Newly independent worship band Starfield returns with 10 new songs that are designed to stoke the fires of spiritual renewal in the listener. The Kingdom is a vital new addition to their body of worship work, and is about to make its way deep into the heart of the local church. 

With the momentum of a prolific songwriting catalog behind them (“Rediscover You”, “Reign In Us”, “Filled With Your Glory”), and the path cut by a visionary new project ahead of them, Starfield is securing its place among the most thoughtful and forward-thinking worship artists of our day. The Kingdom project reveals the wonder and the wandering so common to the human experience, and so central to Starfield’s writing. 

Starfield’s catalog of albums has managed to get deeper and more challenging with each release, connecting with me personally and captivating me musically. The Kingdom is now my top overall album by Starfield, loaded with sing-able and meaningful songs for the Church. I had the great opportunity to interview Starfield’s lead singer Tim Neufeld about the title track "The Kingdom." 

Please tell me the background story behind writing the song “The Kingdom.”

This song started as another song, and when we write songs, we tend to binge write. When we decide to start writing songs, we tend to write about whatever is in our subconscious at the moment—musically, lyrically, and theologically. One of the theological ideas that was present in almost every song initially was about the Kingdom of God. The concept of the Kingdom of God is all encompassing. It was here before us, and it will go on after us. We find ourselves in it, and it takes the pressure off of us to decide who is “us,” and who is “them.” We don’t have to police the world. The Kingdom frees us to be lovers–to be exactly what Christ has called us to be. There are a lot of songs about The Lord’s Prayer that include language about God’s Kingdom. Jesus touched on the concept in the Gospels time and again. That’s the heart behind the song.

Did you base the song on any Bible verses?

Luke 11:1-4: “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.’”

What's the takeaway message for listeners from the song and new album? 

I want people to connect. Our desire with every passing album and year of life experience is to be more honest, more transparent, and hopefully more able to formulate the theology present in our albums and songs. Each album is a progression on the same theme–we are wandering on a sojourner’s path that is often without resolution. While some songs on the album explore the deep challenges of being human, the album also reflects an increased optimism. We have higher aspirations than we’ve ever had before in an album and we have to resist the unspoken pressure to have a more epic and beautiful revelation with every passing record. We continue to target timeless truths, and crafts lyrical melodies that are variations on one central theme: the unrelenting, irresistible Gospel. We all want to be a part of a big movement. But I want to get beyond that; I want to be moved. So does everyone else. Each track on The Kingdom invites the participant to move--to move forward with God in surrender, forward with one another in community, and forward in tenacious mission and lavish worship. 

Now that we’re an independent band, we did some soul searching, musically. There was something exciting, kind of scary and inspiring about making this album completely on our own. If we could rewrite the rules and start fresh, we wanted to make music that reflects what we love musically, so that’s what we did. At first it was experimentation, and then it became our sound. On about half the new album, we found ourselves doing things differently like incorporating gang vocals as a choir of guys. It ended up throughout the album including the title track.

Lyrics:
Oh Oh Oh
We have come to testify
Oh Oh Oh
Our God is surely Great
Oh Oh Oh
His love is like a river wide
So let everyone beneath His skies
Lift their voice and sing

For the Kingdom of our God
Carries on
Carries on
Carries on

Oh Oh Oh
His kingdom is inside of you
Oh Oh Oh
It’s everywhere you are
Oh Oh Oh
Celebrate your life made new
Come on let His freedom bloom
Lift your voice and sing

For the Kingdom of our God
Carries on
Carries on
Carries on

Everybody sing Hallelujah

Matthew Henry’s commentary on Luke 11:1-4: “Lord, teach us to pray is a good prayer, and a very needful one, for Jesus Christ only can teach us, by His word and Spirit, how to pray. Lord, teach me what it is to pray; Lord, stir up and quicken me to the duty; Lord, direct me what to pray for; teach me what I should say. Christ taught them a prayer, much the same that He had given before in His sermon upon the mount. Let us in our requests, both for others and for ourselves, come to our heavenly Father, confiding in His power and goodness.”

Just like the hit song “Manifesto” by The City Harmonic, “The Kingdom” by Starfield is the type of song I wish I was singing at my church right now. The song boldly declares a statement of faith: “We have come to testify, God is surely great, love is like a river wide, let everyone beneath His skies, lift their voice and sing, for the Kingdom of our God carries on, carries on, carries on. His Kingdom is inside of you, it’s everywhere you are.” Amen to that! This worship anthem is just the type of infusion that the Church needs with its honesty and bold lyrics. I get totally swept up by the bridge: “everybody sing Hallelujah!”

This worship anthem is just the type of infusion that the church needs with its honesty and bold lyrics. I think Starfield has a great opportunity to reach the lost for the Kingdom of God with their transparent lyrics and incredible musical talent. This album completely rocks and is loaded with songs you can proudly share with your friends and family. The themes of this album are trusting God, loving Him and loving others as He loved us.