GENRE: MODERN WORSHIP
LABEL: INDEPENDENT
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 13, 2009
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5

If you’ve been attending Lighthouse for a little while now, then you must have heard of the Mark White Band. But, on the off chance that you haven’t—they’re a modern worship act from the local Detroit area. And trust me when I say that their material is right up there with Starfield, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, and Charlie Hall. One listen to their debut album “Now & Forever” and you will likely be convinced of the same thing. With the right exposure, these guys are on the brink of making a big splash.

Offering up eleven original worship songs, the quality is a rarity from a small time, local outfit. But, it seems like the Mark White Band is dedicated not only to glorifying God through their words, but also through the quality of their musicianship and production.

“Glory” kicks things off and is a high-energy praise song. It really starts things out on a right note. Actually, after hearing the track once, I put it on repeat for the rest of the day before moving on to the rest of the album to review. It’s just an amazing number and needs to be heard to fully understand what I’m getting at. “Forevermore” is more of a Starfield-influenced number—one part praise, one part all-out rocker. It’s not as palpable as the first track, but it should get people on their feet and dancing. “Priest & the Lamb” is a piano-infused piece where Mark White’s vocals really shine. Mark Labelle’s work on the keys are particularly impressive, accompanying White’s voice perfectly. “Moment” is a quiet, acoustic ballad that is both worshipful and contemplative. However, “God of Ages,” in my humble opinion, is the best track on the entire album. It’s a mid-tempo rocker that could easily get the group recognized if it hits AC radio. It’s not the strongest song lyrically, but it is catchy and well-delivered. “Hallelujah” is another light, piano-driven ballad. Title track “Now & Forever” starts out sounding a bit like Coldplay with its synth-pop vibe, but soon takes off into a crashing din of loud praise.

The album is not without its drawbacks, though. “Another Breath” is fun, but a little bit cheesy. It strikes me as more of a middle school or high school number. Better yet, it’d be good for the Christian camp scene.

In a market that is being inundated with more and more worship acts every year, the Mark White Band is a welcome voice that stands head and shoulders above the rest. I cannot stress how good I think this group is. If “Now & Forever” were the only album they ever released, the world would be a darker place for it. What I mean is that, it is so good, it would be a shame that this were all they had to offer. The church needs to always be creating fresh art, new expressions of praise to the Creator. The Mark White Band has taken that call seriously and crafted a wonderful piece of art to be enjoyed and engaged by the listener—and accepted as praise by God.

Track Listing
1. Glory
2. Forevermore
3. One God, One Hope
4. Priest & the Lamb
5. Great Love
6. Moment
7. God of Ages
8. Another Breath
9. Hallelujah
10. Now & Forever
11. Double Doors

Hallelujah! Let us orchestrate in song and lift up our Prayers,
To the One who loves; the Most High; Messiah; Savior.
Mold us Lord, we are but miry clay,
Hold us in your Hands as we thirst and pray.

You, O Lord, are the Prince of Peace, the precious Potter,
There is no sweeter taste, not the purest of water.
You made us in Your image, beautiful and of worth,
With hearts as one, we will praise the name of Jesus till the ends of the earth.

Lord, You make my heart beat, You give me breath to breathe,
Because of You I am free to live,
Free to laugh, free to love, free to be.
Hold me, beautiful God, I need You.

the universe inside of me.
broken bits of reality.
Selfish thoughts orbit this selfless heart.
This all spelled disaster from the start.
and you know where to find me, in all my insufficiency..
just when we have it all, we never brace for the fall.
people and seasons, variables and reasons.

tears and dreams, we’ll never shed these scars…

or so it seems.

The other night I was at a social gathering, hanging out, talking with people, enjoying the shenanigans and frivolity of the evening. Needless to say, it was a pretty alright night.

That was until I had a negative conversation with someone. Not because they were being negative but more so I’d have to say the conversation was more of a downer-type because it left a bad taste in my mouth. Just the whole vibe of things was…well you know when you’re talking to someone and get the feeling that you’ve just done something horrible to them, even though you’ve never done anything to warrant such a reaction? Then it frustrates you even more when you’re not sure if they’re doing it on purpose or if they even have any idea what they’re doing because then you don’t even know if you should talk to them about it. I always wrestle with wondering if I should even bring up to them what they’re doing, or if it’s even worth it because they’re just going to look at me and say “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that I was being such a pain in the…side.”

The feeling of confusion, bitterness, anxiety, & frustration became the catalyst for my sudden desire to depart from the gathering. So I found my ride and we headed home and I began to air my grievances.

Side note: you know you have a good friend when you ask them if you can just vent and they cordially reply “I would love nothing more!” and they mean it.

So needless to say when I got home that evening I was finding it hard to sleep. My mind was racing through my frustrations not just with the situation that had recently arose but with life in general with school, work, people, friends….I cried out to God and asked why is it so hard? Why are people so confusing? Why don’t some people just get it? Why can’t I just have a break? When are things going to go my way?

