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Review - In His Presence |
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Written by Joe Randeen
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 Review
The Anaheim Vineyard. For many years, this
was the focal point of all things Vineyard. John Wimber was the pastor
and most of the influential Vineyard worship leaders and songwriters
either spent some time there, or at the very least, played and taught
at seminars and conferences there. There is rich history in Anaheim,
and more than a few of us look yearn for more of the same.
Some
of the values that the Vineyard has always taught with regard to
worship are to sing to the Lord, to ask for His presence to come and to
wait expectantly for Him to meet with us. The Vineyard movement sprang
up concurrently with a wave of "contemporary" worship music. However,
saying you play contemporary worship music is not the same as saying
you play Vineyard music. The Vineyard has always sought to have an
intimate relationship with Jesus. And it has always strived to keep
songs simple enough that any church, at any degree of competence, could
play and worship to.
I say all this as a way of introduction
to this new album. To me, it harkens back to the values that John
Wimber embraced. Simple songs of love that are easily learned and
played. That's not to say that they are not extremely well done; it's
just that you can strip them down to a guitar or piano and still
worship to them. That's what Wimber wanted from his worship leaders; to
equip the Church to lead us in worship.
The three worship
leaders are Jeremy Riddle, Tony Sanchez and Cindy Rethmeier. Jeremy's
voice is so incredibly good! He brings to mind Mac Powell of Third Day.
And Tony Sanchez is very similar. They both have deep, rich tones and
sing with such passion. But, for me, hearing Cindy Rethmeier sing again
was like going back home! Her voice is so unmistakable, and I was
instantly transported back to one of the many worship conferences I
attended where she led. I can still see her up on stage, hands thrust
our sideways, almost cross-like, head tilted up to heaven, singing
"Meet Us".
Cindy's first song on the album, "Great Thanks" is
the epitome of what I'm talking about. It is simple, certainly nothing
new theologically (as if anything is, right?) and you can start singing
along almost immediately. My four year old daughter made me play it
over and over again while we were driving, she loves it so much.
Jeremy Riddle has four songs on the album, but none better than "As Children". This is pure Vineyard. Check these lyrics:
As children we come with arms open wide
So desperate for You, so in need of Your life
May our praise fill Your ears, may our cries touch Your heart
We need Your presence to change who we are, so we ask
Come Holy Spirit, come in Your power
Come inhabit our praise
Come and reign in our lives...
The
song is kind of in the "Dwell" mold, rhythmically. And, even though it
can be played simply, as the basic chords suggest, he is obviously
playing something else. Have fun learning!
Tony Sanchez, who
delighted us last year with "Bless His Name", gives us four songs. My
favorite is one he wrote with his wife, Carla. It's "Great Are You
Lord". It's another simple song, but very poetic. And, again, the
chords are simple (if you capo), but a lot of fun to play in the key of
Bb, if you dare!
All of the Vineyard CDs are enhanced, meaning
they provide, for free, the chord charts and overhead masters. The
Vineyard is committed to "from the Church, for the Church". They WANT
you to learn their songs, and they make it easy to do it.
I am thankful that this album is out. It brings me back to MY roots. Thank you, Anaheim Vineyard.
Review by John Ausmus
Click Here To Purchase
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Tips & Hints |
Managing your Worship Team
One of the most time consuming aspects of being a worship leader is managing your team. Specifically I'm talking about the administrative tasks such as scheduling, communication, introducing new songs, making sure everyone has lead sheets, etc.
Well, we have found a nice online service that we greatly help reduce the time you spend on managing your team, while increasing your effectiveness.
Check out www.WorshipTeam.com.
This is not a paid endorsement, in fact, it's not an official endorsement either. We just wanted to make you aware of something that may assist you in your ministry.
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