Praise and Worship Songs
Chris Tomlin Biography
Jan 21st
Tomlin was born in Grand Saline, Texas in 1972 to Connie and Donna Tomlin. He has two younger brothers, Ryan and Cory. Tomlin received his first guitar from his father, Connie, at the age of eleven after contracting a case of mono. Then, Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study physical therapy, but he stated that he felt God’s calling to something else and did not pursue that career.
In the mid-1990s Tomlin spent time leading worship at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various camps around the state of Texas.
Following college, at Texas A&M University Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin agreed, and he has played a key role ever since. His first nationally released solo project, titled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, which saw the emergence of songs “Forever,” “Be Glorified”, and “Kindness”, all of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs. Since then, he has released many more studio albums, most notably Arriving, which is considered his breakout album, since it produced four number one hits (”Indescribable” (written by Laura Story), “Holy Is the Lord,” “How Great Is Our God,” and “The Way I Was Made”), and two other songs (”On Our Side” and “Mighty is the Power of the Cross”, written with Shawn Craig of Phillips, Craig, and Dean) which landed in the 2005 top five hundred worship songs according to Christian Copyright Licensing International. Just one year after Arriving, Tomlin released his first solo live album, titled Live From Austin Music Hall, and in 2006, he released his fourth studio album, See the Morning. This album has enjoyed great success, for it has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, been certified Gold by the RIAA and has helped him win 6 Dove Awards in 2007, including a second consecutive “Artist of the Year” win. The three singles off this album have all been top #5 songs on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Chart, and have all reached the number one position on the Radio & Records’s Christian AC Chart.
Although a solo artist, Tomlin travels around with a consistent band lineup. His band, in which he performs vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano, consists of Daniel Carson (electric guitar, backup vocals), Jesse Reeves (bass guitar, harmonica, backup vocals, co-songwriter), and Travis Nunn (drums, loops). The latter replaced Joey Parish as drummer in 2004. Although not considered an “official” band member, Matt Gilder regularly plays the keys for Tomlin. Tomlin and the band developed while working with the Harvest Ministry at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Texas in the late 1990s.
According to Christian Copyright Licensing International’s list of the top 25 worship songs in the United States as of August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written with other songwriters: “How Great Is Our God” (#1), “Forever” (#5), “Holy Is the Lord” (#7), “We Fall Down” (#12),and “Indescribable” (#22). On 20 the countdown magazine in 2008 on the top 20 praise and worship songs so far, he held 6 spots: “We Fall Down” (#14), “Forever” (#10), “Holy is the Lord” (#8), “Indescribable” (#6), “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” (#3), and “How Great is our God” (#1).
Tomlin has toured with several prominent acts in the Christian Contemporary Music, such as touring as a support act of Delirious? during his first ever tour, and as a support act of Steven Curtis Chapman during his All Things New Tour. Tomlin has also headlined several tours, such as headlining the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour, which featured world renowned worship artist Matt Redman, and prominent speaker Louie Giglio, and headlining the See the Morning Tour. From April to October 2007, Tomlin toured with Louie Giglio and Matt Redman on his “How Great Is Our God” tour. Currently, Tomlin is touring with the rest of his fellow Passion workers as they are currently embarking on their world tour.
On December 12, 2006, Tomlin launched a online music website resource called Frequency which Tomlin described as “A place to serve God and his people in worship.” This site also features articles by many other acts in the Christian Contemporary Music world, such as Matt Maher and Robbie Seay. Originally the site was a free resource but has since become a paid site. Original users are no longer able to sign on to the site using their original screen names and passwords.
On May 31, 2007, Chris Tomlin returned home to Grand Saline, Texas, to play a free show during their annual Salt Festival.
On June 14, 2007, Tomlin’s version of the song “Indescribable” (written by Laura Story) was used as the official wake-up call for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester on Space Shuttle mission STS-117.
In July 2007, Tomlin joined Hillsong to open the conference with his song Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).
On January 7-11 2008, Tomlin participated in the Compassionart International Songwriting retreat, a retreat, which was dedicated to writing songs whose revenues will go to the poorest of the poor. Other prominent Christian songwriters that went included Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard, and Steven Curtis Chapman.
