This series is reviewing Rethinking The Wineskin by Frank Viola. See my introduction to the series, if you haven't already, for the background discussion about the book.

A good friend (who builds churches for a living) asked me recently what I would do if someone gave me a church building. I told him I'd sell it, or give it to a group to start a school. Even though he knows me pretty well, he was surprised by my response.

Most people who have grown up in traditional churches treat the idea of having a church without a building like it's unfathomable. How will people find your church? How will you hold big events to attract people?

Yet the New Testament church didn't have a building. They had their homes. When they met in larger groups, they used common, public, open spaces. If anything, a building would have limited the growth of the church described in Acts.

I've written plenty about house church, though, and I'll continue to do so. So for the rest of this post, I'll concentrate on sharing the five central points that Viola made about having church gatherings in a home:

By meeting in a home, we testify that "the people comprise God's house."

Both Judaism and paganism teach that there must be a sanctified place for Divine worship. Consequently, the Jews erected special buildings for their corporate worship (synagogues). So did the pagans (shrines). No so with Christianity...

The early church was the only religious group in the first century that met exclusively in homes. It would have been quite natural for them to pursue their Jewish heritage and erect buildings to suit their needs. But they intentionally kept from doing so.

Perhaps the early believers knew the confusion that sanctified buildings would produce. Hence, they kept from erecting them to preserve the testimony that the people comprised the living stones of God's habitation.

The home is where the purposes and functions of the church can best be carried out.

The apostolic instructions concerning the church meeting are best suited for a small group setting like the home. Christian principles like mutual participation; the exercise of spiritual gifts; the building together of the brethren into an intentional, face-to-face community; the communal meal; the open transparency and mutual submission of members one toward another; the freedom for interactive dialogue; and the liberty-oriented koinonia (shared life) of the Holy Spirit all operate best in a small group setting like the home.

The home reflects the simple nature of Christ's ministry.

The house is a far more humble place than the stately religious edifices of our day with their lofty steeples and elegant decor. In this way, most modern "church" buildings reflect the boastings of this world rather than the meek and lowly Savior whose name we bear.

It also better reflects Christ's heart to use our resources to help those in need rather than bearing the heavy burden of building construction and maintenance.

The home reveals the church as a family.

The formal manner in which things are done in the basilica church tends to discourage the mutual intercourse and spontaneity that characterized the early Christian gatherings. Exegete the architecture of a typical church building and you will discover that it effectively teaches the church to be passive.

The church building is constructed like a lecture hall or cinema. It is arranged so that those in attendance focus on a particular point - the leader. This style of building "promotes a clergy centrality" and "feeds the spectator-mentality that afflicts most of the Body of Christ today."

The home represents spiritual authenticity.

We live in a day where many, especially youth, are searching for spiritual authenticity. To these seekers, churches that meet in amphitheaters, crystal cathedrals, and ivory-towered domes appear superficial and shallow... the house church is a refreshing witness against those religious institutions that equate glamorous buildings and multimillion dollar budgets with success.

The final point Viola makes is that while the NT does describe some large-style meetings, these were evangelistic in nature and not a normal part of the church gathering. There is a function for large (and small) evangelistic events and efforts. But the purpose of the church gathering is not evangelism, it is mutual edification, and the location of the gathering can either aid or hinder the fulfillment of that purpose.

Labels: books, church, house church, open formats, reviews

This series is reviewing Rethinking The Wineskin by Frank Viola. See my introduction to the series, if you haven't already, for the background discussion about the book.

I clearly remember my early experiences with communion as a child. One of my very first times taking communion, I somehow managed to spill the grape juice all over my light yellow pants. My mother was not pleased!

Modern communion is a formal event. Whether Catholic or Protestant, there really isn't much difference. It is a quiet, somber occasion. We pick up (or are given) a piece of a cracker or bread. We follow that with a small amount of juice, or even possibly actual wine.

