Robin Mark Summer 2012 Tour

[Meg]

Robin Mark, of Belfast Northern Ireland will be touring the US next summer, and is currently accepting tour arrangements from interested church groups. If you e-mail his site, they will send you a detailed document explaining how such arrangements are made and how much it costs. I saw him live in Aiken SC in 2010, and he's a joy to have play, I strongly recommend having him if your church is interested. I plan on finding our if Aiken will be hosting him again next year, and trying to find someone else who will if Aiken is not.

Robin Mark

[micah719]

Christianity.ca - Robin Mark: Days of Elijah
Robin Mark: Days of Elijah
Robin Mark's worship song, "Days of Elijah," propelled him to an international platform. Here he talks about the inspiration for that song, and about the heart of worship.
by Phil Callaway

Born in 1969 to a working class family in Belfast, Robin Mark grew up amid the turbulence of Northern Ireland. He also grew up with a love for music. In 1995, while on staff as Director of Worship at Christian Fellowship Church, his second CD Revival in Belfast was recorded. Though lyrically the songs were more like hymns, the sales began to mount. "Days of Elijah," a song written partly in response to the atrocities in Rwanda soon propelled him to an international platform. One day the news came: "They're singing your song in Rwanda." The success astounded and humbled Robin. It still does. Several times during the past few years Phil Callaway and Robin Mark have found themselves sharing a stage. At Breakforth, an event in Edmonton, Canada, they sat down to talk about "worship music," the old hymns, and true success.

Robin Mark: Days of Elijah

Phil Callaway (PC): You told my teenagers a real lame joke over dinner. Care to repeat it?

Robin Mark (RM): No.

PC: I'll help you. You said, "How many ears has Spock?"

RM: And the answer is 'Three. A left ear, a right ear, and a final frontier.'

PC: I'm sure our readers will appreciate it if we move on. Tell us a little about you. Where you live, your home phone number, a little about your family and the kind of ministry you're in.

RM: I live on the East side of Belfast in Northern Ireland. I was born in an area of the city called Donegal Pass which was part of inner city Belfast to a good working class family and was sent out to church and Sunday School, basically like every one else of that generation. I grew up through the latest "troubles" in Northern Ireland which began in 1969 and ended, generally, about five years ago. I never felt any desire to leave my homeland, even during all the dark days. It's where I met my wife, Jackie, and where our three children Catherine (18), David (14) and James (8) were born. I still lead worship regularly in Christian Fellowship Church in Belfast, that's the church where Revival in Belfast was recorded. In fact I am on the staff there, (one day a week), as the Director of Worship.

PC: You didn't tell us your phone number.

RM: It's 333.

PC: Your song "Days of Elijah" has been incredibly successful. Tell us the story of how the song was written.

RM: I wrote the song in 1994. It's a song of hope. Although raised a Methodist, I attended a lot of Brethren or Gospel Hall meetings as a small boy and somehow the theology of Old Testament stories and characters being, either as themselves or by their actions, "types" or "examples" or "shadows" of Christ and the Church got stuck in my head. That is, even though they were historical factual people, living in the old covenant days, their actions and characters can be used to teach and represent the character of God under the new covenant and they continually and repeatedly point to Christ.

The song came from watching a television Review of the Year at the end of 1994. 1994 was the year of the Rwandan civil war tragedy which claimed one million people's lives. On this T.V. review were a lot of daft stories, happy stories, serious stories, and then absolutely devastating stories like the Rwandan situation. As I watched the review unfold I found myself despairing about the state of the world and, in prayer, began asking God if He was really in control and what sort of days were we living in. I felt in my spirit that He replied to my prayer by saying that indeed He was very much in control and that the days we were living in were special times when He would require Christians to be filled with integrity and to stand up for Him just like Elijah did, particularly with the prophets of Baal. These are "Elijah" days.

We also needed to be a holy and just people and hence the reference to the "days of your servant Moses," meaning that righteousness and right living are important in all our attitudes and works. Now we are under grace and not under law, but the righteousness that comes by faith can be no less than the moral law that Moses brought direct from God. It has not been superseded. "Days of great trial, of famine, darkness and sword," is a reflection on the apparent times in which we live, when thousands of people die every day from starvation, malnutrition and war. In the midst of it all we are called to make a declaration of what, and who we believe in.