In March 2008, Tomlin and his band began recording a new studio record, Hello Love, released in September 2008. The album includes the songs “Sing, Sing, Sing”, “Jesus Messiah”, “Love”, “God of This City”, and “I Will Rise”.
In May 2008, it was announced that Tomlin and his band would be leaving the church he helped plant with senior pastor Matt Carter in Austin, Texas; The Austin Stone Community Church. He’d be leaving in order to start a new church with Passions Conference speaker, Louie Giglio in Atlanta, Georgia.
On June 13, 2008, Tomlin released the first single off the album Hello Love, titled “Jesus Messiah”, which managed to reach the #1 position on the iTunes Christian and Gospel chart, along with being the most added song on Christian AC, Christian Hit Radio, and Christian Inspirational Radio during its first week.
Life Is Short – Enjoy The Dance!
Jan 14th
SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.
Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say, “Hi”?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance too fast.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.
Hear the music.
Before the song is over.
~ David L. Weatherford
Justice Is Worship: Talk Is Cheap
Jan 13th
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” — Isaiah 1:17
This verse was written by Isaiah in a time when God’s people were living for themselves. Infact verse 18 says, ‘…your sins are like scarlet.’
I find it interesting that when God tells them to trun from their ways, He doesn’t tell them that they need to be in church – that they need to worship Him with their words or their voices. Infact He says, ‘Stop bringing meaningless offerings.’ and. ‘even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen’.
Instead He says, ‘Take your evil deeds out of My sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right. Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
You see,TALK IS CHEAP! How easy is it for us to live our own life and continually come to him and ‘worship’ Him with our songs, using phrases such as:
- All I am is Yours
- Send me, I will go
- Take all of me
- Youre the only one that I could live for
Yet we leave the same way as we came in – living for ourselves, with no second thought to how we live our lives. TALK IS CHEAP!
That is why God calls us to action. He wants to see if our hearts are really committed to Him. He calls us to justice and our response becomes our worship to Him.
But how is feeding the hungry an act of worship? And why is befriending the friendless what God desires to see us doing more than voicing words to Him?
Because GOD IS JUST!
Wasn’t Jesus the most perfect example of this. The way that He would hang out with the poorest, the weakest, the most sinful. How He wouldn’t let the thousands of hungry people on the mountain leave before they had been fed, or how He dined with Zacheaus even though everyone was gossiping that he was having dinner with a sinner.
Now if God is just then would not the biggest compliment that we could give Him as His ‘followers’ to actually follow His example and do what He does?
As we give to the poor, we are saying to God that we want to be like Him. As we feed the hungry we show that we have chosen His way and His path!
That is true worship! And that is why justice and worship cannot be separated.
I Heart Brooke Fraser Music!
Jan 8th
I am a massive fan of creative song writing and lyrics are so important to me. My favourite song writers at the moment are:
- Joel Houston
Just the way that he has created his own ’sound’ even within Hillsong – and the way that he uses words that are not usually associated with Christian worship music, but they work so well. - Leeland Mooring
When you are talking amazing new song writers I dont think you could miss Leeland. With songs like ‘Carried To The Table’ and his whole new album, he is set to be a major influence!
But one song writer that has just amazed me with her music and lyrics is Brooke Fraser.
Brooke Fraser
I purchased her album Albertine a couple of months ago – and it is still one of my most played current albums. The way that she poeticly can mould such phenominal lyrics that draw you into the story that is being told.
Brooke fraser’s albums include songs on both God and life (can they be separated) and I just wanted to share some of my favourite lyrics and a few links to try to show you why I heart brooke fraser music so much!
I will be including links straight to the song on iTunes shortly which will make it easier for you to get the song if you love it!
Brooke Fraser Lyrics
C.S Lewis Song (Youtube Video)
Am I lost or just less found? On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
is this a soul that stirs in me, is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
‘Cos my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth of who I was born to become
Hosea’s Wife (Youtube Video)
I see the scars of searches everywhere I go
From hearts to wars to literature to radio
There’s a question like shame no one will show: “What do I live for?”
