Radical Womanhood

Sing Truth to Your Soul

It was almost two years ago that I wrote about creating a playlist of "Trusting God" songs. These are songs that reinforce to me the truth of God's character and the beauty of the gospel, to be sung in moments of doubt or discouragement. (But I can't believe this was almost two years ago. Pardon me while I have a geezer moment here, but really, two years?! Insert cliche comment here: "Where has the time gone?" Good thing these are timeless truths in these songs!)

Now I have a few more songs to recommend for your iPod.

- "All I Really Need" reminds me that trials do have their sanctifying purpose. Here are a few of the lyrics:

In the darkest hour I must face
I’m counting on Your grace to give me all I need
Sunless days and cheerless nights will pass
And work their work at last to form Your joy in me
For when I am weak
I find that You are strong, and
All I really need is Your grace

This song is by Mark Altrogge and was recorded on the father-son project, In A Little While (Sovereign Grace Music). Right now, you can download it for free from the Sovereign Grace Store.

- "O God of Love" from Lou Fellingham is an older song, but her solo album with this recording, Treasure, was just released last year. I downloaded it from iTunes. My church has been singing this pretty song for at least four years, maybe longer, but it is always a refreshing reminder of God's love in any situation or season of life.

I can't explain all the things I see
But I'll trust in You
In every moment, You are there
Watching over, You hear my prayer
You go before me, You're behind me
Nothing's hidden from You
How good it is to be loved by You

- Finally, "In Whatever (Glorify)" I find lyrics that remind me of the importance of glorifying God in daily life.

In whatever I do
Let it be done with Christ in view
To glorify You, glorify You, Lord
In whatever I say,
Let it be filled with truth and grace
To glorify You, glorify You, Lord

This song was written by Steve & Vikki Cook and is on the Glorify CD, a live recording from Metro Life Church in Orlando, Florida, on Ugg Records.

Three solid songs drenched in truth. Good stuff for the weary soul.

Celebrating the Incarnation

I'm totally caught up in the Christmas whirlwind right now, so I'm sorry this blog has been a bit quiet of late. It's the time of year when I become a domestic machine, cranking out dinner parties, open houses, teas, and various hospitalities. The time I normally would have for blogging is now devoted to hand-washing china that can't be put in the dishwasher. But I'm betting the time you'd normally have for reading blogs is taken up with similar activities, too!

As I've been out and about shopping for groceries or for gifts, I've been marveling at the Christmas music. The carols and hymns I grew up with are still being played on the radio and various retail systems--songs with profound lyrics about the truth of Christmas. In our increasingly anti-Christian culture, Christmas carols in the public square are a bracing shock. But I rejoice every time I hear a radio station play a song like "Joy to the World," because the Gospel is being proclaimed!

In light of that, I'd like to recommend a new Christmas CD. It is the first Christmas project produced by Sovereign Grace Ministries-- Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man. These worship songs are centered on the Incarnation, which makes them perfect to sing this time of year. But because those truths are timeless, they are also perfect for the rest of the year. Even better, Savior makes a good outreach gift because the liner notes include a full Gospel presentation.

My favorite songs are the Caedmon's Call-infused "Christ the Lord is Born Today" and the sweet ballad, "Sleep, Jesus, Sleep." You can check out the lyrics, download sheet music, watch some videos about the project, or listen to samples at the Sovereign Grace website. Bonus: You can download a free song on the Sovereign Grace Store--"Hope Has Come."

Other Christmas songs I've recently added to my iPod include:

- "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "Joy to the World" by Sufjan Stevens, who brings his indie folk flavor to these arrangements
- "What Child Is This?" and "Merry Christmas" from Third Day's Christmas Offerings project
- "Magnificat" and "Sleep Well" from the Todd Agnew + Friends Do You See What I See project
- "Who Comes This Night" from James Taylor At Christmas

In the midst of a busy season, I pray the songs you listen to will remind you of the incarnation of the Prince of Peace!

The Red Violin Concerto

My prior music reviews have been done after the recording has been released. But last night I happened to be at the right place at the right time. My friends and I heard the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and solo violinist Joshua Bell record John Corigliano's "Red Violin Concerto," an extension of the composer's Oscar-winning score from the film The Red Violin. This piece made its debut three years ago with the BSO and conductor Marin Alsop, who recently made history with her appointment as Music Director of the BSO. She will be the first woman to head a major American orchestra.

