Label: Sixstep Records
Release Date: Feb. 5, 2008
Passion - God Of This City
Dan MacIntosh
The title track for Passion's new release, "God of this City," empathetically looks out at the city – insert any city name here -- and then onto the wider nation around it. Conversely, the majority of praise and worship music focuses first outwardly to God, then inwardly at our personal relationship with our Maker. But sadly, The Great Commission rarely enters into the whole praise music equation. Yet this title track's first verse states, "You're the God of this city," then later expands that thought with, "You're the Lord of this nation." The City on a Hill, so to speak, is holding out hope for the village down below. "For greater things/Have yet to come/And greater things/Are still to be done in this city." Amen!
Passion is a loose collection of praise and worship artists. It is led by Chris Tomlin, who opens this latest live release with the rocker, "Let God Arise," then closes it with his embellished version of "Amazing Grace." If there are co-stars in this show, they are David Crowder Band, which perform the hymn, "O, For a Thousand Tongs to Sing" and its own "The Glory of it All," and Matt Redman, who sings "God of Yesterdays," "Shine," and "Dancing Generation." Yet one of this disc's most beautiful inclusions is "Hosanna," performed by the lesser known Christy Nockels and written by New Zealand's Brooke Fraser.
Unless you're a diehard worship music fan, many of these songs will be largely unfamiliar to you. Except for "Dancing Generation," "The Glory of it All," and – of course – "Amazing Grace," most of these tracks are not yet congregational favorites. But it is not hard to imagine a worship leader using the upbeat "Let God Arise" to get parishioners up and at 'em on a Sunday morning. The same can be said of the equally lively "Sing, Sing, Sing."
It's been said that non-believers do not care what Christians know, unless they first know how much Christians care about them. And "God of this City" features a group of singers and musicians who truly sound like they care about their world. It's heartening to realize these talented players cannot – will not! -- keep the excitement of their faith to themselves. God does not just want to be inside stained glass windows and moving among pews; He also wants true worshippers to take Him to the streets. Charlie Hall puts this idea best when he sings, "We're going to walk the world and lift the bread and wine."
posted [03.12.08]
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