지난 몇 년에 걸쳐 힐송 유나이티드(Hilsong UNITED)는 밴드로 진화해왔지만, 절대로 찬양(Worship)이라는 그들의 한가지 목적이자 열정을 잊지 않고 있다.
창조적이고 다양할 뿐 아니라 하나의 인종에 국한되지 않은 힐송 유나이티드의 핵심은 예수님이 누구인가, 라는 진실을 밝히는 음악을 만들어 내는 데 있다. 밴드의 얼굴들은 변함이 없는데, 찬양 지도자인 조엘 휴스턴(Joel Houston), 재드 질리스(Jad Gillies) 그리고 JD가 바로 밴드의 프런트맨들이다. 하지만 팀은 목회자, 찬양 지도자, 음악인, 작곡가 등과의 협연으로 계속 발전해나가고 있다. 이들은 모두 하나님에게 열정적인 세대들에게 음악을 전하기 위해 모인 사람들이다.
스튜디오의 안과 밖에서, 투어를 하거나 힐송 교회의 본부에서 유나이티드는 진실을 말하고, 개성 있는 사운드를 만들어내고, 교회와 사람들, 그리고 하나님을 믿는 모든 사람들과 연결되기 위해 노래를 쓰는 것에 젼념하고 있다.
올해, 그들은 모든 것을 최대한 심플하게 유지하는 데 노력을 기울이면서도 그들의 투어, 노래 그리고 멀티미디어에 새롭고 신선한 접근을 꾀하고 있다.
“이것은 공연의 문제가 아니라 팀 내의 인내에 관한 문제입니다.” 크리에이티브 디렉터인 조엘 휴스턴이 말한다. “2011년에 우리는 경계를 허물고 우리를 음악과 가사의 측면에서 좀 더 크게 만들 계획입니다. 하나님이 이전까지 한 번도 하시지 않은 것을 계획하신다는 믿음으로 말이죠.”
2009년 11월 4일 장편 영화인 [I Heart]를 선보인 이후, 힐송 유나이티드는 엄청난 스케쥴을 뒤로 한 채 그들이 원래 다니던 교회에서 휴식의 시간을 가졌다. 이는 그들의 음악에 새로운 숨결을 불어 넣기 위해 꼭 필요한 시간이었다.
2011년에 발표한 그들의 새 앨범 [Aftermath]는 삶의 모든 계절을 대변하는 섬세한 협연이 돋보인다. 가슴 깊은 곳에서 만들어진 노래들은 기독교인의 여정의 행복하고 힘든 순간들을 모두 보여준다.
“예수님이 전하는 메시지는 영원합니다. 하지만 그는 여전히 새로운 방식으로 자신을 드러내고 있죠. 우리가 이 시대를 위한 예수님의 추종자와 제자가 되기 위해 필요한 것들을 주고 계십니다. 하나님과 함께 하는 삶은 즐거워요. 모험이자 은혜이자 자유이고, 평화이자 이 세상의 모든 것과 같아요. 우리의 새 음반을 들을 수도 있고 그렇지 않을 수도 있겠지만, 우리의 첫 번째 기도이자 소망은 당신이 하나님과 함꼐 하는 삶을 살아갈 용기를 얻고, 올바른 길을 걸어갈 수 있도록 격려 받으며, 하나님이 당신의 미래를 위해 예비한 것에 대해 기뻐하기를 바라는 것입니다.”라고 조엘은 이야기한다.
한가지 분명한 사실은 힐송 유나이티드가 그들 앞에 주어진 놀라운 기회를 알아보았다는 것이다. 그리고 그들은 그 기회를 이루기 위해 단단히 결심했다는 사실도 분명하다. .... ....
The tide is turning This is redemption's hour In the midst of the world lost for love You are all we have now
The lost returning Salvation is all around In the midst of the world broken down You are all we have now
For You are God and this hope is ours
So Father open the skies Flood the Earth with your light This is love, to break a world indifferent
Sing
Our hearts are burning The fire that won't burn out In the midst of a world that's grown cold You are all we have now
The earth resounding The anthem of your renown As we lift up our eyes And look to your glory
Call us out let the world see You are God and this hope is ours
So call us out, let the world see You are God as we sing
Open the skies Flood the Earth with your light This is love to break a world indifferent As we lift up our eyes Fill our hearts with your fire In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference
So call us out let the world see You are God and this hope is ours
Our eyes are open Every chain now broken In this world we are different Let your love become us As we live to make you famous We're in this world but we are different
So call us out, let the world see You are God as we sing
Father open the skies Flood the Earth with your life This is love to break a world indifferent As we lift up our eyes Fill our hearts with your fire In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference
So call us out let the world see You are God one and only In this world you are all we have now
Would you believe me, would you listen if I told you that There is a love that makes a way and never holds you back?
