This is a continuation of the “Behind The Music” series here on worship. vintage21.com, where we explain the meaning behind the songs we write. We didn’t write this new song, but I thought we’d do a reason why we’ve chosen to sing it on Sundays with Vintage21 Church.

We first heard this song at the Advance 09 Conference by the band from Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY. It was written by Neil Robbins, who is both the producer of their latest album and the author of this song, which was adapted from “Psalm 51, Part 2” by Isaac Watts. Upon hearing, the chorus became stuck in my head, due both to the catchy melody and repetition at the song’s end. This is important to note, as we can make the mistake of choosing songs that have amazing lyrics but lack melody. God knew what he was doing in creating music – it stirs the soul and heart, and is fun to take part in. Otherwise, we’d read in scripture of people joyously gathering only to read aloud, and we’d be compelled by the Holy Spirit to do the same. While there’s merit to corporate readings, I’m not even going to entertain an argument that attempts to place that on a level of worship through song. So we’ll move on.

The lyrics to this song are similar to Watts’ original hymn on which it is based, “Psalm 51, Part 2”. In that hymn, Watts takes Psalm 51 author David’s original confession of sin and plea for cleansing from sin and adds the declaration that in Jesus’ blood alone are we made pure. While the Old Testament stands as God’s Word, this is a liberty possessed by followers of Christ, which comes with the hindsight of viewing all of scripture through the lens of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation. In “Only Your Blood”, Neil Robbins takes the original lyrics and adapts them into a modern song structure of verses, choruses, and a bridge. Both the structure of the lyrics and the music enhance both David’s and Watts’ original intent to confess, plead and declare. Robbins changes the order of Watts’ hymn, but in doing so creates a greater movement from confession (verse one) to pleading for mercy (verse 2) to declaration and praise (bridge, verse 3), all the while coming back to a chorus created on the foundation upon which we stand “For only your blood is enough to cover my sin”. It’s worth noting that Robbins’ verses are not confined to four sentence blocks of those topics, but actually move in a fluid progression that transcends verses. Additionally, the music grows in instrumentation and intensity, and with more voices added to the mix the song moves well from solemn confession to serious plea to joyful declaration. For anyone attempting to sing this song corporately, these changes should be given proper attention – the dynamics provided by Robbins’ production are not for mere musical value. After leading this song on several Sundays, the band I lead has had to work to capture the energy and lift in the third verse. It appears mainly to be vocal-related in the recording, but even in the instruments it feels as if there’s a lift.

The brilliance of this song is found in how easy and compelling it is to sing about the blood of Jesus. While this topic is often paired with solemn dirge-like hymns, in doing so we make the same mistake Christians make when stopping at the horrors of the Cross without moving onto the Resurrection. While it’s important that it is actual blood spilled, Jesus didn’t come to impress us with his painful sacrifice, but through it to bring us into the freedom and joy of communion with the triune God. Neil Robbins and the musicians and of Sojourn Church strike this balance well; both lyrically and musically giving proper weight to our sin and the costly sacrifice while landing on the side of joy we find ourselves in as a result and praise Jesus deserves. I’m hard-pressed to think of a song that does this quite so well as “Only Your Blood.”

Finally, this song provides an opportunity for worship leaders and pastors to address a majority of scripture in one song. In preparing an introduction to singing it the first time (which I recommend, with several Old Testament references that may be lost for those without a church background), I found myself in a great deal of prayer and writing in order to keep from preaching for ten minutes. There is a lifetime of depth in the words, contained in a song easy to sing. I can only pray new music in churches moves in this direction.

“Show me a church’s songs and I’ll show you their theology.”

During this period the book of Hebrews was regularly studied, and ever since Pastor Tyler preached through this book several years ago, it’s been a regular read. Often referred to as “the fifth gospel”, it reiterates and supports Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and beautifully lays out the supremacy of Christ. Wanting to write a song about Jesus, it was Hebrews that provided the framework. Sometimes a verse or passage will provide a great deal of inspiration, but in the case it was the whole book.

When people come to Vintage21, I want them to hear about Jesus, who is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). This verse would surprise some, shock others, and make others laugh – even people who consider themselves Christians. This is because many adopt their own view of Jesus: gentle wanderer, social revolutionary, preacher, hippie. We can think what we want, but when you study the words of Jesus and scripture, his describes himself as God. When people come to Vintage21, we want to present Jesus as scripture presents him. That is what this song seeks to do- lay out the gospel of Jesus.

