But I must say, this time, my first favorite is still my favorite. In my car, I'll specifically go to this song before going back and listening to the rest of the album. I love everything about this song. If you were driving near me when I was listening to it, I'd be the person dancing around in their car singing with their head thrown back and gesticulating wildly. My minivan doesn't have the subs in the trunk, but if it did, I'd have the car that had the obnoxiously blaring music when I drove through the neighborhood. For the record, I really enjoy this entire album (and I will state that it works much better in one sitting, as the outro of each song is the intro for the next, including the last song working into the first -- super artsy and nice), but this song is just my favorite.
This week I'm posting "Oh Happiness" from DC*B's Church Music.
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Friend or foe
Stranger or kin
All who come
Begin again
Hard or frail
Rich or poor
All in need
Need fear no more
Such a thing to give away
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
All regrets
Let go forget
There’s something that
Mends all of it
Such a thing to give away
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Sound the church bells let them ring
Let them ring, for everything can be redeemed
We can be redeemed, oh all of us
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Oh happiness, there’s grace
Enough for us and the whole human race
Yeah
Growing up I attended a pretty straight-laced Lutheran church. I have a lot of great memories from there -- it's where I went to school through 8th grade as well as where I first became involved in church music and I met Jesus there in a very real & personal way. That said, one thing that I remember was that emotions were always downplayed, happiness in particular. I understand why -- emotions are a fleeting thing. How I feel about something does not necessarily reflect the truth of the thing. We were taught about joy, but it was always emphasized that joy was a state of being, not a feeling and that one could be joyful even if they weren't feeling happy. Because of this, I think I was afraid to "feel" anything about my faith for a long time. I think I was worried that it would be shallow to just be happy. I mean, it certainly sounds "more spiritual" to say that you're joyful than to say that you're happy.
But you know what? Sometimes I am happy about my faith. I feel giggly and smiley and, well, happy about having a friend who loves me no matter what and who can't wait to spend time with me. That's a good feeling. And emotions are a good thing. And quite frankly, there is nothing that can inspire a good feeling like knowing that you're accepted and that redemption is a free gift. And it's free for you, for me and for everyone.
