WL: Was the transition from “House on a Hill” to “Comforter” intentional? The attention to detail between each song is exquisite. It feels like you are taking the listener on a journey. I don’t want to read too much into it, though. Please share your thoughts.
AMANDA: Yes! I love that you noticed this. I love that
you noticed the labor involved. The whole album feels like a heart map; not a map that tells you how to get from one place to another, but a map in which everything is connected. Everything is holy. Every piece of our journey is holy and connected. When we go to an evergreen forest, we can start to feel the trees. Their resonance has led to some of the most profound experiences I have ever had. There, I have a different perspective. I don’t feel so clouded and lost, and the continuity of the events in my life become more evident. To me, any good story has an arch. When I started this project, I thought that “The New Country” would be the first song and “Awakening” would be the final song. However, we ended up flipping that, seeking to place each song in the location that would facilitate the most significant impact and elicit the emotion and response from the listener, for the listener. “Comforter” encourages us to feel safe, let down our guard, be vulnerable, and be recognized for our true self. When we experience comfort, we can experience rest. When we burrow under the comforter on our bed, we soon meet with sleep--which is absolutely essential for healing. In much the same way, when we are cradled in the arms of the Comforter, we find peace and rest.
WL: Please tell us about the song “Awakening.” None of your lyrics seemed or felt contrived. You weave a lyrical tapestry.
wanted to capture the idea that we are resurrected and regenerated every morning. To us, those concepts are directly tied to Jesus on the cross. While He was dying in agony, He had a conversation with the Father about forgiving mankind. Forgiveness looks like and is so complete that Jesus can say, “Forgive them. Father, they know not what they do.” Grace is our awakening to a holy God. Forgiveness without shaming. We are waking up to the sunrise that has always been there whether we have recognized it or not.
WL: The theological phrasing of "I am Because You Are" is so thoughtful. Please tell the Worship Leader audience more about this song.
AMANDA: "I am Because You Are" embraces the idea
that humans cannot exist in isolation. Our humanity is bound up in each other, and we need connection. Desmond Tutu stated, “We can only be human together.” “I am” is the definition of who we are. Language gives us a source of connection. Thomas Merton has a profound take on this idea. “It is a risky thing to pray that our very prayers get between God and us. All praise is an action and not a reaction. In prayer, we discover what we already have. You start where you are, and you deepen what you already have, and you realize that you are already there.” I hope that House on a Hill encourages the Worship Leader audience to be lovers of Jesus Christ and lovers of life.
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AMANDA: I feel especially fond of talking about the
tapestry of lyrics. No man is an island, and I feel like more and more that the songs that I write are a thank you to writers of books that have moved me, found me and resurrected me. I enjoy being in a whimsical state. I get to partner with these geniuses who brilliantly read my soul back to me through a concept, idea, or a project that I am working through and help bring those ideas to life. “Awakening” was the result of the process of being thunder-struck by ideas that we exchanged in the writing room, and my hope is others would be moved by these profound ideas and stories as I was. We
20 W O R S H I P L E A D E R | W O R S H I P L E A D E R .C O M | VO L . 28, N O. 2
DA R RY L
B RYA N T
FORMER GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SANTA FE SCREENWRITING CONFERENCE, MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING
Darryl has been exposed to all genres of music having grown up in a musical family and touring the country. He studied sound engineering with Stephen English at Sound Factory recording studio, and is currently a PhD student at Grand Canyon University.