Behind the Praise - Sunday January 4, 2009

“Love the Lord Your God”

Lincoln Brewster
This powerful worship song was written by Lincoln Brewster while his church was going through the study “40 days of purpose”. He was asked to write some songs based upon the scriptures that coincide with each study. The first passage Mark 12:28-30 dealt with worship.

(NIV, Mark 12:28-30)
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

Click here to worship along with Lincoln Brewster
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV7qTD_X0Rk&feature=related

Click here to listen to Lincoln share about how the song came about:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-358-LovetheLord-Brewster.mp3

Click here to sing through the lyrics
www.christian-lyrics.net/artist/lincoln-brewster/track/love-the-lord-lyrics.html

Click here to read more about Lincolns’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Brewster

"My Life is in Your Hands"

Kirk Franklins' Bio:Franklin's road to the top, though quick, was far from smooth. Abandoned by his mother and never having known his father, Franklin was reared by his Aunt Gertrude, a deeply religious woman who raised him as a strict Baptist. When he was four, she paid for his piano lessons by collecting aluminum cans. The lessons were money well-spent, for Franklin was a natural musician who could sight read and play by ear with equal facility. At age 11, he was leading the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir near Dallas. Despite, or because of his church background, Franklin began rebelling in his teens and getting into trouble until one of his friends was accidentally shot and killed at age 15. Realizing that he had chosen a bad road, Franklin returned to the fold and began composing songs, recording and conducting. Since 1991, he has been backed up by his 17-member choir, the Family, a group comprising friends and associates from his younger days (interestingly, one member of the Family, Jon Drummond, made it to the semi-finals heat of the 100-meter sprint at the 1996 Olympics). Support from his pastor, his wife Tammy, whom he married in early 1996, and the two children they brought to the marriage help keep Franklin close to his religious core, and he returned in 1998 with Nu Nation Project.

This is one of our choirs favorites click here to sing along
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spg71EBj8U0

Click here for another recording:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mUZI8qIkwE

"You are My All in All"

This powerful worship song was written by Dennis Jernigan. Dennis Jernigan is a singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music. He is native to Oklahoma, and headquarters a music-based ministry from there. Self-avowedly ex-gay, Jernigan now lives in Muskogee, Oklahoma with his wife and their nine children. Jernigan has been married to his wife for more than twenty five years.
A primary source of inspiration for Jernigan's message and music is an experience he describes as his "deliverance from homosexuality". Jernigan states that this began during a 2nd Chapter of Acts concert in Norman Oklahoma.Jernigan believes his prior identification as homosexual was related to an erroneous childhood perception that he had been rejected by his father.
As a boy I needed a role model to show me the way to manhood. But because I felt rejected by the main man in my life I, in turn, rejected him and began to yearn for intimacy with a man in perverse ways. Because of this wrong thinking I came to believe I was homosexual. It must have begun early in my life because I remember having those feelings for the same gender at a very early age.
It was then [during a critical moment at the 2nd Chapter of Acts concert] that I lost the need to be accepted or loved by others because I realized Jesus would love me and accept me no matter what, even when I was rejected by others! It was also at this same time that those sexually perverse thoughts and desires were changed...and He began to replace them with holy and pure thoughts about what sexual love was all about.
Following the experience at the concert, Jernigan developed a ministry based on his personal experience, which he shares at churches and other locations around the world.
Dennis has written many of the worship songs we sing including "Who can Satisfy", "We will worship the Lamb of Glory", "I belong to Jesus", "When the night is Falling" and "You are my all in all". Here are some links that will share more about Dennis' ministry.

Click here to listen to Dennis share about the song; http://shareyourstorynow.org/2007/09/19/dennis-jernigan-jesus-worth-every-struggle/

Click here for an article about Dennis
www.okbu.edu/news/view_article.php?id=1127

Click here for Dennis' website
www.dennisjernigan.com/

Click here to hear Dennis ministering in Brazil * must see
http://mickey.tv/r/Video.aspx?v=B_O6TUAMWIw&key=Dennis+Jernigan

Click here to hear Dennis’ share about his daughters’ traffic accident and her amazing story:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K2KX9yy2v4

Click here for an arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU&feature=related

"Take my Life and Let it Be"

Frances R. Havergal wrote the following about how he wrote the song: I went for a lit­tle vi­sit of five days (to Are­ley House). There were ten per­sons in the house, some un­con­vert­ed and long prayed for, some con­vert­ed, but not re­joic­ing Christ­ians. He gave me the pra­yer, “Lord, give me all in this house!” And He just did. Be­fore I left the house ev­ery one had got a bless­ing. The last night of my vis­it af­ter I had re­tired, the gov­ern­ess asked me to go to the two daugh­ters. They were cry­ing, then and there both of them trust­ed and re­joiced; it was near­ly mid­night. I was too hap­py to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and re­new­al of my own con­se­cra­tion; and these lit­tle coup­lets formed them­selves, and chimed in my heart one af­ter ano­ther till they fin­ished with “Ever, On­ly, ALL for Thee!”