PC: The second verse refers to the restoration of unity of the body.

RM: That's what Jesus prayed for. "That they may be one even as I and the Father are one…" with reference to Ezekiel's prophetic vision of the valley of the dry bones becoming flesh and being knit together. The restoration of praise and worship to the Church is represented by "the days of your servant David." Of course David didn't get to rebuild the structural temple. That was left to Solomon his son, but David was used by God to introduce worship, praise and thanksgiving into the tabernacle or temple. If you search carefully through the Book of Amos you will find reference to this "restoration of David's tabernacle." It is generally accepted that this refers to praise and worship, because the physical temple was Solomon's.

Finally "the days of the harvest" points toward the purpose of the Christian — to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. I chose to express these thoughts by reference to the characters that represented these virtues in the Old Testament. It is in essence a song of hope for the Church and the world in times of great trial.

PC: The chorus talks about Christ's return.

RM: It is the ultimate declaration of hope, paraphrased from the books of Revelation and Daniel and the vision that was seen of the coming King, and refers to the return of Christ and the year of Jubilee. Theologians and Bible commentators believe that Israel never properly celebrated this particular 50th year jubilee, and that it will only be properly celebrated when Christ returns. That might be true, but I reckon that a Jubilee is an apt description of what happens when Christ comes into anyone's life at any time — debts are cancelled and a captive is set free. Indeed Christ read from Isaiah 61 when He was in the temple, and declared that this "jubilee" passage was fulfilled in Him. Another Old Testament theme made complete in Christ.

PC: Tell us about the actual writing of the song.

RM: I came to Church early one Sunday in 1995 with these thoughts in my head. We have two services and the pastor spoke during the first service on the "valley of dry bones" from Ezekiel. I took a prompt from this. In the 30 minutes between the services, I wrote down the words and chords in the kitchen of our church building, teaching it to my band as I went. We sang it, as a body, at the end of the second service.

How do you express the sense that these might be days, not of failure and submission, but of the sort of resilient declaring, even arrogant trust and hope that Elijah had in his God? That these are not days of God stepping back and allowing the world and the Church to roll uncontrolled toward eternity, but rather days when He is calling on His body to make a stand, to offer right praises, and to declare that He is totally in control. Well, I reckon you may write the words, "These are the days of Elijah," and, "These are the days of David." I've used word pictures and biblical characters to make that expression, but this is no different from many of the great hymn writers and even David himself. I presented the song to the church that day with a short word of explanation, and we sang it as our worship.

The rest, I suppose, is history. There is no mechanism within the Church for making people sing a particular song, or for increasing its use in the national or international Church body. As far as I was concerned the song was for our congregation, on that day and at that time. God obviously had other ideas, and it is now sung almost world-wide. Grammatically, there may even be the odd aberration, but thankfully the Church has forgiven me that particular shortcoming. I must make it clear that I did not set out to write an overly complex or "secret" song, and I hope the testimony above bears that out.

They see it as a prophetic song.

PC: How have Jewish Christians responded?

RM: I was privileged to be in Israel at Yom Kippur for a celebration with hundreds of Messianic Jews. A very kind, gentle and humorous messianic brother had a bit of fun arguing with me that I, as an Irish Christian, could never have written a song which explores some of the themes that many Jewish believers believe are the themes and indications of Christ's return: the Spirit and Power of Elijah in the Church; the restoration of Israel to righteousness in Christ; the restoration of praise and worship and the unity of the Body particularly with a renewed and redeemed Israel under Christ. The Israeli believers sing the song with great gusto and this alternative biblical interpretation. They see it as a prophetic song. For me, I only know what I wrote. I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit and put down those thoughts I believe He placed in me. Perhaps it was His desire to say something more than I personally intended and to do more with this song than I first considered.

PC: I was sitting at the funeral of a teenager in December and the congregation sang this song.

RM: God seems to have used the song in many ways for many people. I have written lots of simple, straightforward hymns and songs covering lots of themes. This song seems to have been used particularly by God in the ministry of praise and worship and the themes and pictures it uses seem to have been grasped by God's people all over the world. The real test of any hymn or praise and worship song, I feel, is that when it is sung by people they are able to identify with the song even if the meaning is a bit unusual, and by the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, are charged by what the words say.

