lyrically, their songs have a greater depth and tend to be structured like hymns, whereas modern praise and worship songs do not always have lyrics with as great a depth and often utilize the verse/chorus/bridge form.

            CityAlight is most well known for their hymn “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me,” which has risen to number 46 in the CCLI Top 100 as of Spring 2022. “It Was Finished Upon That Cross” was a single they wrote and released in 2021.

I already loved this song and was considering using it at our church. Then we started a sermon series through the book of Leviticus in Fall 2021, and I made up my mind that we had to introduce it for Easter 2022! Leviticus points us repeatedly to the need for sacrifice to atone for sins. We learn from Hebrews 9:26 that Jesus “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” In fact, Hebrews uses that phrase “once for all” four times. The New Testament teaches us that Jesus’s death on the cross was the final sacrifice that fully satisfied God’s wrath and completely accomplished our forgiveness and redemption.

Repeatedly throughout the gospel of John, Jesus says his hour has not come, referring to his time to die on the cross. Then, when his hour finally does come and the moment all of history has been waiting for occurs, as Jesus dies, he breathes his last words: “It is finished” (“Tetelestai”) (John 19:30).

Jonny Robinson, Nigel Hendross, and Rich Thompson of CityAlight used the phrase “It Was Finished Upon That Cross,” as the theme and final line of stanzas 1, 2, and 4 of the hymn. The hymn is an incredible meditation on what Christ accomplished and given to us through his finished work at the cross.

The first stanza states that the sun “had ceased its shining,” referencing Matthew 27:45, which testifies the sky was dark for three hours. The sun ceasing its shining is also a metaphor for darkness seeming to win the victory. Yet in actuality, “Christ had triumphed over evil,” as Paul tells us in Colossians 2:14-15.  The second stanza declares the good news that “The curse it has been broken,” and “Jesus paid the price for me.” I love the line “Boldly I approach my Father,” which is drawn from Hebrews 4:16 and is also a significant line in the classic Wesley hymn “And Can It Be?” We no longer have guilt to carry, but rather, we are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness (Romans 3:22, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Philippians 3:9).

The third stanza is a half-stanza that takes the song from the cross to the resurrection. For this reason, this is a superb song to sing throughout Lent, Holy Week, for a Good Friday service, and also Easter Sunday! Finally, after a full last stanza, the song finishes with an ending which mirrors the music of the second half of the full stanzas. I appreciate some of the lovely poetic devices used in the fourth stanza. The writers use alliteration in the line, “Free to live and free to love.” They also use contrast/irony in the beautiful lyric, “Death is dead and Christ is risen.”

As many great hymns of the faith do, this one ends by looking forward to eternity:

“Onward to eternal glory,

To my Saviour and my God,

I rejoice in Jesus’ victory,

It was finished upon that Cross.”

            I am beyond excited that our church is singing this song during the weeks leading up to Easter and then in the joyful “Eastertide” season afterwards. You can read a great article where Tim Challies interviews two of the CityAlight writers here: https://www.challies.com/interviews/get-to-know-cityalight-and-their-new-album/

You can find resources here: https://www.cityalight.com/it-was-finished-upon-that-cross/

And listen to “It Was Finished Upon That Cross” here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7_7OfLEyAo

Simple Worship vs. Complex Worship

True worship is not married to a simple worship service or a complex worship service. I have been thinking about this for some time now, but last week two things pushed this to the forefront of my mind.

First of all, we had the esteemed privilege of hosting Dr. Terry York in our Zoom Choir meeting. I asked Dr. York, “What is a current trend in church music that concerns you?” His answer was, “The performance mentality, that can happen in any style.” I also asked him, “What is a current trend in church music that you see as positive,” and he replied, “Many are returning to simplicity.”

Secondly, on Sunday, our power went out at FBC Farmersville. From 10:55 through about 11:25 AM, which is our bulk singing time, we were in the dark. Thankfully, our church sings a lot of hymns, I know hymns, and our pianist could see well enough and knows the hymns well enough that she could play! I also read scripture, and Pastor Bart prayed. It was a simple time of worship, but it was really beautiful, fun, and unique. Then the power came back on, and we scrambled to do one song and get things rolling for Bart’s sermon so we could at least livestream the message.

This event reinforced to me that our church must keep singing hymns. We must keep a working library of at least the classic core hymns. It also reinforced to me that I need to do a better job of simplifying things every now and again so that we all stop and remember that worship doesn’t need the full band, choir, sound system, slides, and motion graphic presentation! Corporate worship is our opportunity to corporately respond to who God is and what He has done in the gospel; to sing together, read scripture, pray, observe the ordinances, hear the Word preached, and respond by going out into the world on mission.

Honestly, we can do all the things I just listed without electricity and reinforced sound. We can do them with instruments or a cappella. The New Testament tells us to sing (Colossians 3:16), observe the ordinances (1 Cor. 10, Romans 6:4), and records that the early church was dedicated to fellowship, prayer, and the Word (Acts 2:42). Yet the New Testament does not mandate the complexity most of our modern worship services require. In fact, simplicity can engender stillness, which is something God calls us to do (Psalm 46:10). Simplicity in music often leads to participation, and worship is supposed to be leitourgia (liturgy), the “work of the people.” 

So why are our modern services so complex? Is it really bad and do we need to change? I don’t believe complex worship is bad in and of itself. In fact, Psalm 150 calls “everything that has breath” to “praise the Lord!” Romans and 1 Corinthians talk about the body and the church serving, and therefore utilizing a choir, musicians, and a tech team provides many people with a place to serve and use their talents for the glory of God. Psalm 33:3 says to “play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” Complex music requires skill. Also, using technology in worship helps us reach people of our time with media. We can be all things to all people (1 Corinthians 9:22), and we can share the gospel with more people than ever before with livestreamed worship and online content.