Switching gears a bit, the idea for this song began from a song by Roman Candle. One of my favorite bands, their sticker is the only one to grace the window of my truck; nothing they’d post as a credential, nonetheless a high honor in my book. They are phenomenal musicians, and you have permission to leave this site to check them out. The original inspiration musically for “Glory To God” came from the opening drumbeat to “Something Left To Say”. The beat was modified a bit as the song took shape, but Bob always does a great job laying this one down. It was a bit of a change in my writing style, more poppy and modern than usual. Or, as Taylor said, it sounds more CCM than I’d previously written. Taylor, I forgive you for that. The musicians who shaped this song and recorded really make the song- Jerry’s bassline, Bob’s drumming, Steven’s “George Huntley” lead guitar, Andrea’s vocals, and Matt X’s ever-sick Rhodes. Thanks God, for this song, and for each of these people.

Glory to God – listen here
Inspired by the book of Hebrews
Words and Music: Matt Stevens

You have been forever
Jesus is the name above all names
why lift up another?
no one else is worthy of our praise

forever You will be the Son
we join in the chorus of heaven

as we sing
glory to God, the one who saves
the God of redemption, who takes away our shame
glory to God, who knows my name
in Christ is everything

i have been forgiven
Your sacrifice has made me whole again
now i live in freedom
throwing off the sin that holds me down

everything i have You’ve given me
i lay it all down at Your feet

this is not my home
i do not belong to this world
so i lay it down, everything that’s dear
everything

join the angels singing
we will fill the earth with all our praise
_______________________________________

From the Vintage21 album “All Things Praise”
Drums: Bob Witchger
Fender Rhodes: Matt X (Stutzman)
Bass: Gerald Updyke
Backing Vocals: Andrea Updyke
Guitar, Vocals: Matt Stevens
Lead Guitar: Steven Suits

In 2006, during our Psalm Series, several people took on writing new songs based on each Psalm we studied. The last Psalm, 150, was mine. Upon reading this psalm it felt like I had walked onto the Apollo stage and forgot to rub the stone. Here I am, a reflective song-writing, indie-rockin’, average musician and vocalist, and someone pushed me onto the historic Apollo stage and said, “Go be James Cleveland!” This did not look promising! The former pastor Charles Spurgeon captured the spirit of Psalm 150-

“We have now reached the last summit of the mountain chain of Psalms. It rises high into the clear azure, and its brow is bathed in the sunlight of the eternal world of worship. It is a rapture. The poet-prophet is full of inspiration and enthusiasm. He stays not to argue, to teach, to explain: but cries with burning words, “Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise the Lord.”

Get out of your seat and let loose with the praise, people! The author of 150 calls us to praise God because of who he is, and what he’s done. Period. As Spurgeon says, there’s no arguing, teaching, theological explanations and arguments. 150 begins and ends with “Praise the Lord”, and in six verses we’re commanded to praise thirteen times. Grab every instrument, every person around, “let everything that has breathe praise the Lord!” Wake up, Vintage21, we are going to do just that. This is a gospel psalm and a gospel song – both in the sense of the style of black gospel music – but I’d never written a gospel song. So I prayed, listened to some classic gospel songs for guidance, along with Exile on Main St. – The Rolling Stones were pure rock and roll with the soul of gospel. My goal was that by the end of the song, you would have to fight not to praise, not to clap, not to move even a little bit. A lot of this has to do with the tempo and beat, so it began with drums, clocking in at 142 BPM. The guitars, the bass, and the tambourine parts are all meant to set a tone of energy and abandoned praise. After writing the verse, pre-chorus and chorus, it seemed nowhere near complete. This psalm seemed to require more than just the typical energetic praise song structure. Even a bridge wouldn’t cut it, we needed to break it down to just vocals for a call and echo response. So we do just that. The first half celebrates a saved life, and the second half declares Jesus Christ as the completely sufficient Savior.

