|
|
 |
A Conversation with Chris Tomlin
|
Page: 1
2 |
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.
 |
Combining his unmistakable passion for leading people in
worship with hook-laden, singable, fresh pop/rock melodies, this new
album will certainly have churches, youth groups and ministries singing
along. In October he launches a seven-month tour with Steven Curtis
Chapman.
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.
In the chorus, you say, "sing
with me". At first I thought, "Oh, that's like he's the worship leader
encouraging us to sing with him". But then you hear everybody else
singing that line, too, and it's like, "No, that's what we say to each
other. ?How great is our God — sing with me' let's all sing it
together.
Absolutely, absolutely.
That's totally it. I just feel like that simple line, "sing with me"
does so much in that chorus to cause people to really say, "Oh wow,
we're all in this together". That's what I like about it.
Let's talk
about worship a little bit, because obviously, it's a huge part of who
you are and your life. What role would you say worship has played in
your life, personally?
It's definitely
the thing that is closest to me and closest to all of us, because it's
why we were created by God. We were made to worship Him in our whole
life — not just our songs, but our whole life. Louie Giglio, one of my
best friends and mentor, tells me, and he's a great definition of it,
"Worship can be simply, in one sentence, ?All of me for all of God" and
I really like that because it's easy for me to get a hold of that.
And you
wrote a song about that ["Enough"].
I
did. I wrote it with Louie. It's just that simple statement of, "Wow,
every bit of who I am for all of God", it's my worship. I hope that not
only comes out in my songs, but comes out in my life as well.
Well, it
definitely does. Chris, I understand you helped start a church in
Austin, Texas. Tell us about that
experience.
It's called the "Austin
Stone Community Church". It's a great place. We are definitely young
and green at leading and starting a church. But it's just been a
priority and a value for us as a band to not just be in a church but
use our gifts to help the church and to be a part of it and to build it
up. And so that's what we've been doing for a couple of years now.
You know
that "GrowthTrac" is a website that has a focus on marriage and people
who are pre-married who are thinking about getting married. And we also
have some single folks who are part of our viewers. So most people
probably want to know, "Are you married? Are you single? Are you on the
market?"
I am single. (laugh) Not
married; never been married. Hoping to be married some day. Definitely
not opposed to it.
Do you ever have girls come up to you at concerts and say,
"God told me that I should be with
you."
Oh, yeah. We've had that, I've
had that a few times.
And what's your response to
that?
It's like, "Well, I'm not hearing
the same thing from God". (laugh)
(laugh) That is so funny. I don't want
this to sound like a Barbara Walters question, but as we all know,
seasons of life come and go. And when you are old and gray, sitting in
a rocking chair in a retirement village somewhere, how do you hope
people will remember Chris Tomlin?
I
feel like you leave a legacy behind you through people more than
anything, and they're the people you've encountered and the people that
you have made a difference upon. Your songs, they don't make as big of
a legacy. People may remember your songs and sing your songs after
you're gone — which would be great and nice — but it's more in the
people that you've encountered and the people that have been closest to
you.
For me it's important that the guys that I'm
surrounded with, my band and some immediate friends that I'd have some
kind of influence in their lives, and they can pass it down. If I'm
married some day with my wife and children, that it will be passed down
with a bigger impact than any song I could ever write.
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
|
|
Page: 1
2 |
|
Author
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
