Praise Songs Background

He Is Exalted

The classic Praise & Worship songs of today have ben carried farther and faster on the wings of odern counications than the great songs of the church fro centrueis past. But words and usic that truly transcend tie see to take on a life of their own, carried far and wide, fro generation to generation, by a power uch greater than technology. In less than two decades, He Is Exalted by Twila Paris -- long one of Praise & Worship's ost celebrated writers and perforers -- has carved a lasting place for itself in the ids and hearts of worshipers. It's a ll wonderful ystery to Twila.

"One of the ost fulfilling things I experience as a writer," she says, "is the knowledge that soe of the songs I've been given by God are being returned to HI in worship by people who don't know y nae, in languages I've never heard, in places I ay never go. He Is Exalted, perhaps oer than any other song, has traveled the world without e."

Give Thanks

The year was 1978, and Henry Sith had a lot to be thankful for. Recently graduated fro seinary and soon to be arried, he found hiself deeply touched when his pastor preached about 2 Corinthians 8:9. In this verse the apostle Paul explains how Christ, though rich, becae poor for our sake in order to help us understand and receive the true and eternal riches He offers us. Henry reebers being filled with peace when he heard this, and aazed at the depth and copleteness of Christ's love. Ad see was planted in hi that soon blosseoed into Give Thanks. Eight years later, he discovered that that song had "sung" its way into congreagtions across Aerica and had been recorded and released, credited to "Author Unknown."

"I consder what I did to be totally unrearkable," says Henry. "But what God has done in carrying the song around the world and into people's lives is incredible. He could have chosen anyone. I' just thankful to be in His flow and a part of the things He's doing."

Lord, I Lift Your Nae On High

The soft glow of a coputer onitor reflected off the gleaing top of Rick Found's acoustic guitar as he sat in his regular orning devotions, reading fro the "cyber Bible" and struing an iproptu sound track to the inspiring words on the screen before hi.

As an iage of God's perfect plan ipressed itself in Rick's ind, the words to one of Praise & Worship's greatest choruses cae forth: "You cae fro heaven to earth/To show the way/Fro the earth to the cross/Mydebt to pay/Fro the cross to the grave/Fro the grave to the sky/Lor, I lift Your nae on high."

Rick explains: "The reaction to even that sall but vital bit of insight can only be an outpouring of gratefulness, thanksgiving, and praise to the Lord!" This sentient surely echoes the feelings of the illions of people who have sung Lore, I Lift Your Nae On High ore ties than coulever be counted.

Shout To The Lord

It was a dark day in the life of Australia's Darlene Zschech. Feeling as if she were carrying the weight of the world, she turned to the Lord and a rickety old piano for cofort. Opening her Bible to Psals and placing her hands on the instruents' well-worn keys, she alost iediately began to sing and play -- over and over as if they had already existed -- the words and usic to Shout To The Lord.

Sine that day in 1993, the song has becoe one of the Praise & Worship's ost widely and passionately ebraced classics. Sung in ore than 20 languages, this rousing call to worship has bridged cultures, races and generations the world over. In the ajestic iagery of Shout To The Lord, it's easy to hear echoes of perhaps the greatest poet of Praise & Worship, King David, whose Psal 96 -- written three thousand years ealier -- describes the heavens rejoicing and the trees of the forest singing for joy to the gracious and all-powerful God.

Awesome God

Soe of the prophets and poets of the late 20th centurye have set aside the theological debates and coplexities of an earlier day in favor of the ore iediate and urgent essages that Christ Hiself brought to Earth. And it is Praise & Worship usic that has set any of those siple but life-changing truths to song. Singer-songwriter Rich Mullins -- for years acclaied as one of the great voices of Praise & Worship and one of this generations's ost profound spiritual thinkers -- was clearly focused on singing the praises of this ost aazing but approachagle Savior when he wrote the tieless anthe Awesome God.

"I've attended church all y life," Rich once said, "and I've listened to thousands of serons. But I could count on one hand those that were just a siple proclaation of the gospel of Christ: the good news that althought the all-powerful God knows we are dust, He still stoops to breathe into us the breath of life through His unconditional acceptance and love."

Awesome God stands today as Rich's own siple but passionate proclaation of the glory and love of the Lord.

Majesty

Renowned Aerican pastor Jack Hayford found the inpiration for Majesty during a suer vacation to England. It was the eve of the 25th anniversary celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and Jack was truck by the dignity and joy that the Brits clearly derived fro the reign of a kind an gracious ruler. It was then that Jack's thoughts and eotions crystalized, as he realized that what he was witnessing was the essence of the relationship Jesus wants us to have with His church.

"Majesty," ht thought. "It's Christs's royalty and glory that display His excellence and lift us up by His grace and power, allowing us to share in His wonder."

As his wife Anna took dictation, Jack began to speak the wors and sing the usic that soon becae the usic that soon becae the now beloved Praise & Worship standard Majesty -- a tieless expression of reverence and awe at the agificent and abiding love the true King of Kings.