So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance in his love So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance in His love
Who would have thought that God would give His one and only Son Taking a stand up on the cross to show his perfect love?
So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance in his love Won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance in His love His love never ending
There's no escaping the truth There's no mistaking it's You God forever we'll Get up and dance, get up and dance, and praise You There's no escaping your life There's no mistaking your love Across the world we will Get up and dance, get up and dance and praise You
Now is the time to take His grace and that has come our way Offer our lives to see the glory of His name
So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance in his love So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance in his love His love never ending
There's no escaping the truth There's no mistaking it's You God forever we'll Get up and dance, get up and dance, and praise You There's no escaping Your life There's no mistaking Your love Across the world we will Get up and dance, get up and dance and praise You
And now for all our days We are holding on, holding on to All Your ways We are holding on, holding on to All you say and You've done And we are holding on to Your love Now we will dance
So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance Won't you break free So won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance So won't you break free Won't you break free, won't you break free Get up and dance Won't you break free Won't you break free, Won't you break free Get up and dance in His love His love never ending
There's no escaping the truth There's no mistaking it's You God forever we'll Get up and dance, get up and dance, and praise You There's no escaping Your life There's no mistaking Your love Across the world we will get up and dance Get up and dance and praise You
Desperate People lyrics You crossed the great divide, You took our place You offered up Your life though we had failed The veil was torn and love remained You are holy Lord
Distraction cast aside, we seek Your face We offer up our lives to bring You praise A love that walls cannot contain You are holy Lord
We're rising up in spirit and in truth A living sacrifice we worship You A people undivided, Lord hear us sing We are Yours and You are our King
This is our love Hearts joined as one Desperate for all You are Lord break down these walls And see how we run Desperate for all You want We chase Your heart
We didn´t come to leave here entertained Or worship under any other name We're crying out for You alone You are holy Lord
Show us the way to Your heart
Now we’ve found our voice We’ve found our cause We’re on our knees, the carpet's worn We join our hearts With distant shores and we sing to You Lord
Verse 1 I've been running, trying to be one who sees I've been working, salvation out on my knees There is nothing better than knowing That we are redeemed Unbelieving trusting in creative hands, I am praying for our world to bow to your plan And this one thought is unmistakable I take up my cross and follow you Lord
Chorus When you stand the tall trees and mountains bow When you speak the fiercest of oceans is still And I see the sinner seek devotion The lost become chosen, and I fall to my knees
Verse 2 Unforgiven, my savior who did not deserve death He was blameless and I was lost in shamefulness Undelivered, but it doesn't seem right Unless I keep my eyes focused on the savior who gave his live In the middle of a world that denies it believes It is breaking apart at the very seams There is one thing to be alive for And it's to take up my cross and follow you Lord
Bridge I will take up my cross and follow Lord where you lead me And I will take up my cross and follow wherever you go
Since we are surrounded By such a great cloud of witnesses Let us run Let us run with perseverance The race marked out Let us make a way For those who are to come Those who are to come
Every generation Every nation Every tribe Every tongue They will sing They will pray With one voice they will sing...
It is not a human right To stare not fight While broken nations dream Open up our eyes, so blind That we might find The Mercy for the need
Singing, Hey now Fill our hearts with your compassion Hey now As we hold to our confession Yeah
It is not too far a cry To much to try To help the least of these Politics will not decide If we should rise And be your hands and feet
Singing, Hey now Fill our hearts with your compassion Hey Now As we hold to our confession
Woah-oh-oh, God be the solution Woah-oh-oh We will be Your hands and be Your feet. Yeah, yeah
Higher than a circumstance Your promise stands Your love for all to see Higher than protest line and dollar signs Your love is all we need
Only You can mend the broken heart And cause the blind to see Erase complete the sinners past And set the captives free Only You can take the widows cry And cause her heart to sing Be a Father to the fatherless Our Savior and our King We will be Your hands, we will be Your feet We will run this race On the darkest place, we will be Your light We will be Your light
We will be Your hands , we will be Your feet We will run this race for the least of these In the darkest place, we will be your light We will be your light We'll sing
Woah-oh-oh, God be the solution Woah-oh-oh We will be Your hands and be Your feet.