Yet there are definitely downsides to complex worship. First of all, we can easily get into the performance mentality. If the musicians view worship as “putting on a good show,” or the church gets accustomed to letting the band do their thing while they just watch and listen, then our worship has just become another form of entertainment. In a world where every student at youth camp is dazzled by the lights show and awesome band, and where mega churches can recreate that atmosphere, we can be conditioned to equate that style and that level of complexity (and the large crowds) with true worship. Also, if we feel we must always be putting on this type of service, we may neglect some things we are commanded by Scripture to do, such as being still.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am NOT saying that contemporary worship is bad. I actually really enjoy modern worship music. I am saying that we must not condition ourselves to thinking worship must always be that complex. The opposite is also true. If one’s background is in a simple and traditional rural church, or an urban church that deliberately simplifies and strips down to be “acoustic” or “organic,” you need not be afraid of worship in a more complex setting. Be sure you don’t get stuck in a rut or just go through the motions of worship while your heart is far from God (Isaiah 29:13).

My goal as a worship leader to is to have a balance between simple and complex worship. I want to do a better job of switching things up and reminding our congregation that worship does not depend on certain instruments, visual media, or other accoutrements being present. I eagerly desire and hope that children and teenagers growing up in my church and launching out into the world recognize that worship can look different in different contexts and churches. I hope to encourage people to worship at home and in private too. It is so sweet to have a personal worship life (which is inherently simpler) that then joins joyfully with others for corporate worship. True worship occurs in many varying levels of simplicity and complexity.

Worship Song Highlight: "Lord Have Mercy (For What We Have Done)"

I love the modern hymns written by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa! “Lord Have Mercy (For What We Have Done)” is one of their newer songs which they released on their 2019 album, “His Mercy is More.” This hymn is basically a modern, Baptist Kyrie/hymn of confession! You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsYEwXwnQXM

Kyrie Eleison

            “Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison,” even though it is Greek, is the opening prayer in the Latin Mass. You hear these words sung in countless masterworks of sacred music. You also frequently hear their English translation, “Lord have mercy; Christ have mercy; Lord have mercy.” I started singing in school choirs when I was about 16, and for a long time it was weird for me to sing words that I considered “Catholic.” Yet now this simple prayer really resounds with my heart, because where would I be without God’s mercy? The Psalmist is absolutely right to declare, “Great is your mercy, O Lord,” (Psalm 119:156).

“For what we have done and left undone”

            Boswell and Papa, along with Aaron Keyes and James Tealy, drew inspiration for this song not only from the Kyrie, but also from a traditional prayer. This traditional prayer is found in many prayer books, like the Book of Common Prayer used by the Anglican church:

“Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought,

Word, and deed,

By what we have done, and by what we have left undone.”*

Corporate Confession

            1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus told the parable of the tax collector and the pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 to commended the tax collector for humbly begging for God’s mercy. Psalms like Psalm 51 urge us to honestly confess our many transgressions. Yet confession is often sorely missing from the free-church worship service. When it is present, it is often individually focused. Don’t get me wrong- I believe that individual confession is a necessary element in every worship service. However, I would argue that corporate confession is also crucial.

            My conviction for this is based on the Prophet Isaiah’s example in Isaiah 6:5, where he bemoans, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” Isaiah confesses that his lips are unclean, but he also confesses that he is part of a group of sinful people. In my experience, I find about half the Baptists around me are fine with admitting the groups to which they belong are sinful. I find the other half reticent to admit or downright insulted to consider themselves or their groups as sinful. 

            A case in point is racism and racial injustices. You may disagree with me, but I as a white American feel compelled to confess to God that my country, my denomination (the Southern Baptist Convention), and my race have committed and continue to commit sinful acts against African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and peoples of other races, colors, and backgrounds from other parts of the world. This is a HUGE discussion, and I am not going to get into it fully here. My point is that we should be able to LAMENT and CONFESS that our society has been and still is sinful. We should desire for God to have mercy and transform and renew our land. 

There are numerous other things we as Americans can confess corporately, including materialism, pride, works righteousness, sexual perversion, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, lacking zeal for the gospel, and idolatry. If you disagree with me about the racism issue, I hope you can still see that biblically, corporate confession is good for us.

More About This Song

            The first verse draws from the traditional prayer discussed earlier, and the second verse is inspired by the book of Hebrews. It praises Christ for his perfect life. He is the perfect high priest, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). There is a very interesting turn of phrase which says, “Though tempted and tried, You fixed Your eyes, You finished the work God gave You.” I love how this takes Hebrews 12:1-2, which is an exhortation for us to fix our eyes on Jesus, and applies it to Christ. This demonstrates that we should fix our eyes on Jesus precisely because he fixed his eyes on the Father’s mission to atone for our sins.

            The chorus repeats the phrase, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on us.” It is very easy to sing and set to a beautiful melody. We taught this song at the Farmersville Worship Workshop at the end of February, and the crowd there picked up on it very quickly. I pray it will encourage us all to fall upon the mercies of Christ, individually and corporately. His mercy is great, and he is kind to those who recognize their need for Him.

*You can find the full text for this prayer in “Christ-Centered Worship” by Bryan Chapell on p. 185-186. This book is a treasure-trove of gospel-centric worship material!

Worship Song Highlight: "He Will Hold Me Fast"

Hymns often have a way of ministering to our souls when we are in dark and difficult places. I first heard “He Will Hold Me Fast” in 2016. A friend of mine shared how this song sustained him after he had to leave his job and spend a year of soul-searching to determine what to do next. It is a hymn I want my congregants to know to help carry them through trials and sorrows.

“He Will Hold Me Fast” is a retuned hymn. A retuned hymn is an older hymn which has been given new music by a modern songwriter. Sometimes a songwriter will do like Matt Merker did with this Ada R. Habershon hymn and add or modify the lyrics as well. For “He Will Hold Me Fast,” Merker combined Haberson’s stanzas one and two into his first stanza, combined stanzas three and four into his second stanza, and wrote new lyrics for the third stanza.