Click here to hear a newer version of the hymn
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEzbwcMG9Gc"

"The More I seek You"

Click here to read more about Zach Neese who wrote this powerful worship song
www.gatewaypeople.com/churchinfo/index.php?action=staffbiodetails&sid=180

Click here to worship along with Kari Jobe (LD Bell High school graduate)www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3GijrnfStk

"Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)"

New Song Cafe - story behind the song "Amazing Grace" * must see
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU_4lIik9D8

More information on how the song came about.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IliVc9JqW0I

Click here to watch the music video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXV6HJxUebg&mode=related&search=

Behind the Praise - Sunday December 28, 2008

"I will Boast"

Read more about Paul Baloches' ministry here www.leadworship.com/paul/about.html

This song is based on the verse Jeremiah 9:24
"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
The Apostle Paul, writes this in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written(in Jeremiah 9:24): "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Click here to worship with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yiAFexAeqc


"Change in my Life"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lip2K4x2Mhg

Standing cold and scared on top of the hill Then came the moment when I lost my will I prayed for mercy please dont take me away Give me the sunshine when I only see rain The past had a hold on me It can't be denied and the changes didnt come easily I've been lonely, I've been cheated, and I've been misunderstood I've been washed up, I've been put down, and told Im no good But with you I belong Because you helped me be strong Theres been a change in my life since you came along


"Love Lifted Me"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th_L2IA94Gg

Matthew 14: 30-33 (NASB) But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
Rowe and Smith wrote this song in Saug­a­tuck, Con­nec­ti­cut. Ac­cord­ing to Rowe’s daugh­ter:“How­ard E. Smith was a lit­tle man whose hands were so knot­ted with arth­ri­tis that you would won­der how he could use them at all, much less play the pi­a­no…I can see them now, my fa­ther strid­ing up and down hum­ming a bar or two and How­ard E. play­ing it and jot­ting it down.”

"Pure an Holy Passion"

Click here to learn more about William Murphy's ministry:
www.williammurphy.org

Click here to listen to William Murphy minister the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oW8cNDaioc

Click here for another version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17edLkBDCo

“Be Thou My Vision”

The text (Rop tú mo baile) is often attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 8th century; in any case, this text had been a part of Irish monastic tradition for centuries before the hymn itself was written. It was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary E. Byrne in “Eriú," Journal of the School of Irish Learning, in 1905. The English text was first versified by Eleanor H. Hull in 1912, and this version of the lyrics is the most common. However, slight variations of these lyrics are sometimes seen. The first verse of Hull's version follows:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Thus, the English translation of the hymn itself is fairly recent and the Elizabethan vocabulary and structure is somewhat an anachronism. Be Thou My Vision has become the quintessential Irish hymn in English-speaking churches and is often sung around St. Patrick's Day. Despite its traditional nature and the seemingly archaic quality of the text, Be Thou My Vision has become a popular song performed by Contemporary Christian musicians, such as Rebecca St. James and Ginny Owens.

Click here to read about the origin of the hymn:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Thou_My_Vision

Click here to listen to Rebecca St. James version
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XZ3ja-quhA

Click here to hear Fernado Ortego's version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfhsOQyZqtg&mode=related&search=

Behind the Praise - Sunday December 21, 2008

"Angels from the Realms of Glory"

The author of Angels From the Realms of Glory was an Irishman called James Montgomery. He came from a religious family background and sadly his parents, who were missionaries died following their vocation. Angels From the Realms of Glory was written in 1816. The music for Angels From the Realms of Glory was composed by Henry Smart. The lyrics of Angels From the Realms of Glory tell the story of the shepherds, sages and Saints.


Click here for a stirring arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-pb456fN20

Click here for the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=angels+from+the+realms+of+glory+&search_type=&aq=f


"Go Tell it on the Mountain"

"Go Tell It on the Mountain" is an African-American spiritual dating back to at least 1865 that has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyric celebrates the Nativity: "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born."

Like many carols, the precise history of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is a bit fuzzy. Although generally considered an anonymous work, Studwell believes the piece was written by Frederick Jerome Work (1880-1942), a black composer, teacher and scholar. Work was deeply involved in the collection, arrangement and dissemination of black spirituals, so it is possible, says Studwell, that Work only discovered and preserved the song. However, Studwell’s research has led him to believe that Work actually penned the piece, which was then arranged and disseminated by his nephew John Wesley Work.
Studwell places its first publication in the early 1900s, but the piece gained little notice until the 1920s when the Fisk University Singers began performing the song. Even then, it did not make much of a splash.“I looked through hundreds of carol collections and other song books and I could not find it in any collection prior to the 1950s,” says Studwell.
About that time the song steadily began to gain in popularity, winning over listeners with
energetic beat and its enthusiastic call to action.
“Most carols of the 20th century are not so enthusiastic. This is more like some of the older carols, like Joy to the World or Come All Ye Faithful in that regard,” says Studwell. “It shows some real enthusiasm for the Christmas holiday."

