“Noel” New Christmas Album
Posted: December 12, 2023 Filed under: Monday Morning Music | Tags: christmas, holiday, music, noel, rock Leave a commentHey everyone! Merry Christmas!! You probably aren’t aware of this, but I quietly released a Christmas album last year (actually, part 1 of a Christmas album). Would love to invite you to take a break from Mariah Carey (no offense, I love all Christmas songs) and listen to some Savior-focused holiday songs during this festive season of celebrating Jesus’ entry to planet earth.
Here is one of the songs from the album, “The First Noel,” where I put my own take on this Christmas song (and throw in a bit of Pachelbel Canon).
Links to JBC Noel Part 1 album:
https://songwhip.com/jbriancraig/noel-part-1
The First Noel – JBC Version
Verse:
C / G/B / Am / G
F / C/E / F / G
C / G/B / Am / G
F / C/E / F / G
Break:
C / G/B / Am / G
F / C/E / F / G
C / G/B / Am / G
F / C/E / G (break)
Interlude:
C / G/B / Am / Em
F / C/E / F / G
New Song, “Yahweh”
Posted: December 4, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: amazing-grace, god, gratitude, love, music, praise, worship Leave a commentThanks so much for all of you who continue to pray for me and encourage me in my health journey. I am coming up on one year since life changed dramatically for me, and I’m still processing and learning, living each day grateful for every moment. I wanted to share a new song today that was inspired a year or two ago by spending a lot of time in the Torah, specifically via the Bible Project podcast (which I referenced in my post last week as well). I feel like God was preparing me for my present struggle with a lot of foundational study about the ancient faith and cosmic story I get to be a part of. I know whatever happens with my cancer, Life carries on and I am grateful for whatever part I get to play in all the heavens and earth declaring the praise of my God and creator, YHWH. I love that a couple little birds couldn’t help but join in as I was singing this song of praise (listen and you’ll hear their beautiful voices).
Yahweh
Israel
Chosen servant
Holy nation saved
Promised land
Law observant
Fractured and afraid
So he came
Humble manger
Our Creator near
Here he dwells
Word now living
God of Torah here
All the heavens declaring your praise
All the nations bow down and afraid
Here we call on your Almighty Name Yahweh
As the perfect reflection He came
And by no other Way are we saved
We’re baptized and reborn in His Name
Yahweh
With one voice
Sing with joy we
Gather in your name
Jesus saves
Jesus makes us
Whole again, remade
What a fellowship
What a joy divine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness
What a peace is mine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Verse
G#m / C#m / G#m / C#m
G#m / C#m / A2 / A2
Chorus
E / Bsus / C#m / A2
E / Bsus / A2 / A2
Bridge (Leaning On the Everlasting Arms)
E / Bsus / C#m / A2 Bsus
Heavens Declare (Lyric Video)
Posted: November 27, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThanks so much for all of you who have been praying for me and my health. I’m doing OK these days. Clean MRI last week so I’m super pumped about that! Still using my Optune device and praying for many more years to be with my family and get to serve the church this side of paradise. God is so very good to me and I just want to get to fulfill the tasks he has laid out for me, to run the race with perseverance he’s given me to run. Wanted to share this song today, “Heaven’s Declare.” I wrote this one about 5 or 6 years ago while on summer vacation up in the mountains of Evergreen Colorado, looking at the stars and meditating on Psalm 19. I was also thinking about our upcoming youth camp and writing an upbeat praise song that would be fun to sing with the youngsters, especially on our “starlight devotional” night. Since then I have been learning so much more about the heavens and earth, the stars, the elohim, the “sons of God,” so much more than I could even begin to talk about here, but I would recommend the whole catalogue of the Bible Project podcast, which provides some really great scholarly teaching in a very approachable format. It has been helping me so much to re-evaluate my whole cosmology, gaining so much more appreciation for the ancient worldview that informed the biblical authors. (I was thinking about this when I created the artwork for the album cover. See also this great book on the topic by Michael Heiser, a Bible scholar I’ve been reading recently.) These new (old) insights have been providing enlightenment and encouragement in my own spiritual battle, and more depth of meaning to my daily Bible studies and appreciation for God’s creation and constant reminders of his presence.
