Customer Reviews

On The Incarnation

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*Originally posted at [...].

On The Incarnation has 8 songs that are selected and written to encourage worship and not just good seasonal feelings. This is a theology-minded Christmas album. Reflective.

Staple Christmas Hymns: First let me talk about a few Christmas staples on the album. "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" is joyous and upbeat. The popping strum of a mandolin colors this song folksy and fun. Love it. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" surprised me. I'm used to it being a collective, jolly sounding song like at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Daniel offers a beautiful, quieter, more contemplative version. Just great. "Angels We Have Heard On High" has an updated, worship band feel to it. It feels like a Sojourn song, which I mean as a high compliment. I'm not a musician and I don't want to explain this wrong, but it seems to have a minor key worked into the song that isn't in the traditional version. That tweaks the feel of the song which I think is pretty cool. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is a short, music-only song leading into Daniel's song, "Rise and Fall."

New Songs: The new songs written by Renstrom are excellent. The album begins with "His Company," calling us to sing because Jesus is our Immanuel...

Who has believed
This message we have loved
Invisible God, came in flesh from above
Mighty, wonderful God, Prince of Peace
Bringing sight to the lost, calling us to sing

Join oh join the angel melody
God with man is pleased to dwell
Sing confess, with all His company
Jesus our Immanuel

"Rise and Fall" will likely be the most recognizable song off the album. It's the most curious sounding. I can't listen to it without cranking up the volume and bass. What a great reminder, missing in the consumer Christmas world as well as too often in our churches, that the birth of Jesus wasn't just about joy. It threatened those who oppose. Here's the whole song...

The dawn of the light
Is breaking tonight
At the birth of this dangerous King

And shepherds and kings
Bow down and sing
At the birth of this dangerous King

Many will rise and fall
At the birth of this King, the birth of this King

Those who oppose
Stumble on this stone
The birth of this dangerous King

But many will hear
Believing in fear
Will hope in this dangerous King

"Comfort Ye" has a more traditional sound. It starts acoustic and quiet with a hint of a rising and fading ambient sound behind it, eventually leading to the mountaintop of music and lyric that deserves exclamation points...

Immanuel / God with us / Son of God / Hallelujah

But the worshipful conclusion above doesn't come without a recognition of our responsibility to the world. It's preceded by...

In Christ we know hope for the hurting
In Christ we know love for the lost
In Christ we know no other one can save

The short, closing song is "Divine Messiah." It's a simple, short and quiet piano song expressing a longing for Messiah.

The truly great thing about On The Incarnation is that it doesn't repel you when you are not in a Christmas season mood. It's a gift from Renstrom that we can hear it outside the season and still enjoy it. I played the album for the kids in the car on the way to Louisville two weeks ago. Four songs in they said, "Are you sure these are Christmas songs?" The answer is yes, in the best sense.

On The Incarnation will make a great addition to your music library. It will be a blessing for Sunday morning worship in the weeks to come. You may want to give it as a gift to a Christian who needs to get beyond "Winter Wonderland" or a non-Christian who needs the Gospel.

The lyrics and chord charts are available for free at [...]

Daniel has revived the Spirit of Christmas through brilliant arrangements and God-centered song selections. Being a big fan of Steven Curtis Chapman, I can hear a lot of that in Daniel's voice and songwriting. No doubt, Daniel has the gifting for being an artist of longevity. I was greatly blessed by the Truth and Hope of his music and I know you will be too!

Not many things will get me listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but Daniel Renstrom pulled it off. This is an awesome album with 4 NEW Christ-centered, Gospel-centric Christmas songs! And the music and production are terrific! You can't go wrong snagging this album, and if you get it now, it'll make a great gift!