A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the music of Christa Wells and told you how much I’ve enjoyed her song “Weightless.” Christa came across that post and was kind enough to offer the song to all of you as a free download.

You can download it by clicking here. (You may want to right-click on the link and choose “Save File.”)

Also, I’ve got 5 copies of her album Frame the Clouds to give away. Leave a comment or retweet this post and I’ll randomly choose 5 winners. Each of the winners will be mailed a copy of the CD.

Here again are the lyrics to “Weightless,” a song about the freedom of forgiveness.

Nothing scalds
like the memory of wrongs I did when I was young
how could I, how could I
I’m sorry

I see the eyes
of the ones that I so carelessly abused
how could I, how could I
I’m sorry

Well, I’ve carried this a long time
in a well hidden bundle on my back
but I’ve realized repentance is weightless
so I’ll leave my burden on the tracks

And then I face
the yesterdays that disappointed
misunderstood by a cruel world
and I’m angry

You might suppose
the years would close the curtains on a scene
from such a time, but this was mine to harbor

Well, I’ve carried this a long time
in a well-hidden bundle on my back
but I’ve realized forgiveness is weightless
so I’ll leave my burden on the tracks

It’s gonna be like delivery that’s overdue and getting too heavy
Then suddenly, I’m weightless

If you’d like to buy the rest of her album, you can do so through her web site, through iTunes or through Amazon.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend introduced me to the music of Christa Wells. I had never heard of her before and immediately fell in love with her music. Now I often hesitate to share my musical preferences because it seems almost inevitable that as soon as I do so, someone will email and say, “Didn’t you know that she [insert grave sin here].” (Yes, it’s happened before) Nevertheless, I wanted to draw your attention to one of her songs: “Weightless.” You can hear the song by visiting her site (look for the nimbit player and scroll to the song). Give it a listen and ponder the weightlessness of being forgiven.

Every now and again I like to post a song we’ve sung at church that may not be widely-known. Here is one we sing quite frequently. Titled “Wide Open Are Your Hands,” it was written by Bernard of Clairvaux back in the 10th century and translated from Latin in the 1800’s. The chorus was added by my friend Julian and the music (for which, unfortunately, I do not have a recording) was composed by the guys who lead us in worship.

*****

Wide open are your hands, paying with more than gold
The awful debt of guilty men, forever and of old.
Ah, let me grasp these hands, that we may never part,
And let the power of their blood sustain my fainting heart.

To you I lift my hands in heartfelt song and praise
For steadfast love which won my heart, for never-ceasing grace.

Wide open are your arms, you welcome all who come;
To take to love and endless rest each of your chosen ones.
Lord, I am sad and poor, but boundless is your grace;
Give me the soul-transforming joy for which I seek your face.

To you I lift my hands in heartfelt song and praise
For steadfast love which won my heart, for never-ceasing grace.

Draw all my mind and heart up to your throne on high,
And let your sacred cross exalt, my spirit to the sky.
To these, your mighty hands, my spirit I resign;
For me to love is Christ alone, to die is only gain.

To you I lift my hands in heartfelt song and praise
For steadfast love which won my heart, for never-ceasing grace.

I realized the other day that I have a growing stack of CDs around here awaiting some kind of attention on the blog. So today let me draw your attention to a few noteworthy new albums.

Nate Fancher: The Cross of Jesus - I wasn’t quite sure how to describe the sound of this EP, but found some help at Nate’s site: “A catchy and classy pop/rock genre graced with rhythmic arrangements, ambient guitars, percussive keyboards, and soul lifting melodies might help describe the music of Nate Fancher. And if you call yourself a fan of ‘modern worship’, you’ll feel right at home.” That sounds about right. If the music reminds me of anything else in my collection, it is probably the Passion albums with their big choruses and “loud” instrumentation. You can hear several of the tracks at Nate’s MySpace.

Sovereign Grace Music: Sons and Daughters - You may well be familiar with the Sovereign Grace albums—there are quite a few of them now. As time goes on, it seems to me that the songs are getting a bit tighter and the instrumentation a little bit more varied. I take this as a good thing. For example, you can give a listen to “God Delights in You” and you’ll soon realize that this song would not have been likely to appear on any of their previous albums. There are some new songwriters and some new musicians and that is helping to keep this line of albums fresh. You can find information about the album here.

Sovereign Grace Music: To Be Like Jesus - One of the first Sovereign Grace albums I listened to was Awesome God, one that was targeted at children aged 7 and up. A thing I enjoyed about the songs on that album was that they were deliberately focused at kids who were raised in Christian homes but who were perhaps not yet Christians. So rather than having songs that said, “I’m so glad I’m a Christian” they were songs that simply spoke of how Christian kids ought to behave. In this way they leveled a real challenge to the children. The follow-up to that album, To Be Like Jesus, is much the same. It “contains twelve worship songs that teach the fruit of the Spirit in a creative and memorable way.Through these songs kids will learn that Jesus is our perfect example of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. More than that, they’ll discover that we can’t be like Jesus unless we trust in the power of his cross to forgive us and the power of his Spirit to change us.” read more here.

