Published on Aug 11, 2000
Lately, worship music has become a more recognized genre within
the contemporary Christian music market. Everyone is releasing
music and putting the “worship” label on it. Some of it is truly
worship music and some isn’t.
Essential Records will soon release (Aug. 22)
City On A Hill. Of all of the worship music produced so far
this year, this project is the finest. From the opening song “God
Of Wonders” through the closing “This Road” there is one cohesive,
unifying theme: worshipping God.
One indispensable element of corporate worship is the idea of
the community coming together in adoration of God. All voices and
all hearts striving together to reach that place where singing
songs of praise transcends the human and becomes infused with the
Divine. When that happens, the Spirit of God descends and inhabits
the praise of His people.
This is rarely captured on recordings. But God’s Spirit is ever
present on
City On A Hill. He is the underpinning upon which it is
built and the canopy under which it is performed. He is the East
and West of this project and the Center of it.
The concept of community is expressed throughout as the various
artists and bands combine and recombine, intermingling their
talents and expressions of worship. Some write. Some sing. Some
pray. Some play. Some produce. Some encourage. This one sings on
that one’s song and the other one wrote the song that this one
sings. The logistical details of the project must have been
enormous.
However, the involvement in “community” was integral to the
project. As the producer put it: “It was truly a community
endeavor, reflecting our common desire to live in holy communion
with our heavenly Father and with one another — by the unifying
miracle of God’s Spirit in our midst.”
Opening with the modern psalm “God Of Wonders,” the disc
unabashedly proclaims the holiness of God. The singers create just
the right mix of awe and adoration for a “God of wonders beyond our
galaxy:.
The universe declares Your Majesty You are holy, holy Lord of
Heaven and Earth Lord of Heaven and Earth Early in the morning I
will celebrate the light When I stumble in the darkness I will call
Your name by night
Worked into the song are the recognizable strains of the
traditional hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” — and the
blending of old and new only gives the song more depth.
From proclaiming the holiness of God, the project moves into
acknowledgement of the centrality of Jesus Christ, in the song “The
Stone,” built upon the Scriptures which proclaim “the stone that
the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone (Ps. 118:22;
Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; 1Peter 2:7). From there comes
the admonition that “everything that has breath” ought to be
praising the Lord — even when things aren’t going so well (“With
Every Breath”).
Following comes two songs working together to lead the listener
from remembering the sacrifice of Christ to remembering God’s
triumph over death — and the salvation that single act brought to
all who call upon the name of Christ. Melding the deep sadness and
melancholy of “I Remember You” with the ever increasing joy of
“Precious Jesus” takes the listener from the despair of the
Crucifixion to the exultation of the Resurrection.
Despondency gives way to ecstasy as the realization of just what
Christ’s triumph over death means for the believer slowly becomes
apparent. We are moved from remembering the broken body of Christ
to remembering our own brokenness and the healing God has brought
into our lives.
Mighty King of the universe, merciful Lamb For my sin You
suffered and bled Still Father, forgive them, they don’t understand
Sweet Savior, I heard what you said As we drink from the cup of
salvation, Your blood We remember Your sacrifice We remember the
way that You suffered for us
Subsequent songs deal with the omnipresence of God in our lives
(“You’re Here”), speaking to God through prayer (“Where You Are”),
experiencing God’s mercy (“Merciful Rain”), the unity that should,
and will one day, be found in the Body of Christ, the church
(“Unified”), covenanting with God to be His people (“Covenant
Song”), and adoration of God’s luminescence (“Marvelous Light”).
The title song based on Matthew 5:14 (“a city on a hill cannot be
hidden”) encourages believers to share the Light of God that is
within them with those who are still searching for that Light.
And I know that our salvation isn’t in the things we do But it’s
only given by the grace of God By the sacrifice of Jesus, and if we
really did believe We would want to share this message with
someone
Finally, the disc ends with “This Road,” a prayer of benediction
asking that God travel with us on the road we’re on, giving us
peace and grace and shelter.
This project was the work of these fine artists (in alphabetical
order): Caedmon’s Call, The Choir, Gene Eugene (in his last
recordings before his recent death), FFH, Peter Furler, Christine
Glass, Steve Hindalong, Jars Of Clay, Sixpence None The Richer,
SONICFLOOd, and Third Day — among many others. They showed, by
their participation in this project, their own commitment to be
that “city on a hill” — showing the light of God to the world and
drawing all people to Him.
You are the light of the world A city on a hill cannot be hidden
Shine your light before all men That they might see your works and
then Praise your Father up in Heaven