Behind the Praise - Sunday March 15, 2009

"All the Earth will sing Your Praises"

Paul Baloche says that this song was his attempt to write a song that would cover the story of Jesus from the cradle to the empty grave, a song that would encompass the gospel.

Click here to hear Paul talk about the song.
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-312-AlltheEarthWillSing-Baloche.mp3

Click here to worship along with Paul
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liA-jyoPuX8

"We're Marching to Zion"

Isaac Watts wrote this song because of the controversy between singing of Psalms and the singing of hymns, the church decided to sing Psalms at the beginning of their service and then after the preaching, they would sing hymns. Many people who were still against the hymns would get up and leave the service at this time. Isaac Watts wrote the hymn to refute this practice of people walking out during the hymn singing. Just reads the words especially stanza two.
Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God,
But children of the heavenly King,
but children of the heavenly King,
May speak their joys abroad,
may speak their joys abroad.

Click here to hear the song
www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh733.sht

Click here to worship along on the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2xJsO_Xzns

"In the Secret"

This song was written by Andy Park. There is an interesting page on Andy's website where he interviewed his eight children. Andy was a part of the Vineyard worship movement, the answers from his children give great insight into this man of worship
www.andypark.ca/family_july03.shtml

Click here to worship along with Andy Park:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyV2WyRe-T8

Click here to listen to Andy share about how the song was written:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories.shtml

Click here for the arrangement by Sonic Flood:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4lpZuTUcOc

“How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”

This modern hymn was writtne by Stuart Townend. Townend is a British Christian worship leader and writer of hymns and contemporary worship music. His songs include "In Christ Alone" (2002, cowritten with Keith Getty, "How Deep The Father's Love For Us", "Beautiful Saviour" and "The King Of Love”.
As of 2008, CCLI lists the popular In Christ Alone in its Top 25 CCLI Songs list. In 2005, Cross Rhythms magazine described Townend as "one of the most significant songwriters in the whole international Christian music field. The Christian website Crosswalk.com commented that, "the uniqueness of Townend’s writing lies partly in its lyrical content. There is both a theological depth and poetic expression that some say is rare in today’s worship writing.Townend, son of a Church of England vicar in Halifax, West Yorkshire, was the youngest of four children. He studied literature at the University of Sussex. Townend started learning to play the piano at age 7. At the age of 13, he made a Christian commitment, and began songwriting at age 22.
Townend shared the following on how he wrote this song. Writing this song was an unusual experience for me. I'd already written quite a few songs for worship, but all in a more contemporary worship style, drawing from my own musical background. But I distinctly remember getting this feeling one day that I was going to write a hymn! Now, like most people, I am familiar with hymns - they form part of my church background, and I love the truth contained in many of them. But I don't go home at the end of a busy day and put on a hymns album! So I don't think of hymns as where I'm at musically at all!Nevertheless, I'd been meditating on the cross, and in particular what it cost the Father to give up his beloved Son to a torturous death on a cross. And what was my part in it? Not only was it my sin that put him there, but if I'd lived at that time, it would probably have been me in that crowd, shouting with everyone else 'crucify him'. It just makes his sacrifice all the more personal, all the more amazing, and all the more humbling.As I was thinking through this, I just began to sing the melody, and it flowed in the sort of way that makes you think you've pinched it from somewhere! So the melody was pretty instant, but the words took quite a bit of time, reworking things, trying to make every line as strong as I could.
After it was finished, I remember playing it to Dave Fellingham a few minutes before a time of worship. I was worried it was perhaps too twee, too predictable. Dave, in his typical demonstrative and over-enthusiastic way, shrugged his shoulders and said, "yeah, it's good", and that was that. It was only when I began to use it in worship, and all sorts of people of different ages and backgrounds responded to it so positively, that I thought that it might be a useful resource to the church at large.

Click here to learn more about Stuart Townend:
http://stuarttownend.typepad.com/

Click here to read more about the writing of the song:
http://stuarttownend.typepad.com/stuart_townend/2006/05/how_deep_the_fa.html

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3em-0J1ePYU

Click here for another version of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjD0lv8hx5o&feature=related

“There is a Redeemer”

Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, and Contemporary Christian Music artist originally from Sheepshead Bay, New York. Green is best known for his strong devotion to evangelical Christianity and his unwavering efforts to stir others to the same. Notable songs written by Green and/or his wife, Melody Green, include "Your Love Broke Through," "You Put This Love In My Heart," and "Asleep In The Light," as well as the popular modern hymns "O Lord, You're Beautiful" and "There Is A Redeemer".

Click here to learn more about Keith and read his incredible history:
www.lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio.aspx

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

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hVTcS_8oN4

"Shut De Do" this Sunday the quartet will share this song as the offertory.

Click here to learn more about Randy Stonehill the composer:
www.randystonehill.com/

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d3Vw2d8UCI

Click here to listen to Randy Stonehill the composer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yuBgu_Vxuw