"Shine" is a collection of original songs for contemporary worship. Each song has been performed at and/or taught to churches in the last few years. It is our hope that you will find them to be a blessing and encouragement to you in your personal times of worship and reflection, and that they will help you SHINE like stars for the one true God - The Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. About The Songs To Worship You The background noise you hear at the beginning is everyone in church greeting one another just prior to us kicking off a live worship service. Tom, Greg, and I all played acoustic guitars. Greg also played the kick and hi-hat. Later on we went into the studio and added bass, percussion, blues harp, etc. I wrote the song on acoustic guitar, and the two other times we recorded it it became something other than what I originally intended. This version is more what I meant. One This song is loosely based on Ephesians 4. It's minimalist but there are layers of meaning and intention here. Note the pattern of the number three throughout – it is implying the Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit) – the Three-In-One. Nothing Compares This takes its initial thought from 1 Corinthians 13 – “if I have not love, I am nothing.” In this case it’s referring to my love for God, which will then filter down through all other relationships. It’s a zeroing in on the core focus of life – God himself. It’s strange how we need to be reminded, but a comfort that he promises if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. The Prayer This is a meditation on the “Lord’s Prayer” (or whatever you want to call it). It’s a reminder to myself of the depth and wisdom of Jesus’ approach to interacting with God. Each item is repeated, using the Hebrew poetic device of repetition to reinforce the importance of the point. Also note that one time we sing “rescue us from the evil one” and then we sing “rescue us from the evil”; theologians argue over which one is the correct translation, but I want to be rescued from BOTH. Better A shout out to my bro Sean! This is a meditation on the book of Hebrews, where Jesus is compared to so many Old Testament things and is always said to be better than the former things – angels, mediators, priests, sacrifices, you name it. I just threw in a few extra things that he’s ALSO better than. Love, Want, Need It’s a simple, basic expression of devotion and desperation. It’s also the one song that could be accused of being “album filler” (though it’s a favorite of my son Joshua). The “YES!” is supposed to be my response to God’s word to my heart. New Each Day This is a meditation on the passage from Lamentations that the song “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is also based on. It’s an encouraging thought that God’s love for us continues forever and ever, but more encouraging to me as an imperfect human that every morning he gives me a fresh start, a blank slate, because his mercies are new each day. All I Have To Say This song was actually inspired by the song “Let My Words Be Few”. It’s even written to be played as a medley with it. It even uses an augmented chord like “Let My Words Be Few”, but the melody goes in the opposite direction. I can stomach a little bit of smooth jazz, just not too much. I wish Mike Mitton could’ve recorded a real sax solo on this – I miss you, Mikey! Hide Them In Your Love This is a simple prayer that we tried to keep simple from an arrangement standpoint. Most of the album goes back and forth between God’s holiness and my unholiness; so many regrets, but he can wipe them all away… Jesus Is Life This has been used as a song during communion, one verse for the bread, another for the cup. I guess that’s appropriate, because that’s why I wrote it. I have to be honest, though – I seriously have my doubts that what Jesus meant for us to do is eat a hunk of leavened bread (or a tiny cracker) and wash it down with a thimbleful of non-alcoholic grape juice. I’m not sure if he really meant a Passover seder or a communal meal, but I’ll still be grateful regardless of what the elements are. Work Your Plan This song is built upon the five points of the Purpose-Driven Church and the Purpose-Driven Life; I’ve read both of these works multiple times. I think it presents a great initial “ideal” for people, whereas books like “Wild At Heart” and “Waking the Dead”, and “The Divine Conspiracy” speak more to the “real”. We probably need both. Shine The final resolution to all of worship should be that our good works shine out in the world so that men may glorify God and be drawn to engage themselves in works to further glorify him. Paul said we shine like “stars in the universe”. On the one hand, that seems like only a pin-prick of light, but on the other hand it provides a way for people to navigate through this world to get where they intended. May your life be that kind of light.