In addition to this piece, we also heard Kabalevsky's "Colas Breugnon Overture" and Rachmaninoff's final composition, "Symphonic Dances, Op. 45." These are not the kinds of pieces you listen to as you multitask. All three compositions are complex pieces that demand your full attention. My ear has been trained by the prettier Baroque melodies of Corelli, Bach, and Vivaldi, but the evocative elements of "The Red Violin Concerto" are not background music. In fact, there were several unusual techniques used in this concerto that were explained quite well in the playbill's notes--an item I regretfully left behind. But one that I do recall occurs in the slow movement and uses an effect with the bow called flautando, which makes the violin sound like a flute.

I wish I could provide you with a more nuanced review of the recording, but I am unable to do so. I can report that no one had a severe coughing fit nor did I hear any cell phones ringing--and that's good. I can also tell you that the other musicians were either wearing tuxes or formal black skirts, but that Marin Alsop wore a black pantsuit and Joshua Bell wore a boxy black button-down shirt over black pants. He wore that the last time I saw him, so it must be the most comfortable outfit for his energetic playing style. So, if you want to learn anything more than these meager details, visit the BSO Musician's website for additional audio interviews and photos.

What does this have to do with the point of this blog? Not much. But on the way up and back, my friends and I did discuss what it means to "count it all joy" in extended singleness (James 1:2). I'll tackle that topic, Lord willing, in a few days. Until then, praise be to God for His gracious gifts of talented musicians!

(Pictured above: Joshua Bell, photographed by Chris Lee.)

Here Comes the King, All Bow Down

Buried deep within American culture is the idea that we bow to no sovereign. We might call our President the Leader of the Free World, but we do not bow to him. Because we exalt the individual over any concept of monarchy, I think we American Christians can be at a disadvantage when we speak of Jesus as King. We are simply not used to bowing the knee to anyone.

I was thinking of this recently as I drove around listening to Chris Tomlin's CD, "Arriving." I know I was one of the very last people to buy this popular CD, but even being 18 months late to the party doesn't diminish how much I enjoy it. One of the songs is "All Bow Down." It celebrates the day we will see Jesus returning in all His glory as the rightful King of the Universe.

Here comes the King
All bow down
Lift up your voices
Unto the Lamb
He is the King
All bow down
All bow down

As I listened, the sky was filled with purple-tinged streaks and puffy, magenta-gray clouds. It was that last gasp of splendor and color before the sun disappears for the evening--a setting as perfect as any for a dramatic entrance of the King. It made me wonder if I'd be alive when it happens and what it would be like to recognize with triumphant cheering what might be fearful to many unbelievers. The Judge and Glorious King is here, but He carries wounds for His redeemed Bride. Hallelujah!!

There are many appealing songs on this CD, from the acoustic harmonies of "You Do All Things Well" to the gospel-and-blues celebration of "On Our Side"--which simply demands you to sing along at the top of your lungs, a requirement to be included on my "High Energy Praise" playlist. But my very favorite song is "Mighty Is the Power of the Cross." The cello and classical guitar are the ideal accompaniment for the vocals of Chris Tomlin and Matt Wertz. Though the concepts of man's sinfulness and our Savior's justifying redemption are more assumed than clearly articulated in these lyrics, that knowledge enhances the song's poetry:

What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

I never listen to this song just once. It has to be at least three times in a row. If I'm driving, it can be dangerous because I want to lift my hands in worship to the Lord. This recording is six minutes long, and I'm grateful for the extended, spontaneous worship at the end: "Mighty is the power of the cross...Thank you, Jesus...for the holy cross..." The last few minutes are quietly intimate and not overly produced. I appreciate hearing the haunting cello so clearly--what a gorgeous instrument.

This is one CD that has not left my CD changer since I purchased it several months ago. I'm so glad to know that that the rich music scene of Austin, Texas, is also being reflected in praise and worship, thanks to Chris Tomlin and many others there.

When Silence Falls

Two years ago, I heard a new song by Tim Hughes--"Giver of Life." Its infectious melody was irresistible. I played it often and loud. The chorus was perfect for driving around on a sunny day with the windows down. One line always made me sing aloud: "You are good and Your mercies last a lifetime." My church sings a number of songs by Tim, including "Here I Am to Worship" and "Beautiful One," so I guess I expected to be generally aware of his CD releases.