Yet the Lord's Supper was a meal. They were celebrating the passover feast. It was in this context that Christ first shared with them the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine as an occasion to remember him.

Somehow, modern church has reduced communion from a meal to a simple religious ritual. In the early church, communion was clearly a full meal. Viola says it this way:

The whole of 1 Corinthians 11 makes clear that the believers gathered to eat the Supper as a meal. One would find himself hard-pressed to get drunk on a thimble of grape juice or satisfy his hunger with a bite-sized cracker!

Of course, the history behind this is rooted in the Catholic church. But as I'm learning more and more, Protestantism was primarily concerned about reforming the theology of the church, and largely left the structure and the practices of the church untouched.

The Lord's Supper also witnesses to the three chief virtues: faith, hope, and love. Through the Supper, we re-ground ourselves in that glorious salvation that is our by faith. We re-express our love for the brethren as we reflect on the one Body. And we rejoice in the hope of our Lord's soon return. By observing the Supper correctly, we "proclaim (present) the Lord's death (past) till He comes (future)."

Catholics have made the Lord's Supper literal and sacrificial. Every time they take the Eucharist, they believe that Christ is being re-sacrificed for our sins. Protestants have made the Supper merely symbolic and commemorative. They believe it is merely a reminder of the cross.

But the Lord's Supper is neither a perpetual sacrifice (the Catholic view) nor an empty ritual (the Protestant practice). It carries no sacramental overtones. Nor can it be properly conceived as simply a memorial.

The Lord's Supper is a spiritual reality. The Holy Spirit is present in it. Through the Supper, the Spirit reveals the living Christ to the hearts of His beloved saints. In the Supper, we sup with Him through the one loaf and the one cup.

The NT clearly reveals communion as a meal shared in the context of the church gathering together.

When Christ introduced communion, they were eating bread and wine. This was something they did regularly, including after Christ rose from the grave. He was turning a regular, daily, mundane task - eating food - into an occasion of remembrance, reflection, and celebration. Which do you think held more power in the apostles mind - when they broke bread with Christ before He died on the cross, or when they broke bread with Christ after He rose from the grave?

By introducing communion in the context of a meal, was Christ creating a new ritual, or injecting new meaning into a daily task? I believe it was more of the latter than the former.

We have lost much of what the original church believed and practiced in the communal meal. We have turned church gatherings into a presentation around a pulpit, whereas in scripture they look more like relationships around a table with food. If we were to regain the concept of church around a table instead of church around a pulpit, we'd be on the right track towards making our church gatherings relational and renewing the church back to God's original design.

Labels: books, church, house church, reviews

This series is reviewing Rethinking The Wineskin by Frank Viola. See my introduction to the series, if you haven't already, for the background discussion about the book.

The very first thing Viola tackles is the church gathering. This is appropriate, since this is the very first thing most people think of when talking about church practice (though arguably it is not the most important thing). This is one of the longest chapters in the book. The only topic Viola spends more time discussing is leadership, which is actually covered over two chapters. (We'll get there later.)

Modern church basically has four reasons for church gatherings. Corporate worship, evangelism, sermons, and fellowship.

Viola points out that none of these reasons are described in the NT as a purpose of gathering together. There is only one purpose described in the NT - mutual edification (1 Corinthians 14:26, Hebrews 10:24-25).

As Paul pulls back the curtain of the first-century gathering in 1 Corinthians 11-14, we see a meeting where every member is actively involved. Freshness, openness, and spontaneity are the chief marks of this meeting. Mutual edification is its primary goal...

The Lord Jesus was free to speak through whomever He chose. And in whatever capacity He saw fit. Consequently, the common practice of a few professional ministers assuming all the important activities of the church, while the rest of the saints remain passive, was utterly foreign to the early church.

For some reason, we think that tradition has more to say on this topic than scripture. We act as though the hundreds of years of presentationally styled meetings carries more weight than what the apostles started. These are the guys that Christ chose to build His church. I think we should pay attention to what they said and did!