Daniel Renstrom: On the Incarnation - As you may guess from the title, this is a Christmas album (which releases on October 27). Renstrom reminds me, both in voice and in musical style, of Derek Webb (though without the cussing). The new album has eight tracks split between originals and traditional Christmas songs. Be sure to also check out his previous album Adore and Tremble. Both of them are fantastic. You can read more at Daniel’s site.

Indelible Grace Music: By Thy Mercy - Surely you know Indelible Grace Music by now. They have just released a new album and this time around it is an acoustic album. As with the others, it features a series of hymns set to new or mostly-new melodies written and performed by a variety of artists. I am not the biggest fan of this kind of acoustic music, but still enjoyed this album. It’s a fitting addition to the series. Check it out at igracemusic.com.

Just a few weeks ago Keith and Kristin Getty released Awaken the Dawn, a new album of contemporary hymns. As I understand it, the album will be available on iTunes and other stores in a couple of weeks. For now you’ll need to buy it direct. Many of the hymns are written by Stuart Townend, set to music by Keith and sung by Kristin (or that’s how I understand the workflow). There are quite a few excellent songs on the album and at least four or five I’d like us to add to the list of songs we sing at church (“Come People of the Risen King,” “Creation Sings the Father’s Song,” “By Faith,” etc).

Here is one that may be my favorite (and not just because of the amazing fiddle playing). It is called “When Trials Come.” It speaks of God’s presence, his comfort, his faithfulness, through times of trial and toil.

When trials come no longer fear
For in the pain our God draws near
To fire a faith worth more than gold
And there His faithfulness is told
And there His faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace
The breath of God brings strength to me
And new each morning mercy flows
As treasures of the darkness grow
As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to Wisdom not my own
For every battle You have known
My confidence will rest in You
Your love endures Your ways are good
Your love endures Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost
I see the triumph of the cross
So in it’s shadow I shall run
Till He completes the work begun
Till He completes the work begun

One day all things will be made new
I’ll see the hope You called me to
And in your kingdom paved with gold
I’ll praise your faithfulness of old
I’ll praise your faithfulness of old

You can hear a clip of it here.

There are a couple of songs we sing in church for which I’ve seen only the barest information. In our bulletin we generally record at least the author, composition date and name of the tune. For these songs we’ve got nothing (except, in one case,the author’s name). I thought I’d put them up here today to see if anyone out there can point me in the direction of more substantial information about them.

The first is titled, “A Man There Is, a Real Man” and it’s written by Joseph Hart (who also wrote such hymns as “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy” and “Come, Holy Spirit, Come.” Beyond the title and the tune, we don’t really know anything about this hymn. Google and NetHymnal, between them, turn up little that is useful. Does anyone else sing it? Does anyone have any useful information about it (the collection it appeared in, the date it was composed, the name of the tune, etc, etc).

It is a great hymn as you can see by the words. I am especially fond of the fifth stanza: “Come, then, repenting sinner, come / Approach with humble faith / Owe what thou wilt the total sum / Is canceled by His death!” Here it is:

A Man There Is, a Real Man

A Man there is, a real Man,
With wounds still gaping wide,
From which rich streams of blood once ran,
In hands, and feet, and side.

2 ‘Tis no wild fancy of our brains,
No metaphor we speak;
The same dear Man in heaven now reigns,
That suffered for our sake.

3 This wondrous Man of whom we tell,
Is true Almighty God;
He bought our souls from death and hell;
The price, His own heart’s blood.

4 That human heart He still retains,
Though throned in highest bliss;
And feels each tempted member’s pains;
For our affliction’s His.

5 Come, then, repenting sinner, come;
Approach with humble faith;
Owe what thou wilt, the total sum
Is canceled by His death!

6 His blood can cleanse the blackest soul,
And wash our guilt away;
He will present us sound and whole
In that tremendous day.

This second song is one we have not sung for a while, actually, but we’d still like to know more about it. I’m quite sure it comes out of my pastors’ Masters College days and, indeed, when I mentioned the song in the past, several other Masters alumni said they remember it as well. One person suggested it was penned by Don Kistler, though I’ve never seen that confirmed. So once again, if anyone can tell me who wrote this song and the music for it, that would be great. It’s not a bad little song (though I’d love to see someone reimagine the line about “I’ll be the glove for your hand to fill…”).

Here are the words:

Teach Me To Live What You Say

Teach Me to Live What You Say
Teach me to live what You say,
Make me a child who’ll obey;
Holy in all that I do,
May I bring glory to You.

My life is all Yours to shape as You will
I’ll be the glove for Your hand to fill;
I want to be pleasing, to You may it be,
That You might be glorified somehow in me.

To be more like Jesus with each passing day;
More like the Master in every way,
A servant who’s yielded his heart to the One,
Who gives life and says to His servant, “Well done!”

