Third Day and Brandon Heath perform Rich Mullins "Creed" in the studio from Garrett Viggers on Vimeo.

Hi guys, thought I'd share this with you.

Had this introduced to me a while back by a good friend who knows Garrett - it's an awesome version of Rich Mullins' "Creed".

More of Garrett's music can be found on his website, and he also features on Brian Johnson's "Love Came Down" CD/DVD (review here).

Hope you enjoy it!

Bless you.

With Bethel Music’s next corporate release looking very much as if it will be a predominantly acoustic offering, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon a great live acoustic CD/DVD from Brian Johnson (worship pastor at Bethel Church, Redding). Recorded in 2009 by Jeremy Edwardson at the Soundhouse in Redding - the venue and production team for many of the Bethel and Jesus Culture releases - this album offers an intimate insight into Brian’s heart for worship. Brian is joined by his wife Jenn (backing vocals), Jeffrey Kunde of Jesus Culture switches from his usual guitar duties to play grand piano, Martin Rosenhoff plays a stirring cello part, and Gabe Valenzuela provides percussion. A very interesting twist to the arrangement sees Garrett Viggers adding his gifts on the hammered dulcimer for the latter half of the album.

The first thing that strikes me about this album is how natural it is. To illustrate this, one need look no further than the final track - 'Light A Fire'. I’ve been to a number of workshops and seminars over the years that have gone into the intricacies of writing lyrics for worship, but nowhere have I seen anyone explain how what seems like such a simple set of lines can make such a powerful song as this. Unsurprisingly from a church that lives, breathes and prays for the coming of revival, simply asking the Lord to “light a fire in us oh God, that no one can take away” creates a powerful message for a wholehearted song of worship to the Lord. If we want our congregations to sing passionately and in abandoned praise to the Lord, then it is imperative that the songs we give them to sing are easy to learn and easy to follow. Brian’s songwriting style heavily promotes these attributes, and the result (as you can see on the DVD) brings a room full of worshippers with the ability to sing their hearts out in deep engagement with the Lord.

These themes of simple, effective, teachable and heartfelt songs continue right through the album with songs such as “Worthy is the Lamb”, “I Really Love You” and “I Love Your Name” - all marked with Brian’s humility in songwriting - giving all the glory back to the Lord in worship. Interspersed within these songs we find a couple of Bethel favourites - a contemplative version of Keith Green’s “Oh Lord You’re Beautiful”, and the title track of Bethel’s first live album “Here is Love” gets another outing here. The title track - “Love Came Down - brings to mind a talk given by Bill Johnson - pastor of Bethel Redding and also Brian’s father - where he talks about the need for storing up the Lord’s goodness, grace and love so that we always have something to hold dear, even when we seem away from Him and aren’t necessarily hearing direct from Him. I’ll leave you with the empowering lyrics of the first verse:

 “If my heart is overwhelmed, and I cannot hear Your voice,

I’ll hold on to what is true, though I cannot see.

If the storms of life they come, and the road ahead gets steep,

I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe.”

Amen to that Brian, bless you. 

On a previous album release by the Bethel Church, Redding, Brian Johnson asked "What does it sound like, when heaven comes down?" If worship is to be the order of the day in the heavenly realm (and the book of Revelation certainly points to this being the case), I would suggest that we are starting to shape what we'd like it to sound like. The latest release from Bethel in the form of Be Lifted High draws on everything the current "sound" dominating many contemporary worship albums has to offer - vocals pushed to the fore, driving guitars and bass, subtle yet highly effective keys, and intricately woven drumbeats. Then Bethel, as we've come to expect from many of their endeavours, ask God to take everything to a whole new level, and He provides. Let’s take a closer look.....

A couple of days ago, Jenn Johnson tweeted “from the first 5 seconds of “You Are Good” happiness increases. Breathe Him in today”. That, to me, sums this album up perfectly, it’s about proclaiming His goodness, for His glory, for our salvation. The searing guitar riff for ‘You Are Good’ sets the track up, then after a brief pause for contemplation we are taken into a rocking praise anthem, singing because He is good, dancing because He is good, shouting He is good. From here, Brian Johnson continues with his take on his own ‘One Thing Remains’ offering, (that you may have previously heard Chris Quilala lead on Jesus Culture’s Come Away album). I have previously expressed my admiration for this song, but to reiterate, this is quite a song, another one that would fit Jenn Johnson’s ‘happiness’ category - you just can’t help smiling when you think of the amount of love God has for us.

From here we go to, in my opinion, the best track on the album - ‘Furious’. Driving undertones led by Jeremy Riddle’s unmistakable vocal gifting combine with powerful lyrics that succinctly describe God’s burning love for us. Jeremy Riddle has recently taken over as assistant worship pastor at Bethel, adding a great asset to an already highly gifted and anointed team. This offering, together with his other 2 songs on the CD (‘God of the Redeemed’ & ‘One Thirst’ (also featuring Steffany Frizzell)) continue with the same quality and blessing as displayed in Jeremy’s previous albums, and fit perfectly with the Bethel sound.

Another particular highlight of this album for me is Jenn Johnson’s ‘God I Look to You’. Certain Bethel-based albums and tracks have a habit of putting me in a place where I have no choice but to believe God is standing in front of me, forcing my attention on Him and Him only. The chorus of “Hallelujah, our God Reigns”, that you want to go on for eternity when singing this track, does just that. Jenn’s heart, as with many at this church, is wholly for the Lord, and this is an infectious attribute when she’s worshipping. This chorus is meant to be sung at the top of your voice, with passion, fervour and love, and Jenn does all this, and more besides, leading the congregation into a great place of praise for the Lord.