However, I am here to report that one of my favorite worship CDs to date has been out for two years and somehow I overlooked it. When Silence Falls contains both "Beautiful One" and "Giver of Life," as well as Nathan Fellingham's 1995 classic song, "Holy, Holy."

The CD ranges from upbeat praise to quiet psalms of trust. "When the Tears Fall" has been added to my Trusting God playlist on my iPod.

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, I have known pain
But there's one thing that I'll cling to
You are faithful, Jesus, You're true

When hope is lost, I'll call You Savior
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart
In the lone hour of my sorrow
Through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me and sustain me

The song builds from a melancholy vocal and simple piano melody to a full-blown, passionate declaration of praise: "I will praise You, I will praise You. When the tears fall, still I will sing to You." This is one song you need to sing repeatedly when the shifting sands of circumstances threaten your trust in God.

I also enjoy the pretty melody of "Beauty of Your Peace." One lyric jumped out at me immediately: "Take from our souls the strain and stress and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Your peace." That's a line that occupies the white noise of my brain these days, especially as I am praying about and considering my schedule and responsibilities. It also could have been the theme song of the Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Woman series I mentioned yesterday. This is a key facet of a godly woman's life: the beauty of His peace should emanate from our lives as we trust Him.

Finally, I want to highlight "You," which celebrates the transcendence and divine mystery of God. In recent days, as I've been puzzled about why some things have turned out the way they have, I have come back to these lyrics:

In the heavens, on the earth
There is no one like you God
And these words are not enough
To tell of who You are
Who can know the mind of God?
Who can understand Your ways?
And these words are not enough
To tell of Your great name

Indeed, we don't know even the half, but what we do know and comprehend about God is overwhelmingly praiseworthy!

A Song for Every Circumstance

We Americans like to double every pleasure. Why just have fries when you can also add cheese to them? Why just a plain Oreo cookie when you can double the stuffing or coat it in chocolate? Why have just a plain cup of coffee when you can order a half-caf, double tall, skinny latte with no whip?

And why get a CD by just one artist if you can double the listening pleasure and get two artists? That's the FUSE project--two EP CDs introducing West Coast Revival and Zach Jones (Sovereign Grace Music). This is a great collection of new songs, but I have to admit to playing one song over and over again. I received a review copy of FUSE a few months ago, during a small trial. I was immediately comforted by the lyrics in "You Are Near"--especially verse two--and used this song to sing truth to my soul:

Verse 1
When the trials come and sorrows fall on me
You are my strength, the ground beneath my feet
When temptation calls to worry about my life
I will place my hope in the cross of Jesus Christ
And joy will be my song Yes joy will be my song

Chorus
For You are near, near to me
You still my anxious thoughts
And You bring Your peace
You are near when I call
You drive out all my fears
And calm this troubled heart
You’re near to me

Verse 2
You told me to rejoice in every circumstance
And trust in You alone and in Your sovereign plan
You beckon me to come and bring You my requests
You promised that Your peace would come and bring me rest
And joy will be my song
Yes joy will be my song

Bridge
When I don’t hear You, You’re still near
When I don’t feel You, You’re still near
When I think that You have abandoned me
You’re still near, You are near
You’ll never leave me
You’re still near
You are near

Zach Jones © 2004
Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)

In confusing or trying circumstances, we need to reinforce God's truth to ourselves by what we read, sing, and say to ourselves. This is one song that immediately went to the top of my "Trusting God" playlist, and I highly recommend it to you, too. The preview links are listed above but you can purchase the project or download the song from the Sovereign Grace Store.

Defined by Being Found

Today we continue our countdown to National Singles Awareness Day--hope you enjoyed yesterday's holiday humor. Now that I got that out of my system, let me try to actually give you something useful.

This week I've been wearing out one song from a band called Telecast--"Define." I appreciate the Brit-rock flavor of the melody, but my attention was arrested by one line in the lyrics: "I've been defined by being found." This is similar to an exhortation that one of my pastors brought this past Sunday, following a message about Peter the fisherman who was redefined by Jesus to be a fisher of men. This pastor sensed the Lord wanted to address those who were seeking their identities in what they do, rather than in whom they know. The most important thing about us is not our occupation, talents, or gifts but the relationship we have with Jesus. That is what we should treasure above all else.

