No one has had a bigger impact on modern worship music than Darlene Zschech. At Hillsong Church Darlene crafted a sound, created a culture, and poured into a legacy that is still thriving a decade after she stepped down as Worship Pastor. Although she is best known as an anointed worship leader, award winning songwriter, and a brilliant singer, Darlene’ s heart for Jesus – and people is what those close to her treasure most. Not immune to struggle, Darlene battled cancer and won and continues to shoulder an anointing that transformed the sound of worship as we know it.
We recently caught up with Darlene to talk about her new record, raising up teams, keeping her voice in shape and so much more. Prepare to be inspired!
[ WM ] Here I Am, Send Me is filled with great songs, gorgeous melodies, inspirational lyrics and outstanding vocal performances.“ You Are Great” is a gem from start to finish, and the bridge is as anthemic as it gets. When you declare“ we stand in awe”, it is a really special moment in the song. What were you feeling when you wrote this section?
[ Darlene ] Lots of people have gone through incredible challenges in life. We all hit them at one point or another. For me, it was cancer. There were no guarantees. I had a very nasty prognosis. But through it all I just found the presence and the person of Jesus to be so consistent, and so“ in my face”, and so complete. People ask me,“ Did you lose your faith?” But I can’ t think of anything further from the truth of where I was. No, I just found another level of who my God is. Deep in me, it was the first thing that came out: No matter what happens, God’ s Word is true; He is great, and He is greatly to be praised! Through the fire, this is just where we are going. God was so close through it all, and the least I could do was say,“ God is great!”
Martin Smith is so prophetic. I’ ve always seen him as a bit of a“ King David” kind of person. He has that amazing, beautiful, complicated thing on his life. I was really sick when he was here to co-write with me, and he just helped me to give voice to what was in my heart. That was literally just how the song came out.
[ WM ] The arrangement for“ Here I Am, Send Me” builds and builds, really setting up the worship breakthrough moment that happens when you get to the bridge. What is the message and story behind this song?
[ Darlene ] The Holy Spirit revealed fresh things to me about that first worship moment in the bible. In Genesis 22, God calls Abraham, and Abraham’ s first response is,“ Yes, Lord.” To me that means“ whatever You ask of me, before You even ask, my answer is‘ Yes!’” And then God tells Abraham to take his only son, and they go on this experience of worship. There’ s an altar, and there’ s a person’ s heart on the altar. And I think we find a lot in that first experience of worship about how to respond when God calls us. Our natural response is to evaluate how it will affect our lifestyle, or what the paygrade is like, or if there are benefits. We need to learn to just say,“ Yes, Lord! Whatever You ask, before You even ask, my answer is‘ Yes!’ And because You are a good God, I can trust You!”
[ WM ]“ You Will Be Praised” was co-written with Paul Baloche and Jenn Johnson. How did that come together?
[ Darlene ] I think that was just before my trip overseas to be part of an event where we sang for the Pope in St. Peter’ s Square. I was spending a few days in Nashville on the way, and I think“ You Will Be Praised” was the first bit of writing I had done outside of home. I was with Paul Baloche, and Jenn Johnson. We were meeting out for lunch and I said to him,“ Why don’ t you come in with us?” And we had the sweetest time just laughing and crying, and out came“ You Will Be Praised”. I had a bit of an idea of what I wanted to do, and Paul and Jenn just helped me to bring it to the fore. I love the bridge. I love what it says and how it gets there. We’ ve sung this song in our church now for a long time now, and it really helps people to declare and announce,“ My soul, all my soul, will boast in the Lord!” That’ s what the intent of the song is.
[ WM ] In your wildest dreams did you imagine that you’ d be singing for the Pope?
[ Darlene ] And singing next to Andrea Bocelli? No!( laughter). It’ s so funny. I caught so much flak for going and doing that. In the end, it didn’ t matter, but it made me a bit sadbecause there were some Christians who got terribly personal and threatening. But I’ ll tell you what I’ ve seen over my life, and I’ ve been leading worship now for a long time. I don’ t want to do anything else. It’ s my greatest privilege, as far as the musical context goes. But I’ ve seen, whether it’ s in Vatican City, or Capitol Hill, or distant crazy circumstances where I’ ve sung with guards with automatic rifles standing behind me, like in Zimbabwe. I don’ t go into these places to talk about people’ s theology. I go wherever I’ m invited to exalt Christ and to lift up His name. What I’ ve found all over the world is that every time you do that, yes, there are going to be haters, and you’ re going to get people who don’ t understand, but I have a commissioning and a very refined purpose in my heart that knows that Jesus works anywhere that He is announced. Jesus works! He works in poverty, and He works in the richest of places. My job is to announce Him, and to get people to see Him.
So, singing in St. Peter’ s Square was a crazy privilege. For the couple of days leading up to the event we were staying in some very modest hotels in Rome with various priests and some Jewish leaders that had come, along with Andrea Bocelli and his family. Louie Giglio was there too, and for those couple of days we ate
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