Stormin' Norm

I know I've mentioned this before, but finding good worship songwriters is hard at times, and so when I'm aware of some who are writing good songs, I like to point them out.

I've mentioned Chris Tomlin before, as his skills as a word-smith are really good. He's written quite a few of the newer worship songs that have thoughtful, biblically-based lyrics. There's a lot of sappy or lyrically-weak worship songs around, although I think that's always been true in any generation -- some of the old hymns work for people, but some of the songs in the old hymnal hardly ever got the time of day. My parents' church had a song in their hymnbook called "God of Concrete, God of Steel", which mostly seemed to be a recitation of all the modern elements of construction and electronics. It wasn't doctrinally wrong, or anything, just silly. It just didn't seem to fit with "How Great Thou Art", "How Marvelous", or "My Jesus, I Love Thee".

Stuart Townsend's "In Christ Alone" has to be one of the best songs I've heard in awhile -- lyrically deep and well-written, and musically very much a modern "hymn" (with rock instrumentation, but c'mon -- listen to the structure of the song: it's a hymn).

Norm Strauss has been a good friend for many years. We've played together numerous times in different cities, including a great worship time at the YWAM base in Los Angeles a few years ago.

Norm has always impressed me not only with his lyrical and musical gifts, but also his humility and genuine warmth and friendliness. Norm's first instrument was actually the drums, but he's also an amazing guitar player, and a fine singer/songwriter as well.One of the songs from Norm's most recent album (Restore Us) that I've really been struck by is "You and Me Alone". Norm's notes in the CD cover about this song are succinct: "This song was written during a time when I was in a serious wrestling match with God. He won."

You and Me Alone

Take all I am, and all I have gained
Lay me bare to the bone
Shake the foundations and see what remains
It's just You and me, alone
'Til it's just You and me alone

So tear down the borders that I have built
Crush the walls, stone by stone
Destroy my resistance, that I hold so strong
'Til it's just You and me, alone
You and me alone

(Lay me down)
Let this place be an altar
(Lay me down)
Let this death be complete
(Lay me down)
Let this song be a marker-stone
That others can easily see

(Lay me down)
Like a drink that is poured out
(Lay me down)
Like a seed that must die
(Lay me down)
So I can rise in the morning
While the graveclothes fall down at my feet
It's just You and me
- words & music by Norm Strauss (2001)