See The Morning
"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."
Psalm 30:5
We tremble under the weight of news reports. We shudder as cultural pillars appear to be crumbling. Yet God's commitment to all life remains unshakable. Rain washes dry roots. The sick experience healing. This is life's resurrection by the hand of God: Dawn always breaks into morning over humanity's dark night of the soul.
Inspired by the psalmist who describes God's ongoing work as provoking new beginnings, award-winning singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin releases See The Morning. After 15 years of writing songs for the church, Tomlin's new 11-track album shows joy remains possible even in the messiness of life. Praise to God is not just for life's prosperous seasons - it's a constant way of living with hope.
"See The Morning expresses the idea that God's as faithful as the rising sun," explains Tomlin. "Though your life may be shifting all around you and it may be dark, there is hope." Chris cites empowering Biblical stories from Psalms, Exodus, Lamentations, Joshua, Isaiah and some accounts of Jesus' miracles in the gospels to draw a resolute conclusion. "From these stories I'm inspired to notice morning as an incredible symbol in Scripture. Morning is brand new. It's fresh. It's new life. That while the darkness came and was for a while, light is breaking through into morning."
"That's the hope I want to help people grab with this album," Tomlin says.
See The Morning started to emerge following the far-reaching success of Tomlin's 2004 sixstepsrecords/ Sparrow Records release Arriving. That record delivered a call to the Christian church to pursue life-renewing worship, and it indelibly reinforced Tomlin's distinction as the voice of today's modern expression of Christian worship. The songs breathed vitality into both corporate and devotional worship music, creating a ripple effect like nothing Tomlin had previously experienced.
Arriving gave Tomlin his first RIAA®-certified Gold® record and made radio history by producing three no. 1 singles and three songs in the R&R AC Top 30 simultaneously (two of those in the Top 10). Tomlin led all artists this spring with 10 GMA Music Award nominations, capping off the Christian music industry's April ceremony with five statuettes, including standout awards for Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year. The recording also caused the church to sing, with How Great Is Our God and Holy Is The Lord landing in the top 15 of the most sung CCLI songs, and bringing his total CCLI charting songs to 17 being sung by tens of millions of worshipers around the world. This season also successfully perpetuated Tomlin's celebrated participation in the popular, college-focused Passion conferences.
Grateful for these opportunities, the accolades also bring Tomlin the added weight of responsibility and concern for the human condition.
"The more I live, the more I see that life is not fair," the Austin, Texas-based musician says. "Around the world, I've been exposed to much poverty and sickness. I hear about what people are going through, and I realize that some are not as blessed as others. The world is full of discouragement. I think God wants to give us all great compassion for those... so I want to use my voice to write songs that serve as a reminder to people that Jesus' life provides hope for us all. Not just in the good times, but in the bad times, as well."
"Hebrews says, 'Therefore through Jesus let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that praise his name and do not forget to do good and serve others, for which such things God is pleased,'" Tomlin continues. "I hope this music serves others. With worship music there is a revival. The spirit of God grows in people's hearts. To worship him is not only t?__ ____"__ ___" __? _____ ?_____" __?__? _ _______________? __ ____? ___ _______________? ____ ____?______" __?_____ ____________________________"____ ________ _________ __ ____??__________?__? _ _____________ __ ___________ ___ _________ _______ _ ___ _____ ____ ____ ____ _ __ _____ ______ __" " " ______?_______?__ _____ __ _____ __?_ ___ ___ __? _ ___?__ _ ____? ____?_ ____? ________? ____? ____?__ ______________ __ ________________________ ____?_____ ___________? ______? ____?____ ___________ __? ______ __? _________? ______? _ _ _ ___________________________? ______?______________________________________________________________ _ ______________? __? __ _ _ ______ _ _ _ ____0D___________?__ ___________ ____?__ _ __? _ ________________? _ ? _____ _____?_________ ____?__ __ _ ___ ______ _Z __ _ _ __________________________ _ __?__ _? _ _____ _______ _____" _ _"____" _ ____ _ _ _____ _ __? _"____ __? _____ __ ____________"__ __ _____ __________________________?__ _____"_____? _____?____ _? _____?____ ____ _ ___ _ _______ _______________________________________________________________ _______________ ___ _ _ __?____________ ___ _ __? _____ _________ _______________?___________________? __________ __? __?___________________________________ _____ ____? _ ____?__ _____________ ___ _ ____?__ _ ___________ ___"_ ___________________ ___________ _____ _________ __? _ ___ __ ____ ___________ ____ _______________e ________ ______ _______ _s_ __? __? _____ __" _____ _ ___ ______?_ _ _ _ _? _________ _ _'__? ________ __________ _ _ __? _ ______"___ ___ _____________ ______________ ____?__ ______ __? ______?__ ______? _ _____________ _ _______? __? _ _______ ______"___ _ ___ ______ _________? _ ____?__ ____??__________________________ ___ _______________________________________________________________________ _____" _ _____?___________ _____ _ _ _ __ __ __? ___ ___? _ ____?__ ____??___________________________________? _ ____?__ ____??_______ _ ___________________________ __?? _____________ _ _ _______ ____?______ ______? __? ________________ ___ _ _ _ ___ ___ __________________? ______ _____ _ _ ___ ___? _____ ___l___"_____ __ _____? _ _ _ _ __ ___ __ ____"_______"___ ___________? _ __" _ _ _ _ _______ __"___"_" "__ _ __? ___ ____ _____?_ __? _____ _____ __? ___"__ ___________ ___z_ _ _____ ______ _ _ _ ___________________ __?_"_______? _ ___ _ _ ____? _? _ _____ _______ __? ______? _ _ ____? __? ___ _ _______ ________"_______$___? _ _________ _______??____? __________ __?__ __?__" _ _ __ ____? _____? _ ___ _ _ __________ _ _ __ _______ _ _ _____ _______" __? ____S __? _ _____ ___ _________ _ _ _ __________________________________________________________________ _?________?| ______________ _ __?__ ____M ___ ________ _ _ ________ __ _ _____ _____ ____? _____ ______? ______? __" ____________"__ ____________" __" ?? |?" ??rMaM??+"0 ? "?????? ? ?? ?????? rMaM ?? ?? ??? /"_____ ___ ______ _ __?___ ____?_______ _ _______
