As I continue to post on good CCM music, let me remind you all that these posts will be somewhat limited. I have only been listening to CCM for the past two years or so now. And I only have so many records, and am only aware of so many songs and groups. However, I think the songs I will showcase in these posts will boost your confidence in CCM and serve to undo the myth that all CCM is totally shallow and worthless.
I thought I would be posting one song at a time, but that might not always be the way the posts come out. I really like the band Fusebox. They are not as widely popular (as far as I know—I haven’t heard them on the radio), but I really like their style. At first, the style seemed a little much to me. I was used to Phillips Craig and Dean, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Casting Crowns. But the style really grew on me. It is a “harder” sound, but it also stresses the melody and is acoustic, I think.
Anyway, I really couldn’t bring myself to separate these two songs. I so often listen to them right after the other, and they are both great worship songs. They come from Fusebox’s latest CD Once Again. I really liked that CD more so than their first one, Lost in Worship.
Before I give the lyrics and some links, I should let you know that only the first one was written by anyone from the group. The other song was written by Matt Redman, but I really like their version of it. So without further ado let me give the lyrics to these two songs.
Lord God Almighty
Verse:
You are the Lord God Almighty, righteous and holy
King of creation, Author of life
Glory and honor belongs to You Father
Lord God Almighty
Chorus:
Praise Your Name in all the earth
The heavens proclaim Your mighty works
Your kingdom reigns eternally
You are the Lord God Almighty
Bridge:
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Glory to Your name
Words and Music by Billy Buchanan
Once Again
Chorus:
Once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life
Verse 1:
Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I’ve wondered at Your gift of life
And I’m in that place once again
Repeat Chorus
Verse 2:
Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I’ll bow
But for now, I marvel at Your saving grace
And I’m full of praise once again
I’m full of praise once again
Repeat Chorus
Bridge:
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross, my Friend
Repeat Chorus
Words and Music by Matt Redman
These songs are very poweful, and powerfully performed. The music in my opinion perfectly complements the message. “Once Again” is thoughtful and meditative yet also full of joy and loud praise. “Lord God Almighty” is a loud declaration of praise which I very much like to crank up and emphatically sing along with! It is definitely one song where a catchphrase from KTIS (the local Christian radio station) is true of me: “We are the ones with one hand on the wheel and one hand in the air!” I really enjoy these songs and the great message they contain.
Now you may notice that there are not multiple verses with a lot of extended doctrinal teaching in these songs. However, they are perfect vehicles for expressing your love and praise to God. The medium of pop music (or rock n’ roll, whatever you want to call it) is very much suited for expressing emotion. And often the songs, like “Lord God Almighty” will drive one main point across.
To learn more about Fusebox, check out their website. Also, Billy Buchanan, the main guy behind the group, has his own myspace page with some of the music he is currently working on available to listen to for free. And they even have a few of their songs from Once Again available to listen to in their entirety for free! You just need to go here, and click on the song you want to hear. (You will have to listen online, though. But they do have the complete version of “Once Again”!!!)
You can purchase Fusebox’s music here. And you can learn more about Once Again here. For a quick review from CCM magazine, click here. And lastly, to hear a clip of “Lord God Almighty” click here.
∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7
Contemporary Christian Music has indeed gotten much better than what it had been in recent years (it was predominantly charismatic/pentecostal in its theological orientation and earlier artists came from this background). I personally still view most of CCM as being shallow, but there are a lot of gems popping up, especially from newer Christian artists. The two you mentioned are definitely representative of a couple of them. My worship pastor has used them in our church worship services.
Over at SharperIron, there is a great ‘controversy’ over Curtis Allen’s(“Voice”) recent leading of music worship at Bethelehem Baptist Church (your home church). Methinks that this controversy is a regurgitation of ‘histrionic hyper fundamentalism’ being hacked up, and it’s quite a soupy mess to say the least. See: http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?t=3795&page=1&pp=7 This topic got started only two days ago, and it’s already running over 21 pages long. I wouldn’t have a problem with Curtis Allen coming to lead worship in song at my church. Sheesh.
Larry,
Thanks for pointing out that discussion thread. Wow! Talk about some stern “grumpy” reactions! It is sad really.
I chimed in with my two bits over there on page 32. They are closing the thread down at 10pm EST, in case you wanted to know.
