OFFERINGS-A WORSHIP ALBUM (2000, Essential) was Third Day’s
fourth major label album release. Nine
years later they’d be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The band’s line-up for the album is: Mac
Powell (vocals, acoustic guitar), David Carr (drums, percussion), Mark Lee
(guitars), Tai Anderson (bass), and Brad Avery (guitars). In the liner notes they write: “We hope that
this record gives you the feeling of actually being at a Third Day concert,
surrounded by your brothers and sisters in Christ, united in worship to the
Lord”.
‘King of Glory’ is one of three new songs on this
project. Monroe Jones plays keyboards on
this contemporary worship anthem that seeks to describe the Divine: “Who is
this King of glory with strength and majesty and wisdom beyond measure?/The
gracious King of kings/The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things/Who
is this King of glory?/He’s everything to me/His Name is Jesus, precious
Jesus/The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart/The King of glory”. ‘These Thousand Hills’ is a beautiful cover
of a 1990’s Jacob’s Trouble song that reflects both on nature and on the
atonement: “These thousand hills roll ever on/Footprints of a Mighty God/They
bring me to my knees in praise/Amazing love, amazing grace/Was on a hill my
Savior died/A broken heart and bleeding side/Hill of the Skull, Mount
Calvary/The blood He shed, He shed for me”.
‘Your Love Oh Lord’ from 1999’s TIME is a lovely ballad inspired by
Psalm 26: “Your love, oh Lord reaches to the heavens/Your faithfulness
stretches to the skies/And Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
yes/And Your justice flows like the ocean’s tide/And I will lift my voice/To
worship You my King/I will find my strength in the shadow of Your wings”.
‘Agnus Dei/Worthy’ combines a Michael W. Smith classic from
1990 with a Don Moen song from 1986 and here it results in a pleasant rock
ballad with great electric guitar work and then later quiets down. Here are some of the words: “Hallelujah,
hallelujah/For the Lord God Almighty reigns (2X)/Holy, You are holy/King of
Kings, Lord of lords/You are holy/Holy, You are holy/King of Kings, Lord of
lords/I worship You”. ‘Saved’ was penned
by Bob Dylan and Tim Drummond and was the title track for Dylan’s second
Christian album in 1980. On the version
here, Tabitha Fair and members of The Cobb Mass Choir provide background
vocals. It is an upbeat, toe-tapping
gospel number of Christian testimony: “Nobody to rescue me, nobody was there/I
was going down for the last time/By His mercy I’ve been spared/Not by works/By
faith in Him who called/For so long I’ve been hindered/For so long I’ve been
stalled/Now I’m saved by the blood of the Lamb/Thank God, I’ve been saved by
the blood of the Lamb.../I want to thank You Lord/I just want to thank You,
Lord/Thank You, Lord”.
‘My Hope is You’ is from 1997’s CONSPIRACY NO. 5, and is
drawn from the 25th Psalm: “I am, O Lord, filled with Your love/You
are, O God, my salvation/Guard my life and rescue me/My broken spirit shouts/My
mended heart cries out/My hope is You/Show me Your ways/Guide me in truth/In
all my days/My hope is You”. ‘You’re
Everywhere’ reflects on God’s omnipresence: “You’re everywhere, like the rain that’s
falling/You’re everywhere, like the wind that’s blowing/You’re everywhere, like
the sun upon my face/I feel the warmth in Your embrace/You are everywhere/My
Lord, now I truly know that I could never go from Your presence”.
‘Thief` is a moving rock story
song told from the perspective of one of the two men who were crucified with
Jesus: ``I am a thief, I am a murderer/Walking up this lonely hill/What have I
done?/No, I don’t remember/No one knows just how I feel/And I know that my time
is coming soon.../Who is this man?/This man beside me/They call the King of the
Jews/They don’t believe that He’s the Messiah/But somehow, I know it’s
true.../And He says ‘I tell the truth/Today, you will be with Me in paradise’”. ‘Consuming Fire’ is a blistering, blazing
rock song requesting revival: “Set this place on fire/Send Your Spirit,
Savior/Rescue from the mire/Show Your servant favor/Yesterday was the day that
I was alone/Now I’m in the presence of Almighty God/And yes, our God, is a
consuming fire/And the flames burn down deep in my soul/Yes, our God, He is a
consuming fire/He reaches inside and He melts down this cold heart of stone”.
Scotty Wilbanks plays the pump
organ and penny whistle on ‘All the Heavens’, a pretty and modern hymn of
praise and worship: “All the heavens cannot hold You, Lord/How much less to
dwell in me?/I can only make my one desire/Holding on to Thee/All the angels
exalt You on high/What a Kingdom to depart!/But You left Your throne in the
sky/Just to live inside my heart”. ‘Love
Song’ is a definite fan favorite! It is
one of three songs here from the band’s debut album. It is an adult contemporary ballad sung from
Jesus’ perspective: “And I know that You don’t understand the fullness of my
love/And how I died upon the cross for your sins/And I know that you don’t
realize how much that I give you/But I promise, well, I would do it all
again/And just to be with you, well, I’ve done everything/Well, there’s no
price I did not pay, no/Just to be with you, well, I gave everything/Yes, I gave
my life away”.
OFFERINGS-A WORSHIP ALBUM
includes both studio tracks and live performances. The audiences on the live songs are very
enthusiastic. This album is right up
there with the best contemporary praise and worship albums by Petra and
Sonicflood. Rock music can be used to
exalt the Lord and declare one’s love and gratitude towards Him. Youth and young adults, and some of their
parents even, can use this album as a tool for worshipping the Lord. I’m rating this one 98% and recommending it
to all who are born-again believers! For
more info visit: www.thirdday.com.