PC: The album has gone gold. Congratulations! How do you account for the rising popularity of worship music?

RM: I believe it's a work of God. For our part, in the U.K. and Ireland many of us had become a "song singing" or "hymn singing" Church and had lost the sense of really worshipping in spirit and truth. We either all sang songs that made us feel happy, or challenged our intellect, or reminded us of great days past when the Watts, Wesleys and Newtons of another generation were stirred into creativity. But few of us really owned and used our hymn and praise times to really "worship."

The first songs that broke that mould were the early, simple Vineyard songs which had simple phrases and thoughts expressed in beautiful singable music, and these focussed our minds again, I feel, on the person of Jesus, His Father and the work of the Holy Spirit. I believe these songs unlocked our understanding and sense of worship again for this generation. So as people then grew in their understanding, and other folks wrote their own songs, I feel the Church tapped back into the well of worship that characterised the Church renewals associated with the great hymn writers of the past.

I don't think that has stopped now, I think it continues to grow as many more folks realise that one of the greatest things that we can do with words and music is to express our worship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and this is probably why worship is still so popular. More people are catching that wave.

PC: Did you go to church as a child?

RM: Yes. My conversion, however, took place in my first job. At 16 I left school to become an engineering draughtsman, and some of the guys in work were on fire for the Lord. Every lunch time they used to hold conversations and discussions on the Church and the Bible. During one of these I gave my life to Christ. I suppose it was a combination of all the many years of exposure to the Gospel, plus the way in which they presented the message in the work place. But I made a commitment there at my drawing board, and I've never looked back.

PC: What would you say to those who are mourning the loss of the great hymns of the faith in our worship services?

RM: I'd say I'm one of them. We try to incorporate the best of the old with the new in our services. Some of the fine old Irish hymns such as "Be Thou My Vision," and "My Song is Love Unknown," are staples of our church. They are great songs of truth and worship and should be recounted as often as possible in the new churches. We don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater when we introduce new forms and styles of songs. However, we really should try not to hold onto tradition for tradition's sake.

These are new days and God is doing new things, every morning. Revelation 5 says that one of the reactions in heaven to the revelation of the Lamb who was slain is that the company of heaven sang "a new song." Also remember that John Newton, for instance, wrote around 500 hymns. Only a few have stood the test of time, "Amazing Grace" being the most popular. All the rest have gone. So every new move of God is characterized by an explosion of new hymns and spiritual songs. Some are only for a short while; some will stand the test of time.

PC: Are we missing out on some fabulous theology by neglecting them?

RM: I think it's fair to say that some modern worship is more "touchy feely" than grounded in biblical theology. But, remember that God is after our hearts as well as our minds. We need a balance between right and proper theology and the intimacy of relationship between us children and our heavenly Father. I tend to think that no matter how "sound" a hymn might be, God is not impressed by our brain power and intellect, but rather by our attitude of heart.

PC: Is there a particular theme that seems to be striking a chord with believers as they worship?

I have received letters of lives saved from suicide, marriages saved from ruin and hearts turned from mourning to dancing…

RM: The cross is becoming a major focus for us again. We are in danger, I believe, of focussing on some of the "bless me please" type worship and forgetting that Jesus paid a horrendous price to give us the grace and love and blessing we receive daily. We forget to meditate on the magnitude of what happened at Calvary. How all of eternity is sitting in perfect balance on the top of a rough, wooden cross on a dusty hill outside the city of Jerusalem. We do well, I believe, to cry and sing out the power and reality of the cross. Lots of life in the West is about being blessed financially, health-wise, family-wise and relationally. Our mainstream self-help type books and magazines pursue those things with no regard to Christianity. What we have is the cross of Christ! Something worth living and dying for. One who changed the history of the world forever. Even to the extent that the end and fulfilment of all things rest and turn upon that event. Now that's worth singing about!

PC: What kind of response have you received from those who sing your songs?

RM: I know that most worship writers have had many similar experiences where God has used their offering of song to touch and change lives. I have received letters of lives saved from suicide, marriages saved from ruin and hearts turned from mourning to dancing because of some song that I penned. These are all deeply humbling and precious stories, which I can't really take any "self satisfaction" from. When I hear the story in a letter or an e-mail, I just say "thank you" and realize that everything we do, whether we are song writers or anything else, impacts so many lives around us, it's important to do it as well as you can and as honestly as you can.

