Have you ever found yourself waiting for the next song during worship at church, but when the words come up or the chords begin, you quietly think: "Oh not again"?
There is a vast industry of worship music in the Christian subsculture, an industry with much life to give to the Church. Somehow though, depsite the rich, prolific history of Christian music and the many artists who are creating today, it sometimes seems like we just sing quite a few of the same songs over and over again. There's nothing wrong with a classic or merely catchy tune, but perhaps we could all do with hearing something new. They say familiarity breeds contempt, and so lest you ever have contempt for the Matt Redmans or Hillsongs of this world, here are some Christian worship songs you might not have heard, that you really should.
Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go – Ascend the Hill
'O Love that wilt not let me go' is a beautiful hymn penned by George Matheson in 1882. It is an intimate poem that in its four rich verses gives to praise to God, the life he gives, and his love that never leaves us. It has been reworked by the band Ascend the Hill, who created this slow, almost fragile yet hopeful rendition which adds the refrain: "My life is not my own/ It's yours." It's less of a tuo-thumping sing-a-long, and more the kind of poignant tune you just sit down to embrace, reflect on, and pray through. As it says: "O love that wilt not let me go/ I rest my weary soul in thee/ I give thee back the life I owe/ that in thine ocean depths its flow/ may richer, fuller be."
Brother – The Brilliance
In this, the title track from The Brilliance's prophetic, peace-seeking first album, we find a powerful, politically prescient tune which declares the profundity of loving one's enemies, and the deep brotherhood which we often choose to ignore. Its chorus proclaims simply, but profoundly: "When I look into the face/ of my enemy/ I see my brother/ I see my brother."
It later declares that "Forgiveness is the garment/ Of our courage /The power to make the peace/ We long to know". Its lyrics aren't any more complex than that, and they don't need to be. We don't often sing about loving our enemies, but why shouldn't we? It's beautiful, powerful, and Jesus seemed to take it pretty seriously. If we start to sing about it, we might just do it too.
Every Giant Will Fall – Rend Collective Experiment
In this tune from Rend Collective Experiment's 2015 album 'As Family We Go', and reproduced for their later effort 'Campfire II: Simplicity', the band lend their folksy banjo-laden charm to an anthem that proclaims joyfully the power of God to move mountains in our lives. "Every giant will fall/ the mountains will move/ every chain of the past/ be broken in two. Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth/ that nothing is impossible with you." There's a few refrains of "oh, oh ohhh" which might be unessecary and a bit annoying, but you don't have to sing those bits if you don't want to.
107 - Josh Garrels
Have you listened to Josh Garrels? If you haven't, then why on earth not? His alternative, soulful music is theologically rich, full of creativity, and diverse in style. A lot of his songs might not feel like contemporary anthemic 'worship style' songs, but who makes the rules anyway? Here's one song of his from back in 2009, titled '107' because it's a triumphant rendition of Psalm 107. Did you know people used to actually sing the psalms?
Your Love is Strong - Jon Foreman
Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman is also a prolific artist in his solo efforts, and this is one of the choice fruits from that more stripped back, acoustic work. Drawing from the rich words of both the Lord's Prayer and the Sermon and the Mount, Foreman constructs this sung prayer which builds up to its glorious, four word chorus, declaring: "Your Love Is Strong". It's a moving reworking of material that is often all too familiar, played so as to draw us to important truths about human dependence on, and intimacy with, God.
Pie Jesu - Future of Forestry
Do you wish you sang in latin more often? Well your prayers have been answered. Alternative maestros Future of Forestry did a glorious version of this ancient chant for one of their Christmas volumes, so this is also excellent if you want something festive that isn't 'Joy to the World' or 'I wish it could be Christmas every day'. It's lyrics are taken from the ancient latin hymn Dies Israe, and the Agnus Dei liturgy. It's words mean roughly: "Merciful Lord/ merciful Lord... who lifted the world's sins/ Grant them peace/ Grant them peace" It is a powerful, transcendent tune, which might just take you to the reverent, reflective space you need to be in at the end of this turbulent year.
