Mar
1

"Service of Darkness" Why Call A Christian Worship Album That?

Featuring Frank Ralls Posted on March 1, 2013

"SERVICE OF DARKNESS?  Why would call a Christian worship album THAT??"  I have received this question many times from well intentioned friends upon hearing the title of my latest CD.  I have to admit, it does sound a little, well…dark?  Let me explain.  The music heard on Service of Darkness was recorded live on Good Friday of 2012 with a friend Niki Dawson (who was a contestant on "The Voice" a while back) and members of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.  The title is inspired by the very short period of time in between Matt 27:45-54.  Take a moment to review:
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
It's pretty profound- all of it.  The moment Jesus says "It is finished" those words send a ripple across time in both directions.  They spark something of eternal significance.  The earth literally responds to this!  Earthquakes, rocks splitting, bodies crawling out of graves?!?  What?!!!??  This is amazing!  Any chance Satan had of succeeding in stopping Christ is now officially over as it is at that moment both the end and the beginning at the same time.  Christ's blood now atones for the sin of all - period.  His work is finished and our salvation begins, oddly right here in this moment of darkness!  It is with this in mind that I chose to title my world-music arrangements of these very familiar songs and hymns as "Service of Darkness."  It is a celebration of a 2,000 year-old death.  A cataclysmic event that changed the world.  Something to be remembered and revered as we approach this most Holy and Good Friday.

"SERVICE OF DARKNESS?  Why would call a Christian worship album THAT??"  I have received this question many times from well intentioned friends upon hearing the title of my latest CD.  I have to admit, it does sound a little, well…dark?  Let me explain.  The music heard on Service of Darkness was recorded live on Good Friday of 2012 with a friend Niki Dawson (who was a contestant on "The Voice" a while back) and members of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.  The title is inspired by the very short period of time in between Matt 27:45-54.  Take a moment to review:

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

It's pretty profound- all of it.  The moment Jesus says "It is finished" those words send a ripple across time in both directions.  They spark something of eternal significance.  The earth literally responds to this!  Earthquakes, rocks splitting, bodies crawling out of graves?!?  What?!!!??  This is amazing!  Any chance Satan had of succeeding in stopping Christ is now officially over as it is at that moment both the end and the beginning at the same time.  Christ's blood now atones for the sin of all - period.  His work is finished and our salvation begins, oddly right here in this moment of darkness!  It is with this in mind that I chose to title my world-music arrangements of these very familiar songs and hymns as "Service of Darkness."  It is a celebration of a 2,000 year-old death.  A cataclysmic event that changed the world.  Something to be remembered and revered as we approach this most Holy and Good Friday.

 

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