Recognition - Carolyn Arends

Delighting in surprising turns reminiscent of her friend Rich Mullins

Recognition
Carolyn Arends
Label: 2B Records
Length: 12 tracks/51 minutes

There is a lyrical turn on “Let Love Lead You Home” that reminds me of something that Rich Mullins might write. Carolyn Arends and Mullins toured before his passing, and Arends similarity in style is rewarding. This song from Recognition, her latest album, is about a chaplain that sits with the dying.

She listens when there are no words
And helps with the goodbye-ing
And when they ask her how to die
She says she’s never tried it

I appreciate the surprise, honesty and even comedy in that last line.

Humor also serves “Memento Mori” where she has a dream about family and friends reflecting on her passing.

She really tried her best
We guess it was how she was wired
To work so hard and be so tired
Maybe now that she’s expired
She can finally get some rest

The phrase “Memento Mori” puzzled me until I realized that it’s Latin for “Remember that you must die.” If that sounds heavy, know that it’s offset by whimsical lyrics and a perky rhythm. Plus, the male background vocals reiterating in robotic fashion the chorus are an amusing contrast.

I marvel at how Arends handles weighty issues in such an endearing and thoughtful manner. It may be challenging but there is hope.

“God’s Speed” probably resonates more deeply than any other song. It’s a little like hearing Jesus say, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28 ESV). On the chorus she sings:

No more chasing the wind
Led the Spirit lead
Till we slow down
To God’s speed

Every time I listen I feel a sense of relief. To top it off, it’s done in an R&B style with horns and background vocals by The McCrary Sisters, who truly shine in giving it a gospel influence.

The McCrary Sisters also grace the opening “Becoming Human.” This is an excellent intro: lively with hand-claps and the subversive thought that becoming human is hard, nearly impossible apart from God.

“Without Music” featuring Amy Grant is another outstanding collaboration. Thankfully, this is more duet than just providing harmony and background vocals. It’s a wonderful testament to the necessity and appeal of music, so relevant to our times. Take the last full stanza as an example:

So I guess this is my song for all the ones
Who keep singing as the world comes undone
Like a broken hallelujah, their melodies soar
Till the world’s not quite so broken anymore

The melody has a methodical, thoughtful bent, adding to the poignancy.

Pedal steel adds to the sobriety on “Pool of Tears.” If only we could remember that “Everyone sits by their own pool of tears.” What empathy it might engender, which leads to the surprise turn on the latter part of the chorus:

But when nothing will work
And everything hurts
What if we tried some compassion?

The melody of “Maladjusted” is mesmerizing and lingers, calling to mind Martin Luther King’s haunting message, “there are certain things in our nation and in the world (about) which I am proud to be maladjusted and which I hope all men of good-will will be maladjusted …”. As the song declares, when “what we call normal is a disaster,” the status quo needs to be rejected.

“Gather Me” intimately expresses from a female perspective what the act of holding can do for a woman’s psychological well-being. I have never heard it expressed so eloquently. The male harmony vocal is just right as it is so often on this release.

Arends reminds me of Twila Paris on “To Cry for You,” a ballad grieving the loss of someone close, and “All Flame,” a passionate desire to be one. Given the style and substance of each, it’s not hard to imagine Paris singing these songs. The overall sound is similar enough that it made me think of her.

The opening lines of “After This (Bonus Track)” carry such weight, “We have never in our lifetime/Known a shadow like this one.” Violin, which is prominent, expresses collective grief. I hear lament, but ultimately hope, “’Cause after this, the sun will be shining.”

Longtime collaborators like Spencer Capier and Roy Salmond are here, which is what makes this roots music sound so warm and rich. The latter shares the producer credit with Arends.

Despite Arends becoming a skilled author, speaker and leader, I am glad that she is still enriching listeners through music. I think Mullins once reminded people that the Wesley brothers are remembered more for their hymns than their sermons. Cecil Frances Alexander, author of “There Is a Green Hill Far Away,” believed that the faith was best taught through hymns, so she used simple words to express the truths of Scripture. In her own way Arends is following in her footsteps. 

Broken hallelujahs soar through these songs. Those who hear and take heed become more whole and the world becomes a better place, not quite as impoverished.

Wouldn't You Love to Know? - Steve Bell

As David Dark would say, “There are so many ways to love God.” Wouldn’t You Love to Know? is one of them.

