I Heard the Bells (EP) – Sandra McCracken
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This five-song project from Sandra McCracken was recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, and produced by McCracken and Seth Talley. It features collaborations with other artists, including Dave Barnes, Cindy Morgan, and Joseph Bradshaw.
The songs have a gentle – acoustic guitar, bass, piano and drums – sound. Four of the songs are Christmas standards – “White Christmas”, “I Heard the Bells”, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”, and “The Christmas Song”, and the final song is McCracken’s “The Space Between”, which she wrote with Cindy Morgan and Gabe Dixon.
I Heard the Bells will be an excellent addition to your Christmas music collection. Also recommended is McCracken’s 2019 Christmas album, titled simply Christmas.
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
- A review of Song of the Saints by Phil Wickham
- Music News
- Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Rise With The Sun by CityAlight
Song of the Saints – Phil Wickham
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Phil Wickham returns with his tenth studio album featuring sixteen new songs, five of which, including “The King is in the Room” and “What an Awesome God”, were released in advance of the full album. Most of the songs were produced by Jonathan Smith.
The album features themes of God’s goodness, that God is able and awesome, what we believe, longing for Heaven, and what Christ has done for us. This is a strong album, one of the best I’ve heard this year. Here are a few comments and key lyric about each song:
So So Good – This upbeat opening song about the goodness of God was written by Wickham, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake and Jonathan Smith.
Key lyric:
When I start remembering
How You carried my cross, callеd me by name
Loved mе like I was, but You didn’t leave me that way
Was dead, now I live, yeah, that’s what You did
Able – This praise song was written by Wickham, Steven Furtick and Brandon Lake. The song is based on Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” The song includes a nice chorus.
Key lyric:
To Him who is able to do exceedingly
Abundantly more than we could imagine
What An Awesome God – This worship song was written by Wickham, Rich Mullins and Jonathan Smith. The chorus is from Rich Mullins’ 1988 song “Awesome God”, and features a choir.
Key lyric:
Our God is an awesome God, He reigns
From Heaven above
With wisdom, power and love
Song Of The Saints – This song was written by Wickham and Steven Furtick. The lyrics are a statement of what Christians believe. The song builds powerfully.
Key lyric:
This we believe that we have a Father
Creator who was and who is and will be
Who sent us His Son and poured out His Spirit
Homesick For Heaven – This upbeat song was written by Wickham and Jonathan Smith. The song is about longing for Heaven.
Key lyric:
I want to walk with Moses on streets of gold
And dance with David before Your throne
To thank You face to face for the grace You’ve given
Flowers – This song was written by Wickham and Jonathan Smith. The song is praise to the One who loved us first and gave us grace we don’t deserve. In return, we give Him our heart.
Key lyric:
For all You’ve done to save me
For the way You loved me first
Here’s my broken hallelujah in return
The King Is In The Room – This upbeat worship song was written by written by Wickham, Ethan Hulse, Josh Farro, Danyew, Taylor Johnson and Tommy Iceland. This would be a great song to open a worship service with.
Key lyric:
Jesus, we bow only to You
We’re laying down all of our crowns
God Is Good – This upbeat song about the goodness of God was written by Wickham, Jonathan Smith and Matt Armstrong. The song has a Black Gospel feel, featuring choir, piano, handclaps, bass and drum.
Key lyric:
God is good, He is good
In every way He’s good
Oh, lift your eyes to heaven and remember He is good
He works all things together so much better than we could
Oh, lift your eyes to heaven and remember He is good
Running To A Runaway – This powerful song was written by Wickham and Paul Duncan. It reminded me of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. God chased him down when he lost his way.
Key lyric:
I called Your name
You heard my cry
And led me out into the light
A Savior with a soul to save
You were running to a runaway
Resurrection Story – This upbeat song was written by Wickham, Ethan Hulse and Jacob Sooter. Jesus alone gets the glory in his resurrection story.
Key lyric:
One cross, three days, then You rolled the stone away
Called my name, now I’m running out the grave
You alone get the glory in my resurrection story
Because He Lives (Moment) – This song was written by Bill Gaither and Gloria Gaither. Wickham sings the song backed by organ.
