Happy New Year, friends!
With the dawn of 2022, we see the once-sealed docking bay door at Ben Tower begin to rise. The ground begins to vibrate. A great motor, reluctant to overcome its inertia and the assaults of frigid January weather, strains into animation a long-dormant clasp, betraying its secret releasing turn with a heavy *clank*. The door inches its way upward to the steady sound of oversized industrial gears and the *hisssss* of pneumatic assists. Fog rolls out from the opening, lit by an unknown source from within the bay. The wash of light is split down the center into symmetric beams, as an object moves its way from within the cavernous interior towards the doorway. The door reaches its zenith with a metallic thud. The fog, now dispersing effortlessly through the yawning gap into the atmosphere, begins to clear and a new album emerges into the shadowless ambient exposure of an overcast day.
Noticing that no one is around for the spectacle, the album shrugs and walks over to the nearest coffee shop.
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The new album is “Christ Our Redeemer”, which is now available for streaming in all the usual places (here's the Spotify link), and for sale as a physical CD or digital download. It is the second of my Christ-centric series of instrumental hymn albums. I started work on it immediately after the completion of “Christ In Times of Waiting”, but had to work on it in small increments, as it coincided with my time at school. After graduating, I was able to find the time to finish the album and get it produced. I had hoped for a Christmas release, but a New Year release is alright too.
Theme: Christ Our Redeemer. The songs are related to the topic of Christ’s redeeming work – of paying the price of our salvation with His blood. Redemption: Christ’s sacrifice, our salvation.
Nothing but His blood makes us whole.
By His blood we are redeemed – no longer sons and daughters of destruction, but God’s child forever.
So, we sing of our Redeemer. How could we not?
We glory in our Redeemer whose priceless blood is our ransom. He gets all the glory; our only contribution was to drive the bitter nails into the judgment tree with our sins.
We praise our blessed Redeemer, our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation ever in joyful song.
“And when before the throne we stand in Him complete, ‘Jesus died our souls to save’ our lips shall still repeat. Jesus paid It all. All to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”
Complete in Him, “His blood hath pardon bought for me, and glorified I too shall be.”
Before the throne, “one with Himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by His blood. My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ, my Savior and my God.”
“Thank you oh Father, for giving us Your Son”, our Redeemer, the “precious Lamb of God”.
“Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood; sealed my pardon with His blood. Hallelujah! What a Savior!”
Style: “Christ Our Redeemer” differs a little in style from the previous album with the introduction of other instruments besides the piano, often striking a tone more of exultation than meditation. I did want to create some continuity between the albums as a recognizable set, so I made some artistic choices to help that happen. Some songs are fully instrumental with moments of liveliness and triumph; others are purely piano, with more subdued and grateful tones; but all retain an element of the peace that Christ affords to the Christian’s spirit. Visually, I sought out album art that would continue the “story” of the previous album… or perhaps provide a prelude to it. The redemption of a sinner marks new life in a believer – giving life to dead branches in a desolate world, that they may bloom and bear fruit. In the winter-like seasons of waiting, trials, or dryness, we may feel outwardly that we’ve withered and ceased to bloom, but inside of us is the life of the Vine, and with the coming of spring we’ll bloom again in His strength, because in Him we are alive.
I hope that you enjoy “Christ Our Redeemer” – that it will be pleasant to listen to, and that thinking on the subject matter of the songs will be an encouragement to you. Lord bless!
Ben
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