CD Review: Jesus In My Place

There’s a possibility that I’m about to tell you a story that I’ve told you before. But I’m a pastor and that’s allowed.

When I was in 8th grade, the band director from the local high school came to our middle school cafeteria for a meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to determine musical ability and potentially recruit a new tuba player or xylophone dancer or whatever other kind of hot item instrumentalist he needed for that fall’s band season.

We were forced to take a music aptitude test. I don’t remember much about it, except it specifically didn’t include questions about the lyrics from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album (which I would have dominated, by the way). What I do remember is that I never got a callback. Never was asked to consider donning a Giles County High School woolen band uniform and workin’ it with the Marching Bobcats. Never asked to play a single note. Not then. Not now. Because apparently I stunk at all things instrumental.

And for me, that was the day the music died.

I tell you this very vulnerable story of my middle school emotional wounds, because that makes the fact that I was asked to do a CD review all the more special. Here’s my official review of Jesus In My Place, the brand new worship album being released by the Summit:

It has songs.

They are awesome.

You should buy it.

That’s the review. I’m not going to give you any pretentious musical snobbery like “Track four carries melodious harmonies that evoke a crisp fall day and finish with an acidic aftertaste of luscious melons and gingersnap cookies.” What does that even mean? Nope, this is just pure and simple good music, by good friends and worship leaders at the Summit. This is like carrying a weekend worship experience on your iPod. You want Matt Papa in your pocket? Here’s your chance. Sam Fisher Jr. playing the bass in your passenger seat? You got it. Kaimy Masse wailing it as you hang out in carpool line? You’re welcome.

So here’s the skinny: this Sunday night, April 29, Summit Worship will host a special Night of Worship celebrating the CD release at our Brier Creek Campus. CDs will be available at the event, even before the record is publicly released on May 1. Boom. Here’s a little sumpin’ sumpin’ video our team put together. And yes, the Night of Worship will be even more amazing than this video, if you can imagine that.

Check out summitrdu.com/jesusinmyplace for more info and a sneak preview of the record, and follow @SummitWorship on Twitter to receive updates and exclusive content.

And watch for me on Sunday, because the Xylophone Dancing sounds like a cool idea and I know how to sneak backstage.