But this relationship means Jesus has a claim on us. In the spare lyrical style of this song, Telecast reflects this truth:

I've been defined by being found
By Your perfect love
And so I'll pick up my cross
And follow hard after You
Your grace is more than enough
Please help me get through
Teach me to die
That You might live and reign inside
This Heart of mine
Is Yours to keep
And Yours to define
O Lord I accept this gift of grace You offer me

My dear single friends, as much as we do wear this label about our marital status, this is not our true definition. In view of eternity, our current singleness is not very important. What is priceless is that we've been found by perfect love. Having been captured by perfect love, our hearts are His to keep and His to define. That's why we can joyfully accept this gift of grace in being single today. I have no idea if Telecast is referring to singleness in this lyric (I rather doubt it), but that's how singleness is defined in 1 Cor 7:7--a gift of grace (a charisma).

"Define" is on Telecast's 2003 recording, The Beauty of Simplicity. The rest of the CD is just as good. I like the CD's description on Worshipmusic.com's site: "It takes a masterful artist to know when to hold back his brush or his pen, and Josh White, front man and founder of new BEC Records artist Telecast has learned the true art of restraint. The melodies are subtle, the music is exquisitely understated and this allows the jaw-dropping power of the lyrics to hit your ears, and your heart, like a runaway freight train." That's no overstatement. I haven't heard a CD this good (Christian or mainstream) in a long time.

Though I haven't listened as much to their second CD, Eternity Is Now--simply because I keep hitting the replay button on this one--it's equally as good. You can preview this CD on their website or you can download one song, "Saturate," from the New Attitude website--a plug for the forthcoming Telecast concert at this conference. When I first downloaded this song, I wore it out, too. So I fully expect to make their concert this May, no matter how sleep-deprived I am. (Update: "Saturate" has been rotated out and now "Face to Face" is up.)

Back to Valentine's Day. My recommendation for the next few days is that we all guard our hearts by monitoring what we allow our eyes and ears to take in. There's no reason to allow a commercial holiday to rob us of our peace before the God whose perfect love found us. In fact, this might be a good time to create or add to a Trusting God playlist so that we can reinforce truth by what we are singing to ourselves.

I know I'll be humming "Define" a lot...

Rapping the Gospel

Last night, the discussion at caregroup (my church's term for a small group) was about chapters three and four from Humility: True Greatness. It was an interesting discussion, but I'll have to blog about it later. What I wanted to highlight here was our discussion about preferences. My caregroup leader, Doug, shared an observation that people don't know when they've trespassed on one of our preferences--so how we react in those situations can be a barometer of our humility. In other words, how strongly do we hold onto our preferences in matters that aren't clearly spelled out in Scripture?

Music is one of those areas that tends to divide Christians. We want our worship music to be a certain way and can struggle to worship God when the beat, volume, or style is not to our liking. (On the Worship Matters blog, Bob Kauflin discusses how the root of this is really idolatry.)

This is not limited to church. Our preferences are always with us. For example, I have a well-known preference to be able to hear my dining companions at restaurants. So I am always asking the wait staff if the music can be turned down. This, though, I think is not sinful--just practical! I pride myself on having a broad appreciation of various musical styles, but I will admit that in general I am not partial toward rap music. Even though I grew up with the earliest forms of rap (Sugar Hill Gang, for example), I find the content of most modern rap songs to be repellent.

However, three weeks ago I attended a rap concert I truly enjoyed. It was the CD release party for Progression by Voice, for which a number of opening acts performed, including Christ-centric. I know Voice better as Curt Allen, who is a pastoral intern for the singles ministry of my church. I've been hearing him rap for a few years now, and I appreciate both his artistry and his bold Gospel-soaked lyrics each time.

Below I've posted an interview with Curt about this project and his testimony. You can check out his CD on his website. I would also suggest that if you are reaching out to someone who is a fan of hip-hop or rap, this CD might be a great way to introduce the truth of the gospel. If that sounds like a inspired Christmas gift idea, you can find the CD on the Sovereign Grace Store.