Someone showed this text to Merker, and he pulled it out when he was going through a difficult time. After he modified it and shared it with his wife, Erica, and with his pastor, Mark Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in D.C., their church began to sing it. It connected and impacted his church and began spreading from there. The song was picked up by Getty Music and recorded on their 2016 album “Facing a Task Unfinished.” It has since been recorded by Together for the Gospel from their Live III album, as well as by Selah and Shane & Shane.

This song reminds us that God loves us, not because we are strong and able to remain faithful to Him, but because he is strong and faithful towards us. Through temptation and doubt, he will hold us fast. Jesus protects us from the evil one (1 John 5:18), and he also promised that “no one is able to snatch [us] out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:29). He will hold me fast! The second verse echoes 1 Peter 1:19, that we were bought “with the precious blood of Christ.” Since he ransomed us, he will not let us go.

Merker added the third stanza to feature the resurrection and return of Christ. This fits so well, because the second stanza says, “His promises shall last.” What greater promise is there than ‘Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again’? Thus the third stanza ends with:

Raised with Him to endless life

He will hold me fast

Till our faith is turned to sight

When he comes at last!

Here is a link to Getty Music’s page about “He Will Hold Me Fast.” It has a YouTube recording embedded, lyrics, the background story, and charts for the song. https://www.gettymusic.com/he-will-hold-me-fast

Worship Song Highlight: "This Is Our God"

“This is Our God” was inspired by the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.). The music and words were written by Neil DeGraide, Doug Plank, Dave Fournier, Zach Jones, and George Romanacce of Sovereign Grace Music. Sovereign Grace released the song on their album “Sooner Count the Stars: Worshiping the Triune God” in 2015. 

“This is Our God” is one of several contemporary worship songs based on one of the creeds. The other two most popular songs based on the creeds are “We Believe,” which was recorded and made famous by the Newsboys, and “This I Believe (The Creed)” by Hillsong Worship. “We Believe” was written by Matthew Hooper, Richie Fike, and Travis Ryan, and it was wildly popular for several years after its release in 2013. “This I Believe” was written by Ben Fielding and Matt Crocker, released in 2014, and has remained pretty popular since then.

All three songs are great and scratched an itch in the contemporary worship music corpus. We needed songs based on the creeds! All three are sing-able and congregationally accessible. “We Believe” is awesome for a congregation in its use of plural pronouns. It is loosely paraphrased from the Apostle’s Creed. “This I Believe” is a closer paraphrase to the Apostle’s Creed, and I really, really like it. “This is Our God” very closely paraphrases the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed has more language about the Trinity and the Holy Spirit than the Apostle’s Creed.

I like “This is Our God” the best for several reasons. First of all, it is a sing-able fast song with deep theology. Finding a sing-able fast song with deep theology is like finding a sushi-eating hockey fan in Farmersville, Texas. When you find one, you befriend them. (I know because I am friends with all three of those such people in our community). Also, I like how easy it was for our band to learn. The song fit thematically with our current series on the Trinity. Finally, I really appreciate Sovereign Grace Music and their ministry. They may be lesser known, but they write fantastic music (and I may have a little bit of a bent towards indie/alternative/hipster/lesser known bands).

Since I get to pick the music for our church, I picked “This is Our God.” Had someone else been in charge, they might have picked “This I Believe,” for our church, and that would have been fine too.

Here is a link to Sovereign Grace Music’s page for “This is Our God.” It has an audio sample, lyrics, and charts for the song. https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/this-is-our-god/

Here is a video on YouTube of the song: Video.

Worship Band Questionnaire Analysis

About a month ago I made a questionnaire to help me prepare for presenting at this summer’s Alleluia Conference at Baylor. I wanted to ask friends and acquaintances questions about what new songs they are singing and what technology they use for worship.

The response was outstanding! I emailed the survey to several friends who filled it out. I also got responses from Twitter, the Facebook Group “The Baptist Review,” and the Facebook Group “Liturgy Fellowship.” In the end I received 36 responses from churches in at least 10 different states, Canada, and Scotland. WAY COOL! So this is by no means an authoritative research study. The responses simply represent some of my real life friends and online peeps.

Here is the spreadsheet that includes all responses to all questions: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i_UsTayp1AJATKkbWSj6AuZM5RRpbUADvcn825BBIJc/edit?usp=sharing

Here’s some overview analysis of the questionnaire:

1. Songs Written Since 2015 Sung By the Most Churches (in descending order) *The first two songs had 10 churches, and the final ones at the bottom had at least 2 churches

O Praise the Name (Anastasis) -Hillsong

Living Hope -Phil Wickham

His Mercy is More -Matt Boswell, Matt Papa

What a Beautiful Name -Hillsong

Build My Life -Patt Barrett/Housefires/Passion

Death Was Arrested -North Point InsideOut

O Come To the Altar -Elevation Worship

The lion and the lamb -Bethel/Leeland Mooring

Who You Say I Am -Hillsong

No Longer Slaves -Bethel

Christ is Mine Forevermore -City Alight

Is He Worthy? -Andrew Peterson

O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer -Sovereign Grace Worship

Do It Again -Elevation Worship

King of My Heart -John Mark McMillan/Bethel

Resurrecting -Elevation Worship

He Will Hold Me Fast -Matt Merker/Gettys

Only a Holy God -City Alight

Reckless Love -Bethel/Cory Asbury

All Glory Be to Christ -Dustin Kensrue

Facing a Task Unfinished -Keith & Kristyn Getty

Come Behold the Wondrdous Mystery -Matt Boswell,Matt Papa,Michael Bleeker

This is Our God -Sovereign Grace Worship

Grace -City Alight

My Victory -Crowder

Rejoice -Dustin Kensrue

Jesus is Alive -City Alight

2. Presentation Software

23 churches use ProPresenter, followed by three that use Media Shout, three that use Easy Worship, and two that use Proclaim. My own church uses Proclaim. I have used ProPresenter in the past as well. I find both to be really good.

