Only You - Karyn Williams

“Only You” puts the focus where it belongs, on Jesus only.

Only You

Artist: Karyn Williams (www.karynwilliams.com)

Label: Centricity Music

Length: 11 tracks/41:42 minutes

The song “Only You” reminds me of the Transfiguration. At the end of a spectacular experience that included a visitation from Moses and Elijah, and God speaking from a cloud that overshadowed them, when the disciples “lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only” (Matt. 17:7 ESV). “Only You” puts the focus where it belongs, on Jesus only. It’s like the satisfying end of a story. It’s the peace that follows when God stills the storm. This stripped-down piano-led song breathes the rest that God longs to give us when we cease from our striving. It may be the last track, but it is the crowning achievement on this 11 song debut from the daughter of Orlando Magic Senior Vice President and founder Pat Williams.

The latter’s battle with cancer served as the inspiration for “Rest in the Hope.” Today he is in remission, but the whole episode shook his daughter to the core. When she finally realized that the situation was beyond her control, she took solace in knowing that she and her dad belonged to God.

Along with some of Nashville’s finest, Williams had a hand in writing all but one song. They not only reflect what she went through with her dad, but the leap of faith she took when she left the comfort of all that she had known for Nashville, where she “didn’t know one person in the music industry.” She shed many a tear on the journey, but as she tells it, God not only brought about collaboration with one of the area’s best songwriters, Brian White. He became her husband. Perhaps, it helps her to sing, “Every Good Thing” with a smile on her face and more than a little conviction.

Only You incorporates a wide range of music styles, alternating between pop/rock, adult contemporary, inspirational and a hint of modern country. Although she pulls it off, her foray into elements of dubstep on “Possible,” does not suit her as well as the songs with less production. 

The spotlight is rightly on her voice in the last three tracks that take a-less-is-better approach. “Enough For Me” has a light country vibe that matches well with her voice. I also like what she says about, “This is Freedom.” “I was walking through situations that I had gotten myself into thinking, ‘Man, I’m such an idiot. How did I get here?’ We just beat ourselves up and that does not come from the Lord,” Williams said. Many who may have shared a similar thought will be encouraged to know they are not alone. Williams communicates the freedom and hope that is waiting for those who reach out to God. 

On the more whimsical side, both musically and lyrically, is “Banner,” where Williams asks God to remind her that she is like the moon in His sky, the jewel in His eye. Pounding piano notes put the exclamation on how God’s grace covers our many failures.

Those who know the Williams’ story are aware of the role of adoption in shaping their family. Karyn’s parents had five biological children but adopted 14 others from a variety of countries. “Just May Be” is all about adoption, but presents a wider application in the thought that Christians “may be the only heaven some will ever see.” We can be the answer to a prayer. Williams works with Holt International to further this aspect of her ministry.

There is much in the way of comfort and encouragement to be found as Williams consistently presents God as the answer to our great need.

I Choose Jesus - Moriah Peters

Peters is lighthearted, even joyful, as she sings of life in Christ.

I Choose Jesus

Artist: Moriah Peters (www.moriahpeters.com)

Label: Reunion

Length: 10 tracks/33:44 minutes

I Choose Jesus by Moriah Peters reminds me of my first love. A faith in Christ that is fresh and vital energizes these songs.

It makes me think of the mutual need that Christians of various maturities have for one another. It is good for those who have long been believers to be reminded by their younger counterparts of the simplicity that is in Christ. Obedience will always be essential, and these songs are all about making the right choices. G. K. Chesterton wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” The lead adult contemporary single, “I Choose Jesus,” is Peters affirming her allegiance to Christ despite difficulties.

Where she distinguishes herself is in the notes of whimsy heard on some tracks. One example is “Sing in the Rain,” which is punctuated by lone piano chords that alternately strike like large drops of rain falling on a roof. The mood translates to verse as she begins to sing, “If I could fly like a bird/Singing songs to the world then I would.” Peters is lighthearted, even joyful, as she sings of life in Christ.

That’s not to say there are not a few more somber, challenging moments. “No Shame” is a beautifully understated ballad for the bruised reed, the smoldering wick, for the one who has fallen and feels hopeless.

“Glow” has an otherworldly feel. The opening lines draw attention to a landscape, “So many lights on in this city/The people still walk in the dark.” The challenge in the chorus is: “We have His light, what are we waiting for.”

Nine of the ten tracks are written in part by Peters with help from the likes of Cindy Morgan, Seth Moseley and producer Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, Kari Jobe). The musicians are some of the finest in the industry.

My personal favorite, “Bloom,” is made even better by a lyric video that highlights the hopeful and encouraging words. It’s a sublime, slightly ethereal combination of verse and sound. If I had to summarize the thought in three words, it would be in phrases like: You are beautiful. Keep the faith. Give God time.

