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A Conversation with Chris Tomlin
By Mark Bennardo and Jim Mueller Chris Tomlin's new album, Arriving is due in stores September 21st; his first solo release in two years.
We recently talked with Chris about the new record, how he views his place in the world of Christian music and even his current relationship status. Chris, in the last several years we've seen a shift in the Christian music industry, with the lines between "praise and worship" and "performance-oriented" music becoming more and more blurred. How do you view yourself in that world? I think it's all Christian music, it's all music, Gospel music. I think it's all music for the kingdom and for God. We just try to be faithful to that and we definitely write in a way and have a heart for the church to hear the songs and to sing the songs. And that's definitely where we are. You obviously have a heart for ministry, is it challenging to have to go out and "promote" an album that is geared toward worship and ministry? 
Not at all, not at all. I don't have a challenge at all. It's weird. If it was about myself it would be hard, but I don't feel like I'm promoting myself when I promote this music, I really don't. I feel like I'm promoting God and talking about God. And that's a good thing. I feel like when people put this in, they're not going to be like, "Oh, it's more of Chris Tomlin". I hope they put it in and say, "It's more of God, it's more of the singing of worship, of songs about God and to God". So it makes it a lot easier. It takes any kind of self-promotion away. That's a great answer. Tell us, how did you become a worship leader? I guess from a kid I've loved music and my dad taught me to play when I was a kid and I grew up on country music, of all things — — I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but go ahead. (laughter) You can edit (laughter). But, my dad taught me to play and I just loved music and I loved to sing at church and I'd sing and when I got older, to write songs. I began to get opportunities to play from different little youth groups. I didn't even know how that was really happening as much, but by the time I was in college, I was asked for these little weekend retreats and stuff for youth groups and I just quickly, quickly learned that God had given me a gift to lead people to sing to Him; not so much as let people just listen to me — I didn't feel like I was very good at that — but I felt like, for some reason, that God had given me this way with people and the gift to lead people to Him and not so much to myself. And as I began to learn that I began to try to write songs that way. You know, Chris, different artists describe the different ways they go about writing songs — and everybody's a little bit different — where would you say you find the inspiration for the songs that you write? Definitely scripture for me. Different sections of scripture that jump out and kind of, they are themes for writing. Like "Forever" was Psalm 136. "We Fall Down" — Revelation 4. I love those. Those passages just jump out at me and become a song. Also, when I'm writing songs, I keep in mind people in the congregation. First it's to God, and then to people — and how can I write this in a way that someone who's tone deaf and who can't clap on two and four knows how to express themselves to God. There are so many great songs on the new record and they're all so singable — as you were just talking about — and easy to engage with. Do you have a favorite song on this album? Oh man, it goes back and forth. Maybe "How Great is Our God". It's a simple song that just came; and most of the songs that kind of "take off" in the church, from anything from my camp over here, have been really just simply sitting down with my guitar on my couch and just singing to God. And I think "How Great is Our God" is one of those simple songs like that. You know, it's really an awesome tune. I had it on the stereo yesterday. I have a six-year-old and a four-year-old daughter, and I played it and they liked it and I said, "Can I play that one again?" and they said, "Yeah" and they started singing along with it, which is really cool. Wow. It is an awesome tune, that, like you said, you can just engage with pretty much right from the start. Yeah, it's been amazing to play live. It's my favorite one to play live now because it's like brand new to everybody, but the second time through the chorus, people are just completely "there" and just giving their heart to God. And that just doesn't happen a lot with new songs. And so I'm really, really excited about it.
Copyright © 2004 Growthtrac. Tomlin's undeniable energy is charismatic and contagious. Avoiding the trappings of public performance, Chris stands beside the people he serves, raising his voice to God with them so that they share God's presence together. Credited with venerable church choruses such as "Forever," "We Fall Down," and "The Wonderful Cross," Tomlin is considered one of this era's top songwriters for the church with five songs in CCLI's Top 60 and four more in the service's Top 500. With millions singing his songs weekly, Chris is recognized as a pivotal voice of today's modern expression of Christian worship. Read more about Chris Tomlin at ChrisTomlin.com  
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