![]() But Brian and Don could back up every single word with Scripture, and that is a lesson I write by today. Writing a song where the lyric is Jesus speaking is really tricky and kind of risky. The device of the verses of Jesus telling me what He didn’t say, and then reassuring me with what He did say-genius. “The Promise” – The Martins, by Brian White and Don Poythress – I was in a writer’s room on music row. When I heard Janet sing it, I felt like my heart might spontaneously combust. Sometimes it’s not always easy bearing Calvary’s cross.” The combination of hope and pain in this lyric is something I can always recognize, but it’s so hard to achieve. “I Am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel” – Janet Paschal, by Dawn Thomas – “We’re an anchor for those who are hurting. At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.” “People need the Lord, people need the Lord. The verses are so conversational, so real, the chorus so compelling. “People Need The Lord” – Steve Green, by Phil McHugh and Greg Nelson – I was in a worship service and someone sang this. The way the chorus of this song leads the listener without even seeming to give you a place to breathe, the imagery, the use of the hook. “Where There Is Faith” – 4 Him, by Billy Simon – I was at the Benson Company on Great Circle Road. And just when the song had the entire audience holding their breath, that explosion into the chorus: “He’s alive and I’m forgiven, Heaven’s gates are open wide.” The verses took me on a journey and I re-lived every moment of Peter’s painful regret after he denied Jesus. “He’s Alive” – Don Francisco, by Don Francisco – Another Gaither concert. “We shall behold Him, face to face in all of His glory!” The imagery in the verses gives way to the certainty of the message in the chorus. This new girl was going to sing a few songs. “We Shall Behold Him” – Sandi Patti, by Dottie Rambo – I had gone to see The Gaither Trio in concert. “I don’t even know her name, but I’m praying for her just the same.” What an idea! A parent praying for the little girl somewhere in the world who would one day marry his own son. “Somewhere In The World Tonight” – Wayne Watson – I was in Dave Clark’s living room. I could list so many of Andrae’s song that are just like that. It didn’t even need Andrae’s cut to reveal its greatness. “Through It All” – Andrae Crouch, by Andrae Crouch – My younger brother sang this song to me in a Sunday school classroom. “Gentle Shepherd” – The Gaither Trio, by Bill and Gloria Gaither – I was in my car and I had to pull over into a parking lot and sit there and cry for a while.“There’s no other we can cling to who can help us face another day” gets to me every time. Here are a handful of songs that I remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard them the first time: My heart felt like it had been tattooed with lyrics that said an idea so perfectly that I wanted to cry, and all these years later, the melody starts and it is still like coming home. I remember the first time I heard many of them. Those great songs (and many others) have provided a soundtrack for my life for the last 40 years. For me, it was the songs that made the night so amazing. Not because they’ve cut songs I’ve written, though I’m very blessed to have heard words I’ve written sung by some of them. So many of them were special to me, not because I know them all, though I am honored to know some of them. The concert was billed as “Thirty artists, 50 songs, celebrating 40 years of Contemporary Christian Music.” I couldn’t be there in person, but they were streaming it, so I watched on line.
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