Key lyric:
And life is worth the living just because He lives
What If I Told You – This song was written by Wickham and Jonathan Smith, and produced by Smith and Shane Becker. Wickham begins the song with a talk/sing or rap vocal. The evangelistic song ends with a brief clip from a Billy Graham sermon.
Key lyric:
Jesus is calling out your name
This is the reason you were made
Run to His arms just as you are
A little faith is all it takes
Come and be saved
The Day I Met You – This song was written by Wickham and Chad Carouthers, and produced by Micah Nichols. The song has him looking back at the day his life changed.
Key lyric:
I’ve been saved, set free and resurrected
Called by name, redeemed
Now I’m seated in the Heavens
And my heart can’t contain all the praise that I wanna give
‘Cause I was dead, then I met You, and now I live
Miracle Maker – This song was written by Wickham and Jonathan Smith. The song has him looking at characters from the Bible, and has a theme from Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Key lyric:
We stand on the side of the Miracle Maker
We stand on the side of the stone-rolling Savior
If He is for us, who can be against us?
Wondrous Cross – This song was written by Wickham, Jonathan Smith and Ethan Hulse. The song is based on the hymn “When I Survey Thy Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts, and includes a new chorus.
Key lyric:
Hallеlujah, what a Savior
I’ve been delivered, my chains are gone
Thank You, Jesus, my King forever
I stand amazed when I survey the wondrous cross
The Stand (Amen) – This worship song was written by Joel Houston. The song features Wickham accompanied by piano.
Key lyric:
All I am is Yours
All I am is Yours
I surrender all to You, my Savior
All my strength, all my life
Everything I have inside is Yours
Favorite songs:
What an Awesome God
Song of the Saints
Homesick for Heaven
The King is in the Room
Running to a Runaway
Resurrection Story
- Still The King. Watch the Worship Together session of “Still The King” with Chris Tomlin.
- 5 Hymns to Sing at the End of Life. Laura Story writes “This short selection of hymns is a sampling of how God can use hymns in times of grief. As our hearts sing of the great truths of God’s faithfulness, his character, and the assurance of the future that awaits us, we know our trust is not misplaced.”
- Life & Breath. Here is the lyric video for the title song from Matt Redman’s new album Life & Breath.
Rise With The Sun by CityAlight
Our song of the week is “Rise With The Sun” by CityAlight. The song was written by Tim Challies with Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson of CityAlight, which complements the new book From the Rising of the Sun: A Journey of Worship Around the World that Challies wrote with Tim Keesee, a book I’m reading now. Tim Challies has written about the song here. You can listen to the song here.
Verse 1:
There’s a song that’s sung through the nations
Of joyful thanks to the king
Where the countless saints who are rescued
Praise Jesus who set them all free
Verse 2:
Hear the anthem sung in the islands
Where sun first touches the earth
Over land and sea it advances
Now joined by the saints of this church
Chorus:
Rise with the sun
Lift up his name
All through the earth
We sing out his praise
East to the west
Night to the day
Join in the song
And sing out his praise
Verse 3:
I will add my voice to the chorus
Of many people and tongues
For we share the gift of salvation
And share in the life yet to come
Chorus:
Rise with the sun
Lift up his name
All through the earth
We sing out his praise
East to the west
Night to the day
Join in the song
And sing out his praise
Bridge:
And the church will sing
Tambu (Fijian)
Heilig (German)
Oli (Australian Creole)
are you Lord
You’re the lamb who was slain
We lift up your name
And the church will sing
Shèngjié (Mandarin)
Santo (Spanish)
Kadosh (Hebrew)
are you Lord
You’re the king who was raised
We lift up your name
We will always sing
Holy, holy, holy are you Lord
Now you reign evermore
We lift up your name
Over all of the world,
We lift up your name
Chorus:
Rise with the sun
Lift up his name
All through the earth
We sing out his praise
East to the west
Night to the day
Join in the song
And sing out his praise
Come sing out his praise
