NEW MUSIC
while thematically drawing the listener to the hope that God brings at all times and situations . The live album was recorded at the Laity Lodge in Texas and as I listened , I could see Sandra up on that wooden stage with an upright piano , jazz drumkit and standup bass just cranking out honest and vertical worship all night long . There is no over-produced music here but rather a simple , rootsy approach to songs that are theologically meaty and poetic in nature .
The anthemic “ We Will Feast in the House of Zion ” gives listeners a hopeful expectancy of eternity while “ Christ is the Life of the World ” is a jazzy praise piece with muted trumpets , upright piano , light percussion and groovy stand-up bass lines .
“ Until He Comes Again ” wraps the album up intelligently as she honestly celebrates the Lord ’ s Supper with more of an “ end-of-days ” focus on what the eucharist means for us now .
This is very honest , simple , well written worship . Sandra McCracken is a true poet , and more churches should be singing her songs . Churches with worship teams big or small would do well to listen and apply some of her arrangements . I appreciated how she allowed her band to just vamp and dwell in certain situations , offering instrumental praise to the God who gave them their gifts of music .
ZACH WILLIAMS Song Spotlight : “ Heart of God ”
It has been a minute since we have heard new music from two-time GRAMMY ® award winning artist , Zach Williams and fans have been clamoring for some new material after his wellreceived 2021 Christmas album , I Don ’ t Want Christmas To End . This fall we will get a fulllength studio album and one of the first single releases is “ Heart of God ” which is a poignant look at the depth of God ’ s love and mercy for His creation .
Beginning with a southern piano melody , verse one explores the idea how we as hurting people often try at great lengths to disguise our inner pain because of the fear of being seen as weak or needy people . William ’ s expressive tenor tells the story of a broken man well while eventually pointing us to the healing power of the cross .
The soaring melodies of the chorus remind us that there is only love in the heart of God and that He invites us to come as we are to be cleansed by the power of the cross . This is a chorus that will be stuck in your head long after the track ends and is filled with melodic hooks and solid Biblical truth .
The 2nd chorus follows with an increase in the overall instrumentation as we now hear pounding drums and the aforementioned strings before giving way to a creatively written bridge . Here , the instrumentation is stripped back as we hear the Williams boldly proclaim the Gospel message in full force ; “ He ’ s not sittin there shaking His head , writing you off , leaving you lost , He ’ s not there shaking His head , He went to that cross , He went to that cross ”.
The bridge repeats a few times before returning to the chorus and we get an increase in slide guitars and a Gospel choir which really makes the song stand out .
This is classic Zach Williams . Great melodies , a southern vibe and gritty writing which will connect the average person to the Gospel message . My only slight concern is the omission of the role of God ’ s law in the lyrics and overall idea here . Theologically , law and Gospel are not solely independent of each other , they play off of one another and both are important . That being said , this is still a standout song from one of the great song writers of our modern worship era .
After a musical interlude with some “ ooohs ” and a few string counter melodies , verse two takes us to the story of the prodigal son where we are encouraged to run back to the father who accepts us with open arms and covers us with grace .
Gerod Bass Worship leader in Tacoma , WA . Mentor with Worship Catalyst . Singer , songwriter , guitarist with a passion for impacting lives for the sake of the Gospel . www . oslc . com