my babies in some way . I ’ ll say this ; this record was probably the most personal record that I ’ ve ever written . It ’ s not because for the other ones I was disengaged or I wasn ’ t writing from an honest place , but there are levels of honesty and you can ’ t get down to the deepest place until you have to . Like you walk through something and realize you ’ ve got to dig a little deeper . It ’ s like it exposes an area of your heart that you didn ’ t even know was there . That was what this was for me . My family was just walking through the hardest season we ’ ve walked through . We were going through a lot of transition because we were moving from Chicago to Nashville , I was pregnant with my third child ( our first daughter ), and most days I was feeling completely overwhelmed and stressed out . I started having panic attacks . I ’ ve always been very flexible ; go-with-the-flow . But , I just started having trouble breathing , and I still do … some days when I ’ m feeling stress , I just can ’ t get a deep breath . This is just what we were walking through . We felt like we were being attacked on all sides , like we were in an all-out war with the enemy of our souls . All of these songs came from that place . Every one of them . Every song is just like me trying to find a new way to sing the truth over myself . And to remind myself of the hope that I have in the Lord because many days I just felt so hopeless . So , these songs were my anthems long before anybody ever heard them . I would play the demo in my car and just weep . Like with “ Soar ” – “ God , I believe You ’ re working while I wait , and I feel like I ’ m in a waiting season … in a valley that I ’ ve never experienced before and I know that You ’ re using it to grow me and take me to a deeper place , but it ’ s really hard , so help me to wait , to trust you , and to believe what You said … ‘ They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength . They will mount up on wings like eagles .’” So , that ’ s what I was clinging to . And , these songs are like a lifeline that the Lord just threw out to me . My hope is that these songs will be a lifeline for other people . That they will offer hope to people and remind the listeners of the hope and promise they have in Jesus that He is with us even in the hardest place .
WM : I see that your husband , Jacob Sooter , is a co-writer on “ Deeper .” Do y ’ all do a lot of co-writing together ?
MEREDITH : We don ’ t do a ton of co-writing together . He is a songwriter by himself and he writes a lot for the Vertical Church Band and he produces all of the VCB stuff . But , we did write “ Deeper ,” “ Take Me Back ,” and “ I Look to the King ” together . We do enjoy writing together . It ’ s cool to have that shared experience and to have a song together that means so much . We wrote “ Deeper ” when we were in a hard place and we were like , “ We believe this . We may not always feel it , but we believe it .”
WM : The readers of Worship Musician desire to serve the Lord out of their gifting . Would you voice a prayer over the readers ?
MEREDITH : Absolutely ! God , thank You so much for Your faithfulness to us and the fact that You have wired us in such a way that we ’ re just able to come before You as we are and bring our personalities and our gifting ’ s and even our short-comings and hang-ups . But , Lord we bring it all to You and somehow You make it beautiful and You use us all for the Kingdom of God . So , I just thank You so much for every reader in the way that they are serving in their different capacities and different churches . Lord , I pray that You would encourage their hearts even as they ’ re reading this prayer . God , I pray that You would remind them what You have called them to . May they not take it lightly and may they understand the weight of what You have set before them and have put in their hand to do . Give them a renewed vision and passion to worship You , to love You , and to seek You out . That they would seek You through Your word behind closed doors and to sing out a new song . Because it ’ s from that place that we will be able to lead Your people well . Help us to love the people more than we love the music . So , that means sometimes we have to let our preferences die in order to serve Your people well . Honor every reader right now … if they feel they are in the lowest valley or alone in ministry … if there ’ s a mom who feels
like she doesn ’ t know how to juggle ministry and being a good mother . I totally get that . I ask that you bring clarity , peace , wisdom , and hope
into every situation . Speak new life into every situation , every heart , every reader God . I pray our eyes would be completely on You as You lead and teach us how to call Your people into this place of worship and Your presence . We want to lead Your people well . Help us to do
that , God . May we find You in the secret place so that everything we do on stage comes from there . God , just bless these readers and may they know you in a deeper way than they ever have . In Jesus name , Amen
“ DEEPER ” Lyric Video
Deeper ( 2016 )
Worth It All ( 2013 )
As Long As It Takes ( 2010 )
The Invitation ( 2008 )
24 May � June 2016 WorshipMusician . com