The end result of this mistake is what we see today - churches full of Christians who look very similar to the rest of the world.

The institutional church is essentially a nursery for overgrown spiritual babes. It habituates God's people into being passive receivers. It stunts their spiritual development and keeps them in spiritual infancy...

The Reformation recovered the truth of the priesthood of all believers. But it failed to restore the necessary practices that embody this teaching.

The early Christians knew nothing of liturgy. They knew nothing of programs (or bulletins). They knew nothing of rituals. They knew nothing equivalent to the modern-day "pastor." They knew that their purpose of gathering together was simply mutual edification. They each came to the gathering knowing that the Spirit may very well move them to edify the body.

The format of our gatherings either supports or erodes the principle of the priesthood of all believers. While modern church might claim to support this idea, in practice, we elevate the position of the clergy to that of priest, and suppress contributions from those who are under them.

The open format gathering is the heart of the practical expression of the priesthood of all believers. It cuts through the system of a clergy/laity division. It cuts through denominationalism. It cuts through human control and gives control of the gathering to the Holy Spirit. It is essential to the renewal of the church to more closely resemble the descriptions contained in the NT. As big and as important as this is, we would be fooling ourselves to believe that this alone is enough. There is much, much more to be addressed.

Labels: books, church, house church, open formats, reviews

I picked up a phenomenal book a couple of weeks ago, and it is taking a while for me to digest and work through. It's called Rethinking The Wineskin by Frank Viola, and it is doing an incredible job bringing together a lot of what I've been working through over the last couple of years.

I'll start this series out with a quote from the book. It's a long one from the introduction, but it is a good summary of what the book is about.

Church history is rife with examples demonstrating that every past renewal has repackaged the new wine into old wineskins. By the old wineskin, I mean those traditional structures that are patterned after the old Judaic religious system. A system that separated God's people into two separate classes; required the presence of human mediators; erected sacred buildings; and laid stress on outward forms.

The facets of the old wineskin are many. The clergy/laity distinction. The spectator-performer styled church meeting. The single pastor system. The program-driven worship service. The passive priesthood. The edifice complex. All of these features represent Old Covenant forms in NT garb!

Accordingly, the present cry of the Spirit for genuine renewal will never become a reality for those who ignore His concurrent voice regarding the new wineskin. God himself fashioned this fresh wineskin. He made it to perfectly hold the wine of His life. In this way, the wine always precedes the wineskin.

Sadly, not a few have presumed that God has left the wineskin of church practice to the pragmatic whims of well-intentioned men. But the Lord has not left us to ourselves regarding the practice of His church.

We so often forget that the church belongs to Christ and not to us! As in the Old Testament type, no peg of the tabernacle was left to the imagination of man. Rather, the house was to be built "according to the pattern" given from above.

This does not mean that the NT supplies us with an ironclad, meticulous blueprint for church practice. It does not. Therefore, it is a gross mistake to tease out of the apostolic letters an inflexible code of church order that is as unalterable as the law of the Medes and Persians! Such a written code belongs to the other side of the cross.

On the other hand, the NT introduces us to a number of clearly defined practices that characterize God's spiritual house. And it is these practices that make up the "Divine pattern" for the ekklesia (church).

Going through the description of the church in the NT is what the book continues to do. It talks about the following aspects:

• Gatherings
  
• Common Meal
  
• The House
  
• Family/Community
  
• Leadership - Oversight
  
• Leadership - Visionary
  
• Purpose
  
• Membership
  
• Boundary
  
• Tradition
  
• Conclusion

I plan on sharing in more detail about each of these. More of my study has been focused on the description of the church in the NT, apart from the trappings of the modern church. I've been reading bits and pieces here and there, but it's awesome to see how so many people have been struggling with this, for so many years. Viola doesn't pretend to be alone in this - his book is full of quotes from other authors. But Viola's style and approach are needed today. He's clear, conversational, and confrontational. Had I read this book four years ago I would have been deeply disturbed by it. Which would have been a good thing!

