Blessed Be Your Name, So Weep No More

Yay! More Pettit music! :)

I am becoming more increasingly convinced that Grooveshark is an unsung means of grace. Despite the wonderful 50%-off sale about to begin at Heart Publications, the publishing arm of the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Association, I must give into the instant gratification piece and look up as many of their songs as possible on Grooveshark...especially since they are not all on iTunes, and SacredAudio.com (basically the independent Baptist version of iTunes) has been undergoing maintenance for, like, three years.

First, though, a personal anecdote. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting Colchester Bible Baptist Church, about an hour away from my home, for the final night of the Galkin meetings out there. Will and Christy Galkin got their start with the Pettits in about 1997, when Christy was still Christy Roland and Northland International University (where Will did his undergraduate work) was still Northland Baptist Bible College...and much more conservative and separatist. By 2003 Will and Christy were on their own, schlepping their five kids and a young family (who would in 2010 leave to start this ministry) and still later a bunch of crazy, musically-gifted college grads around the country, ministering in preaching and music to fundamental churches.

I don't remember where I first read it, but one of their mission statements is "to preach the gospel to both the saved and the lost." I think that is so precious because so many believers forget the primacy and importance of the gospel after they are converted. The Galkins (and the Pettits to some extent) are not ashamed about reinforcing and rehearsing the grand glories of the gospel to even those who have been saved by those truths for years. I find this refreshing if for no other reasons than (a) many fundamental Baptists are not known for such proclamation; and (b) often, the ones doing it most prominently often risk truncating the gospel by making it absolutely everything, or solely a means to personal transformation (as one of the Reformation 21 guys bluntly said, "The gospel wasn't given so you can stop screaming at your kids"), along with all sorts of other, often related, errors. So I am excited and thankful that Will, Christy, and the dear young people with whom they travel get this, avoid the excesses, and lift it high.

Anyway, I got to meet some of the team members, including Christy, and the music was unearthily beautiful. (It was so beautiful that  had to invent a new word to communicate it!) The gospel message Will gave at the end was stellar. I loved every minute and was so grateful to meet people who have had such a glorious and transforming impact on my life.

Having said that, here are two Pettit Team songs I have pulled from the Grooveshark vault. These are from their 2002 album (which is also their first-ever, I think) Weep No More. The team members at the time were: Will and Christy Galkin, Kevin Inafuku (BA, Church Music, Bob Jones University, 2000 -- now minister of music at Harvest Baptist Ministries in Guam), Beth Ann Fetterolf (BA, Elementary Education, Bob Jones University, 2000 -- now married to Pastor Steve Johns of Kennerly Road Baptist Church in Irmo, SC), Jonathan Albright (BA, Church Music, Bob Jones University, 2001 -- later went on staff at Brookside Baptist Church in Wisconsin, now ministering with the Galkins at Gospel Grace Church in Salt Lake), Rob Chisolm (BA, Bible, Bob Jones University, 2001), and Katie Matzko (BA, Music Education, Bob Jones University, 2001).

"Weep No More" was actually sung at the Colchester meetings, and I had not heard it before that point. (Christy and Sarah Roe did an amazing duet. I fell in love with the song at that point.) I realized after doing some Google scraping and skulldrudgery that the reason I had never heard it before was because Steve Pettit had written it! It was almost entirely unknown outside of fundamental music circles.

I initially thought "Blessed Be Your Name" was the Matt Redman song of the same name, but about ten seconds into it I realized it was entirely different. I think Dr. Pettit wrote this one too because I also can't find any lyrics or other song information online.

Maybe if I pick up Weep No More at the Heart Pub sale, the J-cards will solve the mystery...?