The recording of this song was perhaps the most challenging on the album- how do you capture the energy? Fortunately, every person involved gave all they had. From drums to guitars to vocals, we laid it out. Even the tambourine track took it out of us. We started with one, and it was laughably weak. Two was no better, so Taylor and I ended up tracking four tambourines at once, one of the most physically challenging tasks ever undertaken by humans.

The beauty of Psalm 150 and “We’ll Praise You” is that if people aren’t praising God from changed hearts, it shows. This is a physical song. While you can sing a song loud without heart, at Vintage21 this style is not the norm, so it really requires people to lay down their pride and let loose with praise.

We’ll Praise You- listen here
Inspired by Psalm 150

There was a time when I didn’t know Your name
There was a day when I didn’t sing Your praise
I remember life when I didn’t know Your name
There was a day when I didn’t sing Your praise

Now I see what You have done for me and that You are God

We’ll praise You with our heart and
We’ll praise You with our soul
We’ll praise You in the morning
We’ll praise You when day grows old

My soul won’t be shaken
My feet won’t be moved
My soul won’t be shaken
-cause Jesus is the Lord

______________________________________________

From the Vintage21 album “All Things Praise”
Drums: Bob Witchger
Bass: Gerald Updyke
Guitar, Vocals: Matt Stevens
Backing Vocals: Andrea Updyke
Organ: Matt X. (Stutzman)
Percussion: The Tam-Bro-Ines
Chorus: Seth Hall, Claire Roberts, Taylor Roberts, J.B. Stevens, Jerry Updyke, Andrea Updyke, Geoff Wood

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

The book of 1 John strips us of religiousness that we hide behind. All are guilty of this act of self-preservation. A great example is found in John 18, beginning in verse 37.

“Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’
Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’ After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews”.

He was face to face with Jesus Christ, and Pilate does all he can to hold Jesus at arms length. Even followers of Jesus try to do this, and it resonates completely with me- fully accepting the love, grace and lordship of Jesus while retaining individuality and maintaining control. Or, so I would choose to believe.

With brilliance and simplicity, John lays out Jesus as the foundation of our faith and paints a picture of kingdom building, leaving no room for rhetoric. Such clarity challenges the game of religiosity, where we juggle Jesus Christ as a factor in our life instead of living in the reality that he is Lord of all. This view of faith is prevalent in the Western church today, including Vintage21. 1 John, especially verses 3 and 4, does not allow room for our finagling. I’m unable to get past the verses at the top of this post, and have read them from the stage more often than any other passages of scripture.

In the history of Vintage21, God has blessed us with bringing doubters and seekers. We are thankful for each one, but don’t want them to stay that way. “Your Love” is written with the non-Christian in mind who has not accepted the good news that Jesus died in our place, and we can be called “children of God”. It’s also written for the follower of Christ, as a call to stop running, stop hiding, stop sinning, and rest in the loving arms of the Father. The bridge is from Psalm 139:7-12, a beautiful reminder that there’s nowhere God’s love will not reach us.

Your Love: Listen here
Inspired by 1 John 4:7-21, Psalm 139:7-12

What kind of love is this, that gives me chance after chance?
Is there no end to Your grace?

What I have earned is death.
Instead You gave Your Son to pay for the debt of my sin.

You loved us first, even though we turned from You.
How can it be that You would call us children?
Have You seen what I’ve done?

The love I live is small
This is how we know love: You laid down Your life in our place.

If I run from Your presence to the darkness of night; even there You’re with me.
If the wings of the morning take me away; there Your hand will lead me.
If I run from Your Spirit to the ends of the earth; even there You’ll find me.
If I hide in the depths of my sin and my shame; there Your hand will reach me, there Your hand shall hold me.
What kind of love is this?

____________________________________________

From the Vintage21 album “All Things Praise”.
Vocals: Andrea Updyke
Backing Vocals: Holly Dwan
Bass: John Bass
Drums: Joshua Snyder
Fender Rhodes: Seth Hall
Guitar, Backing Vocals: Matt Stevens

In the fall of 2006, we had our second Psalm Series. This consists
of choosing ten consecutive psalms and basing each week’s sermon and
service on that psalm. The concern was that the sermons would become
repetitive, since many Psalms have a common language and theme. Upon
closer examination, it’s clear that the Psalms cover the gamut of
emotions, and choosing ten in a row means you’ll have ten different
sermons. For this series, we chose Psalms 141-150. Each week, a new
song is written and introduced. Any band member is welcome to take on a
Psalm and create a new song.