I can see why Barna is partnering with Viola for his next book - Revolution was simply an introduction to renewing the church. It's not just about the house. Or open meetings. Though those are certainly good places to start. The NT is full of descriptions of the church that we should be paying attention to. Rethinking The Wineskin does a very good job of sifting through, organizing, and presenting these descriptions.

Final note, and this is important. I fully realize that the things I regularly talk about may seem impractical. Too far removed from where church currently is. And too far removed from what many people will realistically understand, because their view of church is rooted primarily in tradition - the way they grew up understanding church. There is a benefit to continuing to have churches that do things the "modern" way.

Yet it is also critical for us to evaluate what the "modern" way is in light of scripture. And it is critical for us to seek out what God desires for the church. Any criticism you might see in what I've written is as much a criticism of myself as it might be of anyone else. The only possible difference is that I'm determined to push forward in church renewal - not renewal to more modern music styles, more relevant evangelism methods, or more appropriate post-modern theology. But renewal back towards what is described in scripture.

Labels: books, church, house church, reviews

A few years ago while at my previous church, we did some servant evangelism projects. The basic idea behind servant evangelism is that you basically do something simple, just as a random act of kindness, to show someone that God loves them.

Of course, at the same time, you make sure they know what church you're from by handing out a business card along with it, so they can come visit.

Typical projects would include handing out cold cokes on a hot summer day, washing cars, giving away light bulbs, cleaning up streets or yards, etc. Simple stuff that anyone can do. These were usually fun - who doesn't like to give away stuff for free, and see the reactions people would give, especially when you don't accept donations.

Now we had a really cool story about one of our coke cans. The very first time we gave out coke cans, one of our older ladies gave a can to a woman, who ended up bringing her family the next week, and joined the church. A few months later, her brother ended up coming to a worship concert we were doing. As it turned out, he was a drug dealer, and had gotten in trouble with his mom. But he thought that if he went to church a time or two she'd cut him some slack so he could keep doing his thing. The way he told the story, something happened to him at that worship concert that night. He gave his life to Christ a few weeks later. His baptism was an extremely powerful testimony. And it started with a coke can.

So I'm not one to discount servant evangelism, at least not entirely. Yet I think that there are better approaches.

A couple of weeks ago at house church, instead of our normal gathering, we went around a local neighborhood asking for canned food donations for a local food pantry. Everyone in the church went - including the kids. (Kyla too!) Try that with a traditional church! We handed out business cards as well, primarily so that people would know we weren't just trying to con them out of a couple cans of soup.

As we were heading out, I said, "this is kind of like reverse servant evangelism!" It's kind of funny, but servant evangelism was all about us giving something to others. Something that was nice, but not something that was really needed. Instead, what we were doing was going up to people, and asking them to give something for people who really, truly needed it.

We did have a visitor last week from this effort. But at the same time, we collected serveral bags of groceries.

Which do you think is more like the kingdom of God? Which is a better introduction to what it means to be a part of the body of Christ?

Labels: church

Last time I reviewed some of my favorite worship CDs. This time I'm going to review some of the worship CDs that I've purchased over the last year or so.


David Crowder Band - Remedy (2007)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
This album is different for David Crowder because it doesn't have a lot of the one minute interludes that his previous albums have had. That's not necessarily positive or negative, just different. Overall, this one has more worship-friendly songs than A Collision had on it. "The Glory of It All" and "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" particularly shine out. I actually find the version of "Everything Glorious" a little too mellow compared to the initial release of the song that was recorded live off of Passion's Everything Glorious release. "Neverending" has the potential to be a good worship rocker (like "No One Like You"). But all of the songs that wouldn't make really great worship songs are still very solid. Par for the David Crowder course - which is a very good thing.


