Vineyard Canada: "Believe"

Title: Believe
Category: Praise & Worship
Artist/Group: Vineyard Canada (Various)
Rating: 3.5 / 5
This CD is similar to the Touching the Father's Heart series where the recordings are taken in live worship settings (although a few were recorded in the studio). This CD is actually a "mixed bag" in terms of the styles of music -- and I confess that I drift toward a particular sound, and this CD review is biased, but who isn't, right?

There's alot of variety here, and this is probably because there were many worship leaders involved in the project; in most other Vineyard CDs of the past, they usually feature one or two worship leaders. In spite of this variety, however, there's still a common theme that is subtly set in each song: testimonies about God and who He is. In light of the many facets of God, I feel that precisely because there were so many people involved -- from the different worship leaders and songwriters, to the different styles of music -- the songs found in this CD was faithfully able to describe God's many attributes.

As for the songs that God used to bless me, I would definitely buy this CD, but I suggest you take a listen first before you go out and buy it. In terms of a rating, I give this CD a 3.5/5 only because my favorite songs comprise a little more than 20% of the total number of songs (four out of fifteen).

In bullet fashion, here are my favorites:

I See the Cross. We sang this song during LIFE Conference 2001 this year. This song has a clear message, that Jesus is the only way we can be saved and therefore He is the only one we need to see. My favorite part of the song is toward the latter section when the song reminds us that because Jesus' awesome work on the cross, this accomplished for us a beautiful future to come: for the Children of God there's a resurrection and a life thereafter forever to be lived. It's the cross that gives me such hope to keep looking to the future and the reality to come.

Yet I Will Praise. This song especially touches my soul and perfectly communicates my heart's cry to the Lord because of the lessons I've learned through different hardships that the Lord has brought into my life. This song definitely echoes what's in my heart in that I really can't answer, for the most part, the "Why's" and "How's" that are often asked in the midst of difficulty. Yet similar to Peter's response to Jesus, I can only say to my Savior "To whom shall I go?" This song ultimately reminds me that our Lord is not unfamiliar with suffering and that He's been there and that He's here with me and all His children.

He Carries All My Sorrow. This may be the shortest song in the whole CD and it's sung acapella initially. The words, however, ring with truth still. Not much to comment on this song other than the fact that the passion in which the soloist sings this song is a blessing.

Serving You. My explanation probably won't do this song justice, so it would be best just to stop reading further and to just listen to the song. However, I do hope and pray that the message of what this song articulates will be my heart's desire until I die: that my security and satisfaction, and ultimately "my place", lies in serving God alone. Even if people never take notice. Even if all I ever do is outwardly ordinary and mundane in nature. In the second half of the song, the song brings to mind missionaries in persecuted countries, who serve and often are forgotten. It's amazing and encouraging, to the point of tears, that the applause of men was never their concern. Instead, the Lord remembers them and holds their hand. Even as many stare into the face "of the valley of the shadow of death" itself, all their joy is in Jesus as He will welcome them into the Kingdom with the comforting and healing words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." I too long to hear these words myself.

Sunny
Yi
11/30/01

You may respond to this review and/or submit your own review by contacting