This is a fine debut that calls to mind the first release by an artist that shares some of the same ethnicity (Peters is of Mexican-French heritage), who has gone on to bloom in her own way. I write of Jaci Velasquez, who inspired Peters to become a Christian singer. Until she heard Velasquez, Peters thought she had a “froggy” voice. On the contrary, her sound and style is reminiscent of her inspiration. She is a winsome combination of purity and craft.

StompTown Revival

A rugged faith that embraces whisper and thunder

StompTown Revival

Artist: StompTown Revival (www.stomptownrevival.com)

Label: Save the City Records

Length: 6 tracks/25:50 minutes

StompTown Revival’s six song debut EP is filled with grace and grit. At turns acoustic with limited percussion, their style of blues and roots rock also has a soulful, southern swagger. The opening “Guide Me Home” starts with simple acoustic-picking that grows in complexity until amplified power chords and bass drum add weight. This is not your father’s folk. Here, the sublime meets with distortion. The lamb and lion lay down together.

The harmonica and slide guitar are right at home. The former adds to the wistfulness of “The Sun Will Find a Way.” The wailing, echoing sound would fit in some Sergio Leone western. It’s like a lonely voice in the desert. And yet, we are treated to the comforting thought, “You roll the clouds away/And Your love is like a glorious day/Though there is pain/Oh the sun, the sun will find away.”

StompTown looks to God for justice; they shout his praises. Whether one considers the greatest judgment or bliss in this life, it is nothing compared to what will be in “Waiting for the Man.” They add exclamation by singing at the top of their lungs. Even so, there is a restful, dreamlike instrumental interlude in the middle. It’s a reprieve before the music comes back with ferocious intensity.

This closes with a remake of the beloved hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” The group’s treatment lends new vigor to something so familiar that it could easily sound tired.  

In an age that caters to the lowest common denominator and where words and sounds become homogenized, it’s remarkable to find such a rugged expression of faith that embraces both whisper and thunder.

It reflects the band’s desire to reach non-Christians. This duo, consisting of Seattle native Brandon Bee and Texas native Gabe Martinez, just recently returned from a seven-day mission’s trip to Thailand. The response, which included an invitation to return, and 20 people becoming Christians, was overwhelming.

Some may remember Martinez as the frontman for Circleside, a Christian rock group. Bee was a solo artist credited with producing over 80 projects. The pair met at a 2004 music retreat in Seattle and bonded over their mutual interest in American Blues.

That fondness gives them a unique sound among Christian artists. If you like new expressions of Americana and God-haunted lyrics, check this out! 

VeggieTales: The Ultimate Christmas Collection DVD

It’s a Wonderful Life meets The Polar Express in a VeggieTale adaptation.

VeggieTales: The Ultimate Christmas Collection DVD

Big Idea (www.veggietales.com)

Running Time: Approximately 243 minutes plus a 25 Favorite Christmas Songs! CD

It’s a Wonderful Life meets The Polar Express in a VeggieTale adaptation of the former, which borrows from the latter. Since It’s a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies, this alone makes this worthwhile for me. Others who enjoy the classic should find It’s a Meaningful Life rewarding.

If somehow the aforementioned movies have escaped your notice, this adaptation may have even greater impact as you recognize that God is at work even when hope is lost. This goes beyond the Frank Capra movie by infusing it with biblical truth and values. By making God central to this encouraging story, the producers make this one of my favorite VeggieTales episodes.

If you wonder about the influence of The Polar Express, a special train ride reminiscent of that film plays a central role. Here, the setting is different from the two films, but the characters and plot are similar, though deeper for the reason I mentioned, right down to the closing Steven Curtis Chapman song, “Meant to Be,” which fits perfectly.

This is one of six episodes on this DVD, one being a Christmas Sing-Along Songs!  Children can now drive their parents crazy by singing along to a wide variety of Christmas songs, a number of them not part of the other episodes found here.

Each of the narratives, some which go back to early days, is excellent. Individually, they cover different aspects of Christmas. The Toy that Saved Christmas emphasizes giving over getting. Jesus is The Star of Christmas, regardless of what appears in a pageant. Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving depicts the wasteland of a self-centered life. The Little Drummer Boy highlights the importance of forgiveness.

These are so well-done that I forget they are more for little ones than me, and yet, that is the beauty of VeggieTales. They are enjoyed and appreciated by all ages.

If you need help finding what is true, right and praiseworthy in the season, these stories consistently share wisdom in clear, clever and humorous ways. I dare anyone to watch an episode and not feel a bit more lighthearted and hopeful.

