Reviewed by Clive McLaren

The words on this double CD were written by an unknown Psalmist who may have been an Essene in first century Syria who realised that Jesus was indeed the long awaited Jewish Messiah. His 42 odes had been lost in antiquity until re-discovered in 1909. Composer, producer and musician John Schreiner and songwriter Eddy Duhan have created a superb synthesis using the words from the odist's ecstatic worship of Jesus Christ with contemporary worship and praise styles. This amazing compilation is much more than just a well produced and performed worship album; it bridges the gap of two millennia in Christian praise of the Messiah Jesus. The listener is enticed to go deeper in praise and perhaps picture the earliest disciples desiring only that their Saviour would return. That level of worship is very much needed by many of us today. To get a fuller appreciation of how this project came together I recommend the reader go to http://theodesproject.net . A rich and enjoyable collection of meaningful worship.

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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Imagine joining voices in worship with the first Christians. Imagine singing their songs of praise, standing together in spirit with those who first responded to the message of the gospel and from whom we have all learned our faith.

That is what is available through the songs of The Odes Project. It is a pilgrimage of praise with new music by John Andrew Schreiner and lyrics as old as the Church itself yet still fresh in the joy of the Lord.