3. Worship Planning Software

27 out of 36 churches use Planning Center Online to plan worship.

4. In-Ear Monitors

17 Churches that responded use in-ear monitors. The most popular options were the Aviom system (7 ) and the Behringer (6) in-ear monitors that work with the Behringer X32 sound board.

Worship Song Highlight: "Do It Again"

“Do It Again” is one of the most popular songs written by Elevation Worship. Some of their other titles include “O Come to the Altar” and “Resurrecting.” Elevation Worship is a ministry of Elevation Church, a multi-site church based out of North Carolina and pastored by Steven Furtick. “Do It Again” was co-written by Pastor Steven along with Chris Brown, Mack Brock, and none other than Matt Redman. You can listen to it on YouTube here.

This song is very meaningful to me personally, and I pray it will be meaningful to you as well. Think about this: 

When was the last time you experienced God answer a prayer and work a miracle? 

Off the top of my head, I can think of four huge instancesin my life that I can point back to and remember God answering a prayer in a miraculous way. The most recent was last year when he brought my grandfather, Herbert Cheesman (AKA “Papa Herb”), to faith in Christ. 

Although Papa Herb was baptized as a young teen in San Antonio, Texas, he fell away from faith after serving in the Army in the Korean War and then attending the University of Texas. He spent the majority of his 83 years as a skeptical agnostic. He was never antagonistic towards Christianity, though, and he was supportive of my dad going into ministry, and then later, me going into ministry. I was convicted in 2013 of his need for salvation and began to pray fervently for him. Over the course of time, I would ask him about the nature of his faith and doubts and outlook on life and the afterlife. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, and I began to call him regularly and tell him I was praying for him.

Then in April of 2018, I was in San Antonio for a conference and we had a very poignant visit in his living room. Meg, Claire, and I had been planning on seeing him on Sunday afternoon. On Saturday night, he had a big scare and had to go to the Emergency Room. He returned home on oxygen, and we visited him in that weakened and scared state. The timing of this could not have been a coincidence! I asked him where he was with Jesus. He said he had believed as a teen, but then doubted, and now he was somewhere in the middle. I encouraged him that if he was open to it, he should pray, “Jesus, help me to believe.” He then prayed aloud with tears, “Jesus, help me to have faith.”

Well, his condition worsened. In late July, our little family drove down to San Antonio again to see him for what we knew would be the last time. On Saturday, July, 28, with my parents also there, Papa Herb told us in very simple words that he had come to faith. My dad read several scriptures to him, and then we asked him where he was with the Lord and what he was thinking. His response was, “I’ve really been thinking about what James and I discussed. All my life before now, I felt nothing. But now I am just believing.” He passed away on July 31, and I KNOW that he is in Heaven now.

As I drove back and forth to San Antonio that week for his funeral planning and services, I played “Do It Again” on repeat in my car. God delights to bring people from death to life! He delights to answer his children’s prayers! I was in awe of how he had “moved the mountain” of my grandfather’s skeptic heart and saved him!

This song is a fun song to play and sing, and I think the chorus resonates with just about every Christian:

“Your promise still stands, great is your faithfulness, faithfulness,

I’m still in your hands, this is my confidence, you’ve never failed me yet.”

But unless you are an actively praying believer, this song won’t mean that much to you. Furthermore, you have to be praying for things that only God can do!Most Christians are good about praying for daily needs, and rightly so. Yet I find that sometimes my prayer list is filled with things like, “Help me with this, that, and help this person with this and that.” We should always be praying “mountain-moving” prayers! So I encourage you, as you think about this song, start filling your prayer list with things like:

-God, save this person!

-God, make a way in this seemingly impossible situation!

-God, change the course of this nation!

-God, set apart someone I know as a laborer to the unreached!

I hope you will sing this song and then pray like Isaiah does in Isaiah 64:1-4:

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence-

As when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil- to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!

When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.”

Musical Notes:

Sonically, a lot of Elevation Worship’s music is similar to other modern groups like Hillsong, Bethel, and Passion. However, I find their best songs have a narrower melodic range and easily sing-able and catchy melodies. (For example, “Do It Again” is contained within an octave and a step and does not strain a congregation if sung in the key of G or lower. We sing it in F). Furthermore, the lyrical content is gospel centered and biblical. That’s always best, right???!!! Truthfulness to the Bible should be the standard for lyrics, but unfortunately many modern songs fall short.

Worship Song Highlight: "Holy Spirit, Have Your Way in My Life"

            A little over a year ago, my wife said something along the lines of, “You need to write an upbeat Holy Spirit song that the kids will like and is not heretical.” Haha! I agreed with her assessment of the need. Think about it: how many songs, or even hymns, do you know specifically about the Holy Spirit? With how many of them are you 100% comfortable and excited? All the songs I know of are either theologically questionable/shallow or slow and  contemplative musically and haven’t connected with wide audiences.

            Soon thereafter, our pastor, Bart Barber, announced that we were going to be preaching through the Gospel of John. John’s Gospel teaches a great deal about the Holy Spirit, so I decided it would present a great opportunity to introduce a new Holy Spirit song to our congregation. I started working on the song during a songwriting retreat last October and polished it with the help of several people in the subsequent months.

            The focus of the song is the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. I attempted to convey two main points: 1) The Holy Spirit dwells inside believers and will never leave 2) His power works with in us. Along the way, I threw in as much biblical teaching about the Holy Spirit as seemed to fit in this one 4-minute song. Below I will share the lyrics, along with the scriptural passages underlying them.