Keening for the Dawn: Advent, Christmastide & Epiphany - Steve Bell

A thoughtful, exquisitely rendered and exceedingly broad Christmas recording

Keening for the Dawn: Advent, Christmastide & Epiphany

Artist: Steve Bell (www.SteveBell.com)

Label: Signpost Music

Time: 11 tracks/44:17 minutes

One joy and reason for thanksgiving is the incredible diversity that God has placed in this world. The variety of Christmas recordings is one example. They can be as different as night and day but be just as rewarding, depending on the preferences and disposition of the listener. This is unique among the Christmas recordings that I have reviewed both past and present.

What makes it so is the scope of Keening for the Dawn by Canadian Steve Bell. “Oracles” opens with a prophetic reflection that sees beyond the birth of Christ to the time when He shall reign. This Second Advent is what believers wait for as described on the following title track. Similarly, the next song, “Fashion for Me,” yearns for an inheritance that is yet future, that “is empty of endless disease/with no one to suffer, hate or appease.” There are songs here that highlight the birth of Christ, but what makes this intriguing are the broad applications.

“Refugee” shatters illusions: “We think of him as safe beneath the steeple/Or cozy in a crib beside the font/But he is with a million displaced people/On the long road of weariness and want.” We get another reality check in a spoken word interlude on “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”: “We surf the surface of a widescreen world/And find no virtue in the virtual/We shrivel on the edges of a wood/Whose heart we once inhabited in love.”

The rustic music fits well with the varied moods and sentiments. Stringed instruments rule the day. The frequent use of Dobro makes for a rural sound. “Glory” even has a light country vibe that includes harmonica and organ. This song has a simple, elegant harmony vocal on the chorus. 

Electric guitar punctuates the atmosphere of some tracks with an element of danger. For me it conjures up a spooky desert scene in an old western movie. Though light has dawned with Christ’s advent, the world is not a safe place. This is why we keen for a new dawn where God rights all wrongs.

“Peace Be Unto You,” “While Shepherds Watched” and “In the Bleak Midwinter” are classically-inspired. The production reflects the starkness of winter. Bell’s voice adds warmth to crystalline instrumentation.

Some lyrics on this release were written by the British poet Malcolm Guite. He adds spoken-word parts on a couple of tracks. The thoughts, like most of the lyrics, run deep, providing plenty to ponder. Bell has often drawn inspiration from other artists and writers and it serves him well here.

This is Steve Bell’s seventeenth and possibly finest recording. He distinguishes himself as one in whom this season brings out the best. This is thoughtful, artistic and exquisitely rendered. The content is broad enough to be appreciated all year long. This is a wonderful introduction to Bell’s work.

Joy - Steven Curtis Chapman

Filled with variety and cheer, Joy is one of the best releases of the season.

Joy

Artist: Steven Curtis Chapman (www.stevencurtischapman.com)

Label: Provident Label Group

Length: 13 tracks/45:05 minutes

If you liken Steven Curtis Chapman’s career to the water that Jesus turned to wine at a wedding feast, you could say that Chapman has saved the best for last. Joy continues the winsome, acoustic-based, organic sound found on his last few releases. It may not be roots rock, but it is less CCM radio and more rustic. Chapman has never sounded better or been more creative.

Joy’s nostalgic cover, with old-school microphone, vintage guitar, Chapman in black and white with a starry tinsel-colored background and red banner, all right out of the ’50s, signal some of what you find here. Originals like “Christmas Time Again” and “Christmas Kiss” and the classic “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow” hearken to a more romantic era where the electric guitar was a new novelty. Chapman joins a long line of holiday crooners, and it’s like the late Les Paul added his trademark sound.

In a world that esteems the extremes of those who cater to the masses and the more cryptic, songwriters like Chapman are easily overlooked and underrated. In the industry he serves, he has been rightly recognized many times for his abilities. Here, a little less than half of the songs are originals, and without exception, they highlight Chapman’s skill in making a pop song shine with radiant spiritual truth. Witness “Christmas Card,” which is like a beacon of hope for all who struggle with the holidays.

In “I Am Joseph (God is With Us)” he issues an invitation to all: “So let’s all gather at the manger/And bring all our hopes and hurts and fears/All our unworthiness and shame/Knowing every one of us is the reason that He came.”

This starts with fast strumming and snappy percussion on a mandolin-accented “Joy to the World.” Though it incorporates a few key phrases from this song in the next two tracks; it’s not at all repetitive. It’s more like, in case you missed the message because of the familiar context, here it is again set against a different background. I found myself hearing anew the familiar words about the birth of Christ as I listened to words from the classic carols.

