NEW MUSIC even a Gospel choir for good measure .
Thematically , this album explores what it is like to live out our faith while clinging to the promises of God through high and low points in our lives .
This theme comes through crystal clear in songs like the lead single “ Heart of God ’ which gloriously explores what the true love of God looks like . Here , Williams gravelly tenor calls on all people to come to the father and to “ break from their fear , step out of the shadows there ’ s no judgement here .”
“ Looking For You ” is a deeply personal story of Williams ’ faith journey about how we all try to fill the void in our lives with things like fame , money , and possessions but at the end of it all , it is only Jesus that can fill us and bring the hope we all seek .
Not every song here is congregationally ready for Sunday morning as a few of these tunes would fall more into the performance category . “ Love Is a Battleground ” is a perfect example as this tear-jerker was written and dedicated to his wife Crystal thanking her for standing by him through the struggles and joys of life and marriage .
A Hundred Highways is the quintessential Zach Williams album . He does not try to impress recording executives or attempt to fit within a mainstream style with this one . This is Zach being Zach and his fans and others will enjoy every minute of this album . The songs here are grounded in faith and written from deep experience by a man whose faith is a foundational piece of his writing and life .
MATT REDMAN Song Spotlight : “ Son of Suffering ”
Sometimes you run across a song purely by accident and as a worship leader you think , “ How the heck did I miss this one ?”. Well , this is exactly what happened when I discovered this month ’ s song spotlight track “ Son of Suffering ”. The song was penned by Redman alongside worship leaders and writers David Funk ( Bethel Music ), Aaron Moses ( Maverick City Music ) and Nate Moore ( Church of The City ).
Originally released by Bethel last year , this creatively written exposition of Christ ’ s sacrifice instantly captured my attention as I listened to Matt Redman ’ s version which was recently released as a single in anticipation of his upcoming album . This particular version was recorded at the historic San Juan Capistrano mission in California and is a glorious foray into the beauty of Christ ’ s blood and tears on the cross and how He didn ’ t just look down on our pain and struggle , but instead joined humanity in it .
The song begins fairly typically with light pads , strings , a quarter note guitar strum and bright piano motifs as verse one paints a picture of Jesus coming to earth as an innocent man and walking with us in the dirt . The melodies are simple and catchy while the main theme of Jesus taking on our guilt is portrayed right away in the poignant line ; “ He knows what living is . He ’ s acquainted with our grief . A Man of sorrows , Son of suffering ”.
deity on the cross . Redman ’ s voice shines as he then proclaims the active love that our Father showed for us by reminding the listener that God didn ’ t just wait for us to come to Him for repentance and renewal , but He reached down and came into our existence to restore humanity to Himself .
Verse two gets a slight bump in instrumental energy albeit not as obvious as many modern worship songs where seemingly every verse two gets full drums and band these days . Lyrically , the verse continues along a similar vein thematically as we go a bit deeper into all the ways that our God continually seeks us out with the proof of such love being played out in the wounds our Lord took for us .
Chorus two is a tad bigger and leads into a very well written bridge which drives the final point reminding us of the magnitude of what was done for us and that our God still saves as Redman declares ; “ Your cross , my freedom . Your stripes , my healing . All praise King Jesus .... Your blood still speaking , your love still reaching ”.
I really love this song . I especially liked how the writers combined the truth of what Christ did for us with an opportunity to sing vertical worship phrases in response during the same song . “ Son of Suffering ” is one of Redman ’ s best songs ever in my opinion and I can ’ t wait to hear my congregation sing this at a Good Friday service or in celebration of the Lord ’ s supper .
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