Verse 1

Living Water                                                      John 4:14

Indwelling Presence                                          John 7:38-39

You are the Spirit of God                     

You're our Helper                                               John 14:16

Sent from the Father                                         John 14:26

You are the Spirit of God

Verse 2

Jesus sent You                                                  John 14:26

To help us remember

All the things He taught

We will listen                                                     1 John 4:1-6

To Your Holy Whisper                                       1 Kings 19:12

Oh help us Spirit of God

Chorus

Your power is unfathomable                            Luke 24:49, Ephesians 1:19-20

You've sealed us and You'll never let go         Ephesians 1:13, John 10:28

Holy Spirit have Your way in my life                Galatians 5:16-26

You lead us blowing like the wind                   John 3:8

We'll follow no longer slaves to sin                 Romans 6, Romans 8:2, John 8:34-36

Holy Spirit have Your way in my life              

Verse 3

You are with us                                                  Romans 8:11

You never leave us                                            Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 28:20          

You guide us every day                                    John 16:13

Holy Spirit                                                           

Help us listen

And walk according to Your way                     Romans 8:4

Bridge

We did not receive                                             (This whole section follows

The spirit of slavery or fear                               Romans 8:15-17 very closely)

But the spirit of adoption as sons

And now we draw near

You bear witness to us

That we are the children of God

Since we are children

We're heirs of the kingdom

And co-heirs with Jesus the Son

The song has a fast groove and a catchy melody. Our church has responded quite enthusiastically to it and is singing it better and better each week. The Bible has a lot more to say about the Holy Spirit, and therefore more songs need to be written. For example, this song does not include an in depth look at the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, or the work of the Spirit in convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. However, I still hope this song may be a blessing to you, and I hope it encourages you to think about the Holy Spirit’s work in your life as you follow the Spirit’s leading and rejoice in the Spirit, as you also rejoice in the Father and the Son!

Here is a link to a demo recording on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/james-cheesman-tx/holy-spirit-have-your-way-in-my-life

I want to thank my wife, Meg Cheesman, friend, Art Wellborn, and pastor, Bart Barber, for their valuable input on this song. Also, I want to thank my daughter, Claire, for requesting her mom to play the song on repeat so she can dance to it every day (I’m not sure if dancing is allowed or not since this is uncharted territory- a song about the Holy Spirit written by a Baptist!)

Worship Song Highlight: "For the Cause"

We’re going to start singing “For the Cause” at FBC Farmersville on Sunday, May 6th. It was written by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Stuart Townend and released on their latest full-length studio album, “Facing a Task Unfinished,” in 2016. This album features many songs about missions, including the title track. Yet whereas “Facing a Task Unfinished,” is convicting and rather soul-piercing, “For the Cause” is joyful and upbeat. I am very glad our church will know both!

The first thing that captures your attention about this song is the opening “world beat,” followed by a sweet lead line played on the sitar. That’s right! The sitar. It can be played on any number of instruments, though, if you don’t happen to have George Harrison in your worship band. Also, personally I find the song really fun to play! 

The theology of the song is crystal clear. The first two verses talk about the call of Christ to give our lives as an offering and to go joyfully sowing the seeds of the gospel. The chorus, which is spoken in the first person plural, is a statement of mission. Several scripture references automatically come to mind as you sing it:

“Christ we proclaim (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

The Name above every name (Philippians 2:9)

For all creation (Mark 16:15)

Ev’ry nation (Matthew 28:19)

God’s salvation

Through the Son!” (John 3:17)

 The third and fourth verse give praise to Jesus who endured the cross and conquered death to give life and liberty to those who believe. Then the final verse, which is my favorite, is scripture directly from Philippians 1:21 and Luke 9:23:

“Let it be my life’s refrain:

To live is Christ, to die is gain;

Deny myself, take up my cross

And follow the Son.”

I want our church to memorize this last verse, because it contains these two great verses from the Bible and connects them to our mission. 

You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHuLOdZdqs8

You can buy the track or resources here: https://www.gettymusic.com/for-the-cause/

*Post-script: The song was dedicated to Southeaster Baptist Theological Seminary and its president, Danny Akin.

"Breath of Heaven" Christmas Musical

Next Sunday at First Baptist Church Farmersville, we will be presenting the Christmas musical “Breath of Heaven.” I am very excited about this year’s musical for a couple of reasons. First of all, I am excited about the high level of participation. We presented an open invitation for all members of the congregation in the youth group or older to come and sing in the Christmas choir. Although we have done this in the past, this year we have more youth singing than ever before. We also have several adults who are singing in choir for the first time in their lives! Additionally, there are more instrumentalists involved in the orchestra than the previous two years. We have trumpets, trombones, flutes, an alto sax, clarinet, timpani, auxiliary percussion, and a full rhythm section.

Secondly, I am very excited about the musical selections. “Breath of Heaven” is from the Ready to Sing series, and was arranged by Russell Mauldin. Russell Mauldin and his team of writers wrote four original pieces in this musical, and Mauldin also arranged some classic carols and songs. The pieces I am most excited about are “Breath of Heaven” (for which the musical is named), “Welcome To Our World,” and “At the Feet of Jesus with O Holy Night.”

“Breath of Heaven” was made famous by Amy Grant. I would consider it a Contemporary Christian Christmas classic. The opening piano line leads into a hauntingly beautiful melody sung from the perspective of Mary. It certainly captures the wonder of Christmas, as Mary sings about having to place her trust in God to guide her through the difficult journey she faced.

“Welcome to Our World” is another modern Christmas song that I would consider a classic. Chris Rice wrote the song in 1995 and first released it on the album “Deep Enough to Dream” in 1997. In typical Chris Rice fashion, each verse is carefully and poetically composed. Verse 4 and 5 almost bring me to tears every time I hear them:

“Fragile fingers sent to heal us,

tender brow prepared for thorn,

tiny heart whose blood will save us,

unto us is born.

So wrap our injured flesh around You,

breath our air and walk our sod.

