YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN

Billy & Cindy Foote

Being long-time fans of Billy and Cindy Foote, that was part of the reason I chose to go to this camp. To get to spend 5 days under quality musicianship and quality songwriting was bound to be a hit... and it was!

Billy did not fail to impress with his trademark "Cut Capo" and Eb tuning. Although I think if they actually performed songs in the standard "E" tuning Cindy's voice might have shattered the stained glass windows. That girl don't play y'all!

During the first Youth Ministers meeting on Monday night, Billy asked us to trust him. He would be teaching the students some new songs and that they just needed to stick with him. By the end of the week it would all make sense.

And that is what they did. They sang exclusively their music. I only counted three small bits of other material throughout the entire week. 1) "Nothing but the blood" hymn, brief snippet of Crowder's "O Praise Him," and one verse of "It is Well." Though these were peppered amidst his other songs in the forms of tags.

I could not believe how refreshing it was to NOT sing some standard worship songs. I love Tomlin, I love Crowder, and I kinda like Hillsong United. They write incredible songs... anthems if you will. However I never realized until this week how we often simply fall into a rut when we sing very popular songs like that. We subconciously think, "I know where this is going so I'll check out until it gets to the part I can cut loose." We seldom think about what we're singing.

But for the students to catch on to this was a blast to see. They said phrases like, "I like learning these new songs." Wow! Imagine that. Granted not everyone can pull this off. It takes solid musical ability. Billy Foote writes great songs. They are gospel-laden! They are not songs that celebrate our propensity to sin or repeat endlessly a job description of God. They are songs gloryfying God and the gospel, declaring our new identity, and freedom from sin!

The hits of the week were mainly Billy's brand new tunes Knees Are Bowing, Wonder Working One, We Will Trust, Salvation's Song, All Praise to God, and The Living One. They also did a few of their older hits like Welcomed Here and Not a God. The main focus was put on their two latest EPs "All the World To Me" and "Wonder Working One" both available on iTunes for $4.95. Well worth the price.

Thank you Billy and Cindy! For writing great songs and not being afraid to play them.