Lots of worship music news happening this month!
1) Kingdom Come by Bryan & Katie Torwalt (Jesus Culture)
Available (October 15, 2013)
When Jesus prayed his now famous prayer, not only was he the conduit for God’s kingdom on earth in that moment, but he kicked wide the door of heaven to invade our space from that moment on.
His Kingdom. Right now. Such a world-shaking concept.
On October 15th, Bryan and Katie Torwalt released their much-anticipated sophomore album, Kingdom Come, a collection of modern worship anthems steeped in full surrender to the wondrous will of God today… and forever.
As part of Sacramento, California-based Jesus Culture, an international ministry that reaches out to youth with their music, holding conferences and events all over the world, the Torwalts exemplify what the movement is all about: young revivalists who, through creative expression, lead others to encounter the power and presence of God in worship. To date, the Jesus Culture Band has recorded nine albums and released a total of 19 projects on their music label, including Kingdom Come.
“Our perspective on worship is that, no matter what, we want to follow the Holy Spirit and leave room for him to do what he wants to do,” says Bryan, who picked up a guitar at age 16 and began leading worship in his youth group. “It’s really all about people who are hungry for his presence, desperate for a move of God.”
For Katie, a preacher’s daughter who started singing in church at the age of three and leading worship as a pre-teen, being part of Jesus Culture has been a life-changing shift in understanding. “We weren’t raised to look at worship as full access to Jesus all the time. There was always some pressure to get to a place in worship to take a congregation somewhere. But we’ve learned that we start out having full access to Jesus, being seated with Christ.”
That total access to Jesus—completely known, completely accepted, completely free—in worship and in every aspect of life, provides the undercurrent of Kingdom Come, which again draws inspiration from The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6.
“We’re constantly inspired by where God leads us in scripture and by time spent with the Lord out in nature. We’re always trying to grow in our experience of the word of God. …In terms of songwriting and our message,” Bryan says, “it’s definitely an extension of Here On Earth. Both albums pull out a little chunk of the Lord’s Prayer, and the hope and prayer that God’s kingdom would invade this little space of earth.”
Building on the simple, folk-tinged influence of their debut, 2011’s Heaven On Earth, the Torwalts have created a multi-layered, ethereal mix of 11 original songs written specifically for corporate worship.
“One of the things I love about Bryan and Katie is their passion to write songs that usher in the presence of God,” says Jeremy Edwardson, who produced both Torwalt records for Jesus Culture Music. “They aren’t interested in entertaining people. They seek a deeper place in worship, and I love taking part in that vision and journey.”
“Kingdom Come carries a very powerful and weighty sound throughout,” Jeremy continues. “It felt natural to go there as the songs unfolded considering the lyric content, to take the production further to enhance the emotion and power of the lyric. The result for me is very moving as it’s the same congregational lyric/melody you’d expect from Bryan and Katie, with a very dynamic, epic sound.”
Thematically contrasting light and darkness, Kingdom Come opens declaring the greatness of God in “He Is the Light,” inviting him to rule in “King of All the Earth.” “Weight of Glory,” inspired by a C.S. Lewis work by the same name, and “When You Walk Into the Room,” sing out the power revealed when God shows up in worship.
Let the weight of your glory come and settle on us now
We stand in awe for you are holy and your kindness overwhelms
Be lifted up you heavenly gates,
Be opened wide you ancient doors…
“We’re really bold with some of our lyrics,” Katie says, ‘but those things really come out of our hearts—freedom and healing and transformation that happens during worship… Seeing people declaring the truth of God together over our church, over our city, seeing the supernatural, crazy stuff God is doing in worship, seeing people free and filled with hope… It’s been life-changing for us. If anything, it’s made us even hungrier for those things. More aware of our need for His presence everyday.”
“Shores,” offered online as a free track prior to the album’s official release, represents the sonic shift, but more importantly, it underscores the idea of freedom that results from surrender. “It started out as a completely different song,” says Katie, whose unique pop sensibilities carry the melody, “but ultimately it’s about what happens when we encounter the love of God, the freedom that takes over, freedom from oppression, sickness, depression… it’s a song of releasing those things and declaring hope, a full surrender to freedom.”
Other standouts include the gospel-influenced “Worthy King,” featuring Kim Walker-Smith, “I Will Trust You,” a song of hope specifically for ‘the valley of the shadow of death’ and “It Was Finished.”