Rob our sin and make us holy,

perfect Son of God.

Perfect Son of God,

welcome to our world.”

“At the Feet of Jesus with O Holy Night” is an original song composed by Sue C. Smith and David Moffitt and arranged by Mauldin. I love that it is the final song in the musical, because it is all about worship and adoration. The song connects the idea of the wise men giving gifts to the way we are compelled to give our lives to Jesus. He is the only one worthy of our praise and honor, and so we long to give him everything that we are as an act of worship!

I pray you will come to hear the musical this Sunday if you live in Farmersville! Brother Bart (who is singing in the choir!) will be preaching a gospel message and giving an invitation, so it is a great opportunity to invite friends and family as well.

Worship Song Highlight: "Prepare Him Room"

Starting this Sunday, we will be singing “Prepare Him Room” every Sunday throughout the Advent and Christmas season at FBC Farmersville. “Prepare Him Room” was written by Rebecca Elliott and Dave Fournier of Sovereign Grace Music, the same group who wrote “Behold Our God” and “Come Praise and Glorify.” It was released in 2014 on the Christmas album Prepare Him Room. I put this near the top of the list of best congregational worship songs for Advent/Christmas written in the 2000s, and it is one of my personal favorites.

The whole song echoes the theme of Psalm 24:7,

“Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

That the King of glory may come in.”

Thus the chorus is a simple call to worship based on that refrain,

“Prepare Him Room,

Prepare Him Room.

Let the King of glory enter in.”

What a wonderful prayer upon which to meditate and sing! The message is perfect for the Advent season. Advent helps us to be grateful for Jesus Christ’s first coming and reminds us to serve him as we eagerly await his second coming.

 Verse 1 talks about the mystery of the gospel unfolding as Christ was born. Verse 2 praises Jesus for being God with us, for fulfilling the promises and prophecies, for bringing light, for teaching the words of life, and for ushering in the kingdom of God. Verse 3 is my favorite verse. It says:

“Oh, our hearts, as busy as Bethlehem
Hear Him knock, don’t say there’s no room in the inn
Through the cradle, cross, and grave
See the love of God displayed
Now He’s risen and He reigns
Praise the Name above all names!”

I love how the lyrics call us out for being too busy. We often get so caught up in the flurry of the season that we miss out on the peace Jesus brings and the blessing of spending time with him in personal and corporate worship. Jesus loves us so much, and it would be a shame for us to miss out on what he would say to us this Christmas because our hearts are too anxious, busy, or distracted by lesser things.

You can listen to the song here.

Musically, I love the harmonies, especially the major 7th chords (which are AWESOME, hint hint Phyllis Tanner!)

You can find resources and buy the song, or buy the entire, fantastically wonderful album, here: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/prepare-him-room/

Worship Song Highlight: "What a Beautiful Name"

NOTE: On May 8, 2019, CCLI made a post regarding top 5 questions they receive. One of the most frequent questions they receive is, “Can we change the lyrics of a song to more accurately reflect our theology?” The answer was, “No.” Up untili May 8, 2019, I had received conflicting advice concerning this issue. Yet they made it very clear that you must get the author’s permission to change lyrics, otherwise you violate the composer’s copyright.

I humbly recant and apologize!!! To anyone who read my blog previously and decided to change the lyrics in “What a Beautiful Name,” or any other song, please do what I am going to do and change course. From now on when we sing this song, we will just change up the order and omit verse 2. We will probably sing it like this: Chorus 1, Verse 1, Chorus 2, Bridge, Chorus 3. It is legal, according to CCLI, to switch up the order of a worship song.

Again, I feel very foolish. I am so sorry!

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ORIGINAL POST:

It has been some time since I have posted a Worship Song Highlight blog. I plan to write about a couple other songs we have been singing at First Baptist Church of Farmersville, namely “His Mercy is More” and “Come Praise and Glorify.” Yet I feel it is important to write about “What a Beautiful Name,” because although this is a beloved new song for many, it has been criticized by others. We are going to start singing it this Sunday, so I hope to explain some of the theology behind the song before our church starts singing it regularly.

“What a Beautiful Name” is the latest hit by Hillsong, the worship song giants that also brought you “Shout to the Lord” back in the Zschech days and, more recently, “Stronger,” “Mighty to Save,” “Forever Reign,” and “Oceans.” The chorus is very easy to sing. The melody stays the same each time, but the words change slightly from chorus to chorus. The first chorus says, “What a beautiful name it is, What a beautiful name it is, The name of Jesus Christ, my King.” The second chorus says, “What a wonderful name it is,” and the third chorus says, “What a powerful name it is.”

The verses and bridge contain truths about Jesus and praise for who he is. The first verse is based on some ideas from John 1, Colossians 1, and Ephesians 1. It first states, “You were the Word at the beginning, One with God, the Lord most high.” You can certainly hear how this reflects John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The next two lines of the verse say, “Your hidden glory in creation, now revealed in You, our Christ.” This echoes Colossians 1:15-20 and makes the point that even though God’s glory was revealed in creation, Christ revealed the “fullness of God” (Col. 1:19) and the “mystery of his will” (Eph. 1:9).

The bridge contains statement after statement of Jesus’ victory through the cross, resurrection, and ascension:

“Death could not hold You

The veil tore before You

You silenced the boast of sin and grave

The heavens are roaring the

Praise of Your glory

For You are raised to life again

You have no rival, You have no equal

Now and forever God, You reign

Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the glory

Yours is the Name above all names”

So if all of this is good theology, why has the song been criticized? Well, the specific lyrics in question are in verse 2:

“You didn’t want heaven without us,

So Jesus, You brought heaven down.

My sin was great, Your love was greater,

What could separate us now?”

