"I Will Rest in You"-Jaci Valesquez January 2, 2021

 

Streams is a unique Contemporary Christian concept album from 1999. Featuring nine songs with some of the Christian music industry's forefront artists at the time and a couple of head-scratchers from Classic rock including Michael MacDonald (The Doobie Brothers), Jon Anderson (Yes), and a song written by Peter Gabriel. I bought this album for my mom, who loved the Jon Anderson/4Him duet. There are few songs from this album I still listen to, even though my musical diet only consists of CCM when I listen to Good Christian Fun. The production of this album is amazing. It seems that this kind of album is a pause in the so-called culture war. Evil rock musicians laid down their Satanic lyrics of anarchy and the heavenly choir of saints,  in a lapse of judgement, succumbed to the the New Age message of unity and created an album to deceive the very elect...no, I don't actually believe any other that, but it's something I may have heard from the crazy church people growing up. 

I WILL REST IN YOU is a song performed by Jaci Velazquez, who was at the peak of her career. Velazquez was young and pretty. Her music was very churchy and rarely upbeat, except for when she brought Latin into the CCM realm. MUSICAL NOTES: This song is a piano ballad which starts out with Velazquez singing in an almost childlike calm, but builds up to some powerful vocals by the last chorus. THE LYRICS of this song talk about a transition from a childlike faith to a deeper understanding. When I started re-listening to this album last year, I was struck by the "God/boyfriend" comparisons that often corrupt pure-intentioned songs. God watches over you when you're a little child and you mature into the "greater faith prepared for [you]." 

WHY I CHOSE THIS SONG: After the most turbulent year in most of our lives, everyone is welcoming in the new year. Every month seemed to pile on something new and terrible for the world, as if we were all stuck on a treadmill that raised it's speed every month. I'm not so naive to believe that it's over, but what I've found is that it's important to value the rest whenever you can. Personally, I'm hesitant to call myself a Christian, but I do believe that God can give us rest. We have to seek it. In the first Sabbath of 2021, I'm reminded to take that rest because the treadmill will probably decide to level up pretty soon.