For a while now I've been spreading the word about Sojourn Church in Louisville, Kentucky. It's one of those all-too-rare churches that understands both deep theological truth and creativity. Their influence is spreading around the web through Travel Blog, Sojourn Music (blog), The Open Sourcebook, and more.
I have almost all of Sojourn's CDs: Songs for the Advent, Before the Throne, These Things I Remember. They get regular play in my house, especially on Sunday mornings. We also use them pre/post worship at Doxa. They are unique in my collection because the music is so often unexpected. It's a different level of creativity. If I listen to Hillsong I'm basically listening to the same stuff as a number of other worship bands out there. They aren't bad. I like some of them. But they don't surprise me. I don't consider them all that interesting. Sojourn music always surprises me. It's always interesting. And it's a great example of how to be both theologically deep & artistic.
Sojourn's brand new CD is Over the Grave: The Hymns of Isaac Watts, Vol 1. The first track, "Warrior," continues to blow me away. It's a most unusual worship song and wonderfully creative. Listen to it at Sojourn MySpace.
Honor and majesty divine
Around his sacred temple shine
Grace and might so long foretold
In crowns of glory, not of gold
Your hand shall find out every foe
And as a fiery furnace glows
With raging heat and living coals
They will feel your wrath upon their souls
Oh the warrior will conquer all
The world will fall before His feet
Molly and I had the privilege to be led in worship at the Baptist21 discussion at Sojourn last week. They played one of my favorite new songs, "Only Your Blood." Powerful.
Lord create my heart anew (Father come and make us wise)
Only you are pure and true (Lead us away from our demise)
Lord you are the remedy (For only your blood can set us free)
No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast
No hyssop branch no priest
No running brook no flood no sea
Can wash away this stain from me.
For only your blood is enough to cover my sin
For only your blood is enough to cover me.
One more song I'd like to highlight is "Refuge." This sounds a bit more simple, more like other worship songs you've heard. But that also might make it a helpful bridge to their more complex stuff.
I know my days are in Your hands though I draw near to dust
You are the God in whom I trust, You are my refuge.
So lift up your voice and sing aloud, and praise Him all you saints,
How wondrous is His grace, He is our refuge.
I also appreciate how Sojourn makes it easy for us by providing chord sheets for each song. Here's the track list...
1. Warrior (inspired by “Psalm 21” by Isaac Watts) view the chord sheet
2. Living Faith (adapted from “Hymn 140” by Isaac Watts) view the chord sheet
3. How Long? (Psalm 13) (inspired by “Psalm 13”) view the chord sheet
4. Only Your Blood Is Enough (adapted from “Psalm 51, pt 2”) view the chord sheet
5. Reveal Your Love (inspired by “Psalm 90, pt. 2”) view the chord sheet
6. Over Death (adapted from “Hymn 17”) view the chord sheet
7. Alas And Did My Savior Bleed (adapted from “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed”) view the chord sheet
8. May Your Power Rest On Me (inspired by “Hymn 15”) view the chord sheet
9. Refuge (adapted from “Psalm 31, pt. 1”) view the chord sheet
10. We Are Changed (adapted from “Hymn 95”) view the chord sheet
11. Savior King (adapted from “Hymn 10”) view the chord sheet
I wholeheartedly recommend you pick up Sojourn's Over The Grave. For now you can buy it at Sojourn's site. In the weeks ahead it should be available for download on Amazon, iTunes, etc.