Fee - We Shine (2007)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
Steve Fee has been around for awhile. He's best known for "We Are Hungry" from Passion's The Road To One Day release (the only studio recording Passion CD), and he also wrote "Madly," which was performed by Charlie Hall on Passion's Our Love Is Loud. He's also been on most of the 7|22 recordings (one of which I mentioned last time). But this CD is very different from his earlier recordings, which were actually quite mellow. We Shine has its mellow moments, but on the whole this is one rockin' worship CD. "All Because of Jesus" utilizes some really cool delay guitar throughout - very fun to play, by the way. (And just completely ignore the Casting Crowns version - go straight to the original Steve Fee version!) "We Shine" drives right along, an awesome anthem song for any rock and roll crowd. "Glorious One" is the first ballad on the disk, and has a bit of a rock/country feel to it. "Beautiful the Blood" is more in line with Fee's earlier works, though much more intense in execution, and lyrically far surpasses just about anything I've ever heard from him. Fee's cover of "Happy Day" rivals Tim Hughes' original. And just about all of the othe cuts on the disc are worthwhile to listen to, and many worth considering for worship use. If you're a worship leader, I highly recommending picking up this entire CD. One thing to note - Steve Fee is much better live than on his recordings. If you have the opportunity to see him live, do so!


Glory Revealed (2007)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
This is one of the more original worship albums released in recent years. This project was the brainchild of Mac Powell and author David Nasser. Like City on a Hill, it's a collaboration of a lot of artists, including Mac Powell (Third Day), Shane & Shane, Brian Littrel, Shawn Lewis (Hyper Static Union), Tim Neufield (Starfield), Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), David Crowder, Candi Pearson-Shelton, Josh Bates, and yes, Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith. The entire CD is done in Americana folk/bluegrass style, with guitars, mandolins, violins, and percussion usually being beating on boxes or cases. All of the songs are written out of scripture, and are theologically rich and unique in their expression. It's a cross between City on a Hill, Enter the Worship Circle, and O Brother, Where Art Thou. There are so many standout songs on this album, but particularly "He Will Rejoice" (Tevor Morgan), "To the Only God" (David Crowder and Shane & Shane), "Glory Revealed" (Candi Pearson-Shelton), "Who Is Like You" (Tim Neufield), and "Restore to Me" (Mac Powell and Candi Pearson-Shelton). This has become one of my favorite worship albums ever.


Hillsong - Mighty to Save (2006)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
I picked up this CD mainly to get Hillsong's versions of "From the Inside Out" and "Mighty to Save" (both awesome songs). But this CD is a lot better than earlier Hillsong recordings. One thing that has always bugged me about Hillsong recordings is that it's hard to pick out the melody and lyrics - they tended to take the "everybody singing" approach to the songs. This recording has less of that feel, and shows that Hillsong is taking a lot of influence from the Hillsong United projects - which is a very good thing. Nothing stands out as much as the songs I bought the project for, though. But I'll be paying more attention to Hillsong releases in the future.


Hillsong United - Look to You (2005)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
I'm glad that the Hillsong United team (which leads the youth worship at Hillsong) decided to start doing their own recordings, because the quality of songs and execution are about as high as you could hope for. This project has a lot of great songs on it. "Salvation is Here" has been picked up by a lot of churches already, but "Tell the World" and "Shout Unto God" are seriously worth your consideration. Some of the songs remind me of the Vineyard 1000 Generations CD, including "Look to You," "All I Need Is You" and "There Is Nothing Like." Many of these songs are growing on me. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up being one of my favorites.


Kristian Stanfill - Hello EP (2007)
Buy from: iTunes - North Point Resources
I've always loved Kristian Stanfill's voice, and I think he comes across very well in studio recordings. Kristian was introduced to the world via his version of "Jesus Paid It All" on Passion's Everything Glorious. This is just an EP, but it shows a lot of potential for a full-length recording. "Spring of Life" is an awesome song, and Stanfill's vocal reminds me of Tonic's Emerson Hart (Lemon Parade is one of my favorite albums of all time). His version of "From the Inside Out" is the best I've heard yet. "Beautiful Jesus" is a great song as well. The studio recording of "Jesus Paid It All" is good, but not quite as good as his live version. But Kristian is a worship leader to watch for - I'm interested to see if he can release a full CD that is as consistently high quality as this EP.


