1. I’m Coming Back, by our own Rebecca Elliott from Before the Throne.  From the review of this CD in Christianity Today: Her (Rebecca’s) voice perfectly complements the earnest sentiments of worship in “I’m Coming Back,” an earnest and well-written reminder of how we’ve “wasted all I have on things that will not last.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

2. Come and Sing, by our own Jeremy Quillo, also recorded on last year’s Before the Throne.  Hear this mp3 on our Facebook page.  You can also read Jeremy’s “story behind the song” here on sojournmusic.com.  I’ve learned a lot about worship writing from Jeremy, and can’t wait to share with everyone the song we co-wrote for Sojourn’s upcoming worship CD.

3. My Rock and My Redeemer, by another of our own writers, Rebecca Dennison.  This song, from our CD These Things I Remember, is a great lament that turns us to God, acknowledging that only He can “Take my soul, make me whole / To seek Your face again.”

Rebecca took the title from Psalm 19:14.  Hear her thoughts on using the psalms in contemporary worship from a short podcast interview published last week here at sojournmusic.com.

4. Remember Me (Prayer of Hannah), a special Mother’s Day song written by Sojourn Worship Arts Pastoral Assistant Jamie Barnes.  We gave you Jamie’s original mp3 recording of this song in yesterday’s blog post here on sojournmusic.com — be sure to check it out!

5. Merciful God, by Keith and Kristen Getty, and Stuart Townend.  Now, if you’re not interested in the mechanics of hymnody, feel free to skip to the next paragraph to avoid boredom.  No, really — I don’t mind.  To those who remain: this three-verse hymn would be listed in many hymnals as being “unmetered” but that’s not so.  It has a very tight meter, which helps to make it so singable.  Each verse goes like this: 10.8.10.8  8.8.13.  It’s a good structure for housing the “story” of this song, which develops the theme of a “Merciful God, O abounding in love.”

6. Beautiful, Scandalous Night, by Derald Daugherty and Steve Hindalong.  You could hardly pick a better example of lyric-writing for church congregations.  Look at the juxtaposition of those two words in the title: that “night” was both beautiful and scandalous.  “Beautiful” in how it carried out God’s plan and brought Him glory, and in that it paid for our sin, turned us from enemies of God to his friends and adopted children, (and the writers were being metaphorical in using “night”, of course — He was crucified at day but, as the song notes, the “sky turned dark” like night).  “Scandalous” in that the only pure, innocent person to ever live took on the punishment due the rest of us as we, represented in that mob, cried “crucify Him.”

They do it again in the phrase “wonderful, tragic, mysterious” tree.  A stunning use of adjectives that comes as close as we can to describing this most blessed and cursed event — the crucifixion of Christ, who fully bore the wrath of God in spite of being the only one who didn’t deserve it.

I also love the use of the word “perpetual” in:

Go on up to the mountain of mercy

to the crimson, perpetual tide

A key theological concept wrapped up in one phrase.  The tide of Christ’s blood is “perpetual” in that, here in 2008 and for as long as the age lasts, it still covers the sins of all who believe and call on Him as Lord and Savior.

7. In The Shadow of the Glorious Cross, by our own Brooks Ritter and Rebecca Elliot.  Hear it and view the chord sheet from our Before the Throne page, the album this song appeared on.  Also, check out this interview that Will Kotheimer conducted with Brooks, where Brooks talked about his and Rebecca’s collaboration process.

The only difference in the evening services was that the band swapped out “I’m Coming Back,” for Chris Tomlin’s “King of Glory.”

9:30 am and 11:15 am Sojourn worship band:

Cello: Christi Osterday

Acoustic guitar, banjo: Jamie Barnes

Vocals: Rebecca Dennison, Jamie Barnes, Rebecca Elliott

Keyboard: Rebecca Elliott

5 pm and 7 pm Sojourn worship band:

Electric guitar: Mike Cosper

Drums: Matt Harris

Bass: Bryon Shrock

Keyboard: Dan Cassin

Acoustic Guitar: Dave Moisan

Vocals: Lindsey Lewis and Dave Moisan
  

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