It was finished on that day / Death was beaten, all darkness was slain /
All his passion poured out like rain upon the earth… Hallelujah…
“There’s so much victory and triumph in singing about Christ’s resurrection,” Katie says of this Easter and beyond song, “and I love songs that tell a story. When we were recording it, we were reliving the story of Pentecost, bringing all those elements together…”
“Burn,” the album closer, is a transparent, intimate invitation, Bryan says. “A prayer, more than anything, for God to come and take control, to burn in my spirit, burn in my soul… something about the simplicity felt right and natural, a simple invitation for God to come.”
Ultimately, Bryan and Katie agree, Kingdom Come carries with it the hope that people experience a fresh encounter with God. “It’s such an incredible gift to be able to lead people in worship,” Bryan says, “and we believe God inhabits the praise of his people and that in times of worship, we can experience his presence in a tangible way. We want that for people as they sing these songs, to see another facet of who God is, to experience his love for them in a new way.”
www.jesusculture.com/kingdomcome
www.facebook.com/bryanandkatietorwalt
@BryanTorwalt @KatieTorwalt
2) Stand In Awe by John Thurlow
Available October 22, 2013
Having led worship for ten consecutive years at the International House of Prayer, Jon Thurlow has come to be known for joyful, melodically catchy, yet provoking songs, eleven of which have been captured live on Stand In Awe.
Jon shares, “I believe that the purpose of music should be to move our hearts closer to the Lord and to magnify His awesome name, giving Him the praise and glory He rightly deserves.”
The album serves that purpose well, as Jon’s infectious passion provides the heartbeat to this inspiring collection of recordings. It is this passion that drives his songwriting and worship-leading at the house of prayer, where he leads worship daily and serves on staff. Raw musical creativity has flowed out of Jon and blessed many for more than a decade, and since his 2006 debut EP, A Life That’s Worthy, he has gone on to self-release five albums.
Stand In Awe marks the first chapter of his new relationship with Forerunner Music. The album, recorded live at Forerunner Christian Fellowship on the International House of Prayer missions base, offers songs that have been sung by thousands, both in the packed-out prayer room and in the massive Onething conference hall over the past six years. Now, for the first time, these songs have been recorded, featuring a live audience whose participation helps to capture the spirit of worship from which this music emerged.
Stand In Awe kicks off with “Who Is Like You,” a lively declaration of the glory of God; “Take Your Place” is a heart-cry that has been sung across the country, echoing the yearning of Psalm 63 for the only One who can satisfy our longing in this dry and weary land; the title track is a slowly-ascending, moving ballad of love to God, expressing His awesome glory and our privilege of gazing on His beauty.
As part of the International House of Prayer, we at Forerunner Music pray that this album would bless and encourage you and your churches and houses of prayer around the world.
Forerunner Music | iTunes
3) Coming Soon: Christmas Worship by Paul Baloche
Available October 29, 2013
One of today’s most influential worship leaders, songwriters and artists, Paul Baloche is set to present his first Christmas project, appropriately titled Christmas Worship, Oct. 29 from Integrity Music.
The goal of this three-time Dove Award-winning artist and local worship pastor was to create a Christmas album that would minister to and resource the church. Featuring new songs of celebration along with unique arrangements of much-loved traditional Christmas carols seamlessly blended with modern worship choruses, the result is an album packed with accessible Christmas songs that help create a worship environment familiar to congregants and first time visitors alike.
Drawing from his own personal experience as a local pastor working to help his congregation worship during what may be the busiest time of the year, Baloche says, “We all love the content of Christmas carols, but often they don’t facilitate a vertical expression of worship towards the Lord. So the idea of this album was to take classic Christmas carols that we all enjoy singing and combine them with modern worship choruses to encourage worship all throughout the Christmas season.”
Produced by Baloche, Michael Rossback and Ben Gowell, Christmas Worship features special guest vocals by Aaron Shust on “Follow That Star,” All Sons & Daughters on “King of Heaven,” Kathryn Scott on “This Is Love,” Onaje Jefferson on “Offering” and Jennifer Holm on “Prepare Him Room.” The album also features additional vocals by Rita Baloche, who further wrote “Prepare Him Room” and “Follow That Star” for the album.
In addition to his wife, Paul was joined in the songwriting process for Christmas Worship by such acclaimed writers as Jason Ingram, Lincoln Brewster, Graham Kendrick, Glenn Packiam and Kathryn Scott. These “contemporary” songwriters crafted new choruses to seamlessly blend with the great classic Christmas hymnody from writers such as Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, George Frederick Handel and John Francis Wade.
Preview Christmas Worship here.
Integrity Music | LeadWorship.com
Related posts:
Worship Music News: Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Worship Music News: Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Worship Music News: Tuesday, June 11, 2013