The well-respected and oft-wise John Piper wrote a blog about these lyrics, questioning if they imply that God was lonely in heaven without us. You can read that blog here: http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/when-worship-lyrics-miss-the-mark

He helpfully points out how we can easily fall into the trap of thinking that God needs us and that it was out of a feeling of emptiness he sent Jesus to save and reconcile us to himself. While I agree with him that we should be careful about this false theology, I don’t believe it was the songwriters’ intent in the lyric. In fact, Ben Fielding, one of the co-authors of the song posted a blog about the scriptural basis for the song. You can read his comments here: https://hillsong.com/collected/blog/2017/05/scriptural-inspiration-behind-the-lyrics-of-what-a-beautiful-name/#.WcFnP62ZNBw

I didn’t get the same impression as John Piper did when I first heard this song, and I actually love what Ben Fielding has to say about the lyric. However, the last thing I want to do is confuse anyone in our church or have us sing something that is misleading. Therefore, we will probably not sing verse 2.

Honestly, I couldn’t throw out the entire song due to one line because I think the song is already meaningful to many of our people. We sang this song in French in Montreal on a mission trip on July 30th. That same morning back in Farmersville, one of our choir members, Amanda, sang this song as a solo. That same morning at church our Guatemala mission trip team was sharing about their trip. I later found out they sang this song together in Guatemala at a crucial time in the week. I believe God orchestrated all these things. For these reasons, this song already has a special place in my heart, even before we start to use it congregationally at FBC Farmersville.

Here is a YouTube recording of the song.

Here are the lyrics in French.

Post-Script: Should we even sing Hillsong songs???

Many people have criticized Hillsong Worship in recent years for various reasons. Some evangelicals have argued we should not sing any of their music. Let me say these things in response:

1)    Some say we shouldn’t sing their songs because some of their pastors have preached prosperity gospel type messages. I would say that although I do not agree with the message of the prosperity gospel, I have never picked up on any such theology in their worship music.

2)    Some say we shouldn’t sing their songs because of their charismatic theology. I would say that we should not sing songs written by anybody which contain theology with which we disagree (ie. charismatic theology, prosperity gospel, etc.). Yet we should be able to sing songs that have great theology, even if we disagree with some of the author’s theology. (Case in point: “God of Grace and God of Glory” was written by the liberal pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick).

3)    Some people don’t like Hillsong just because they are popular. I like what Greg Scheer once said: “Well, you don’t see anybody writing hate blogs about my music because apparently I’m not popular enough!” The same is true of me. I have yet to encounter anyone warning Christians not to sing my songs, haha!

4)    I am always open to being corrected by the Word and by the Holy Spirit. Currently, however, I see no reason why a church should feel hesitant to sing a song just because it was produced by Hillsong Worship.

Mrs. E & Mrs. S.

Philippians 4:2-3 is a super important passage, and I can't say I know of any other musical settings about it!!! I hope you are encouraged or convicted or whatever the Holy Spirit wants you to be as you listen to the song. The lyrics are below the video:

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Philippians four verses two and three
Tells the story of Euodia and Syntyche
Two ladies the Apostle Paul asked to agree
As co-laborers in the Lord.

Many times like them do we fight,
Never conceding another is right!
And all the while we tend to lose sight
Of what matters the most.

Why don't we agree
That He who we seek
Can do more than we
Could imagine?

If side by side,
We strive and we strive
To proclaim the gospel
Of our Savior.

Mrs. E & Mrs. S,
Can't you see you're making a mess,
When you are called to repent and confess,
And agree in the Lord?

Our unity is based on more
Than which president we voted for
Or what color's best for the carpet floor
Of the sanctuary.

Well Euodia and Syntyche
I realize it can be tricky
To determine what is really worth
Contending for

But petty disputes about pragmatics
About worship styles, clothes styles, and church politics,
Should never divide the body of Christ
If we stand on His Word.

Worship Song Highlight: "Above Every Name"

"Above Every Name" is my newest worship song. The chorus first came to me on the morning of December 14th. Then, the majority of the song was written while Meg, Claire, and I were visiting Meg's family in Canada over Christmas. I was inspired to write this song by meditating on Philippians 2. Our pastor at First Baptist Church Farmersville, Bart Barber, challenged me several months ago to write some new hymns based on the book of Philippians.  He is currently preaching through Philippians at our church and will also participate in the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference, during which twelve different pastors will preach through the entire book.

The lyrics of "Above Every Name" have two main features. First, while they are written ABOUT Christ, they are sung TO Christ. In other words, the song is Christology sung TO Christ. A friend told me this was "intimate and profound." I hope so! Second, the lyrics tell the story of Christ's humiliation and exaltation.

ABOUT CHRIST/TO CHRIST

The lyrics are written ABOUT Christ, and are meant to teach. Classic Hymnody often teaches deep truths. We believers have often learned our theology through the hymns we sing. I didn't want this song to be shallow; I wanted it to have that same teaching power. So what Christology does this song teach?

 The first pre-chorus says, 

"Though You remained one with Your Father, You became human to be one with us. Because You descended, Jesus, You ended the enmity that kept Your presence from us." 

The incarnation is a paradox in so many ways. Jesus, the Son, became a man on earth while God the Father remained in Heaven. Yet Jesus did not give up his divinity or his unity with the Father when he became a man. Jesus remained homoousios (of the same substance) as the Father. Just ask Athanasius, who taught this against the heretic Arius. Furthermore, Jesus came to be human so he could be like us and pay the sin-debt man owed to God. Hebrews 2:17 says, "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."

This song is also sung TO Christ. If the strength of hymnody is its teaching power, then its weakness is lack of first person language which connects the worshiper vertically to God. Now, there are a great many hymns written in the first person that encourage vertical worship. However, the imbalance of too many impersonal hymns is part of what has caused so many contemporary praise and worship songs today to be written in the first person. This is all an issue of balance. We need songs that contain deep doctrine about God and are vertically addressed to God. We need songs that teach us and songs that allow us to tell God how much we adore Him. I attempted to do both of these things in one song.

