Carlos Whittaker - EP
Integrity Music
January 26, 2010
When I first heard the short clips for Carlos Whittaker's new EP on his website (www.RagamuffinSoul.com), I was expecting something somewhere between Fee and Chris Tomlin. The choruses of these songs are all upbeat anthems of modern worship, with straightforward lyrics: "Rain down on us...", "Jesus saves, my Jesus saves...", and "We will worship You..." I'll admit I was a little worried these songs might be kind of cookie-cutter, but I was pleased with the real and relevant lyrics the EP delivered.
"Rain Down" is a song of longing for the outpouring of God in our life. If you've ever felt dry and disconnected from God, then you know what a "desert heart" feels like as you look "to the heavens, desperate for Your holy fountain." Echoing the promise of Jesus to the woman at the well, the song pleads for God to "flood our hearts until they're overflowing."
With a very simple chorus, "Jesus Saves" will be easy for churches to pick up, but I appreciate the message of the verses in this song: "Your wounded hands have broken the chains; Your holiness has carried the weight." I especially love how the song makes God's salvation and Jesus' sacrifice personal: "Your innocence has covered my shame; Your love has spoken me by name."
The standout song for me on this EP is "We Will Worship You". The verses are simple yet penetrating as the lyrics point us to a greater hope than anything this world can offer: "We have nothing here, let Your kingdom come." What may surprise some people is the very frank chorus that speaks of a brokenness before God: "Save us from these comforts, Break us of our need for the familiar, Spare us of any joy that's not of You, and we will worship You." This is certainly a message that is relevant in a society dominated by materialism. As this song reminds us, "All we have to lose is our very souls."
As the worship pastor at a smaller church, I'm always looking for worship songs that people can sing as easily by themselves in the car on Monday morning as they can with the band on Sunday morning. Carlos Whittaker's EP certainly delivers the sonic sound of modern worship, but it does so with songs that will stick with people long after.
You can download Carlos Whittaker's EP on iTunes here.
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