PC: What keeps you moving forward?

RM: I'm not particularly driven, which probably annoys the Holy Spirit a bit! I often find myself saying, "Well, when I do this event or that event I'll pack it all in and just become anonymous again." I did actually joke that if I ever got a gold disc, it would be time to retire! But as long as God opens the doors and calls me to worship, whether that's anonymously or as a "hymn writer" known by many or few, I'll keep going.

PC: What would you like to be remembered for?

RM: My staggering good looks and finely crafted athleticism. Or failing that, probably I'd like to be remembered by my children as a good father. That may sound cheesy, but it's more important to me than anything else!

---

Phil Callaway:
www.philcallaway.com

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micahnote: bold and italic highlights on text in the article is mine. If you like CCM and emergent stuff, Max Lucado, and the Message Bible and such things, this is for you. Not sure how far into restoration/dominionism Mr Mark is, or how far the links into Vineyard and Alpha are either. Not sure how prophetic their prophecies are either...he mentions it about his songs, and the church he is affiliated with even has mission teams out in Nepal and India giving "prophecy". He won't be at our church, that's for sure.

[Meg]

John 7:24

24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

You are not the standard of truth, Micah, and I doubt you'd know a genuine servant of the Lord if you had the pleasure of meeting him.

[Robert]

I have reviewed Robin Mark's music, and have found nothing in it that goes against scripture or violates the spirit of Grace. If you don't like it Micah, don't listen to it.

[micah719]

The warning isn't for you, it's for the others. CCM is the tip of a wedge that brings the world into the church. Once a congregation admits CCM the rest of the standards are sure to fall. And the music is just one of the aspects of Mr Mark and his associations that are grounds enough for concern and for caution. If you are free to promote it then I am free to warn about it.

[mattfivefour]

The warning isn't for you, it's for the others. CCM is the tip of a wedge that brings the world into the church. Once a congregation admits CCM the rest of the standards are sure to fall.

Say WHAT??? Well I guess that's what happened in the Church the day we departed from Gregorian chants and began admitting music with melody, harmony and rhythm into our sacred assemblies. Let's go back to monastic musical chants. No doubt the divines of the Middle Ages were correct in condemning the new music. God help us that we moved into worldly-sounding music like "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Amazing Grace"!

[micah719]

There is such a thing as overcompensating. It is similar to overexaggeration, as is used often in sarcasm.

If you look at the videos I posted in the CCM thread, you will hear from musicians the effects of the syncopated rhythm and vain reptitive lyrics.

However, the concern I had with Mr Mark was not so much the melody or rhythm, as I haven't listened to his work and do not care to. I have however reviewed his lyrics, his church, its associations and what he says to the plainly emergent Callaway. It is on those grounds that I caution Christians to avoid his music and forgo the danger of inviting him into your congregation.

I would like to read more of what Mr Mark means by restoration theology and what his doctrinal views are, but it is a characteristic of his church and associations to be either vague or silent.

There is plenty of Christian music available without running the risk or thrill of going back to Egypt, or for the sake of popularity.

[mattfivefour]

How about music in a style we find pleasant to listen to—whether densely orchestrated or simply constructed—that glorifies God and lifts the person into worshipful adoration of our Lord, who He is, and what He has done for us? Surely that is what is important—the effect the music has on us. Does it draw us closer to God, does it touch our spirit, does it make us more aware of His Presence? Or does it merely tickle the flesh. Surely THAT is the measure of what is good worshipful music? And it will vary among people as much as liking in music or art or literature varies among them.

[micah719]

How about music in a style we find pleasant to listen to—whether densely orchestrated or simply constructed—that glorifies God and lifts the person into worshipful adoration of our Lord, who He is, and what He has done for us? Surely that is what is important—the effect the music has on us. Does it draw us closer to God, does it touch our spirit, does it make us more aware of His Presence? Or does it merely tickle the flesh. Surely THAT is the measure of what is good worshipful music? And it will vary among people as much as liking in music or art or literature varies among them.