HUMILIATION/EXALTATION

The second feature of the lyrics is that they go through the story of Christ's humiliation and exaltation, which is one of the key themes of the Philippians 2:5-11 hymn. The first verse speaks about Christ giving up his royalty and coming down to the earth. Christ descended to the earth, and just kept going down. If you think about it, he is the ultimate champion in the spiritual limbo contest ("How low can you go?”). He came to earth; he was a baby; his family was poor; he lived in a small town; before he died, he was arrested; he was mocked; he was stripped and beaten; he was killed in the most humiliating and painful way the Romans killed anybody.

He accepted this humiliation with complete obedience. Then, after three days in the grave, he rose again and began his ascension back to the top. The second pre-chorus says of Jesus' comeback:

"Though you were buried, the grave could not hold You, Three days later, You rose again. Then You ascended to Your throne in Heaven, Victorious Savior, Defeater of sin."

Now Jesus reigns above every name. Now we give him praise above every name. The act that the world thought was his demise is what gives rise to his glory and renown. Christ saved us when he came "Humbly to serve, humbly to die." That is why he is now lifted high!

Further Info

There are two demos of the song: "Radio Mix Demo" and "Worship Band Mix Demo" available on SoundCloud. You can download a chord chart and a piano/vocal chart on my Worship Songs page.

Fun fact: My girls were a big help to me in writing this song. Claire sat on my lap and critiqued the song while I was working on it at the Yamaha piano in Nana and Papa's living room in Pugwash. Meg was the first person to listen to the song in its entirety, and she helped refine the lyrics at the end of Pre-Chorus 1. We changed them from "the enmity barring salvation from us" to "the enmity that kept salvation from us."

Songs of Mercy & Justice in the Wake of Tragedy

This week our nation has experienced more tragedies. Both Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were shot by police, and both incidences were caught on camera, allowing for everyone to witness what happened. These men were victims. The black community is outraged. Much of the nation is outraged. The church should be outraged at the systemic racism and injustice that still pervades our society, These systemic problems are, at least in part, to blame for such incidences occurring far too frequently.  

Others have written far more eloquently than I can about this. I would direct your attention to Russell Moore's article here. Dr. Moore helpfully points out that sin is the root cause of these tragedies. Sin has a systemic side and a personal side, and the church needs to call out sin for what it is, whether it is systemic or personal, or both. Micah 6:8 says, *"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." 

In humility, those who love Christ, should stand up for justice and mercy. Anytime something awful happens, such as the death of an Alton Sterling or a Philando Castile, I am driven to prayer. One of the ways my prayers are shaped is through music. I just want to share a few songs that might aid others in praying for justice and mercy in the wake of horrific tragedies.

1. "Does Your Heart Break" by The Brilliance

This is a truly gut-wrenching song. The verses are taken from two stories of tragedy. The first verse is about the children who went hungry and died because of the fall of Jerusalem. The second verse is about Eric Garner, the black New Yorker who was choked to death by a police officer in December of 2014. The chorus is perhaps the most gut-wrenching part of the song, though, as it asks of God, "Does your heart break?" This is either a rhetorical question or one of the most intensely serious questions anyone can ask of God... and even if you have a firm belief in God's love and think it is a rhetorical question, tragedy can really make you ponder the severity and yearning in the query.

In the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, people ask all the time, "God, where are you?" "How long will you be far off from us?" "How long will you sit and do nothing?" "Are we not your people? Do you love us?" I often skip past those questions, because I am focused on the New Testament perspective of the promises being fulfilled and God's love being poured out through Christ.... yet those questions have their place. As I was reading Isaiah 64:12 this morning, I realized that God can take it when we pray things like: "God, I know you are loving. But are you seeing this???? Please do something..."

If you want to hear more thoughts about this, I did preach a sermon on Matthew 11 recently, and would be happy to send you a link to the recording. Part of the lyrics for the chorus of this song are taken from Matthew 11.

2. "Kyrie Eleison" by Keith & Kristyn Getty

This song is much more upbeat, but the lyrics are still profound. It is written for corporate worship by some of the greatest hymn-writers living today (if not the greatest), which makes it especially useful for the church. We need to be singing songs like this that call us to prayer and action.

The refrain of the song uses an ancient church text: "Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison," meaning "Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy." Growing up as a Baptist, I used to think singing "kyrie eleison," was only for Catholics or some other group of non-fervent-New-Testament-believing Christians. I don't think so anymore. Although, for some, repeating "Christ have mercy," over and over again has turned into meaningless ritual for personal confession, the prayer itself is very meaningful. Its use is not limited to personal confession of sin. We can also pray it corporately or on behalf of someone else. In fact, sometimes in the wake of tragedy we have no words. No words come to mind that can really fit the situation. In such situations, I find that "Christ, have mercy," (or "Even so, come Lord Jesus," which I will talk about next) is the best thing to pray.

There are other great settings of this text. Here is one by The Brilliance: "Prayers of the People." 

3. "Even So Come" by Chris Tomlin, Jess Cates, and Jason Ingram (as made famous by Kristian Stanfill and Passion)

I was so excited when I discovered such a profoundly biblical song written and recorded by a mainstream CCM/worship artist. This song comes from the early church's cry of, "Maranatha!" ("Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!"-Revelation 22:20). Creation is groaning for Christ to come again. Our hearts groan for his return and our redemption. Our hearts groan all the more in the wake of tragedy, because we know he is going to fix this mess and take away all sin, tears, mourning, and death. I am currently planning on teaching this song to our congregation this fall.

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It seems like there are more and more tragedies occurring each and every day (just think: Ferguson, Charleston, Paris, Orlando). We the church have the responsibility, the opportunity, and the privilege to be the ones offering hope. We can pray for justice and we can walk humbly and we can love mercy and seek all these things in Jesus' name.

*There is a great song based on Micah 6:8 called "You Have Shown Us."