Today is Friday and that means it is time for another Free Stuff Fridays. This week’s sponsor is Seeds Family Worship. “Seeds Family Worship was planted when worship leader, Jason Houser, was asked to write some songs to help kids remember the verses from his church’s summer Bible school. Jason began writing songs and singing them for the kids and families at church. The songs were well-crafted, catchy, and taken straight from scripture. Families liked them… a lot. From just a handful of songs, Seeds Family Worship was planted - providing God’s Word set to music for thousands of families all over the world. We are gladdened by stories of worship times at home, scripture memorized, and object lessons taught using Seeds songs. The fifth Seeds Family Worship album - The Power of Encouragement - has just released. In total, Seeds has grown to 58 portions of scripture set to music!”

Each of the albums features a selection of Scripture passages set to music. There is no word in any of the songs that is not directly drawn from the Bible. Like me, you may be a little suspicious of children’s music, tired of music that is substandard. But in this case, the Seeds music is very well done and, by all accounts, the children really enjoy it (I know my children do!).

Here is a YouTube clip of just one of the songs.

We have five complete sets to give away (meaning that each winner will receive a copy of all five albums). Interestingly, each album includes two CDs, one to keep and one to give to a friend (great idea!).

Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes tonight at midnight.

With a new Friday comes a new Free Stuff Fridays. We are once again giving away music, this time courtesy of our sponsor Blake Hicks (visit www.blakehicksmusic.com.). Blake is a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he is completing his second(!) Masters degree. One of those multi-talented types, he is also an excellent graphics artist and musician. He has offered 20 copies of his album Songs of a Pious Heart: A Tribute to the Confessions of St. Augustine.

Robert Caldwell who is Assistant Professor of Church History at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary says this about the album: “Blending the worlds of modern music and ancient Christian literature, Blake Hicks’ work suspends us between the past and the present, clothing the devotions of a timeless, Christlike piety in the dress of modern rhythms. Like Augustine’s Confessions, Hicks’ music is a series of confessions addressed to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who redeems sinners and transforms them into saints who can’t help but sing of the glory of God in their redemption. The more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. My advice would be tolle audi, ‘take up and listen’ to Songs of a Pious Heart.”

Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. The giveaway closes at 10 AM on Saturday April 11.

It is Friday and that means it is time for another round of Free Stuff Fridays. This week’s sponsor is Sojourn Music. Sojourn describes itself in this way: “New songs for modern missional worship, rich in Christian teaching and contextualized in modern culture. Contemporary hymns, psalms, songs of lament and praise written by members of the Louisville, KY-based Sojourn Community.” Sojourn is currently putting the final touches on a new album, “Over the Grave: The Hymns of Isaac Watts.” In the meantime, though, we are giving away five Sojourn prize packs. Each prize consists of:

Three CDs (Before the Throne, Advent Songs, and These Things I Remember), along with Pastor Daddy (a children’s book) and the Before the Throne devotional.

I am an unabashed fan of many of the Sojourn songs. Some of my favorites are “We Are Listening,” “In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross,” “God Is With Us” and “Hosanna in the Highest.” They also have a really nice version of “Joy to the World” that uses an original melody.

Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. The giveaway closes tonight at midnight.

On Saturday night, Aileen and I joined some friends to take in a performance of Handel’s Messiah. And what a performance it was. It featured the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. It was, in a word, sublime. Conductor Noel Edison clearly understood the piece (I guess I should say “the oratorio”) and wonderfully separated gravitas from joy. As the piece moved from prophecy, to the life of Christ, to his death and to his impending return, the music rose and fell, swelled and crept back in all the right places. If the world has ever seen a more powerful piece of music than Messiah, I don’t know what it would be.

As much as I love the “Hallelujah” chorus, it is merely the beginning of Messiah’s most beautiful part. It is in the third part that the soprano declares “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” It is here that the chorus and the soloists combine to share the gospel message. “Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” It is here that we hear the promise of new life to those who are found in Christ. “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” And it is here that Handel puts to music the words of the elders and the living creatures and the angels as they sing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” It is here that we, those who have been redeemed by Jesus, look to the future with hope, waiting anxiously for the day when Christ returns.

The year 2008 is drawing to a close. Last week the Boston Globe’s feature “The Big Picture” told the story of the year 2008 in photos (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Warning: some of the more violent photos are quite graphic). With three galleries each containing 40 photos, they pointed back to the year’s most important moments. And what a year it was. As with every year since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it was a year of both triumph and terror. Looking at the Globe’s photos, it seems that terror has prevailed. In one photo a boy and girl, a brother and sister hug one another at the funeral of their father, a police officer who was gunned down in the line of duty; in another, the foot of a suicide bomber lies close to the camera, with carnage in the background; in another still, a young Kenyan boy screams as a baton-wielding police officer approaches his ramshackle home, seeking his father. While some photos share moments of joy, far more share moments of pain and death.

It was not always this way. It will not always be this way. On Saturday night we partook in the strange cultural experience of hearing the gospel proclaimed far outside the walls of the church. We heard the message that assures us, even as we see such evidence of sin, that better times are coming. Indeed, better times must come. Death has been defeated. It will not be long now before the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. And, oh, don’t we look forward to that day.