Wouldn’t You Love to Know?
Steve Bell
Label: Signpost Music
Length: 12 songs/39 minutes

The title track to Steve Bell’s Wouldn’t You Love To Know? must be the most intriguing opening to any album that he has ever done. He asks a series of probing questions, “If you have to love the truth just to know that it is true/Wouldn’t you love to know?” Wisdom in the form of riddles.

Compelling roots music provides the setting. Hear the joy of a claw-hammer banjo mixing with violin and mandolin. This is not a new nor unwelcome direction for Bell. He continues a trajectory that brings out his best. Here a multitude of string instruments and organic sounds combine with poetic imagery to create wonder in a world that feels its absence.

Look no further than the gentle interplay of acoustic guitar and ukulele on “In Praise of Decay,” which is pure beauty. Bell teams with poet Malcolm Guite in offering an unconventional take:

Perhaps it’s not so bad that things decay
That ocean breakers ebb and flow away
That light ascends than settles at the ending of the day
That beating hearts can stop and start again

He strains in earnestness in praise of new beginnings.

“In Memoriam” looks back at his recently deceased father, Alfred Clement Bell (1936-2019). Listeners hear of his father’s varied influence marked by the refrain, “I loved him all the more for it.” It’s an endearing tribute that is not afraid to reveal imperfection.

I like the early memory, which reminded me of one of my dad’s influences:

We’d sit for hours and listen
To the Tijuana Brass

The lyrics for “A Heartbeat Away” are written by Bell and Diane Pops. It’s intended to be a companion to Am I Safe? Exploring Fear and Anxiety with Children. Every challenge to one’s well-being is countered by the refrain, “Think of me standing by you.” There is no small measure of comfort here, even for adults.

Before I knew about the book, I thought in terms of God standing next to me in every scary circumstance. It reminds me of what the apostle Paul said when he felt forsaken, “the Lord stood with me.” When I am afraid I can tell myself, “Father, you stand with me.” Though parents may forsake, falter and fail God is an ever present companion.

The music is easy listening in the best sense, soothing but artistic. It communicates tenderness and compassion. Listen and experience shalom.

“The Home of our God” opens and closes in the style of a Salvation Army band: voices and brass marshaled together giving it a regal feel. It’s a welcome classical influence, reminding me of the majestic moments of Handel’s Messiah. Okay, maybe not that dramatic. I just like the way the voices and horns are arrayed, and to think that when I was younger I used to be adverse to them. Every judicious use on this release adds rather than subtracts.

In between the stately beginning and ending, the song becomes an unusual mix of rural and non-stringed instrumentation. Dobro, brass and a euphonium join together. It’s like a warm embrace as Bell reflects on the blessings of being in God’s house.

Malcolm Guite’s poetic rumination on our times comprises the lyrics of “Because We Hunkered Down,” a sobering but hopeful assessment. “Spring will unlock our hearts and set us free.” I truly appreciate songs like this that provide perspective on current crises. With its descriptive title it hardly needs explanation. Just putting our shared experience into words is like a healing balm.

The female vocals found throughout the release, whether it’s trading lines or just harmonizing, is an excellent compliment to Bell. It’s another aspect of the overall rich production. Producer Murray Pulver, an ongoing collaborator, deserves credit for making this an aural delight.

The final two tracks are brief but serve as a fitting conclusion. They bear some resemblance to the Taize style of worship, where simple phrases often drawn from Scripture are repeated making them conducive to meditation and prayer.

The lyrics of “Together” are by Kathleen Norris. Readers might recognize the name of this celebrated author. This and “Do Not Judge” feature dobro and the latter also includes mandolin. These kinds of instruments are like the banjo for me. I like hearing these sounds and this album provides numerous opportunities.

Musically, “Do Not Judge” is a lively bit of folk and the words a welcome reminder. “Together” is a slow, soft benediction, the perfect exit, even though listeners might not want this to end.

Get this on vinyl if you listen to records. It’s the closest to what the artist intends for you to hear and supports someone making a difference.

The Theology of Jeremiah - John Goldingay

First testament enthusiasm is contagious.

The Theology of Jeremiah: The Book, the Man, the Message
John Goldingay
Publisher: IVP Academic
Pages: 151

If nothing else, John Goldingay deserves credit for writing a book titled, Do We Need the New Testament? Letting the Old Testament Speak for Itself (2015). Though I have never read it, I like how the title flips the script, where it’s the new instead of the old that is in question.

