Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Tuesday Tunes - The Same Love

“If you do something long enough you uncover life lessons along the way,” Paul Baloche says. “You aspire to be faithful to God’s calling in your life, pressing through even when you fall short. And when you hit a certain age, as you grow in your faith, you recognise the potential and the burden of being a leader, realising ‘I’ve got to step up and be more intentional toward the people God has put in my life.’ And your prayer becomes,‘Lord, give me grace to finish well.’”

After 25 years of marriage, 23 years leading worship at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, 12 albums recorded with the same label, and hundreds of teaching resources provided free for church leaders (via his web site www.leadworship.com), one might think Paul Baloche had already qualified for a great finish. But for this modern hymn writer, mentor and teacher who once aspired to be a priest, ministry is not a sprint, but a marathon, a long series of obedient steps in the same direction. A path where every aspect of life is forged in fires of passion for Jesus and His Church,and the result is almost always an honest prayer for the Church to sing.

The Same Love mirrors Paul’s love for the Church and gives new expression to the complete faithfulness and overwhelming mercy of a gracious God. The same love that set the captives free. The same love that opened eyes to see Is calling us all by name.

“One of the reasons I love the process to this day is that it’s a bit of a frontier, a mystery,” Paul says of the creative process behind The Same Love. “You can’t put your finger on it. Nobody can.

Paul says. “I can’t deny that I’ve witnessed His goodness and faithfulness over and over again. God is alive. The same God who created the world calls us by name.” The same God that spread the heavens wide