Over the next few days I began to receive some answers to my cries…

It first began with a question, a rebuttal to my lament so to say: Why do you hold onto things and worry about them? Why do you continue to cling to these things even after you lay them down at my feet and confess that you trust in me to provide? Why don’t you trust me?

I began wondering why I continue to live as though things are the same when I ask God to change something in my life.

Why was I holding onto these pains and frustrations? Why did I tell God that I trusted Him and then spend my time worrying and being mad and frustrated and bitter?

I had hardened my heart against the very words from Matthew 6:25-34, words that had been such a source of both comfort and strength to me before. Words from the mouth of Christ reassuring us that we are loved and cared for and He will provide for us. Words that told us not to worry about the worldly troubles and to focus our hearts and mind on the kingdom of heaven- to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I was no longer living in the freedom found only in Christ but in the chains of my own selfishness and worry. I had asked for change, for Christ to make things new, to renew my heart and mind yet I continued to live as though nothing had changed. Or as Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 5:17;

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!”

There was a part of my heart and mind that was clinging onto the old and not embracing the new. I confessed to God my mistrust and asked for Him to search my anxious ways and to continue to make known to me the path of truth. I went on to relinquish this worry and when it creeps up and tries to consume me once again I stop, slow down, pray and even in those moments of great trial, there is a thought, a gentle, whispering voice of reassurance that dances in the back of my mind, it sounds like this “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

There’s a beautiful piece of musical poetry in which the storyteller sings to one he loves and pleads with him to not carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. It is a warning that is true and should be listened to for when we carry the weight of our worries we not only feel the world upon our shoulders but upon our hearts as well. We cripple ourselves and become blinded by our own mistrust. But that is a weight we no longer have to bear because of the love of Christ and it is Christ himself who put it best in Matthew 11:28-30;

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Thank You for this: You love me.

Thank You for being a God who doesn’t change: yesterday, today, or tomorrow.
Thank You for giving me a plan and a purpose.
Thank You for showing me Your glory!

Thank You for showing up in ways we could have never imagined.

You are always with me and will never leave me- thank you!

Thank You for the lives that are being changed, eyes that are being opened, hearts that are being mended, and relationships that are being restored.

Thank You for answered prayer in Your perfect timing.

Thank You for tearing down my walls, for making me raw and vulnerable once again.

Thank You for being a God who is loving, merciful and forgiving.
Thank You for laying Your hands on us as we live our lives.
Thank You for being in control of my life.

Thank You for being patient with me.
Thank You for waiting and loving me always.

I thank You for the love that You poured out for us.

Thank You for opportunities: the opportunity to hear Your word, the opportunity to pray to You, the opportunity to serve, the opportunity to be broken, the opportunity to come back to You, the opportunity to help, the opportunity to give…

We love you, Lord!

When I feel weak and helpless,
You’re there to make me strong.
When I struggle down life’s tough road,
You’re there to help me along.

When troubles make me stumble,
You’re there to pick me up.
When days come and I feel empty,
You’re there to fill my cup.

When my earthly friends have left me,
You’re always by my side.
When the enemy pursues me,
To You I run and hide.

When I’m frustrated and discouraged,
You’re there to give me hope.
When I’d like to scream with anger,
You’re there to help me cope.

When another burden arises,
You’re there to share the load.
When I’m feeling worthless and unneeded,
You tell me I’m more precious than gold.

When I’ve sinned and I run back to You
You’re there to give me grace.
With You standing right beside me,
Of what should I be afraid to face?

When my Jesus has forgiven me,
My sins have been washed away.
Please take my life and use it
To bring glory to Yourself each day.

Wow, God is good! I feel like today is a new day. I guess everyday is a new day, but today I was able to listen to the voice of God and rid myself of some shackles that I have been hanging on to for quite some time now. I want to thank God for the precious voice of the Spirit that beckons us to his side. There is no escaping it, not if you have heard the voice of God even once or have felt his touch. The love that you experience when you are close to his side is more intimate then a husband can be with his wife, the only love that can truly fill the voids that we all seek to fill.

Our lives are filled with people we seek to please and love, but are we seeking to please the Lord God Almighty with our lives? Are we quieting our lives and minds to hear the Lord’s sweet whisper? Or are we ignoring the Creator of all to please those around us? I struggle with truth. I struggle with the willingness to accept that God’s blood has truly wiped away every one of my sins and made me his precious, pure bride that will one day walk down the isle and look into the eyes of the Lord God Almighty.

It’s hard to remember every detail about our wedding day, but the one thing I will never forget is the look in Jim’s eyes as he grabbed my hand to be his bride (haha…I’m actually crying as I write this), the love that I saw in his eyes and through his touch as he grabbed my hand filled my heart with so much love and joy. Can you imagine how glorious it is going to be when we see Jesus!! I can’t wait! Today I want to encourage each and every one of you that reads this to listen to the voice of the Lord, our Father, because his precious whisper speaks truth. Rid yourself of the chains in your life which bind you up and prevent you from reaching the potential that God desires for you. You are precious and he loves you and desires to walk with you everyday until the day we finally get to be with him in Heaven.

