Steven Curtis Chapman was born in Paducah, Kentucky on
November 21, 1962. He released his debut
album FIRST HAND in 1987. It gave birth
to the song ‘Weak Days’ which peaked at #2 on the CCM chart. In 2013 Chapman released his sixteenth studio
album, THE GLORIOUS UNFOLDING, which was his first on Reunion Records. It was produced by Brent Milligan and
Chapman. The executive producer was
Terry Hemmings. It peaked at #27 on the
US Billboard 200 and #2 on the US Christian Albums (Billboard) chart. In a press release Steven said: “I’m more
convinced than ever that God does know the plans that He has for us and He will
finish what He started. God is telling
an amazing, glorious, epic story. We
have to decide if we will trust Him with it”.
Starting things off is the title track ‘Glorious
Unfolding’. Steven plays acoustic
guitar, piano, and mandola on it and there is a string arrangement by Carl
Marsh. It is a stellar adult contemporary
song of encouragement for the discouraged: “Lay your head down tonight/Take a
rest from the fight/Don’t try to figure it out/Just listen to what I’m
whispering to your heart/Cause I know this is not anything like you had
thought/The story of your life was gonna be/And it feels like the end has
started closing in on you, but it’s just not true/There’s so much of the story
that’s still yet to unfold/And this is going to be a glorious unfolding/Just
you wait and see and you will be amazed/You’ve just got to believe the story is
so far from over/So hold on to every promise God has made to us/And watch this
glorious unfolding”. The album’s debut
single became a #1 hit. On ‘Love Take Me
Over’ claps, stomps, bass, synth bass, electric guitar, and piano are
attributed to Brent Milligan. This happy
pop song has a catchy chorus: “Love, take these words that I’m speaking/Love,
take these thoughts that I’m thinking/Love, take me over/Love, fill up all of
my space and love, stand right here in my place/Love, hear this prayer that I’m
praying/Love, take me/Love, take me over (2X)”.
Steven, Scott Sheriff, and Herb Chapman sing backing vocals
on ‘Take Another Step’. This is one of
five songs that Steven’s son Will Franklin Chapman plays drums on. These lyrics admit that life isn’t always a
bed of roses: “Then the lightning flashed, the thunder crashed/And suddenly it
began to rain and everybody ran/Then the sky went as black as midnight/And you
couldn’t see/Paralyzed by what you just can’t understand/And now here you
are/You’re afraid to move/You don’t know where to go/You don’t know what to
do”. On ‘Something Beautiful’ Steven and
Luke Brown sing backing vocals. This
cheery pop song uses stomps and claps and speaks of God’s ability to redeem and
restore: “And God says ‘I’m gonna turn it into something different/I’m gonna
turn it into something good/I’m gonna take all the broken pieces/And make
something beautiful like only I could’/So put it all in the hands of the
Father/Give it up, give it all over to/The only One who can turn it
into/Something beautiful/Something really beautiful”.
‘Finish What He Started’ is a beautiful song that testifies
to God’s faithfulness to us: “And it may feel like 40 long days in a hard
driving rain/Or 40 years in a dry desert sand/But when He’s finished, we will
see a beautiful tapestry/And know that nothing has been wasted in the
end.../And we will stand as the ones completed/By the miracle of His love/We’ll
sing of His goodness and sing to His glory/As we tell the story of how God has,
He has finished what He started”. ‘Only
One and Only You’ is a lovely ballad that uses strings, horns, and
cymbals. It will encourage many females
who struggle with self-esteem: “I caught you looking in the window at your
reflection and I could see you were unimpressed/I watch you wither like a
willow at what you think are imperfections/When you compare you to all the
rest/And I wish I could find a way to make you see you the way I do/So I wrote
this song for you/You’re better than a Beethoven symphony/And Mona Lisa wishes
she could be a masterpiece like you/More than any Michelangelo/When I look at
you I know/There’s no other masterpiece like you/You are the one and only you”.
Steven wrote ‘See You in a Little While’ for Grandma
Chapman. It is a sentimental song with
substance: “I’ll see you in a little while (2X)/It won’t be long now/We’ll see
it on the other side/The wait was only the blink of an eye/So I’m not gonna say
goodbye/Cause I’ll see you in a little while/And just one more thing before I
let you go/Please tell my little girl I love her/Though I’m sure she already knows/And
ask the Father to please tell the Son/That we’re ready and waiting for Him to
come”. On ‘A Little More Time to Love’
Blair Masters plays the dulcimer and Stu Garrard plays electric guitar. This inspirational anthem encourages us to
care for the least of these: “There are little ones hungry for love of a
family/So many hungry for bread/On the left and the right, surrounded by the
last and the least/And just down the street and just across the table/Hungry
hearts are waiting to be fed/Cause deep in our soul we’re all longing to be at
the Feast.../We’ve got a little more time to do justly and love mercy/And show
the love we’ve been shown”.
Several of Steven’s family members contribute backing vocals
to ‘Sound of Your Voice’ including his wife Mary Beth. It is an adult contemporary number that
anticipates Heaven: “And I’ll close my eyes for a moment/When I open them
again/You’ll be standing there face to face/And I’ll sing for joy and I will
finally hear Your voice”. ‘Together’ is
a moving adult contemporary ballad: “We’ve climbed up mountains higher than
were ever in our hopes and plans/We’ve held onto each other’s hands/Watched
miracles unfold together/And we’ve crawled on our hands and knees/Through
valleys cold and dark and deep/Sometimes not even sure if we could make it out
alive together/And if it wasn’t for God’s mercy and His grace/There’s no way we
would be standing in this place”.
In 2008 Steven and Mary Beth’s adopted daughter Maria Sue
Chunxi Chapman was accidentally run over in their driveway by their son Will
Franklin. On ‘Michael and Maria’ Andy
Leftwich plays mandolin and violin. Sam
Levine plays the penny whistle. The song
deals with grief: “We never knew how much our hearts could hurt until we lost
you/I know we didn’t really lose you/That’s just how it feels down here/Right
now it seems we’ll never understand God’s higher ways/But we are trusting Him
until the day we do/And He will carry us, just like He carries you/So Michael
and Maria, we’ll see you soon”. ‘Feet of
Jesus’ finds Steven setting a good spiritual example for us: “In the arms of
Jesus, I will find my peace and rest/I hear Him calling ‘Come to Me and
rest’/Carried by my Shepherd, cradled tightly to His chest/There and there
alone, my soul finds rest”.
THE GLORIOUS UNFOLDING is a superb adult contemporary album
with pop and inspirational influences as well.
This is an album that shows great spiritual maturity. The lyrics place full and total faith and
trust in God even if one’s circumstances in life are less than desirable or
even a living hell. Ultimately Mr.
Chapman makes it clear that he has a sure and strong hope in the life to come,
in eternity, in Heaven. There there will
be no more sorrow, suffering, or trials and troubles of any kind. I’m rating THE GLORIOUS UNFOLDING a perfect
100%. For more info visit: www.stevencurtischapman.com, www.providentlabelgroup.com, and www.showhope.org.