One of my goals, when we began the worship arts program at Grace College in 2016, was to write and produce our own music. These songs began in our worship theology courses – thinking through the church calendar, finding Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that would work as sung responses in different parts of the liturgy. The project title, Reclaim/Proclaim comes from the idea of reaching back into church history to find hidden gems and declaring timeless truths in a fresh way. I hope you are blessed by these sung prayers and that they will help you encounter the living Christ in ever-deepening ways.
Thank you to Dea Jenkins for her beautiful cover art.
Dr. Wally Brath, Assistant Professor of Worship Arts
Words: New Genevan Psalter
Music: Wally Brath
How blest is he who shuns the path of sin,
Who spurns the counsel of unrighteous men
And will not stand or sit among the scoffers;
Their company to him no pleasure offers.
But his delight is in God’s holy law;
All day and night he ponders it with awe.
Whoever loves God’s law with all his heart
And will not from the way of truth depart
Is like a tree which, planted by a river,
Stays lush and green with leaves that will not wither
And which in season yields abundant fruit.
So he will thrive, whatever his pursuit.
Not so the wicked! For like chaff are they –
Mere chaff that gusts of wind will blow away.
When judgment comes, they’ll stand condemned and humbled
Cast out from where the righteous are assembled.
The Lord will guard the pathway of the just;
The way of sinners leads to death and dust.
The Lord will guard the pathway of the just;
The way of sinners leads to death and dust.
McKenna Gallion – lead vocal
Elizabeth Aalbue – violins
Sam Schmidt – acoustic guitars
Grady Schafhauser – electric guitar
Graydon Brath – bass
Lleyton Brainard – drums
Wally Brath – piano
Words: Fanny Crosby
Music: W. Howard Doane; arrangement: Wally Brath
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me.
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me.
[Refrain]
Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.
[Refrain]
McKenna Gallion – lead vocal
Halley Krochta and Audrey Scanlon – background vocals
Bobby Mckee – electric and acoustic guitars
Graydon Brath – bass
Logan Shutters – drums
Wally Brath – piano and organ
Words and Music: Stuart Townend
Arrangement: Sam Sharik, Sam Schmidt, Wally Brath
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
O the deep deep love of Jesus
O the deep deep love of Jesus
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Sam Schmidt – lead vocal and acoustic guitars
McKenna Gallion – background vocals
Griffon Kunkel – electric guitars
Logan Shutters – drums
Wally Brath – synth bass
Words: Adoniram Judson
Music: Abigail Hawkins and Sam Sharik
String arrangement: Elizabeth Aalbue
Come Holy Spirit, come
Come Holy Spirit, come
Come, Holy Spirit, Dove Divine,
On these baptismal waters shine,
And teach our hearts, in highest strain,
To praise the Lamb, for sinners slain.
We love Thy name, we love Thy laws,
And joyfully embrace Thy cause;
We love Thy cross, the shame, the pain,
O Lamb of God, for sinners slain.
Come Holy Spirit, come (The breath of life, the fire of love)
Come Holy Spirit, come (The breath of life, the fire of love)
Come Holy Spirit, come (The breath of life, the fire of love)
Come Holy Spirit, come (The breath of life, the fire of love)
We sink beneath Thy mystic flood;
O bathe us in Thy cleansing blood;
We die to sin, and seek a grave,
With Thee, beneath the yielding wave.
[Chorus]
And as we rise, with Thee to live,
O let the Holy Spirit give
The sealing unction from above,
The breath of life, the fire of love.
[Chorus]
Sam Sharik – lead vocal and acoustic guitars
Abigail Hawkins – background vocals and piano
Shana Brath – violin
Karissa Brath – violin
Elizabeth Aalbue – viola
Nathaniel Wise – cello
Carter Schuh – toms
Psalm tone: Jerome Webster Meachen
Refrain: Abigail Hawkins and Wally Brath
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will boast in the Lord;
the humble will hear and be glad.
Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and rescued me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant with joy;
their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and rescues them.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!
You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
Young lions lack food and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing.
Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is someone who desires life,
loving a long life to enjoy what is good?
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.
Turn away from evil and do what is good;
seek peace and pursue it.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry for help.
The face of the Lord is set
against those who do what is evil,
to remove all memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he saves those crushed in spirit.
One who is righteous has many adversities,
but the Lord rescues him from them all.
He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants,
and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
Abigail Hawkins – vocals
Wally Brath – piano