The classics sound fresh and sometimes feature the African Children’s Choir. “Christmas Time is Here” and “In the Bleak Midwinter” are stripped-down, giving them the stark beauty of darkened branches presiding over a snow-covered landscape. These moments of melancholy are the perfect counterpoint to the livelier fare.

Chapman has revitalized himself on this and recent offerings. It makes me look forward to what he does in the future as he continues to experiment. Joy is evidence of how Chapman’s newfound creativity invigorates his work. Filled with variety and plenty of cheer, it is one of the best releases of the season.

Gregory of Nyssa: Sermons on the Beatitudes

There are numerous books on the Beatitudes, but how often do you get to read one by a Church Father?

Gregory of Nyssa: Sermons on the Beatitudes

A Paraphrase by Michael Glerup

Publisher: IVP Books (www.ivpress.com)

Pages: 124

Numerous books have been written on the Beatitudes, but how many are authored by a Church Father? Gregory of Nyssa: Sermons on the Beatitudes, paraphrased by Michael Glerup, is a collection of sermons published 1700 years ago.

What relevance could these messages have today? That these sermons were preached in a world much different than our own makes them unique. Gregory stands outside of our time providing a different perspective than our contemporaries, who are not immune from the influence of our environment. We pick-up prejudices and are blind to neglected truths. Though the same might apply to Gregory through the realities that shaped him, it’s a reason why a collective witness from saints past and present is worth gaining. Those who have gone before help us to see what we have missed and supplement our faith through their insights.

One beauty of gifting in the body of Christ is that individual uniqueness illuminates different facets of the same truth. We have four gospels that provide different portraits of the life and ministry of Christ. We have multiple commentaries and books on the beatitudes that together give us a more composite picture.

How does Gregory add to our understanding? “Gregory has a strong sense of God’s transcendence and the infinity of God. As a result, he consistently highlights the importance of trust, love, adoration and obedience to God. He also cautions believers not to think that their words describe God fully or with complete accuracy. Because of God’s infinity our words or mental images will always fall short of the actuality of God. This does not indicate that we know nothing or almost nothing about God. Rather, it suggests that our talk about God should be tempered by humility” (18-19).

Gregory’s reasoning appeals to me. He frequently moves from the natural to the spiritual, from the lesser to the greater. This kind of deductive teaching fits well with his view that the beatitudes our progressive. Each one is like taking a step up a ladder.

In our day there can be a rush to application, which though practical, can be unsatisfying if exposition is neglected. We need to be doers of the Word, but we also need to discover the richness that is in Christ and the Scriptures. Gregory is practical, but he also provides expansive views that are not as common in our time. We need those moments of inspiration to carry us when the work is long and hard.

Gregory’s take on the fifth beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy,” is a window into his heart. “Compassion is loving identification with those in misery. Just as hardheartedness and malice originate in hate, so compassion flows from love, for without love compassion cannot exist. In fact, if one wanted to dig in to the distinctiveness of compassion, one would find two qualities: a growing attitude of love combined with an understanding of the emotional ache of another. It is not unusual for our friends and our enemies to be willing to share in our prosperity, but the willingness to share in our misfortune is unique to those who are governed by loving kindness. I think most people would agree that practicing a life of love is the best way to live. Compassion is the deepening of love. As such, compassionate persons are truly blessed since they have reached the high point of goodness” (74).

Further in the same chapter, as Gregory reflects on humankind’s state after the Fall, he offers a unique application: “Is it advisable, having a realistic view of our situation, to be only concerned with the misfortunes of others? Shouldn’t we also feel compassion for our own heart, as we consider our current situation, and what we have lost? … We don’t have compassion on ourselves because we are oblivious to our real situation. We are like the mentally ill, whose disorder renders them unconscious to their disease. If we did wake up to both our past and present situation—as Solomon says, the wise know themselves—we would continually have compassion on our souls, and this disposition of spirit would attract the compassion of God. That is why it says, ‘Blessed are the compassionate, for they will receive compassion’” (80). This is a surprising take but one worth considering, especially for those who are overly hard on themselves.

What makes the book a little startling are the pop culture references supplied by the paraphrase. Though purists may have preferred a literal translation, Glerup’s work makes Gregory more accessible, especially to those who like The Message, which is the standard Bible translation for this work. Some of the revised vocabulary shares that style, which makes it easier for those not well-versed in theology to grasp the concepts.

In keeping with the other volumes in the Classics in Spiritual Formation series, Glerup occasionally adds shaded boxes that clarify content.

For those hungry to glean in the fields of a Boaz, Gregory has left behind many rich insights. Having gone to his reward, he speaks to a new generation through this paraphrase. As valuable as it is to commune with the living, we can also profit from the great cloud of witnesses that cheer us toward the rest they now enjoy.