Click here to listen to James Taylor sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifEUn1AxDYo

Click here to see the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=go+tell+it+on+the+mountain+&search_type=&aq=f


"A Classical Christmas" Worship Choir



This arrangement is a medley of three classical Christmas anthems
"Hallelujah, Amen", "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" & "For Unto us A child is Born"

"Hallelujah, Amen"
Click here for an arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4URAYnVrSAw

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"
Click here for an arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4

"For Unto Us A child is Born"
Click here for an arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQVQOW1c0DQ

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing"

“Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPwNPAV6tAg:

Click here see the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hark+the+herald+angels+sing&search_type=&aq=f

"Untitled Hymn"

"Untitled Hymn"This song by Chris Rice was on his recording "Run the earth and watch the sky". What a great name for a recording.

Click here to learn more about Chris:
www.christianmusic.com/chrisrice/bio.html

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=39XD1ImxGWw&mode=related&search=

Click here to listen to worship along with song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_4g8_e16dc&mode=related&search=

"Away in a Manger"


Away in a manager is always the first carol that children are taught. Away in a Manger was originally published in 1885. The publication of Away in a Manger was in a Lutheran Sunday school book and this created the misconception that the lyrics of Away in a Manger were actually written by Martin Luther himself. The author is unknown. The music to Away in a Manger was composed by William J. Kirkpatrick in 1895.

Click here to see the various versions available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=away+in+a+manger&search_type=&aq=f


Click here to hear celtic arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOJb6uOF05Q

Behind the Praise - Sunday December 14, 2008

"Joy To The World"

One of our most popular Christmas carols is the result of the efforts of Isaac Watts and Lowell Mason—and, some believe, George Frederick Handel. Watts was a frail, quiet man only five feet tall. Mason was an energetic publisher, choir director, and composer. Handel was a large, robust musical genius. Handel and Watts were contemporaries in London and one imagines they must have appreciated each other's talents. Mason lived 100 years later in Boston.
In 1719 Isaac Watts, already a notable scholar and author, sat down under a tree at the Abney Estate near London and began to compose poetry based on Psalm 98. Watts had begun writing verses as a small child. In his teen years he complained that the songs in church were hard to sing. His father said, "Well, you write some that are better." And so he did. For the next two years, young Isaac wrote a new hymn each week. (He would eventually write more than 600 of them, all based on Scripture.) Today, hymns like "Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" are hallmarks of the Christian church, and Watts is regarded as "the Father of English Hymnody."In 1741 George Frederick Handel, who was already famous as the composer of several operas and oratorios, decided that he wanted to do a truly great work. After spending time in prayer, he arose from his knees and for 23 days labored almost continuously day and night. The immortal Messiah, now a Christmas tradition, was the fruit of that incessant struggle.A nobleman once praised Handel for the "entertainment" he had furnished in one of his compositions. In no uncertain terms Handel let the nobleman know that his music was composed to make men better, not to entertain them.Almost a century later, Lowell Mason set Watts's poem of "joy" to music. For years it was assumed that Mason used tunes from Handel's Messiah for portions of the arrangement, but the veracity of that claim is now debated among scholars. Listeners can judge for themselves. But this we know: It was Mason who ultimately brought the pieces together to give us "Joy to the world"

Click here to listen to the acapella group Take 6:www.youtube.com/watch?v=evywpq32Oa0

Click here if you like Michael Bolton:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXY8Vtnrsxc

Click here for the various recordings:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=joy+to+the+world&search_type=&aq=f

"Joy, Joy" Worship Choir & Soloist Ben McLallen

Click here to listen to the song:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIoMXCe2HKs

"Angels We have Heard on high"

The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos Campagnes (literally, The Angels in our Countryside). Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick. It is most commonly sung to the hymn tune "Gloria", as arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. Its most memorable feature is its chorus:
Gloria in Excelsis Deo! (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")

Click here to listen to Josh Groban:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSfhyjKr7pE

Click here for an arrangement by Christina Aguilera:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zlz1NNBsOw

"What Child is This"

What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol that was written in 1865. At the age of twenty-nine, writer William Chatterton Dix was struck with a sudden near-fatal illness and confined to bedrest for several months, during which he went into a deep depression. Yet out of his near-death experience, Dix wrote many hymns, including "What Child is This?". It was later set to the traditional English melody of "Greensleeves".

Click here to listen to the song:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiZt6MgoVgg

Click here to listen to Josh Groban:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ULS8_4lizY

"O Holy Night"

"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877), a wine merchant and poet. Cappeau was asked to write a Christmas poem by a parish priest. It has become a standard modern carol for solo performance with an operatic finish. In the carol, the singer recalls the birth of Jesus. It was translated into English by Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music in 1855, and lyrics also exist in other languages.
On 24 December 1906, Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, broadcast the first AM radio program, which included him playing "O Holy Night" on the violin. The carol therefore appears to have been the first piece of music to be broadcast on radio. It later appeared in an edition of carols by Josiah Armes, published by Oxford in 1936, subsequently increasing its popularity.

Click here to listen to Josh Grobans' arrangement:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQWXfHzOKUU

Click here to see the other arrangements available:

www.youtube.com/results?search_query=o+holy+night+&search_type=&aq=f