- Anyone Out There
- I wanted a song that really set the tragic and despairing tone of Ruth’s life after losing her husband. I didn’t want to sugarcoat it, and yet I still wanted to hold out the hope of God’s redemption. After playing around with some moody chord voicings on my guitar and thinking through some of the chorus lyrics I decided this was a song for none other than Margaret Becker to help me co-write – we finished the song in her living room. I think both of us really felt this one because of its genuine questions and honest pleas. Though a little darker in tone, I wanted to start the record with this song because I wanted to start where the book of Ruth starts… and that’s with unspeakable loss.
- Wherever You Are
- I wrote this with one of my all-time favorite country and Christian writers, Connie Harrington. There was no way to mine this book for song themes and miss Ruth’s famous words to Naomi, "Wherever you go I will go." Although a passage often read at weddings and posted on sentimental cards, Ruth spoke these words to her mother in-law during a difficult time in both their journeys. Given the context, Ruth’s act of loyal clinging to Naomi is a great backdrop for an upbeat song about love and friendship, or even hanging in there with an unhappy mother in-law. We took Ruth’s ancient words and made them into a fun pop song that I hope she would be proud of.
- Arriving
- When studying the book of Ruth I was moved by the last verse in chapter one that details Ruth the Moabitess arriving at the gates of Bethlehem. After packing her bags, leaving her home, forsaking the old for the new, embracing a foreign culture, Ruth was finally arriving… after all this time. I could really identify with the feeling of arriving after an especially arduous passage. I wrote this song by myself and thus felt free to indulge in quirky verse chords and melodies juxtaposed with a pop chorus that I hope listeners can embrace on their own journeys. If nothing else, it was a fun little tune to write.
- I Lay Down
- One of the most moving bends in Ruth’s story is her journey to the threshing floor. I wanted to capture the vulnerability, the loneliness, the darkness of her walk to meet Boaz. Ruth had done everything God had asked her to do, and yet there came a time for simple surrender – to lay down at the feet of Boaz and wait. This so naturally corresponds with our own surrender to Jesus and so my hope was to capture the heart of this passage in a song we could all identify with. Sarah Hart couldn’t have set a sweeter melodic tone for this song on her piano, not to mention she’s a lyrical-idea a minute. I loved getting to write this with her and was thrilled with the production.
- Love Changes Everything
- One of my closest friends reminded me I needed a light, happy love song on this record, because if the book of Ruth is about anything, it’s just a little about love. Anadara Arnold, prolific singer/songwriter who has been part of the "No Other Gods" and "Ruth" studies from the beginning, brought her pop talents to the table. We wrote this fun little song about the simple, magical gift of romantic love. Nothing too deep or melancholy here, just a lot of fun and a tip of the hat to our favorite couple, Boaz and Ruth.
- Redeeming Love
- From the beginning of this project my heart was set on writing a song that spoke to the overarching theme of God’s redemption in the book of Ruth. I didn’t think I could capture what I had in mind on the guitar so once again I relied on Sarah Hart and her piano prowess to help get me there. We went round and round on this one, trying different chorus options, several melodies, etc. and eventually ended up with what’s on the record. My hope is that the listener will be drawn in by God’s relentless redemption, finding Him present and involved in the most difficult or glorious of seasons.
- What Do You See
- Written with Alli Rogers, gifted singer/songwriter and one of the original "No Other Gods" and "Ruth" girls. I was so thankful to get to write this one with her. Both of us were moved by how Boaz (wealthy, prominent, Hebrew land-owner) loved and cared for Ruth (widow, foreigner, lowly gleaner). We realized that Boaz saw Ruth for what she could be, not who she was in the moment. He saw beyond her poverty and heritage. We couldn’t help but think of the poor and the hurting in our own lives and how God has so clearly called us to love and extend ourselves. "What Do You See" asks the question: When looking at the lost and broken do we see a hopeless case of Jesus’ face?
- You Called My Name
- In the final chapter of Ruth, Boaz stands before the leaders at the town gate and announces that he is taking Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow to be his wife. When writing the Bible Study, this so moved me because Boaz didn’t shy away from proclaiming her full name, heritage and history to his audience. He proudly announced that he was redeeming Ruth – and everything that that meant – for Himself. It’s a beautiful picture of how Christ took all of us when He called our names. He didn’t just redeem the noble and lovely parts, but our entire beings and stories. Connie Harrington couldn’t have been more creative lyrically than she was on this one – I loved getting her touch on such an important element of God’s love for us.
- My Portion You Will Ever Be
- I have a relative who’s been in a hard season for several years now. The trials have been relentless and many questions remain unanswered. At one point his faith had dwindled to barely a flicker when he opened his Bible to the book of Lamentations, chapter 3. The author had suffered profoundly and yet discovered that no matter the arrows, the pain, the lack of understanding, the Lord was His portion. In that moment my relative realized he had been trying to find his portion in relationships, career, finances, etc. but that God was his portion. This reminded me of Naomi’s bitter complaints against God and how eventually she found His mercies to indeed be new every morning. This may be my most personal and intimate song on the record.
- Loss, Love & Legacy
- The title track of the record, I wrote this with Paul Buono, talented writer, producer, guitar player and long-time friend. I wanted a song that expressed what Ruth might have felt at the end of her life; what she might have said to us after looking back at her unimaginable and unpredictable journey. Given that her life was made up of loss, love and legacy, I figured she might have told us to hang on in faith, confident that if we cling to our Redeemer we will find the crown at the end of our lives. More specifically, that we will find Him. I haven’t gotten to run this past Ruth so all this is just a guess. I hope she approves because it’s one of my favorite tunes on the record.
- We Will Not Go
- Amazing God
- Rejoice
- Finer Day
- You
- Glory Be To God
- To Make Your Name Great
- Mercy Wakes
- Here Beneath The Cross
- First
- Streams
Wrestling With Angels
- This Is My Offering
- Open Up The Sky
- Shade
- Wrestling The Angels
- Love Has Come
- Say The Word
- Miss You Here
- Walk Me Through
- Yet Will I Praise
- Captives Dance
- You’re Listening