Solidifying his esteem for these ancient writings Goldingay authored The First Testament: A New Translation (2018), which I have been using for my daily readings in that part of the Bible. The aim is to give readers a sense of the Hebrew. I like the challenge of it not being easier to read or understand.

Perhaps a little of this philosophy transfers to The Theology of Jeremiah, which includes his translation. He likens the writings to a “collection of blogposts” more than a book. It’s helpful to keep this in mind in relation to the organization of the “scroll”, his word for the book of Jeremiah.

The scroll is not a linear progression of events. The author has a forthcoming commentary, The Book of Jeremiah, coming later this year, which most likely will analyze the material line by line, going from start to finish. The way the scroll was written, however, makes it like a series of different scenes. Goldingay skips back and forth like a movie that alternates between past and present to show how it fits together.

It’s an expert synthesis of the major themes and theology, drawing from the various parts. To use the author’s analogy, it’s to provide a view of the forest from the trees. It’s to explain why the forest might seem to be full of examples of the same trees.

Being the scholar that he is Goldingay draws from rather than reads into the text. Application is helpful, but first of all it’s important to grasp meaning, which is the focus in this book. There is only a judicious use of application.

Part one analyzes Jeremiah’s person, scroll, story and theme. Each theme emerges from consecutive chapters, which include outlines. Jeremiah 11-13, for example, focuses on the “covenant” between Yahweh and Israel. Illustrative of his care in exegesis, Goldingay uses the word “pledge” instead of covenant. Pledge has some overlap with the word translated covenant “but isn’t the same.” “The pledge meant their listening to what he said and acting on it” (35).

It’s something that God imposed on Israel, and yet there are two sides to it. Judah benefited from the relationship in return for surrendering its independence. One of the initial benefits was God getting Israel out of Egypt. Another, “Israel benefited again because Yahweh took them into Canaan, a country with so much land for sheep and goats it seemed to be flowing with milk, and so much land for orchards it seemed to be flowing with syrup that was to be made from the fruit of the trees (traditionally, translations speak of the land flowing with honey, but fruit syrup is the sweetness the word usually denotes” (36). I appreciate this small incidental that sheds light on a familiar phrase.

In what initially could raise eyebrows Goldingay goes on to say that “it might be misleading to say that Yahweh was liberating Israel from Egypt. He wasn’t granting their freedom … Yahweh was actually removing them from service to one master so that they entered the service of another master” (36). Unfortunately, too often God’s people have to learn the hard way that it’s much better to serve God than some other master.

Near the end of this section readers find a distinction that can be easily overlooked. “Was Yahweh’s pledge conditional? … Putting the question this way causes more problems that it solves (as it does in human relationships). Yahweh’s grace and commitment were not conditional, but they did require a response of commitment, otherwise the relationship wouldn’t work. Or we could say that Yahweh’s promises were unconditioned but they were conditional” (37). This is a good example of the nuance that Goldingay continually applies to the text.

Towards the end of the second section, which deals with Jeremiah’s theology, the author surprises. In acknowledging the difficult of defining a prophet, he makes reference to this ministry continuing “recurrently” in the church over the centuries. It’s not clear what he means but it made me wonder if he believes that there are people who function as prophets today.

Some circles in Christianity do recognize people as prophets. They are seen as part of the five fold ministry referenced in Ephesians 4:11.

He does offer a little clarification when he composes questions to ask “prophets or purported prophets today.” In one of his best applications from the life and ministry of Jeremiah, he sets a high standard, one that might leave most weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Lastly, I appreciate how Goldingay highlights apparent contradictions, only to show how they hold together and can be respected despite the tension. In relation to the destruction of Judah, “Did Yahweh intend total destruction and then have a change of mind? Would the order of the chapters rather imply that he intended incomplete destruction, then changed his mind in favor of total destruction, then changed his mind again and didn’t do it” (131).

The author points out that at times Jeremiah appears to be hyperbolic. “In between some of the qualified threats, Jeremiah has already observed to Yahweh, ‘you finished them off’ (Jer 5:3), though he goes on, ‘but they refused to accept discipline,’ which indicates that they still existed and that Jeremiah was being hyperbolic” (131).

