Brian Doerksen - Today http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2004/doerksentoday...

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Reviews Main | E-mail Us | About Us Music Search Home > Music > Reviews E-mail this page enter here Printer version Features Brian Doerksen Artists RSS Feeds Reviews Today Interviews (Hosanna!/Integrity) Music Features Commentaries Released August 2004 Music Reviews Music Store reviewed by Russ Breimeier Upcoming Releases Glimpses of God SUBSCRIBE! News Sounds like … Doerksen's familiar Vineyard worship approach, blending traditional with contemporary by touching on pop, Positive, Practical, & We Recommend rock, Celtic, jazz, and traditional hymns. Uplifting Editors' Choice Best Albums of 2005 At a glance … available on CD and video, the combination of Our "Best-Of" Archives Doerksen's practical message with artistic expressions make Community Today a potent worship experience that could inspire churches Your Feedback to glorify God with similar zeal and diversity. Message Boards Free Music Newsletter Track Listing For 15 years, the contemporary worship scene 1. Today (As for Me and My Current House) Reviews has appreciated the music 2. Everlasting • Risk-free trial issue • Jeremy Camp: ministry of Brian 3. You Are Everything (Everything • Give A Gift Subscription Beyond Measure Doerksen, best known for I Need) • : Go such popular mainstays as 4. The River • Kelly Price: This Is "Come Now Is the Time to 5. My Redeemer (Into My Father's House) Who I Am Worship," "Refiner's Fire," • : 6. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Glimpses: Live "Hallelujah (Your Love Is 7. Fortress 144 • Ceili Rain: Amazing)," "Your Name Is 8. Refiner's Fire Whatever Holy," and "Light the Fire 9. Lead Us Lord (Dream Again) Makes You Dance Again." An insightful 10. Creation Calls 11. Faithful Father / Your • The Blair Band: songwriter, musician, and Celtic Sessions Faithfulness worship leader, Doerksen 12. Great Is Thy Faithfulness Current (pronounced Dirk-sen) has 13. Hear from Heaven Features yet to achieve the household 14. I See the Cross (choral name recognition of his introduction) Interviews: 15. I See the Cross • Amy Perry contemporaries Darlene 16. Today (reprise) • Newsboys Zschech or . In • Robert Randolph some ways, that might be a good thing, but that could • • Jared Anderson all change with Today, which could well be the worship • Jonny Lang album/event of 2004. • Mark Schultz • Today was recorded at Northview Church in Doerksen's

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hometown of Abbotsford, British Columbia. Were it not MUSIC DEVOTIONS Commentaries for the occasional rounds of applause between tracks, for teen girls • Worship Music: "I" you might not know this were a live performance from Tunes? the CD, because it's that well recorded. It's also Glimpses of available as a 90-minute video (DVD or VHS), and while God: the music stands on its own, the visuals that accompany • Live it are also powerful. After hearing this CD for the first Devotions based on • Bob Dylan time, I was elated to learn that there was a video for it stories from Christian as well. music's top female Other: artists • Christmas Music Wrap-Up 2006 Doerksen's inspiration for Today comes from Nehemiah Sale price: • Favorite Worship 4, which chronicles the work of the Israelites to rebuild $4.95 Albums of 2006 the walls of Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. More download now! specifically, the focus is on the halfway point—the Artist Pages crossroads at which God's people either give up hope out of fear and discouragement, or choose to persevere out Most Popular of faith and obedience. Doerksen impressively applies Search by Name • Michael W. Smith this slice of Bible history to all our lives through the • Chris Tomlin enter name • Casting Crowns application of worship and the arts. This is a thematic • David Crowder worship album, and there's no chance of missing the Or use: Band message either. The CD booklet includes photos, lyrics, Advanced Search to • MercyMe detailed song explanations with Scripture, and Doerksen's search by major, • Third Day overall rationale for the album. Additionally, the video region, cost, • Delirious includes plenty of spoken musings and teachings in affiliation, • enrollment, more! • Shawn McDonald between songs. • Jeremy Camp • P.O.D. The message that ties together all the songs is Shopping Mall • Mark Harris impressive in itself, but Doerksen also remembers that ChristianBook.com he is an artist, and Today is one of the most ambitious Music CDs|Downloads New/Updated undertakings in blended worship. The songs range from Books|Videos|Gifts • Adie Bible Studies • Fernando Ortega traditional hymns to soft inspirational pop to rocking modern worship, with a lot more wedged in between. The Christianaudio Books • Jared Anderson Christian History • Jeremy Camp music's core features the typical five-piece praise band, Classifieds • Jonny Lang colored by the wind instruments of Doerksen's friend Leadership Training • Nevertheless James Isaacs. On top of that, there's a 9-piece string Small Group • newsboys Resources • Phillips, Craig & section, a choir, and guest appearances by a jazz Dean ensemble and a children's choir. Featured Items • Pillar • Skillet Wait, there's more—it's easy to see why the thank you's • Smokie Norful in the liner notes are so extensive. Today also taps into • The Swift accompaniment from the visual arts, including stage design, lighting, costumes, interpretive dance, and Poll congregational sign language. Taking a page out of Pink Which of this year's Time Again: Amy Floyd's playbook, there are people dressed as Israelites Grant Live new Christmas that gradually build a wall at the foot of the stage albums sounds most by Amy Grant appealing to you? throughout the worship service. Later, a small regiment Reg: $17.98 of cloaked men carrying torches enters the sanctuary as Now: $12.99 • Todd Agnew a men's chorus sings "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," • Moya Brennan setting the stage for the spiritual warfare expressed in • Go Fish the funky pop/rock of "Fortress 144." A pleasant • Hillsong Australia • Israel & New Breed Vineyard styled pop/rock song like "Everlasting" is made • Mary Mary more vibrant with the addition of the choir, as dancers • with flags and ribbons make their way down the church Bless The Broken • NewSong aisles. And the aforementioned jazz ensemble helps give Road • Sufjan Stevens the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" a new spin while by Selah

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• Third Day remaining true to its tone and form. Reg: $18.98 • Matthew Ward Now: $13.99 • The Christmas to Clearly this is not just a concert, but rather a worship Remember service expressed through community effort. It's not • The Nativity Story: Sacred Songs often something like this is captured on CD and video, • Son of the Most short of a Billy Graham Crusade or a visit from the Pope. High: Songs from the Doerksen breathes new life into classics like "Refiner's Voice, Vol. 2 Fire," "Creation Calls," and "I See the Cross" while Take the poll effectively tying them into his message. The album does, however, rely as much on old material as it does new,

HOLIDAYS & leaving the title track (recently featured on Kathryn EVENTS Scott's solo debut) as the only new song to likely be • CTI Celebrates 50 Years! embraced by the church worldwide. Intentionally or not, HOT ISSUES: this worship team has set an example to stir the hearts • Israel-Lebanon of churches around the world. Today is proof that worship Conflict is as creative, vibrant, and meaningful as we choose to make it, and as God chooses to bless it. Related Channels Teens Men Brian Doerksen Women Singles Today Today's Christian (Hosanna!/Integrity) Released August 2004 Media Guide reviewed by Russ Breimeier Books & Culture Free Newsletter Movies Sign up for the Music Holidays & Hot Topics Connection Fun & Games Newsletter: your e-mail Copyright © Christian Music Today. Click for reprint information.

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