On the iPod: Trusting God Playlist

Sorry to have dropped out of the blogosphere for the past few days. I was in Illinois to speak at Wheaton College. It was a blast to be there and a privilege to be asked to visit. Of course, I had the vain thought as I walked through the dining hall with my tray that I still might be able to pass for a student. Silly me. I was carrying a purse and not a backpack--a dead give-away! (A shout out here to John, Christina, Tabitha, Guy, and the others I met there. Keep standing firm for God and His Word!) 

Backpack or not, I did have one necessary accessory with me--my iPod. I take that on trips with me because I often spend time in private worship on the plane, usually during the inevitable turbulence of take-off and landing. If things are really bad, I may start singing aloud. No joke. During a trip this past spring, our plane was all over the place as we tried to land during a strong storm. As we bumped and fishtailed our way home, I reflexively began singing aloud a stanza from "In Christ Alone" by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty:

"No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand. 'Til He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

My traveling companion was glad when we landed and I stopped my caterwauling!

This is just one of the songs on my Trusting God playlist. I compiled this list for those moments when I need to sing the gospel to myself. Whether it's romantic disappointment, fear arising in turbulence, high-pressured deadline days, or heavy-hearted days of interceding for the crises of others, this collection is a useful resource to keep my eyes off my circumstances and on God.

The songs vary in style and sound, but all reinforce the steadfastness of God's character. One of the newest songs on this list is "God Moves" from the Worship God Live CD. It's based on an old poem by William Cowper with new music and alternate lyrics by Bob Kauflin. (Bonus: On Bob's new blog, Worship Matters, he is offering a free download of the song.)

"Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain. God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain. So God we trust in You. O God we trust in You."

I have also added the beautiful melody of "Surrender All" from that same CD as it is the proper response to those times when we don't understand how God is moving. Here are some other songs I have, which you can find on iTunes:

• In Christ Alone (Geoff More and Adrienne Leishing)
• Mercies Anew (Sovereign Grace Music)
• God Will Lift Up Your Head (Jars of Clay)
• Satisfied (Chris Tomlin)
• Enough (Chris Tomlin)
• Nothing Compares (Third Day)
• Here I Am to Worship (Tim Hughes)
• Take My Life (Chris Tomlin)
• Better Is One Day (Matt Redman)
• Giver of Life (Tim Hughes)
• You Are My Everything (Sovereign Grace Music)
• I Will Glory Only in the Cross (Sovereign Grace Music)
• O Faithful God (Sovereign Grace Music)
• A Debtor to Mercy (Sovereign Grace Music)
• Though I Feel Alone (Waterdeep, 1000 Portraits)

I encourage you to check out some of these songs. Worship music infused with rich truths about God help us to reinforce our faith in memorably melodies.

The Liberating Lamb

My family has a comical ability to misunderstand words. We hear the sounds, but often we don't string them together perfectly. That ensures many hours of laughter when we all get together. An example: When I was working on my book, my sister asked me what the title was. I was only sure of the subtitle at that point. So I told her and there was a puzzled silence on the other end of the phone.

"Teasing God with a bar of soap?! What kind of title is that?"

I fell off my chair in a fit of giggles. When I recovered, I squeaked out breathlessly, "No, no, no! It's 'Trusting God with a hope deferred.'"

Well, sometimes this tendency is a beautiful collision. This week, I've been listening nonstop to the David Crowder Band's latest CD, A Collision. My favorite song so far is "Wholly Yours." One line arrested my attention:

And the truest sign of grace was this: From wounded hands redemption fell down, the liberating lamb.

The liberating lamb. That concept captivated my imagination. A meek lamb, yet a liberator. A sacrifice that becomes my ticket to freedom. I pondered that for awhile, appreciating the alliteration.

Then I looked at the CD's liner notes. The family trait strikes again! The real lyric is:

And the truest sign of grace was this: From wounded hands redemption fell down, liberating man.

Well, just as true and just as beautiful. But I'm still going to meditate on the liberating lamb. And this proves the value of buying the CD. I'm a frequent customer of the iTunes store, but there are certain CDs that should be purchased just for the booklet. This is one of them. A Collision is a CD that requires intelligent listening. It is a concept, not background noise. The wide range of music styles, the initially random audio snippets, and the poetic lyrics should be enjoyed as both a visual and audio experience. Featuring 21 cuts, this is one of the most creative Christian CDs I've come across in a long time. I highly recommend it.

"Hallelujah, we are on our way to God."