Also, “If people turn, then Yahweh can pardon and devastation can be averted (Jer 36:3). If there is no turning and devastation happens, there can be compassion and pardon” (Jer 30:18, 31:34, 33:8). This kind of analysis shows restraint. I appreciate someone who avoids reconciling competing scenarios to achieve what might be an artificial resolve.

It’s why I like reading Goldingay and would read any of his books. He may not always be right but shows himself trustworthy.

Say It - Jordan Feliz

Say it with boldness and grace!

Say It
Jordan Feliz
Label: Centricity Music
Length: 13 songs/44 minutes

Say It by Jordan Feliz opens beautifully with a gospel choir, organ and hand claps uniting on the refrain, “We know, He’s coming back (we know, we know).” What a glorious start!

With the birth of Jesus music in the sixties, songs about the second coming of Christ were common. That trend seemed to fall out of favor some time ago. It’s refreshing to immediately find such a dynamic opening track on that subject. I can’t help feeling more hopeful ever time I hear it. It speaks to our time in the musical language of today, “When the world gets complicated/We gonna keep on celebrating, ’cause we know (yeah, we know)/Jesus is coming back, Jesus is coming back.” Strings jump for joy, pause, and leap again. It’s bold in an R&B/gospel context.

It reminds me of the lament of a late friend who suffered from mental illness. He came to faith in the Jesus movement, and once confided that he was discouraged about how seldom people spoke about the second coming and spiritual things in general. He was starving for fellowship.

If he was still here, I would want him to hear this song. He was a fan of Feliz’s early hit, “The River.”

“Next to Me” is driven by a thumping bass line accented by rock flourishes. “You put the “X” on my faded map,” Feliz sings, in apparent reference to the old phrase “X” marks the spot. “Draw me a line back to where you’re at;” not stated as a request but as something that God does. In other words, God marks the spot and reveals the way back.

“Wounds” is another fitting song for a time when so many have experienced some form of abuse. It’s a gentle piano ballad where the speaker asks, “Would you believe me if I said you’re not beyond repair?/Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve been right there?” The singer offers himself as proof that “His love heals wounds.” I can’t help thinking that many who have suffered from sexual predators may find comfort and encouragement in this song.

Just thinking about these first three tracks, you find themes of revival, repentance and restoration. Great companions and a beautiful way to start an album.

“Glorify” is bold with a strong gospel chorus and the sound of what might be a Hammond B3 organ. It’s what musicians like Steve Winwood and Bill Champlin play so well. Two extra versions of this track are included, one with Lecrae and Hulvey testifying in rap. The other features Toby Mac and Terrian. Each is a little different but anchored by the same powerful chorus.

I appreciate the confession in the “Real Me.”

I love me when I’m not me
I love me when I’m not me
Photoshop when I’m ugly
Autotune when I sing off key

Feliz is surely not alone in valuing his ideal self rather than the real one, which God sees and loves. The sentiments fit perfectly with an off-kilter rhythm driven by the percussion. Anyone struggling with a sense of failure might find comfort here.

“Only Love” is a song of deliverance that rocks with a picturesque opening line, “It’s a prison break/From the dark days I’ve wandered and waited.” I normally prefer the modern reference to the Spirit but like how the old English translation sounds in this line: “Heard the sound of walls coming down/I know it what the Holy Ghost.”

C. S. Lewis wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” That thought is enshrined in “Another World.” It’s an atmospheric mid-tempo longing for heaven.

I appreciate the bridge to the chorus on the title track.

I don’t mean to stress nobody out
But I won’t stand by and do nothin’
I don’t mean to bring nobody down

I hear a graciousness that is inviting. How we need more of it in our day. It’s more explanation than apology. “For Christ’s love compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14a), the apostle Paul writes. Jeremiah says, “If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ than there is a burning fire in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot” (Jeremiah 20:9 ESV). Jordan Feliz application, “Say it!”

Aaron Cole’s rap blends seamlessly with the other vocals. The R&B resolve and voices blending on the high notes of the chorus make it seem resplendent with light.

No desire to offend, “just had to say it … If the name of Jesus ain’t lifted up, then who needs us.”

A Seed, A Sunrise - Caroline Cobb

Cathartic in a time of grief

A Seed, A Sunrise

Caroline Cobb
Label: Independent
Length: 7 songs/32 minutes

The first two songs on A Seed, A Sunrise by Caroline Cobb embody watching and waiting, a pining for Messiah’s coming. The lyrics and the plodding piano notes convey the bleakness of our fallen world on the opening “We Wait For You.” Those looking for popular holiday classics will not find them here. These are originals suffused with biblical references and poetic expression.

