Last year, worship duo Shane and Shane released ten volumes of songs as well as a Christmas album as part of The Worship Initiative, their online resource for the church, created to help equip worship leaders and musicians to lead, through both musical and spiritual training. Partnering with Fair Trade Services, they have just released a brand new album, The Worship Initiative, which showcases 10 well-known worship favorites performed in their own distinct style, as well as 2 of their originals. “We love this record,” Shane Everett says. “We want to set the table for people to experience the Lord on a daily basis. We want this album to really encourage people in their walk.”
The songs were selected with the Church in mind, many of them from Shane and Shane's own church set list and each filled with passion, sincerity, and tight vocal harmonies. One of the standouts on the album is their rendition of Hillsong Worship's "This I Believe." Based upon the Apostle's Creed, it stands as a testament of the foundations of our faith, unifying believers from different denominations with core beliefs. Bethel Music's "Seas of Crimson" is another notable song on the album, detailing how Jesus is the answer for everything, His love for us displayed through His sacrifice on the Cross. Praising His saving grace, the song brings alive the reality of all that He has done for us. Both of these songs have become great anthems for the church over the past year and Shane and Shane's arrangements hold true to the originals while standing on their own.
Isaiah 57:15 says, "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." "All the Poor and Powerless" holds on to this promise, giving hope to those who may feel powerless or low in spirit and drawing them together to lift their hands and cry out collectively in praise to God. It opens up a time where all can freely worship and publicly declare that He is God, going on to repeat the exaltation, "We will sing out Hallelujah and we will cry out Hallelujah!"
"God of Ages Past" is one of the originals on the album, penned by Shane Barnard. It prayerfully seeks answers to questions many people wrestle with and petitions God to penetrate our hard hearts, singing, "Then won't you come and break this old heart of stone, start a fire in these broken bones. Here's my soul, it has been exposed to You, Oh God of Ages past, convince my heart at last, come tell me of all I have in You." If you are looking to try out some new arrangements of some of today's worship favorites, this is an album you definitely won't want to miss. It is Shane and Shane's hope that through this album, God would make Himself known and that people's hearts would be changed.
The Worship Initiative - Shane and Shane
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