We are Hosea’s wife
We are squandering this life
Using people like ladders and words like knives
Waste Another Day (Youtube Video)
‘Cos we could stare until we both are blinded
We could fall ’til gravity gets tired
We could lose our love just to re-find it
But I’m just happy here
Happy staying beside you
Shadowfeet (Youtube Video)
when the world has fallen out from under me
I’ll be found in you, still standing
when the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I’ll be found in you
Love Is Waiting (Youtube Video)
In the autumn on the ground, between the traffic and the ordinary sounds
I am thinking signs and seasons while a north wind blows through
I watch as lovers pass me by
Walking stories – whos and hows and whys
Musing lazily on love
Pondering you
I’ll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell
When it’s time to walk that way, we wanna walk it well
Greater Things Are Yet To Come – Chris Tomlin
Sep 4th
I bought Chris Tomlins new song ‘God Of This City’ of iTunes recently, and I absolutely love it!
Here is a link to a YouTube video of it if you havn’t heard it: Click Here
And here are the lyrics:
You’re the God of this city, You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation, You are
You’re the Light in this darkness, You’re the Hope to the hopeless
You’re the Peace to the restless, You areThere is no one like our God, there is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this cityGreater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here
The one bit that is constantly getting stuck in my head is:
Greater things are yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
What an statement of faith, and something that we need to continually take ahold of. We can’t see our city, our nation and our world as being hopeless – because God is the hope to the hopeless! GREATER THINGS ARE STILL TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY!
Whenever I sing this lyrics I think if greater things are yet to come, then God, can I be a part of the greater things? Can You use me to impact my city? Can I be the one that sees Your greatness revealed through my life?
This song is constantly on repeat on my iPod and I encourage you to catch a hold of what it’s saying, and ask God for Him to use you!
Greater Things Are Yet To Come – Chris Tomlin.
What is the difference between praise and worship?
Jul 27th
For so long in churches praise and worship have been stereotyped as ‘praise being the fast songs, and worship being the slow songs’. I don’t know about you but this has never sat right with me – because sometimes I feel like I am praising even during slower songs at church and worshiping in parts of the faster songs. There has to be a better way of describing the difference between praise and worship.
Let’s take a quick look at a couple of verses that mention praise and worship, then we will discuss them as well as a few dictionary definitions to try and find the difference between praise and worship – when we look at it from a music perspective in church.
The Difference Between Praise And Worship – Verses On Praise:
By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, this is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. – Hebrews 13:15
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. – 1 Chronicles 16:8-10
Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the LORD your God.” So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king. 1 Chronicles 29:19-21
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud. 2 Chronicles: 5:12-14
You can see from these 4 verses how large the scope of what praise really is. We have:
- A sacrifice of praise
- Singing
- Telling of his wonderful acts
- Bowing – being prostrate
- Musical instruments
That is from4 verses on praise. However praise is mentioned 351times in the Bible and gives us a lot more ways to praise God. The reason for this is because of our English language. The english language has one word, praise, for 7 Hebrew words – each giving a different definition for praise. They are:
- Hallal: “to laud, boast, rave, to celebrate” – It is used approximately one hundred times in the Old Tes tament.
- Yadah: “to worship with extended hands, to throw out the hands” – It is used over ninety times in the Old Testament. (Yad means “hand.”)
- Barak: “to bless, to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, and fertility” – It is used approximately seventy times in the Old Testament as praise to God.
- Tehillah: “to sing or laud” – It is derived from hallal and is generally accepted to mean “the singing of hallals.” It is used over fifty times in the Old Testament.
- Zamar: “to pluck the strings of an instrument, to praise with song” – It is used almost exclusively in the Psalms and occurs approximately forty times in the Old Testament.
- Todah: “to extend the hands in thanksgiving, a thank-offering” – It is used only a few times when trans lated “praise” but occurs many other times in connection with thanksgiving.
- Shabach: “to commend, address in a loud tone, to shout” – This is the exclamatory form of praise in a special sense and is found only about seven times in the Old Testament.
You will notice ‘Yadah’ which actually means to worship with extended hands. Does this mean that worship as we know it is actually just a form of praise?
As we continue to discuss the difference between praise and worship lets take a look what the Bible has to say about worship.
The Difference Between Praise And Worship – Verses On Worship:
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. – Romans 12:1
Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD. – Genesis 24:25-27
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-25
I guess when we are looking at the difference between praise and worship from a worship service perspective that praise seems to be more an outward showing with hands raising, clapping, dancing, bowing and singing. Whereas worship is something much deeper. It is where we are offering our bodies, and ourselves, giving them to God to have his way.