The scope is amazing. It’s not just a profound meditation of the first advent. It also looks forward to when Christ will come again. Now more than ever that can be a comfort and hope.

Don’t imagine all of this in a lower key. The third track, “Hallelujah, Christ is Born” breaks the spell of the long dark night of waiting. Cobb gets soulful and there is a joyful-sounding piano solo.

The next track, “Joy (As Far as the Curse is Found)” has an exciting rhythm that continually builds to a wonderful piano hook. You also get some gorgeous mandolin accents. Some of Cobb’s favorite lines from “Joy to the World” and “O, Come All Ye Faithful” are refashioned here.

The sound is that of real instruments, people playing live in the studio. Any electronic enhancement is in the background. The style is in keeping with producer Isaac Wardell’s past credits (Josh Garrels, Sandra McCracken).

Contributors include Tyler Chester (Madi Cunningham, Switchfoot), Andrew Osenga (Andrew Peterson, Caedmon’s Call) gospel trio Resound (Lauren Daigle) and a fourteen-piece string orchestra.

The broad content makes this something that can be enjoyed any time of the year. It is also applicable to this particular time characterized in part by exhaustion. As Episcopal priest Noah Van Niel writes in Plough Quarterly (Autumn 2020), “We long for heaven while we are on earth. We long for peace in a world of war. We long for justice in a world that continually frustrates those aims. We long for God yet meet him only sparingly.… And Saint Augustine once wrote, ‘The whole life of a good Christian is an holy desire,’ because ‘by longing, you are made capable…. God by deferring our hope, stretches our desire; by the desiring, stretches the mind; by stretching, makes it more capacious. Let us desire therefore, brethren, for we shall be filled.’” Holy desire permeates this recording. Prepare to be enlarged!

Some songs express lament in the suffering of waiting, while others offer glimpses of joy in the anticipation of God’s coming. It can be cathartic in this time of grief.

The last three songs bring this full circle. “Lift Up Your Head, Be on the Lookout” is a gentle exhortation to be ready in anticipation of Christ’s coming again, to finish the work he has given us to do. “O Righteous Branch” includes gorgeous steel guitar work. It’s plea, “Come soon.” “There Will Be a Day (Isaiah 2)” is built around simple, repeated piano notes that serve as the foundation for a song about the future millennial kingdom.

The styles are simple but rich musically and spiritually, making this one of the finest offerings of the year.

This is Cobb’s third recording following the Blood + the Breath (2013) and A Home & A Hunger (2017). Like this release they both take a deep dive into Scripture unearthing treasures to remind fellow sojourners of their heritage and calling.

Reorder EP - Jason Gray

Falling apart never sounded so good

Reorder EP
Jason Gray
Label: Centricity Music
Length: 7 songs/26 minutes

How many can turn a song about longing for what was into a celebration of what is? Such is the case on “Glory Days” on Reorder, the latest from Jason Gray. It may be the most outstanding track on an EP filled with excellent music and lyrics.

This is the third and final part of a series of recordings, which can be purchased separately or bundled together as Order Disorder Reorder. Even though I have yet to hear the first two, on the basis of this and my knowledge of Gray’s past releases, I recommend getting all three together. One reviewer said that Order Disorder Reorder is Gray’s best album. I believe it! He has always been an above average songwriter and what you find here is among his finest work. It’s amazing how much wisdom he can put in a well-crafted pop song.

In “Glory Days” he writes about falling apart as if it is the best thing that has ever happened:

These are my glory days
Busted and broken, but finally open
Wider than an empty grave
This is the good life now
Found it where I fell down
Shattered in pieces, but thank you Jesus

I want to laugh out loud about these upside down values of Jesus. Hard times have never sounded so good! I don’t wish them on anyone but if your way is difficult trying making this your soundtrack. You just might find hope rising as you hear a refreshing perspective on brokenness.

“Glory Days” has a playful, keyboard-driven, joyous hand clap sound. It might fall like a number of these songs into a slightly indie/alternative pop category.

I hear a distinct progression musically from Gray’s early days. The programmed elements, particularly percussion, have given him a fuller, more sophisticated sound. It also creates a bit of quirkiness, which fits well with the lyrics. The technology is just right, not overwhelming the acoustic.