OK, I’ll take a look. It’s 8:06 AM EST right now. I am not surprised to see some fundamentalists would have a problem with Piper having “Voice” to sing in worship at Bethlehem Baptist Church. What’s encouraging is some of those at SharperIron have spoken up against the IFBx fundamentalists’ arguments against CCM. What’s interesting to note is that some fundamentalists think highly of Piper!
Bob,
I liked your comments– very well thought out! Your invitation for Greg Linscott to reply to your comments was taken. I don’t know if you got the chance to see what Greg said in his reply, but surprisingly he agrees with you. Here is what Greg said:
“Okay, Bob, but I doubt it will do any good in this context. I’ll definitely be including these areas in my book where I can address them more fully.
So here are my conclusions thus far in my Christian journey:
1. Either musical style has inherent morality or it doesn’t.
**Musical style doesn’t have inherent morality but it is always expressed in a moral context.**
2. Either associational baggage renders musical style unacceptable or it doesn’t.
**It can and does but shouldn’t.**
3. Either musical style should be a test of fellowship or it shouldn’t.
**It must not be a test of fellowship and it is wrong to make it thus.**
If you want to discuss these in greater length, have at it!! I’ll try to pop in and participate as I’m able.”
(me– Larry– again)
I think that in your reply the context setting was properly corrected as it seemed that the worship song led by “Voice” was made at the main worship service with Piper being present. I figured that since you were a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, you could set the record straight about when/where this had taken place. Regardless of whether Piper had given approval for this, the issue is moot; contemporary worship music has been maligned by ill-intentioned fundamentalists by being branded ‘worldly’ when there are no Scriptural evidence to demonize it. Greg Linscott’s final comments were truly telling that fundamentalism is shedding its unbiblical attitudes against irrelevant spiritual matters. Thank you for your comments/arguments/observations regarding music. I hope that Greg will be able to comment over here on Fundamentally Reformed.
Larry,
You mean Brian McCrorie not Greg Linscott! There is a big difference. I don’t think Greg would have concluded quite like Brian. Brian has the blog “Bowing Down”, that I link to in my sidebar and from Bobspotted Blogrolls every now and then.
Did you see Scott Aniol’s quite extreme post during this whole thing? Toward the end one of the pro-rap guys linked to at as an example of a “wrong spirit”. I was almost shocked by it. It was so defensive and not very Christ-like. NeoFundamentalist referenced that post in a recent post as well. I appreciated Pastor Tom Pryde’s thoughts on that matter.
Later, Larry!
Bob
Fah! Did I type that….? My apologies, sincerely. I went to seminary with Brian McCrorie years ago. Great fellow. I think he looks a lot like Greg, and perhaps that is what happened in my confusion….
I happened to get back online today (I don’t get online during the weekends– I work a second part-time job and don’t have time) and noticed that your other thread on music has garnered a lot of discussion. Having read your comments, I think that I would have thought it through like you did with your stolid opponent. Methinks that the iron got sharpened (ahem…) a lot here.
Oh, by the way, I haven’t (yet) explored the other websites other than SharperIron. I don’t think I would want to see Aniol’s website at all, but if you recommend the read, then I’ll take a peek. My head hurts already after having typed my last ‘position paper’ for my American Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism class this weekend (while on the job as a security guard at a construction site… boring!). I’m not sure if I’ll be of any use in the conversation, though.
Larry,
Thanks for the encouragement, and yes my head is spinning. I could use a beer, seriously! Well, I need to go down for my recovery sleep. I get off Monday morning, and usually am sleeping soundly by now, but…this thing has me wired.
You don’t need to read Aniol’s stuff. I would recommend going to World from Our Window and reading Shai’s post. You probably read it on SI, but in the comments there, there are some helpful coments and interaction. And there might be something else in the comments that might interest you, too.
I think I ‘know’ what you are referring to when you said, “And, there might be something else in the comments that might interest you, too.” I’ll e-mail shai lynne to obtain that interesting ‘thing’, if I am to interpret your comments above correctly.
I’ve actually listened to Christian rap, and have a couple of CD’s by Christian rap artists. Now, you might be thinking I’m some fundamentalist freak-show, but I do like rap. I have the Winans CD “Return” (which is now 15 years old!) and Kirk Franklin & God’s Property CD. Nice stuff, but not too theologically deep. Thanks for the link to his post. I didn’t read the original ‘music’ post (the one about Piper having Voice at BBC), but I thought that Shai Lynne’s comments were desperately necessary. I’d go as far as to say that those who are divisive and schismatic over the ‘contemporary Christian music’ issue are those fundamentalists who just don’t have a clue.