A church movement based in Nashville, Tennessee, The Belonging Co, has been releasing music as a collective since 2014. With a heart for others and a love for sharing the freedom of God, each song they create is made to cherish His presence. Even more so, the group prays the life their music holds is truly the breath of God, not just temporary words. The group phrase this desire beautifully, "We desire encounter over entertainment, intimacy over the industry, presence over presentation, people over position--and most of all, Jesus over everything."
Most recently, The Belonging Co released the album Now (Live) which captured moments within the church with the purpose of inviting the listener into an encounter with God. Here's a look at two songs from the record.
"Your Nature"
Sing out o barren woman sing out o broken man
Stretch out your hands believing this is your promised land
Break out of disappointment break out of hopelessness
Stretch out your hands believing this is your promised land
There is one specific word in this song that I find especially powerful. Many of us tend to gravitate toward the lengthy phrases of praise that help us see Jesus in a new light and while that's not a bad thing, I found God using an especially strong spirit of precision to speak to me recently.
"Believing," He reminded me, is a process. "Believing," He said, is a choice. "Believing," He explained, is not always easy. I found the present tense of the word "believing" to be powerful and, as contemporary singer–and group member–Kari Jobe so beautifully sang it again and again, it resonated deeper within me.
Belief is not something we choose to do once, expecting it to hold firm for the rest of our life. Life will tear that down almost immediately because God is a God of love. That does not mean we will not face tribulations meant to test our faith. Those trials are when our belief is called into question and most easily shaken out of our grip. It is then that instead of looking around at the struggle, we must look up to the Savior.
The band sings, "Do not stay in Your disappointment/But stand up and worship and praise Him." This isn't always easy. On some days, faith might be more difficult to muster than on others. But believing in God will always remain an option. I speak from experience when I say that placed next to what the world has to offer, it still remains the best choice.
"This Is Freedom (Ain't No Rock)"
You set my soul on fire, it's the reason that I can't
Wait to get to the house, join in the praise
Lift up a song with the angels and saints
Ain't got no time to hesitate
This upbeat, melodic track was something that, to be honest, I wasn't expecting on this album. Regardless of my preconceived notions, I found the song to be an uplifting reflection of God's grace. It drew me out of my comfort zone and into praise. Group member and contemporary artist Natalie Grant do an amazing job leading the song in so many ways. But what stood out to me was the intense fixation on Jesus.
Even though the musical side of this tune was wonderful, it was apparent that the hearts of the band were not focused on that. I felt that if the music fell apart, they'd still be praising His name. Reflecting on this logic, I began to apply this truth to my own life. If God stripped away everything I valued in material goods and temporary earthly praise, would I still be strong enough in my faith to continue worshiping Him?
Honestly, my "yes" had a bit of hesitation to it, making me reconsider my priorities. And yet again, I had to push Jesus to the forefront of my life. I'm so grateful that every time I come running back to Jesus, I can say, "I got a new beginning, my past has been erased." He is my freedom and His forgiveness is overflowing. Enter into His presence today and experience the grace that makes everything else fade away.
Selena Schulz is NRT’s youngest staff contributor. She loves God, music, reading, and writing.
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