The Contenders

I have enjoyed the efforts and musicianship of Sojourn Music for quite sometime now. Though they aren’t too well known in the contemporary Christian music world, but any Christian who appreciates sound theology coupled with good music will enjoy them. In the future, I’ll post some songs that I’ve personally enjoyed from them, but I’ll start it off with a song called “Only Your Blood.”

Here is their bio description from their Facebook page.

Since our inception in 2000, Sojourn has embraced the arts and provided a home for musicians, writers, film-makers and artists of all stripes. This site features the original music of Sojourn’s worship band, indigenous music birthed in community and drawing from many music traditions — music for congregational singing and personal contemplation, for lament and struggle, for discovery and joy, for praise and dialogue with our great God.

Our hope and desire for the universal body of Christ is a reinvigorated emphasis on music for worship and a return to the importance in which music was held by the people of God, who strove to create theologically-sound, thought-provoking and musically compelling songs to (and about) our Lord. To this end, we pray that Christians and churches everywhere will benefit from these songs, but also that they will “go and do the same,” learning the value of nurturing and raising up songwriters and musicians to create music for their own communities, glorifying God out of their own culture and speaking through the experiences of their own congregation.

Sojourn Music is an extension of the worship arts ministry of Louisville, KY’s Sojourn Community Church. Located in the historic Germantown neighborhood, Sojourn is a community of Christians birthed out of the marginalized culture at the heart of Louisville’s artistic center. We host an annual film festival as well as local and nationally-touring graphic art exhibits in our 57,000 square foot community center, The 930, and a concert series that has featured artists like Over The Rhine, the California Guitar Trio, the Greencards, Bill Frisell and founding member of The Jayhawks, Mark Olsen, with upcoming appearances by My Brightest Diamond, Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken, and Jose Gonzalez. Our story has been documented by ABC News and various print publications.

Through our SEED initiative, HOPE program and other mercy ministries, we strive to be a church “in the city, for the city” that improves the quality of life for all of Louisville’s residents, particularly those without a voice and without the means to help themselves, because this is part of the gospel mandate. We hope to be a good neighbor and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with our hands, our feet, our hearts and our songs.

Justin Taylor also blogged about this song.

Only Your Blood Is Enough

I am ashamed, conceived in sin, I’ve always been.
Born in a world where Adam’s fall corrupts us.
Rooted is the seed of death in life’s first breath.
The law demands a perfect heart, but I’m defiled in every part

For only Your blood is enough to cover my sin
Only Your blood is enough to cover me

All this guilt disturbs my peace; I find no release.
Who will save me from my crime? I’m helpless.
Behold, I fall before Your face in need of grace.
So speak to me in a gentle voice, for in Your mercies I rejoice.

For only Your blood is enough to cover my sin
Only Your blood is enough to cover me

Lord, create my heart anew (Father, come and make us wise)
Only You are pure and true (Lead us away from our demise)
Lord, You are the remedy (For only your blood can set us free)

For only Your blood can set us free; only Your blood can set us free

No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast
No hyssop branch, no priest,
No running brook, no flood, no sea
Can wash away this stain from me

For only Your blood is enough to cover my sin
For only Your blood is enough to cover me