Leeland - The Sound of Melodies (2006)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
This album introduces a very unique sound to worship music. Leeland Mooring's voice is simply incredible, and his songwriting is equally awesome. The only problem? His voice is too good - his songs require too much of a range for congregational singing. But this is one awesome CD, definitely worth picking up, and very inspiring. Mooring is young (only 17 when this album was recorded), and has a lot of potential ahead of him. Highlights include "Sound of Melodies," "Reaching," "Tears of the Saints," "Beautiful Lord," and "Can't Stop."


The Best of Lincoln Brewester - Let the Praises Ring (2006)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - Amazon
I've not been a huge fan of Lincoln Brewster songs on the radio, primarily because by the time he came out with "Shout to the Lord" I was already quite tired of the song, and not even Brewster's version could refresh it for me. But this CD is actually pretty good, since it's a "best of" CD. First of all, his version of "Everlasting God" is my favorite. Other notable cuts include "Everybody Praise the Lord," "Majestic," his version of Paul Baloche's "All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises," and his version of "You Are Good."


Pocket Full of Rocks - Song to the King (2006)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
My brother showed me a Pocket Full of Rocks DVD a few years ago - quite amazing, many of the songs on the DVD were done spontaneously, and most of their songs were first written by spontaneously singing them during worship. This CD includes many of the songs off of that DVD, recorded in the studio. The studio recordings don't lose any of the passion and intensity that they have when leading worship. Like Leeland Mooring, lead singer Michael Farren's voice has a range a little too high for congregational singing, but these songs are a little easier to adapt. Highlights include "The Welcome Song," "Now I Sing," and a live recording of "Let It Rain," where you can get a feeling for how they are live. But really every song on this CD is excellent.


Worship Project H214 (2005)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com
This is a unique collaboration/compilation project, featuring Lincoln Brewster, Jared Anderson (Desperation Band), Laura Story, Eoghan Heaslip, and Michael Gungor. There are several cuts here that I haven't heard anywhere else, that are really useful, including "Let Your Name Be Glorified," "There is Nothing," "All Praise," and "Glory." It also includes Lincoln Brewster's "Majesty" and "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises." It's an all-around great worship CD.


Worship Project P403 (2005)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com
This sequel features Lamont Hiebert, Jason Morant, Dave Lubben, Glenn Packiam, Abby Merkel, and Dave Chatel. Most impressive on this disc are the renditions of U2's "40" and Newsboys' "He Reigns," both of them altered to the point where they're useful for congregational worship. The rest of the songs are good, overall the H214 project is far better.

Labels: church, music, reviews

I've gotten a few requests from people to recommend any new or favorite worship CDs. I'll start out with some of my all-time favorites, and I'll cover some new worship CDs (some of which are becoming my all-time favorites) later.


1000 Generations (2002)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes
This was recorded live in 2002 at VSN in Atlanta. It includes all original songs led by Martin Reardon and Billy Somerville, with additional vocals by Jen Reardon and Meghan Coffee (an old friend). My favorites off of this album are "All of My Love" and "Hallelujah (Shout to the Earth)," though there are several more I've always wanted to incorporate if I had the right environment to do so, like "Isn't This the Way You Are" and "Your Blood Says Everything." Right now at Christianbook.com it's only $2. So you have no reason to not check it out. It's unfortunate that this album did not get more distribution than it did - it really is phenomenal.


7|22 - Freedom (2004)
Buy from: 7|22 Resources
7|22 worship recordings are always fantastic. This project features Todd Fields and Steve Fee, and includes great renditions of "Let the Praises Ring" and "Look What You've Done," as well as Todd Fields' original "All For You" and Steve Fee's "What Else Can I Do."