The summer preceding the Psalms Series John and Kelly Pelphrey
attended Vintage21. They were great, and I wished they lived closer, as
the long commute is too much for anyone to establish roots in a
community group. John and I collaborated on Psalm 142, which is a psalm
of anguish- one of the “I cry out” psalms. As often happens when
reading Scripture, a word or phrase seem to jump off the page. In this
case it was verse 3-

“When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!”

David had the ability to pour out his heart completely while
continuing to praise God. This sounds fairly simple, but I find myself
leaning heavily on one side- crying out turns into self-pity, or I hold
back so as not to offend God. Either way is wrong- God can handle our
hearts and minds, complete with frustration, anger, and doubt, and that fact
should spur on our praise. David prays “you know my way” in the midst
of turmoil- he’s in a cave, hiding from those who seek to kill him.
Only God can help him, and he’s laying himself at God’s feet, pleading
for mercy. However, the fact that the eternal, almighty God of the
Universe knows my way is a cause for praise!

“You know my way” is both plea and praise, and we wanted to capture
this in the song. A few years back, I was listening to The Shins album
“Chutes Too Narrow”, and the song “Saint Simon” came on. At 1:14 (1:27
in the video linked below), it takes a brooding turn, and they sing a melody
line “La da da da” that sounds sad and minor. Then, all of a sudden,
the music kicks in beneath in a major-key, happy, pop feel. They sing
the same melody, but the music underneath changes the mood entirely. It’s awesome, check it out:

We took this concept and applied it to the song You Know My Way.
It’s a song of lament and desperation, in which the lyrics become more
despondent along the way, building to a point where you just throw your
hands up in the air and give up “God, only you know my way. I have no
hope aside from you.” The music drops out, and we’re still singing “you know my way”, which signifies the transition to realizing that we get to take our cares to God himself, who loves and hears us! The instruments kick back in, and “You Know My Way”, sung in the same melody, is now a praise of thanks, spurred on by the change in mood by the instruments.

It was a pleasure to work with John, and hopefully we’ll get to
collaborate again someday. Take a listen to “You Know My Way”, from the
upcoming Vintage21 Album “All Things Praise”.

You Know My Way

We do a great number of original songs at Vintage21 Church, hymns and originals make up 85% of our regular rotation. This is because we are inspired by the Psalms, which are the original worship songs of God’s people. Mainly, God’s love, mercy and revelation draw us to praise him. He is constantly teaching us, growing us, and loving us. We can’t help but respond, and this comes in different manners. If you’re a teacher, you’ll teach for God’s glory. A construction worker builds for God’s glory and not his own. A clown, well, no offense to any clowns reading this, but I just don’t like clowns, and have a hard time seeing how you’re glorifying God by making children cry. Point is, if you’re a songwriter or musician, one way you respond to God is by writing music.

Somehow, this art of response is seen as uncommon today. The majority of churches simply sing worship songs written by others. Not only that, but there is a great deal of pressure for worship leaders to stay on top of the “latest” worship songs. I see several issues with this, but first let me say there’s nothing wrong with worshiping through songs written by others. Our gifts are to be used for the edification, or building up and encouragement, of the church body, whether it’s the corporate body or the local church.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
1 Corinthians 12:7

While this can be applied for the church, I’ve seen firsthand the effect of carrying this out within the specific local church. When we study scripture, and God blesses us with a song from that scripture, it’s as if we’re in the midst of the Triune God. God the Father reveals himself to us, and then it’s almost as if God the Spirit says “and here is how you respond”. As musicians from the church work on songs, the sound is organic, growing out of the local culture and scene. The songs written in-house at Vintage21 are the ones we know and love the best, the songs we own and treasure. A few weeks back I met someone after the service who asked about a song written by Taylor Roberts called “You Made It All”. She asked if that was one of the original songs for Vintage21, and said it was obvious that song was special to our congregation. We’ve only sung that one three times in 2008, yet people just raise their hearts every time.

This site is meant to be a resource for worshipers of God, specifically at Vintage21 Church, so look for this segment at worship.vintage21.com, as we feature original songs and tell the story and share the scripture (cue theme song) -Behind The Music.