You and You Alone - Sovereign Grace

Let me come clean. My CD collection is more likely to get high rotation from Green Day, Metallica and The Police, and typically, not much from the genre unhelpfully labelled as ‘worship’.

There are a few reasons for this, for example, the high cringe factor one experiences as songs are sung with an emphasis on self, or attempting to sing songs in a key which Dame Joan Sutherland would be proud to reach.

Therefore, I must say what a joy it was to be sent a copy of You and You Alone, another album off the rack of the prolific Sovereign Grace Music platform.

This album has been written and arranged by the associate pastor of Crossway Community Church in Surrey, Canada, Pat Sczebel, and his two sons, Josh, and Joel.

On first listen, a number of things strike the sceptical and occasional listener to such a genre of music. First of all, the opening riff for the opening track ‘Trust in You’ is not at all feminine, but instead is best found in the safe rock genre, something Triple M might be proud of.

Secondly, with the exception of ‘Lord You Are Gracious’ we have a grouping of songs which are able to be sung by both males and females with equal passion and eagerness.

Thirdly, this album is rich, full of lyrical gems, which are Bible based, theologically astute, without at any time feeling forced or running the risk of over-theologizing.

Take for example the opening verse of the fourth track, ‘The Greatest of All’: “The greatest of all transactions, the costliest purchase price, Father your Son’s atoning death was given in payment for mine, to buy me back from slavery, to set me free from my chains. Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.”

As a church minister, this is the type of song I would be proud to sing in our church, matched with music I am not embarrassed by. Indeed almost all the album follows in a similar vein, giving full confidence to the church minister, and member alike, that they are being fed by helpful, biblical material, something often overlooked in this emotive communication medium.

My only sadness with this album is the reprise which closes the album, a reprise of the earlier track ‘I Surrender All’. Unfortunately, for me, this reprise closes the album in a way which focuses on self, not on the glorification of God as do the other tracks.

Upon opening the album cover, the listener is told that one of the missions of Sovereign Grace music is to provide ‘doctrinally rich, Christ-exalting, contemporary songs for worship’, and this album adds helpfully to that mission, placing musical styles akin to Coldplay, the Fray and Snow Patrol alongside helpful lyrics which are both easy to listen to on the car radio, and uplifting and edifying in the church context.

It might not be James Hetfield, Billie Joe Armstrong or Sting, but I am encouraged that I have been introduced to an album which glorifies God, is doctrinally rich, and has a greater use than a drink coaster after the first listen.