For those who might like his earlier folk side, the fourth track, “Tethered,” is little more than Gray and an acoustic guitar. It’s a beautiful centerpiece. It seems to reference Psalm 139, highlighting his unbreakable connection with God’s love.

This artist is no stranger to vulnerability and those moments are no less striking on this release. On “Bring it All” he sings, “Look at me up on the stage/You’d never know how I’m so afraid.” He battles with fear again on “Right On Time”:

Lying on the bathroom floor in tears
Praying for a miracle to come and meet me here
I was afraid it was too late

I note that this song as well as the others with the exception of “Tethered” are co-writes with different individuals. I don’t know their involvement but the lyrics fit with what I know of Jason Gray.

Is God ever late? Gray answers in “Right On Time” by singing of pivotal moments.

What about regret? In “Every Moment Belongs” Gray identifies the theme of this release:

I wouldn’t be who I am now
Without the way that its all played out

What comfort! What assurance! What we are now is more important than our past.

 

Reason Deluxe - Unspoken

Feeling the Son after four seasons of winter

Reason Deluxe
Artist: Unspoken
Label: Centricity Music
Length: 12 tracks/40:50 minutes

How is it that so much of what I review seems so applicable to the times? Even when as in this case the original release is pre-COVID. The opening to Revelation Deluxe by Unspoken may speak for many:

This year’s felt like four seasons of winter
And you’d give anything to feel the sun
…
When you feel like giving up
When you feel like giving in
His love is the reason
To keep on believing

Perhaps it’s the work of the Spirit taking the artist’s work and making it relevant and applicable in a multitude of ways. God uses actions beyond our awareness. When a woman anointed Jesus she had no idea that it was to prepare him for burial.

September marks National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. With the foundations of our society shaken by cataclysmic events, it’s good to spotlight the help available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is as near as a call to 1-800-273-8255.

It may be a small thing, but I hear lots of encouragement on this release. It’s almost like it was made for such a time as this.

Thankfully, this does not advocate a white-knuckle approach to making life better. It’s more akin to the lovely book title, Try Softer, by Aundi Kolber. The lyrics don’t gloss over the seriousness of our condition; they just point to finding hope in a relationship with God. If it all depends on us we are at the extreme end of the infamous San Francisco 49er doom index. How doomed? Last place finish doomed. Fortunately, Jesus makes reversals possible where the last become first.

For each look at ourselves that the songs provide, we get a corresponding glimpse of the work of Christ. This is a recipe for hope: less seeing inward, more looking at Christ.

The choruses are accessible, anthemic and like an ocean swell of truth. “Just give me Jesus” being one of a number of examples of the crystallizing of desire.

Reason Deluxe has sobering moments. I hope that those of us who are Christians are not so callous as to dismiss the following chorus as cliché and not worthy of serious application:

If we’re gonna be known for something
Let it be love, love, love
Speaking the truth means nothing
Without love, love, love
’Cause no one’s gonna hear us
If we keep throwing stones

 As others have pointed out we have become known more for what we are against. It seems like we are far removed from the sentiment expressed in the old folk song “they’ll know we our Christians by our love.” It’s never too late, however, to become more like the early church that was known for its compassion and charity.

The blend of acoustic and electronic on the original release is near perfection. The extra tracks include a couple of live songs that are more raw and rugged than the mostly R&B leaning sounds. One is a nine minute medley, the other, the blues oriented “Bury the Workman,” has a sound similar to “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi. These live songs definitely show a more rock oriented side of the band.

Another part of the deluxe release is “One Step,” which testifies to overcoming addiction. The three other songs consist of two remixes and an acoustic version of “You’ve Always Been,” which I might favor over the original.

The combination of vulnerable disclosures with biblical truth is powerful. “Mistakes” expresses the desire for God to use our own failures for his glory. If the following is true how can we ever go wrong?

Every wrong turn, it’s true
Led me right hear to you
I may lose my way, nothing’s greater than your grace
Not even my mistakes

The melody is borne along by acoustic guitar, programmed percussion and a lighthearted feel. There is also a sprinkling of high-pitched keys. Whimsical? Yes, a true delight.

This is and “Wasted Time” are such a lovely way to close this release. This is also acoustic, being a gentle homage to God making up for our waywardness and brokenness. What could be better than that?