Behind the Praise - Sunday May 10,2009

“You never let Go"

This powerful new song by Matt Redman has been described as follows from Christianity Today:"You Never Let Go" begins with a quiet piano and moody atmospherics that mirror far-from-ebullient lyrics based on Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/You're perfect love is casting out fear/And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life/I won't turn back, I know you are near…The chorus is a loud, exultant proclamation that God will never let go of us and in it Redman uses the minor-key construction to subtly (and maturely) declare that God's love is still valid, even in the midst of pain.

Click here to listen watch the video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIAdgLR1ZGw

Click here to read more about Matt Redman on his myspace - you can play the song directly from his stand-alone player and can buy the song from his website
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=120781688

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back I know You are nearAnd I will fear no evil
For my God is with me And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let goThrough the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go Lord, You never let go of me



"Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King"

This arrangement is by Thomas Miller, Worship Pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. I had the opportunity to visit with Thomas during my sabbatical, he said the added chorus came to him on a Saturday morning watching college football. He was singing through the order for that evenings service and wanted to have some kind of transition to the next song and the following simple chorus came to him.
"Come Thou fount, come Thou King, Come Thou precious Prince of Peace;
Hear Your bride, to you we sing, come Thou fount of our blessing."

The original hymn was composed by the 18th century Methodist pastor and hymnist Robert Robinson. The hymn is set to an American folk tune known as Nettleton, by attribution to the evangelist Asahel Nettleton who composed it early in the nineteenth century. Robinson penned the words at age the of 22 in the year 1757.

Click here for a version of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_OLyPhHHWk

If you like more of a traditional arrangement check out this choir arrangement here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUhU0HgTq94&mode=related&search=


"The More I seek You"

This worship song was written by Zach Neese, here’s a little background information on Zach.

Education: I got my B.A. in English from UT Austin (after trying art, advertising, pre-med and astronomy), then became Secondary Ed certified.Previous Lines of Work: I mostly worked as a teacher of one stripe or other before entering fulltime ministry. I also worked with emotionally disabled kids and was an Autism Therapist. I served as a Youth and Worship Pastor for five years before becoming the Director of the Christ for the Nations Institute (CFNI) School of Worship. Since then, I have primarily been leading worship and training worship leaders.One of the Things I Find Most Fascinating: The cross never ceases to amaze me.Best Thing Someone Said to You: “You make me love Jesus more.”Life Motto: He who knows, knows that he knows not.People I’d Like to Meet: After you meet Jesus, everyone else is pretty unimpressive. I guess I wouldn’t mind picking David’s brain, Moses’, or Jesus’ parents (Mary and Joseph). I have two sons in heaven that I am looking forward to meeting very much.Most People Don’t Know This About Me: My grandmother was a synchronized swimming coach. I was too young to know that it wasn’t a cool guy pursuit, so now I’m the only man I know who can do a Flamingo Bent Knee.

Zach Neese likes to place himself in the middle of a biblical story and see if a song comes forth. This song came out of Johns’ emotion at the Last Supper.

Click here to visit Zachs’ myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/zachneese

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

Click here to worship along with Kari Jobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3GijrnfStk



"I will Stand"

Glenn Packiam wrote the following on how he wrote this powerful worship song:I was sitting in my office late on a Friday afternoon, about to leave to get ready for theMILL, our college and 20-somethings service. In my hands was a picture from the sonogram of our first child, a girl. The picture made all the emotions I had felt when I sat in the ultrasound appointment, watching and listening to her beating heart, come rushing back. The pregnancy had been full of some scary moments, so to be at this point was overwhelming. I went over to the office next door where there was a keyboard and began to sing. "I will stand and worship You for everything You are to me I will lift my voice in praise for all the wonders You display I will stand, I will stand and worship You." Not long later, the song was finished, with the exception of few phrases I kept tweaking. Through salvation we see God's love demonstrated and His goodness revealed. That is reason enough to praise. But God keeps drawing us with tender mercies, calling us into relationship with Him. The only response to that kind of grace and love is to worship--not to attempt a repayment, not to prove that we deserve it--simply to worship. As we started to do the song at our church, I watched as people responded to God with a firm, unshakable decision to worship. "I Will Stand" is a declaration to God, a choice to worship no matter what, because it is the only response to God's great love and grace. [Additional reading: Romans 5] - Glenn Packiam

Click here for a sampling of the song:
https://secure.praisecharts.com/index.php?module=shopping&action=search&sort=2&author=Glenn%20Packiam&start=0&t=16