Agreed, and also a caution....the hook in it where we might get caught is in this experiential place. We had better be sure it is The Lord's presence we are in and not a clever counterfeit. We should be on our guard against being swept away by emotion. This is especially dangerous in groups. Music is a wonderful gift, but like sex is dangerous if misused, and the temptation is subtle and ever waiting. With the decline in scriptural maturity (meaning familiarity and understanding of it) and the great increase in deceptions and heresies, people are tending to go for experiences. This is reinforced by our instant-gratification society, the many distractions, and the over-supply of entertainment. Bread and games! I'm all for glorifying The Lord and worshiping in fellowship, but I'm one of those that also wears belt and braces when it comes to spiritual things. Be careful!

[mattfivefour]

We had better be sure it is The Lord's presence we are in and not a clever counterfeit.

Bro, I do not think there is any fear of that. More faith in God's power and less fear would be a good thing. "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world." The Holy Spirit tells us through John that Jesus goes before His sheep and His sheep follow him: for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:4-5,27)

Cautions are good, but not the ministration of fear that somehow a person seeking to honor and worship God can find themselves instead worshiping in the bonds of deceit.

[Meg]

Robin Marks lyrics are drawn from Scripture and his own deep prayers! The instrumentals are very tame and quite lovely. There is absolutely nothing to accuse the man of! He wrote this with a lady by the name of Jennifer Atkinson, in fact.

Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.

For it's only in Your will that I am free,
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.

[mattfivefour]

I love that song. I am not into Celtic sounding music, but that song was most definitely worshipful! My spirit exulted with the words!

[Meg]

While I'm at it...


Robin Mark - Highly Exalted Lyrics
Artist: Robin Mark
Album: The Year Of Grace

You were despised
You were rejected Lord
Those who passed by
Even averted their gaze from Your sight
Such was the suffering You bore for us

Led like a lamb, lamb to the slaughter
You spoke not a word
Chose to be silent Lord
You did no wrong
Nor was deceitfullness found in You
Yet by Your wounds our salvation has come
Yet by Your suffering our freedom is won

For God has higly exalted Your name
He has enthroned You on high
Jesus the name above all names (2x)


Led like a lamb, lamb to the slaughter
You spoke not a word
Chose to be silent Lord
You did no wrong
Nor was decietfullness found in You
Yet by your wounds our salvation has come
Yet by your suffering our freedom is won

(For) God has higly exalted Your name
He has enthroned You on high
Jesus the name above all names (2x)

Yet by Your wounds our salvation has come
Yet by Your suffering our freedom is won

(For) God has higly exalted Your name
He has enthroned You on high
Jesus the name above all names (2x)

[Hannah]

1CO 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

I prefer English Hymns. However I doubt they are of the style of Hymn sung by the early Apostles.

Should we all be singing only Jewish styled songs? Old Church Hymns sound nothing like Jewish worship songs which I would assume are the oldest style of worship music and the most original.

The Protestant Churches came up with Hymns based on contemporary music that was popular in the day they were written. What we call Classical music today.

However if some people prefer more modern styled Christian music well and good. If the words are godly and the music is also fitting for the Lord then fine.

I am not for loud thumping crazy music, it only creates deafness and that isn't a good thing. Long rock guitar riffs I would not classify as being something that is going to lift up people to worship the Lord IMO.


My preference is Classic Protestant Hymns and I don't mind Scripture in Song (they are based of course on scripture to music that was popular in the day they were written but today is seen as old fashioned).

There are many contemporary musicians that have written songs to the Lord. They have done so with the musical talents the Lord has given them and they are exercising their gift to edify other Christians.

I do like some modern songs but only a few. I am old fashioned in my music tastes. However I can appreciate that there are still some modern Christian musicians who have written very well worded songs of worship.

So many secular people have sung Amazing Grace. Does it nullify the words that people who are not Saved have sung that Hymn? Pity they have not understood the great gift of God they continue to reject despite being able to sing the Hymn with great skill.

Christmas Carols like "Away in a Manger" are also sung every year by Non-Believers. The words written to remind us of Christ's birth and salvation are still true despite the Performer not understanding them.

Modern doesn't always equate with sinful or godless. Are the words in the songs of a modern artist agreeing with scripture and God's Truth? Are they performed in a way that glorifies and honours God? Do you like them?

Might not be my cup of tea but I happy for others to enjoy them.