For the past five decades , Eddie Espinosa has been writing and leading in worship songs that have impacted multitudes worldwide . He continues expressing that worship for God to this day , expanding his service to include teaching and conference speaking .
[ WM ] Eddie , you are mi hermano siempre ! We ’ ve known each other since high school , played music together , worked together , and as I think back , actually went to the Billy Graham Crusade together in Anaheim , CA , back in October of 1969 ! Thank you so much for this time today !
[ Eddie Espinosa ] It ’ s so great to reconnect and yes , we do go way back , don ’ t we ? It ’ s amazing to see that we ’ re still serving the Lord , much less still alive ! I ’ m grateful for both .
[ WM ] How did you transition from playing in bands and attending college , to becoming a worship leader at the early Vineyard Fellowship in Anaheim Hills , CA ?
worship songs from that movement was the lyrical use of “ second person ” within the song structure . Rather than writing songs about God , you chose to write songs to God . It was about You , more often than He . “ Change My Heart Oh God ” and “ You Are the Mighty King ” are just a couple of examples of those early intimate worship songs that you wrote . What can you tell us about this approach to writing ?
[ Eddie ] I must say that it really came from wanting to express love , gratitude and devotion to God . It really is just singing love songs to God , to reflect my relationship with Christ . I see it as giving back to God a small portion of the love that He has demonstrated to us . The Bible tells us that out of the abundance of the heart , the mouth speaks . It ’ s really about writing your praises to God , which are an overflow of what ’ s in your heart . Most importantly , with regard to worship it ’ s really about keeping the focus on the many aspects of God ’ s character and not only about what you ’ re going through at any particular time .
[ WM ] What can you tell us specifically about writing “ Change My Heart Oh God ”, a classic and best-loved worship song , recorded by many and sung worldwide ?
[ Eddie ] It ’ s the one song that I literally never , ever intended anyone else , except God , to hear . It was my Psalm 51 . It was a very personal struggle that I was wrestling with God about . I knew that He was drawing me to a closer , more intimate walk . Yet , I knew that I had let resentment over my childhood and youthful lust into my heart , and that they had become rooted in . I also knew that in order for me to be free , I needed a change of heart and I also knew that I couldn ’ t do it myself . “ Change My Heart , O God ” was my cry for help , my repentance song . I literally wrote it at a stop light and only two words were exchanged with one another . I was literally crying my prayer to God and wrote it down before the light turned green . A week later , I sang it at our home group during a communion time and then the following Sunday , someone told John Wimber that I had written a new song .
[ Eddie ] There was always music around my house and there was musical talent on both sides of my family . I gave up the accordion when I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 , to play the guitar . Five years later , I was playing in a band in high school and the bass player ’ s family invited me to go to church with them . It was a little Spanish-speaking church and after attending for three weeks , I gave my life to Christ at age fifteen . Since I was the only singing guitar player in the youth group ( there were five of us ,) I became the “ worship leader ”. It was there that I wrote my first worship song , “ Con Mis Labios ”. Later , I played in some Christian bands in the early seventies and started going to Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda where we lived . As we started attending , someone told John Wimber , the pastor , that I played the guitar . I was invited to play on the worship team and later became the worship leader . I had written evangelistic songs before , but it was there that I began writing songs for worship .
[ WM ] One of the distinctives of those early
Eddie in South Africa with John Wimber on keys