City on a Hill (2000-2003)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes (2 and 3) - Amazon
Produced by Steve Hindalong (of The Choir), the first CD in the series is by far the best, including "God of Wonders," "This Road," "With Every Breath," and one of my favorite Mac Powell vocals of all time, "I Remember You." Notable cuts off of the 2nd CD include "Sing Alleluia," "Holy Is Your Name," "You Are Holy," "Marvelous Light," and "Communion." The 3rd CD doesn't grab me quite as much, but it does have a great rendition of The Choir's "Beautiful Scandalous Night" with Leigh Nash on lead vocal.


David Crowder Band - Illuminate (2003)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
I like just about all of David Crowder's stuff, but for worship material this album truly stands out. "O Praise Him," "No One Like You," and "All Creatures, No. 2" are the highlights.


Enter the Worship Circle (1999-2003)
Buy from: iTunes - Amazon
Second Circle: iTunes - Amazon
Third Circle: iTunes - Amazon
When this album came out in 1999, there was simply nothing else like it. And really, there hasn't been anything else like it since, except perhaps the second and third CDs in the series. (They are currently working on the fourth!) Featuring 100 Portraits and Waterdeep, this is the album that brought us "I Will Not Forget You" (made famous by Praise Band) and "You Are So Good to Me" (made famous by Third Day). But the original renditions stand out all on their own for their spirit and intensity. But the entire album is awesome - there are many, many more songs on this first circle that are worth your consideration, and several more on the two sequels.


North Point Community Church - Where You Lead (2001)
Apparently not available anywhere.
This is one of North Point's studio recordings using members of their worship team. The songs that stand out to me the most are from Todd Fields, including "You Will Be God," "Where You Lead," and "Apart From You" (featuring Candi Pearson). But perhaps the best part of this album is North Point's version of "Agnus Dei." Far better than either the Michael W. Smith or the Third Day versions. North Point's latest live album is up on iTunes - they should get some of their older stuff up there as well.


Passion - Our Love is Loud (2002)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
This live Passion recording was kind of a new starting point for Passion in many ways. Prior to this album, the individual worship leaders didn't shine through so much, and the live recordings still had a bit of a "praise team" feel to them. Not so with this album. For me, these are still the definitive renditions of "Here I Am to Worship," "Enough," "Famous One," "Madly," "Our Love is Loud," and "Come Thou Fount."


Passion - Sacred Revolution (2003)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
Passion's best album. It was the first recording of "O Praise Him" and "Holy is the Lord." But it includes great songs like "Sing to the King," "Blessed Be Your Name," "Take My Life," "Revolution Cry," and "Not to Us."


Passion - Hymns Ancient and Modern (2004)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
This album is unique in that they recorded only hymns that were at least 100 years old, many of them quite older. The sound quality is not quite as good as other Passion releases, but the arrangements of the older hymns (many of them with additional choruses, etc.) are awesome. "Doxology," "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty," "Father Let Me Dedicate," "Creatures of Our God and King," "Solid Rock," "Joyous Light," and one of my favorite hymns of all time, "Here is Love."


Passion - How Great is Our God (2005)
Buy from: ChristianBook.com - iTunes - Amazon
This one comes very close to Sacred Revolution. "No One Like You," "All Over the World," "Indescribable," "How Great Is Our God," "Here Is Our King," "Majesty," "Marvelous Light," and "It Is Well."


There are plenty of other worship CDs that deserve honorable mentions. Passion's Everything Glorious has some songs on it that are some of my favorites, but the overall quality of the CD doesn't live up to previous Passion projects. There are a lot of pure compilations that have been major influences, including WorshipTogether.Com compilations I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (and Vol. 2) and Here I Am to Worship (and Vol. 2). Just about any of David Crowder's albums.

Next time I'll discuss some of my more recent worship CD purchases and how they stack up.

Labels: church, music, reviews