Worship Songs for March 9

Here's some insight regarding our songs for this week. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

And remember, set your clocks FORWARD an hour Saturday night--Daylight Savings Time is already here!

Blessings,

Bill


“Be Glorified”

HOW MONO LAUNCHED AN INCREDIBLE CAREER

This worship song was written by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio in 1999. Chris received his first guitar from his father, Connie, at the age of eleven after contracting a case of mono. Then, Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study medicine, but he stated that he felt God's calling to something else and did not pursue that career.

In the mid-1990's Tomlin spent time leading worship at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various camps around the state of Texas.

Following college, at Texas A&M University Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin agreed, and he has played a key role ever since. His first nationally released solo project, entitled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, which saw the emergence of songs "Forever" (his most famous song other than "How Great Is Our God"), "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", all of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs.

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the United States as of August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written with other songwriters: "How Great Is Our God" (#1), "Forever" (#5), "Holy Is the Lord" (#7), "We Fall Down" (#12),and "Indescribable" (#22).

On why his album which includes this song was entitled “Arriving”, Chris said.
“I feel as though we’re like this landing strip in the desert for our great, incredible God to arrive on; a way for Him to come into people’s lives,” Tomlin says of the album’s metaphorical moniker inspired in part by Isaiah 40.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin#Biography

Click here to visit Chris’ website:
www.christomlin.com

Click here to visit Chris’ myspace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3SM73aB5Sc



“Here I Am to Worship”

Tim Hughes, a citizen of England, grew up in a small town just outside London. "Since my dad was a pastor, I grew up in church," he says. "I always kind of believed in God, but when I was 11 years old, I went to a conference and had the opportunity to observe people who were very passionate about singing. It dawned on me that they weren't singing about someone or something, but they were singing to Someone. That really challenged me. I gave my life to Christ and my relationship with God changed from 'knowing' Him in my head to 'knowing' Him in my heart."
Tim wrote "Here I Am to Worship" while a student at Sheffield University, where he worked with a young-adult ministry called Soul Survivor.
"During that time I had been thinking and meditating on the cross," he says. "I began to concentrate on Philippians 2 —about Christ's humility and how He became obedient to the point of death on a cross. I was challenged with the wonder of His sacrifice for us."
It was then that the initial inspiration for the song came. The verses flowed freely. But when Tim tried to write a chorus that would be an appropriate response to the verses, he felt stuck.
About six months later, as he sat in his room worshiping, he thought of the verses again and decided to finish the song. "I began to ask, How are we going to respond to Christ's great sacrifice on the cross? Do we bow down? Do we scream out? Sometimes we don't know how to respond, even though we desperately want to." The answer finally came to him in words that spoke matter-of-factly about the act of worship itself: "Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that You're my God."
It took him six months before he felt comfortable using the song in a public setting. But it caught on immediately.

Click here to read more about Tim:
www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/1227531/

Click here to listen to the story behind the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-196-HereIAmtoWorship-Hughes.mp3

Click here to worship along with Darlene Zschech in Australia:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2d10n1Cpcc&mode=related&search=



“Lord, Most High”

This song was written by Gary Sadler & Don Harris. This song proclaims the sovereignty of Christ.

Song Lyrics

From the ends of the earth
From the depths of the sea
From the heights of the heavens
Your Name we raise

From the hearts of the weak
From the shouts of the strong
From the lips of all people
This song we raise

Throughout the endless ages
You will be crowned with praises
Lord Most High
Exalted in every nation
Sovereign of all creation
Lord Most High
Be magnified

* Here are some added verses by Rick Lindholtz in 2005
From the heights of your throne,
To a manger of hay,
Bringing hope to your people,
We sing Your praise,

From your life-giving hands
To your death on a cross
To your tomb that lays empty
Your song we raise, Lord…© Rick Lindholtz, 2005


Click here to learn more about Gary Sadler:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=29507952

Don Harris has been a writer and producer for Integrity Music for more than 15 years. He has played bass on many live and studio worship recordings. He has played with Don Moen, Paul Baloche, Israel Houghton, Kim Hill, Lenny Leblanc, Marty Nystrom, and many others. Don plays both electric and acoustic bass and is part of the worship team at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Click here to worship along on the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDFTXntlm8I&feature=related



"I Surrender All"

This powerful hymn was written by Judson W. Van DeVenter in 1896. He wrote the following in his journal:
The song was written while I was conducting a meeting at East Palestine, Ohio, in the home of George Sebring (founder of the Sebring Campmeeting Bible Conference in Sebring, Ohio, and later developer of the town of Sebring, Florida). For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing "I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all"

Click here to hear Ce Ce Winan sing this hymn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjsz6fRnsDc

Click here to hear the Isaacs sing the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOq7p3RTm5w

Click here to watch a very moving liturgical dance to the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-VnQShgRYs

Winfield S. Weeden wrote the music. In 1896 Weeden published a number of books of religious music, but this song must have been one of his favorites: its title was on his tombstone.


