Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Recorded live in Jerusalem, this CD features Paul Wilbur, who attended synagogue before his conversion, and says, "I was born for this project!" Paul now leads worship at an independent church in Chicago and previously had 10 years experience leading worship in a messianic congregation. Not being an expert on messianic praise it's hard to say how much the songs reflect the Jewish tradition, but clearly the words are drawn largely from the Psalms. The songs focus on praising God as Mighty, Creator, King, Protector, and reflect the Old Testament understanding of God's relationship with his people. The 'messianic' message is there, but very much in the background, behind the more dominant themes of God's love for his people, and a desire to see Jerusalem filled with praise to God. Musically, it has some beautiful moments from the exuberance of "Shouts Of Joy" and the lilting "Where Does My Help Come From?" to the intimacy of "In Your Presence O God". The arrangements and production are excellent, yet retaining the live feel to the recording and there are some wonderful instrumental passages that show off the typically Jewish nature of the music. Not one that I would buy, in the end, but probably good if you like this sort of thing.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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