Woah-oh-oh, God be the solution Woah-oh-oh We will be Your hands and be Your feet. Yeah, yeah
We will run we will run We will run with the solution [2x]
We will be Your hands we will be Your feet We will run this race for the least of these In the darkest place we will be Your light We will be Your light We sing
You hold the future in your hands You know my dreams and you have a plan And as you light my way, I'll follow you My eyes on all of the above My soul secure in all you've done My minds made up And you are the only one for me Jesus, savior, in my life you are everything My future decided, I will praise your name And I know that I am, I am yours Yeah, I know that I am, I am yours
You hold the earth in your command You are the rock on which I stand And as I live each day, I'll follow you My eyes on all of the above My soul secure in all you've done My minds made up And you are the only one for me Jesus, savior, in my life you are everything My future decided, I will praise your name And I know that I am, I am yours Yeah, I know that I am, I am yours
Unafraid, Unashamed Lord we know who we are (We are your people and we won't be silent) Unified hear us cry at the top of our lungs (You our God and we will not be shaken) Unafraid, Unashamed Lord we know who we are (We are your people and we won't be silent) Unified hear us cry at the top of our lungs (You our God and we will not be shaken) Jesus, savior, in my life you are everything My future decided, I will praise your name And I know that I am, I am yours Yeah, I know that I am, I am yours And I know that I am, I am yours Yeah, I know that I am, I am yours
In the shadows, My spirit weak, Love broke through the darkness and lifted me And I know You'll never let me go. In the storm, In the raging sea, Love conquered the fear and delivered me. And I know You'll never let me go.
Oh love, In the shadows be the light who leads me on, Your love I will follow. Be my guide, Your will be done. Oh love I surrender, Now forever I'll belong in the love of the father. You are faithful You are strong, So hold me now.
In this life as I walk these streets, Love open my eyes, Show me what You see, I know, I'll never let You go.
As I pray and wait upon the Lord, I know Your grace. In love I am restored, As I think of all You've done for me, The mystery of Your love. Who walked upon the sea? Who lived to die for me?
You Lord, You Lord, You are Lord.
As I look upon You I am changed and though I fail Your faithful love remains. As I sing and worship You I find again no words describe Your love. Who watches over me? Whose love has covered me?
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Almighty one, there is none like You.
Let now the weak say I have strength By the spirit of power that raised Christ from the dead And now the poor stand and confess That my portion is Him and I'm more than blessed
Let now our hearts burn with a flame A fire consuming all for your Son's holy name And with the heavens we declare You are our king
We love you Lord, we worship you You are our God, you alone are good
Let now your church shine as your bride That you saw in your heart As you offered up your life Let now the lost be welcomed home By the saved and redeemed Those adopted as your own
Let now our hearts burn with a flame A fire consuming all for your Son's holy name And with the heavens we declare You are our king
We love you Lord, we worship you You are our God, you alone are good You asked your Son to carry this The heavy cross our weight of sin
I love you Lord, I worship you Hope which was lost, now stands renewed I give my life to honor this The love of Christ, the savior king
Let now your church shine as the bride That you soar in your heart as you offered up your life Let now the lost be welcomed home By the saved and redeemed those adopted as your own
I give my life to honor this The love of Christ, the savior king
I lay my down at Your feet You're the only one I need I turn to You and You are always there In troubled times it's You I seek I put You first that's all I need I humble all I am all to You You are always, always there Every hour and everywhere Your grace abounds so deeply within me You will never ever change Yesterday today the same Forever 'til forever meets no end One way Jesus You're the only one that I could live for You are the way, the truth and the life We live by faith and not by sight for You We're living all for You
I love you, all of my hope is in You. Jesus Christ, take my life, take all of me.
You broke the night like the sun, And healed my heart with your great love. Any trouble I couldn’t bear, you lifted me upon Your shoulders. Love that’s stronger, love that covers sin, And takes the weight of the world.
I love you, all of my hope is in You. Jesus Christ, take my life, take all of me.
You stand on mountain tops with me, With you I walk through the valleys. You gave Your only Son for me, Your grace is all I rely on. Love that’s stronger, love that covers sin, And takes the weight of the world.
I love you, all of my hope is in You. Jesus Christ, take my life, take all of me.
I love You so, and I give up my life To say I need You so, my everything.