“All to You”

This worship song was written by Lincoln Brewster. Brewster has been musically inclined since his early childhood in Homer, Alaska. At the age of one, his mother, Cheryl, noticed how well he could keep rhythm on a drum set his grandfather had given him. At the age of five, his mother introduced him to the mandolin. Quickly mastering the instrument, he began playing for cruise ship tourists alongside his mother in Homer, Alaska.
By the age of 12, Brewster had a band called Lincoln and the Missing Links, which included his mother on bass and vocals. In his late teens, he moved with his family to California where he joined the high school jazz band (playing guitar and drums) and marching band (playing snare drum).
Due to connections gained in Los Angeles, he had recording contract offers by 19. Feeling emptiness in his life, Brewster attended church services with his high school sweetheart and Christian, Laura. He recalls feeling God drawing him close after attending a drama ministry performance with Laura.
"I was afraid to lay down a lot of things in my life," Lincoln said. "One night, I laid all my cards on the table. I asked the Lord to come into my life, all by myself. It was the best night of sleep I'd ever had. I was very peaceful.

Click here to listen to the song online: http://play.rhapsody.com/lincolnbrewster/letthepraisesringthebestoflincolnbrewster/alltoyou?didAutoplayBounce=true

Click here to read more about Lincoln:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Brewster

Click here to play Lincolns’ songs on his myspace – the songs are available on his standalone player, you can also listen to “Everlasting” and “Let the Praises Ring”
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=83285546

Click here to listen to Lincoln share about his journey and how a 70 year-old woman encouraged him during a time of worship;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJPh1asdTsw


“Unchanging”

Chris Tomlin wrote this song about how our Lord never changes. Our response to His faithfulness and sovereignty is worship.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin#Biography

Click here to visit Chris’ website:
www.christomlin.com

Click here to visit Chris’ myspace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin

Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLhB99vnkp8

Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrGbVmfOw1A

Here are the lyrics:

Great is Your faithfulness
Great is Your faithfulness
You never change
You never fail, O God

True are Your promises
True are Your promises
You never change
You never fail, O God

So we raise up holy hands
To praise the Holy One
Who was and is and is to come

Wide is Your love and grace
Wide is Your love and grace
You never change
You never fail, O God

You were, You are
You will always be


“Here I Am to Worship”

Tim Hughes, a citizen of England, grew up in a small town just outside London. "Since my dad was a pastor, I grew up in church," he says. "I always kind of believed in God, but when I was 11 years old, I went to a conference and had the opportunity to observe people who were very passionate about singing. It dawned on me that they weren't singing about someone or something, but they were singing to Someone. That really challenged me. I gave my life to Christ and my relationship with God changed from 'knowing' Him in my head to 'knowing' Him in my heart."
Tim wrote "Here I Am to Worship" while a student at Sheffield University, where he worked with a young-adult ministry called Soul Survivor.
"During that time I had been thinking and meditating on the cross," he says. "I began to concentrate on Philippians 2 —about Christ's humility and how He became obedient to the point of death on a cross. I was challenged with the wonder of His sacrifice for us."
It was then that the initial inspiration for the song came. The verses flowed freely. But when Tim tried to write a chorus that would be an appropriate response to the verses, he felt stuck.
About six months later, as he sat in his room worshiping, he thought of the verses again and decided to finish the song. "I began to ask, how are we going to respond to Christ's great sacrifice on the cross? Do we bow down? Do we scream out? Sometimes we don't know how to respond, even though we desperately want to." The answer finally came to him in words that spoke matter-of-factly about the act of worship itself: "Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that You're my God."
It took him six months before he felt comfortable using the song in a public setting. But it caught on immediately.

Click here to read more about Tim:
www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/1227531/

Click here to listen to the story behind the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-196-HereIAmtoWorship-Hughes.mp3



"My Jesus, I love Thee"

Sixteen year old William Featherston of Montreal, Canada wrote this simple but profound hymn in 1862, not long after he was converted to Christ. William wrote no other hymns that we know of and his brief life ended just before his twenty-seventh birthday. Here is a story about the influence of this song:
A Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Michigan once related the following incident to a large audience in one of the Rev. E. P. Hammond’s meetings in St. Louis. “A young, talented and tender-hearted actress was passing along the street of a large city. Seeing a pale, sick girl lying upon a couch just within the half-open door of a beautiful dwelling, she entered, with the thought that by her vivacity and pleasant conversation she might cheer the young invalid. The sick girl was a devoted Christian, and her words, her patience, her submission and heaven-lit countenance, so demonstrated the spirit of her religion that the actress was led to give some earnest thought to the claims of Christianity, and was thoroughly converted, and became a true follower of Christ. She told her father, the leader of the theater troupe, of her conversion, and of her desire to abandon the stage, stating that she could not live a consistent Christian life and follow the life of an actress. Her father was astonished beyond measure, and told his daughter that their living would be lost to them and their business ruined, if she persisted in her resolution. Loving her father dearly, she was shaken somewhat in her purpose, and partially consented to fill the published engagement to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a general favorite. Every preparation was made for the play in which she was to appear. The evening came and the father rejoiced that he had won back his daughter, and that their living was not to be lost. The hour arrived; a large audience had assembled. The curtain rose, and the young actress stepped forward firmly amid the applause of the multitude. But an unwonted light beamed from her beautiful face. Amid the breathless silence of the audience, she repeated:
‘My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.’
This was all. Through Christ she had conquered and, leaving the audience in tears, she retired from the stage, never to appear upon it again. Through her influence her father was converted, and through their united evangelistic labors many were led to God.”

Worship along with Avalon by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at67q_staZ8

Worship along with Paul Baloche by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENJB2rZ-VE8

Worship along with an acoustic guitar version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvzq0-Qe2TI