This album not only sees more good offerings come from established, well known worship leaders from Bethel, but also sees the emergence of some newer ones. One such leader is William Matthews, whose energy, passion and hunger for the Lord is abundant on his two tracks on the album - “Hope’s Anthem” and “Deep Cries Out”. William’s page on Bethel Music’s website describes him as fun-loving and energetic, two qualities you would definitely associate these tracks with. I’d add one more - natural. I love it when worship music is sung from the heart, with integrity and authenticity, and William delivers this with these great offerings.

So, if you are looking for an authentic, passionate live worship album this year, look no further. Close your eyes, sit back, and do as these guys do (and inspire us to do) day in, day out, worship the Lord with all your heart.

I have faced dilemmas in where to focus my attention for the review. Dave Fitzgerald is, without doubt, a gifted and anointed worship leader - the worship sounds lively, there is a lot of congregational interaction, and the worship flows freely, with lots of "headroom" given in all of the songs to allow space for people to worship. Dave is also an unquestionably gifted singer. His voice is powerful, powerful enough to lead with backing vocalists such as Jenn Johnson (see previous reviews) backing him, and to lead a Bethel congregation in worship. Dave is clearly an accomplished pianist, and he leads well from the piano - something slightly different for Bethel where the focus for the leaders I have encountered thus far is often from vocals or guitars.  Lastly, Dave is a gifted songwriter - all but one of these songs were self-penned, with some collaborations (including Chris McClarney (Your Love Never Fails) and Brian Johnson (Worship Pastor at Bethel Church, Redding)). So where to focus?

If the aim of this album is more good worship from a thriving church of revivalists and worshippers, then this album ticks all the boxes straight off. The worship is accessible, reverent, powerful and meaningful, and many of the songs on this album would be equally at home on any Jesus Culture album. Where this album comes into it's own, however, is at track 5 - "We Are An Ark". The feel of this track is awesome - laid back yet not restrained, strong yet not overwhelming. Here we see all of the gifts of the band laid plain for the world to see. The sensitive nature of Dave's piano and vocal, Jenn Johnson's succinct backing vocals, Ian McIntosh's ethereal keys and Chris Quilala's drums that provide the catalyst for the build up to the climax of this song make it what it is - great. This track provides the turning point  of the album for me - and switches the focus from all of the ancillary factors and theories and places the attention squarely to the Throne of the Lord, and to His glory. Here the album becomes personal, natural, sensitive and glorious. It is here where I "got" this album.

The title track "Hope of Heaven" provides a sublime mix of Jesus Culture and Dave Fitzgerald. The driving drum and bass groove, with the ethereal keys and edgy guitars usually associated with Jesus Culture are interspersed perfectly with a subtle yet very effective piano part from Dave - giving this track it's edge. The album finishes with another 2 nice piano-led tracks - "Shine" (w/ Brian Johnson), and "Sweeter" (w/ Christa Black and Chris McClarney). Once again, we find space, freedom, and subtlety in the piano lines - it's uncomplicated yet more than enough for the atmospheric nature of the songs - which provide a great platform on which the songs can build - which they do to great effect. 

I must confess that it took me a few tracks to work this album out, but now I have it is making it's way steadily up my "most played" playlist. I love piano-led worship, it is for some reason more of a rarity in modern worship, but when it is done this well it is a joy to experience. Buy this album, you will not regret it.

You can find more information about Dave at www.davefizgerald.com

It would be a simple assumption to suggest that the worship produced by any of the various worship leaders at Bethel Church, Redding would be predictable. I now have in my possession several albums by various worship leaders from the church, almost all have the same backing band, and almost all have the same vocalists and producers. Yet each album has it's own distinct qualities, and perhaps more importantly, feel - the latest offering from worship pastors Brian & Jenn Johnson being no exception.

Strong, punchy bass lines, backed up by Chris Quilala's imperious drumming, provide a solid backbone for the sound to build around. Indeed, in the verses of "O Taste and See", these are the only audible instruments, with Jenn's voice comfortably capable of leading the melody for the congregation to follow. When songs such as this one get going, the other instrumentation is sensitively built up, with the keyboards and guitar playing off each other to create a pleasing sound. These qualities are equally present (perhaps even more so) in my personal favourite of the album - "We Believe". In what I would call a "progressive chord sequence" (where the listener feels as if the song is continually moving forward), the sound rises and falls succinctly, sustaining musical interest, and also stirring emotion and heart.

It is in the lyrical aspect of the songs that I feel the real meat of this album lies. I've recently been trying to focus more and more on the words I am singing, as in worship songs there lies some strong terminology. Take for instance the lines present in "All My Worship":

All of me, I surrender, everything to You. All I am and all that I am to become, all my worship and my praise. All my love to You I give, all my life and all my dreams. I surrender all my worship.

These are powerful, meaningful words, that you should find it very difficult to sing half-heartedly. Sing the words to this, and all the other songs on this album whole-heartedly to the Lord, and it might just change your life. Your attitude to worship will change, it will become deeper, and God will lead you into a more intimate place with Him. Just as we should ask God to reveal things to us through His Word before a Bible study, I feel we should ask the Lord to reveal more of Himself to us through worship, drawing us closer to Him.

This album has changed me, the passion that exudes from this ministry is there for all to see. These guys truly believe everything they are singing, their worship is pure, and their songs are powerful.