Album Review:"Cultivation Generation: My Foundation"; Movie Review:"Unconditional"; & FREE Song Download

Welcome to Digital Worship News, Edition 54. This issue includes three resources. The first is a review of a new youth worship album "Cultivation Generation: My Foundation". Second is a movie review of the film- Unconditional! Finally, we have a FREE Song download of the Jeremiah Carlson song "My Soul Longs"! We think you'll enjoy all three resources!

blessings,
Kim Gentes

My Foundation is the latest release from a youth-infused Vineyard Worship event. The project is a live recording from its recent Cultivation Generation young adult conference held in Boise, ID. The house band for the event has been The Neverclaim, a youth rock worship group led by Jeremiah Carlson, who forms the foundation of the sound and track contributions on this album. And that is a good thing.

Carlson takes the vocals on both the lead track and three others, giving a musical style and thematic bent that is reminiscent of Jesus Culture and Forerunner/IHOP (Kansas City) music. Stylistically, electric guitar driven rock ballads set the stage for a mixture of eschatologically centered lyrics ("my soul longs for the coming of the Risen Lord") and triumphalist refrains ("with a shout sin is finished, death and sin have been defeated. Now we stand victorious"). Tracks with the Neverclaim nod to similarities not only to the aforementioned, Jesus Culture, but hints of Hillsong United, and Planetshakers breakthrough with a touch of Mumford & Sons thrown in to stir up the mix...

...I really enjoyed this album from Vineyard Worship. While it's origins are youthful, the songs are largely congregational for any modern worship centered church. There is much to investigate on this project, but be sure not to miss tracks 1, 2, 8 and 12 which, in my opinion, are ready candidates for fresh winds of worship for your local church....

Click here for the rest of the article, and please join in and share your own thoughts!

Samantha Crawford and Joe Bradford (played by Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy respectively) are two adults whose lives have re-intersected after having been apart since childhood. The stories of their intervening years were markedly different. Joe's life was a redemptive story of "meeting God in prison" that led him to a life of serving at-risk children. Sam's life was of the childhood artist whose idyllic adult marriage and young adult experience turns terribly tragic with the death of her saintly husband. The two main characters had grown up as best friends in grade school, but after drifting apart beyond childhood, are reunited by a seemingly random event in which their paths cross again....

As a Christian, I have always been interested in seeing quality art and media that reflected personal glimpses into real faith. But I, conversely, have seen so much half-hearted, poorly-produced modern media (done in the name of Christian values) that the potential of a strong story is lost in a schmaltzy presentation done by sub par participants. Let me be clear, "Unconditional" is the first film I have seen that has modern film chops while exploring hopeful, spiritual possibilities. It's not a hackneyed "Christian film". And thank God...

...This is the first time, in a long time, that I've been emotionally engaged in a movie and not felt guilty for it- this story has the ability to grip you. I strongly encourage you to consider seeing this movie...I highly recommend "Unconditional!" Go see it!

Read full review HERE...

A big thanks to our friends at Vineyard Music have also granted us permission to give you access to the audio and chord chart for the song "My Soul Longs" as a free download for a limited time directly here, so you will find it below.

My Soul Longs is written by Jeremiah Carlson and is a great song for congregational worship. If you haven't had a chance to here or try it out in your local church, download it here. Included is both an audio MP3 and a PDF chord chart.

worshiping Him!

Kim Gentes

Free Song Download "My Soul Longs" from Jeremiah Carlson

Click here to download the free song MP3 and chord chart!