Heaven’s Declare – New Worship Album Release
Posted: November 21, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized 3 Comments
So excited to finally release this new album of 15 worship songs! Some of these are new, some have been in the works for many years. Most all are written for congregational use–a few we’ve been singing for years already, and a few we have yet to try out with our worship team and Sunday gathering. Love to hear your feedback on the songs! In this video I discuss the project with my friends who helped me with it. Listen at these links: https://songwhip.com/jbriancraig/heavens-declare
He’s Got the Future In His Hands (Repost)
Posted: November 13, 2023 Filed under: Monday Morning Music Leave a commentHey guys, happy Monday. I am excited about new music coming…just finished all the uploads for a new worship album with 15 songs on it so watch for that coming soon. But for today, I wanted to share a song you have probably not heard (based on the reporting) but it’s a fun song with a timely message, God’s “got the future in his hands.” There is a lot going on in our world right now (and in my own life, maybe yours as well). Every day I make a choice to surrender my future to God and trust he’s got it figured out. Each verse of the song has a different story from the Bible about different characters that trusted in something other than God for the future. Below is a new lyric video from the song, which I recorded back in 2015 or so (and see this 2016 post for more about the song). Why not submit to the master plan—‘cause he got the future in his hands.
Music and Mental Health (Interview with Kyle Spears)
Posted: October 23, 2023 Filed under: Monday Morning Music Leave a commentI was recently invited to join Kyle Spears on his “Truth Trauma Theology” podcast for a conversation about the relationship between music and mental health. We were having a conversation about my recent album “Wait for the Lord My Soul” but along the way we ended up speaking about deep questions of faith, processing loss and learning surrender. We discussed some of the challenges we are dealing with in our church and ways God is producing change in us. Please give it a listen! And please share it with anyone else who would be encouraged by our conversation.
Come Along
Posted: September 4, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 CommentI wanted to share a song today from yesterday’s live stream. In the video I give the background for the song, which is written from the perspective of the church to the outside world, our friends and neighbors, appealing to them to join us in following Jesus. Here are the lyrics and chords. Also I’m including the latest draft of the studio version (just audio, no video), which I’ve been working on for a new forthcoming album (due out in a month or so).
Come Along – 2023 mix
Ordinary men and women
Come together, to catch a glimpse of heaven
On a search for heaven
What’s mine is yours and yours is mine
We’ll be together for all time in heaven
Up in heaven
Come along see what we’ve found
We got our problems
We got our ups and downs but we’re
Growing stronger on the Way
We need each other
We’re gonna make there someday
We want you to see it too
Find a deeper point of view of heaven
See what’s in heaven
Open up and look inside
We’re all the same, we’re built for finding heaven
On a search for heaven
Come along see what we’ve found
We got our problems
We got our ups and downs but we’re
Growing stronger on the Way
We need each other
We’re gonna make there someday
We’ve got the Spirit on our way
We’ve got the Spirit
COME ALONG (in D)
Verse
D / D / G / G
Bm / Bm / A / A
D / D / G / G
Bm / Bm / A / A
Chorus
Bm / Bm / G / G
D / D / A / A
Bm / Bm / G / G
D / D / A / A
Bridge
G / D / A / Bm
G / D / A / A
The Promise of Presence
Posted: August 21, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
Yesterday was a victory and a blessing to get to preach a sermon for the first time since my surgery in early January. Even with (former) hurricane Hillary bearing down on us, many of us were able to gather for worship, and I got to share a bit of my story. I decided to post the sermon in this space (see southbaychurch.us for the full service), as many who follow my music and online postings have been praying for me, and might be interested to listen. Thank you so much for your support and love and continued prayers!
His presence is our promise!
He Loves Me
Posted: August 7, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentIn this video I share a bit about the song “He Loves Me,” which appears on my recent album “Wait for the Lord My Soul.” I wrote this song many years ago — perhaps it’s more of a private reflection than a “church song” categorically, but as I share in the video, it’s an example of working out my own struggles and insecurities and landing in a secure spot, confident of God’s love.
Only You (by Henry Solano and Turning Point Collective)
Posted: July 31, 2023 Filed under: Monday Morning Music Leave a comment
Recently I got to go up to one of my favorite places on earth — youth camp. We sang this song written by my friend Henry, which was introduced at camp last year. He shared that it was written during a difficult time battling depression, which makes the lyrics even more powerful. I love to promote music written by other disciples —please sing and share this song!
ONLY YOU – song links for all music platforms: https://songwhip.com/turningpointcollective/only-you
Monday Morning Music 