I do have to say that I was particularly stirred by "Blessed Be Your Name." There is something very communal and majestic -- heavenly -- about the harmony of all the voices, and the beautiful instrumentation. It speaks to my heart that this is how things are supposed to be, and a reminder that the world as it is now is nothing like it is supposed to be, but it will be when the Lord returns. In that regard, the music is much more than just Biblical truth set to lovely conservative music, but an inherent reminder of what God has always intended and what will one day be. I like to think hymn sings in Heaven will be not unlike this. :) It's funny...I used to not like conservative music like this...until I found the Pettits. :)

Blessed, blessed Thanksgiving to all of you. I thank God for the great promises we have of freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness because our God and Savior is indeed reigning, alive and well. We do not have to weep anymore over our sins or the aches of this life because if we know Jesus we are careening inevitably and sovereignly towards a future where all tears will be wiped away, God will make it more than worth it, and we will be in unending intimate, sin-free communion with the One whose name is blessed above all things and who makes our hearts to sing. And we will also be enveloped and restored in love to all the dear ones from this life whom we knew, sometimes failed and misunderstood, who with sinless minds and hearts will engage in brotherly community to the glory of God, no longer struggling with putting Him first or devaluing His gifts, forever and ever...and it will only get sweeter and richer and fuller, every day.

What a great hope we have...and what a gift to be thankful for!

"Weep No More" from Weep No More by the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team (Christy Galkin and Terry Pettit on vocals)



"Blessed Be Your Name" from Weep No More (Pettit Team on vocals)

Grace Unmeasured, to be More and More Like Jesus

Hello all! Oh, dear...it has been how long, exactly, since I updated this blog? Ugh. Life has gotten immensely in the way in the weeks and months since I first launched Faith Today. But no more! I finally have something of a schedule in between looking for freelance editing/proofreading...so...I am back with a vengeance. :)

For all two of my readers, and any other people that want to stop by, I have been thinking a lot about what to share with this new post. While Faith Today will primarily feature articles of devotional and didactic quality, I also am fond of solid, doctrinal Christian music. So I decided to start a new feature on the blog: Music posts!

I have an entire theology of music and worship that I will not get into here, choosing to save it for the "distinctives" page I will eventually set up. But rather than give a list of statements about what I think music should be and why...I think it would be better to show you.

The Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team (www.pettitteam.org)

Steve Pettit founded the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team in 1995, having traveled in itinerant evangelism for ten years prior.  This time, he would be conducting local-church crusades with the addition of musically-gifted Christian college graduates who would assist him in vocals and instrumentation. The Pettits are the gold standard among independent Baptists for their conservative style and arrestingly lovely harmony and arrangement of both classic hymns and contemporary songs. The Pettits base their ministry out of Dunbar, Wisconsin, under the auspices of Northland Camp, a ministry of Northland International University.

Galkin Evangelistic Ministries (www.galkins.org)

Will and Christy Galikin met while traveling together on the Pettit Team, leaving in 2003 to start Galkin Evangelistic Ministries. Will is a dynamic preacher and travels across the country with his wife, five children, and the rest of the team members -- all graduates from Christian universities dedicated to magnifying Jesus in fundamental churches through music which exalts the gospel. Along with the Pettits, Will and Christy serve as a ministry team of Northland Camp, and they base their work out of their sending church, Red Rocks Baptist in Morrison, Colorado.

And now, onto the songs! I am sharing two from each team.

First is "Faithful God," from the Galkin album By Faith.


Second is "More and More Like You," which Christy Galkin and Reba Snyder gave at a meeting at Yates-Thagard Baptist Church about two years ago.


From the Pettits, one of my favorites is "Grace Unmeasured," a Sovereign Grace Music ballad, from their album So High the Price.



And perhaps one of my top five favorites of all time, "O Wondrous Love," from one of their older albums, If Eyes Could See.

Praise God that He really does promise us unmeasured grace in our wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ -- a grace that never fails to hold us within God's wondrous love, preserve us, and make us more and more like Jesus in every lack and lavishing of our lives.

Truly, Christians are the most blessed people alive!

I trust these precious truths will carry you throughout the weekend into your worship of our Risen King this Lord's Day! Let these truths arrest your heart, guard you from sin, and deliver you afresh into the arms of your Beloved, Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him wholeheartedly, for He is enough and in His arms are all truly good things.

Amen!