Joy To The World, the first Christmas collection from celebrated worship leader Lincoln Brewster, released this October as one of the most anticipated holiday releases in the Christian genre this year. 

 

Highlights of the recording--produced by Brewster and Colby Wedgeworth--include "Little Drummer Boy," the project's debut radio single, featuring a guest appearance by KJ-52; "Shout For Joy," penned by Brewster, Paul Baloche and Jason Ingram; and "Our God," the worship favorite written by Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Jonas Myrin, which Brewster incorporated into Christmas services held last year at his home church in Sacramento. In addition, Joy To The World includes new arrangements of such classic carols as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "O Holy Night (Another Hallelujah)," among other selections. 

 

"Sometimes Christmas music can slip by as festive, and what we're singing about can be marginalized, so with Joy To The World, I wanted to try-as often as possible-to make the music sound like what the lyrics were saying," said Brewster. "We set out to do arrangements that hadn't been done before, a record with a modern edge, capturing a new take. Being a worship pastor, it's challenging to keep things fresh, but I think we got there. I'm really happy with the style and sound of each of these songs." I had the great opportunity to interview Lincoln about “Shout For Joy.” 
 

This song interestingly enough was started by Paul Baloche and Jason Ingram. I was working on some songs for my last album Real Life and I was sent this song. I really love the song and the message, but I felt like it needed a bridge. That’s where my writing piece came in. It has a sort of anthem feel, so I started writing a melodic, big voice idea for the bridge, taking the song one more step which led to these lyrics: “There is no other God like You,  We’ll sing the praises that You're due,  Jesus, You have saved us. There is no other God who reigns, You are the name above all names, Jesus, You have saved us.” I was really just trying to take the song to its highest level. Lyrically the song goes from having a tender interaction with us, to being as huge as He is. I was a recipient of the song rather than a writer, but I was glad I had a chance to contribute to it.

 

Psalm 33:3: "Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy."

 

... Psalm 66:1: "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!"

 

... and Isaiah 12:6: "Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!"

 

Sometimes Christians wonder if it’s allowed to be a little loud when we play music or sing in church. That’s based on rules that man has made rather than what God has said. If you look at the word rejoice in the Psalms it is translated “jump up and spin around wildly.” It is clearly not a calm gesture. If you look at the story of Joshua and Jericho, there’s something very spiritual and powerful about shouting. The last thing they did before the wall came down is they shouted. When we talk about the praise of God, we should shout it from the rooftops. We should get as excited about God with the same fervor as when our favorite sports teams score a touchdown, we should freak out. At sports events, people actually do what the Bible describes. I’ll talk about that before we sing this song at my church. This song is really trying to get the joy that is inside of believers displayed on the outside. 

 

 

Matthew Henry’s Bible commentary: “This is a psalm of praise; it is probable that David was the penman of it, but we are not told so, because God would have us look above the penmen of sacred writ, to that blessed Spirit that moved and guided them. The psalmist, in this psalm calls upon the righteous to praise God and furnishes us with matter for praise. We must praise God, For His justice, goodness, and truth, appearing in His Word, and in all His works. For His power appearing in the work of creation, for the sovereignty of His providence in the government of the world, for the peculiar favor which He bears to His own chosen people, which encourages them to trust in Him. We need not be at a loss for proper thoughts in singing this psalm, which so naturally expresses the pious affections of a devout soul towards God.”

 

This song is such a great statement of faith. For born again believers Christmas is a very Holy and reverent day. Although for most of the world, Christmas is a commercial day, we can all loudly proclaim lyrics to hymns of faith like “Joy To The World” this entire season leading up to the birth of our Savior, Jesus. This song “Shout For Joy” has some great proclamations to announce that Jesus is our Lord: “Morning Star, Son of God,  Our Savior, He’s the Saving One.” The song is exactly the type of catchy corporate worship song I’ve come to love from Lincoln Brewster, like “Love The Lord” and “Today Is The Day.” 

 

The song is instantly sing-able and worshipful with a great chorus, “Shout for joy, For the Son of God, Is the Saving One, He's the Saving One, Shout for joy, See what love has done, He has come for us, He's the Saving One.” Lincoln Brewster’s enthusiastic and reverent style of writing and singing praise and worship songs has consistently been a draw for me. Brewster’s prayerful sentiments are consistently filled with his personal adoration of God. What I really love about this song is how it is a call to shout for joy. God’s Name is worthy of proclamations of joy! It is a sweet sound for God to hear us shout His Name. We should not be ashamed to sing of our dependence on God and show Him reverence. What Jesus has done for us should cause us to “Shout for Joy!” Amen to that!

 

(You can listen to the song here.)