Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

The premise of this CD is slightly different from most in that it is a recording of a "time of refreshing" for worship ministry leaders. Stephen comes across as very genuine in his ministry and states, "I had a pull in my spirit to bring worship leaders no one knew together and create a place of healing and ministry that allowed God through me to minister to them." Most songs are written by Stephen and Justin Savage, the producer of the recording, with an additional smattering of well-known hymns/songs along with a verbal encouragement not to neglect our heritage of hymns. Musically the band is very tight, coupled with an excellent brass section and the rich strings of The Nashville String Machine, underpinning a very capable choir. "The Water" is particularly worth mentioning, having a lovely string arrangement and a lyric encouraging us to find a special place where we can meet with God. On the downside, Stephen's repetitious shouted exhortations become somewhat tiresome upon repeat listening - for example, the shouted "Come on" is repeated 29 times at the start of "Great Name". Plus there are some songs with strong lyrics, but others which never progress beyond the level of declaring that "Mighty is your name" or "Come and make some noise."

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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