Lord thank you for your love, conviction, grace, pure blood that was spilled that I may live with you forever, your forgiveness, peace, joy, patience, truth, righteousness, healing my brokenness, and most of all thank you for being my loving father that sweeps me up in his arms and hugs me even though I am so undeserving. Love Ya!

Dear God,

I’ve written this letter to you a million times, yet I still can’t figure out the right words to say. So i’m just going to let my heart speak. I can’t sleep, I have totally lost my appetite and sometimes I don’t feel well. But this letter is something I need to do. So here is my heart. First, I want to tell you that I love you and am thankful that you always listen to me. Every time I’ve needed you, you’ve been there. It seems like every time my heart aches, you whisper into my ear to write this letter to you. When I’m happy and overjoyed, you want me to speak to you. When life itself comes to a stand still, you want me to call you. Why is it that every time I need you, I do everything possible not to write this letter? I know you are there for me, and I know you love me. Am I a bad person; am I not worthy to be called your son? Or is it that you give me challenges and tribulations to see if I will come running to you. I’m sitting here wondering why I never wrote this letter to you yesterday, or the week before, or even last year when I needed you. Lord, please forgive me for I have not told you how I feel. I promise I will try to talk to you more and tell you how I feel.

Dad, how is it that you love me so much that you gave the only son you ever had for my sake? I am a liar and a sinner. I am lost and confused. I am everything that doesn’t deserve to see your glory. I am here on my knees all alone looking up at the skies and seeing nothing but darkness. I feel brokenhearted, I feel happy, I feel every feeling that this world has to offer. Yet after everything is said and done, I still wonder why? How? I’m listening to a song called “Amazing Because It Is” and I’m in tears. I think I understand. I think I can finally see why. Your love is not like mine. I can love a person to the point where if I had to decide to give up myself for their being, I’d think about it. That is my love. Mine comes and goes. But yours is different isn’t it? I get it! Your love is a never-ending, non-doubting, endless type of love. When I am down in the dumps you are there. When a friend of mine is hurt and I can’t be there for them; you are always available. When a father is not around, you are there. You are my father. You are my friend. You are everything to me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. You’ve opened my eyes to things unseen. I am no longer blind to the things of this world. You’re amazing!

Hey Father, can I tell you something? I don’t know how to exactly say this, but here it is. Sometimes I feel like my faith is overshadowed by doubt. Do you think I’m a bad person for feeling that way? I know that by faith I am to believe in things unseen. Sometimes, Dad, I feel like your disciple Thomas. Sometimes I want to see in order to believe. I don’t want to believe like that. I want to believe through a faith so strong nothing can come between us. That is what I’m going to do. I will believe without seeing. I will give everything without expecting anything in return. I know you’ve got my back in everything. I’ve decided that I will not be like Thomas because I don’t need to see the evidence. I will let myself be the evidence. I will let you live through me. That is how I will be a faith-believing person. I want to bring others to see your glory.

Well God, it’s getting late over here and I should probably be sleeping. I need to wake up in a few hours, but I don’t want to leave you. I feel like I can now talk to you as a friend. Thanks for listening and not interrupting me. Sometimes you need someone to just listen to you. I know this letter took me long enough but I’m glad I did it.

Thank you and I love you!

Sincerely,
Mankind

I recently had a good conversation at Kairos regarding the ways that God was manifesting Himself in our lives. What gifts has He given us that we’re simply overlooking?

When I was still in college, there was this dip in the ground towards the outskirts of campus. Anytime it rained or snowed or did anything meteorologically, a pool of water would collect between the trees like an impromptu sort of lake. Only then would the ducks come.

You guys have to understand something first. I have this “thing” about ducks. A motif in my life, if you will. We had a neighbor when I was really young that used to call my sisters and I my mom’s little ducklings- we followed her everywhere. And ever since then, ducks always seem to show up in my life- at my grandparent’s house when I was young, on someone’s lawn on my way to work, at the park down the street.

There’s one time that I remember specifically. During my last semester in college, I always saw these ducks each time I drove by on my way to class. It came to the point that I would look forward to seeing them in the evening, comforted by the consistency in that routine.

I know it sounds silly, but God used those ducks to make me smile, to reassure me of the fact that sometimes the conditions in my life and my heart have to be “just right” before the beauty God intends for me can fully unfold. At a time in my life when things were uncertain, He showed me that He was unchangeable.

So I ask you- how conscious are you of God’s presence in your life? How does God manifest Himself to you, and what does He long to show you?

Father, I never understood
how You could change
the way I think,
how You could
change my heart
from the inside out.
But you’ve done it again,
You changed my heart,
You changed my mind,
with a touch of your hand,
with a breath of your voice.
You let me see
a little more of You,
so I could show
what I saw to others.
You gave me
a larger glimpse of Your love
so I could share it
with those who haven’t seen it yet.
You have changed me,
You are changing me,
You will change me.
You’ll keep giving me a new heart –
one that will eventually be
a heart after Your own.