Songs For the Church: the Music of CityAlight

I have had another “religious experience.” In a good way. In the days since I finally gave my life to The LORD in the 80s, I have enjoyed some encounters with him which have touched me deeply. For example, when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and was given the gift of tongues. There was a moment almost five years ago in an Orthodox Cathedral in St Petersburg, Russia, of all places, too. I couldn’t understand a word that was said but I felt that I was in the very Presence of the Ancient of Days (I wrote about that experience in a previous post). Yet one of the deepest, and sustained, experiences of having my heart “strangely warmed” by the presence and goodness of Jesus, however, has happened recently in my experience of the music of CityAlight—a team of young people who lead worship in song at St Paul’s Anglican in Castle Hill, Sydney, Australia. I thought it would have petered out by now. But it hasn’t so I thought I’d better file a report. 

I first encountered their music at a Church Renewal Conference hosted by Southland Church in Steinbach, Manitoba, in January 2018. The worship in song team led us in singing a song called I Want to Know You; one of the songs from CityAlight’s Only A Holy God album. Its lyric phrase “ever, only Jesus” nailed me. I wept. Understand. I am a guy. I was not feeling sad or emotional. And it wasn’t even that it was the CityAlight recording featuring the angelic voice of the young woman who sings it. It was the Southland worship band. But I wept and I wanted to know Jesus more. Soon after I brought the song home to my church, St Barnabas, Medicine Hat, where I was on the roster for worship in song leading from time to time. As I taught it to the congregation; in a very traditional Anglican setting with stained glass and all the trimmings; no band, just guitar, piano and a few voices; some wept as they were learning it and singing it for the first time. There is something about these young people and their music. 

Now, almost two years later, I have all three CityAlight albums in a playlist on my iPhone, and I still listen to them on shuffle almost every day as I walk our little dog. Tears are stirred up occasionally. I am not feeling sad or emotional, mind. I am in good health walking my dog in pleasant surroundings and yet the music sometimes makes me weep with—what? Joy, longing, regret. The presence of The LORD Himself in inspired music for the church. Anointed, as the charismatics say. All of the above?

On their excellent website, CityAlight describe themselves and their music as follows:

The sound of a church singing has preceded almost every great revival in church history. The church is God’s witness and representative on earth. Is there any wonder that a tremendous power comes about when the representative voice of God in the earth is singing.

We desire to get out of the way so the truth upon which all our songs are built can properly shine. We pray that the lyrics and melodies of these songs would fix eyes and hearts and minds on Jesus. We pray that our songs might join the many thousands of songs written through history to encourage the church, and when they have played their role, to make way for the next ones. And we rejoice that one day the only name left standing will be the name of Jesus, as it should be.

 Revival. Jesus: the only name left standing! Amen to that!

The website also includes videos of each song plus lyrics, chords and music. The notes for their 2016 album Only A Holy God say this:

These are songs for the church. Like you, we love to hear the church of Jesus sing his praises. And so these are biblical truths put to very simple melodies. We worked hard, we prayed over them. We sung them here at home and have been blessed by them. And now we are thrilled that you have them in your own hands. We pray that your heart would be encouraged, your church united, and our God glorified as you sing these songs to Him.

I don’t get the opportunity to lead worship in song very often these days. We’ve only been in Regina for a few months. But CityAlight music and the need to share it in worship is building up within me. When I do get the opportunity The LORD will be thoroughly worshipped using these biblical truths, simple melodies in songs for the Church as often as I can. 

Love in Jesus, 

Gene+