SongWrighting (a preview)

Some of you will remember that I do a thing called "SongWrighting" on YouTube. This is usually where I'll play a new song (or even just part of a new song) to get some initial feedback.

I'm excited because next week, I'll be revealing a brand new worship tune called Maker of My Days. This is the first thing I've written in the last few months that I didn't end up hating.

I'll throw the video up after Christmas, but here's the interesting thing about this song. I started writing this song with a strong thematic focus. Since I write things for the place I serve, I was thinking a lot about Bethel as I went into the process. Lately, I've been very convicted to write songs about "choice." I'm not talking free-will versus elect here. I'm actually endeavoring to write songs that remind us that a life of faith is always going to involve faith. In a "feeling" centered church culture, worship songs tend to be very temperamental. I've been wanting to write songs that can acknowledge difficulty and struggle and yet still remind us that we don't survive on feeling...that many, many times we have to look at God's character and history and we have to choose to focus on those things rather than buying an all-day pass on the emotional roller-coaster of our lives.

I'm sure this has happened, but never so strongly as this time. Within one week of finishing a song about choosing joy and being content with where God has us - all things I wrote for 'the church' - I found that I was the one who needed that song the most. Trust me: it's a weird thing to be struggling and doubting and sad and then realize that you've already a song of encouragement about that very issue. (Maybe the song isn't for Bethel, after all!)

I'm excited to share the song next week or so, but I'm even more excited to have this little personal song that is one more evidence of God's constant care and kindness to me.