One of the challenges facing a congregation that tries to “do” contemporary worship is the relative short supply of musical resources that truly represent UCC beliefs and values, and use the kind of inclusive language that has become so important to so many of us.

Anyone who’s explored the idea knows that there’s a whole industry around creating the kind of praise and worship music that dominates in more conservative, evangelical mega-church settings. These songs share a common faith in Jesus Christ, to be sure, but aside from their commitment to speak of God and Christ in dominant male pronouns like “He” and “Him,” with the “H” always capitalized, there’s also a leaning toward private pietisms even in songs designed for group settings. You can listen to hundreds of the favorites, popularized by contemporary Christian artists like MercyMe, Michael W. Smith and David Crowder*Band, and find very few usable songs due to the theological and cultural differences. 

Given the absence of the more inclusive perspectives, progressive theological expressions, and social justice values that give the UCC its unique identity and voice, finding fresh, musically interesting selections for a contemporary worship offering that honors our perspective can border on a full-time job. There are of course a host of creative UCC and other progressive Christian artists seeking to remedy this situation, including those who worked on the “Sing! Prayer & Praise” songbook, like Christopher Grundy, Bryan Sirchio, Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan and others.

To help meet this need, Grundy has released “Stepping In,” a collection of songs he has contributed throughout the life of the United Church of Christ. Eight of the 10 songs Grundy contributed to “Sing!” are on this crisp, well-recorded, 21-selection disk, including “Listening Now,” written for the 50th anniversary of the UCC and sung at the Sunday worship of the General Synod hosted in Hartford, Conn. Others, like “Waiting for You,” “Pour Out Your Spirit,” and “This Is My Child” were written for the Worshiping into God’s Future initiative, while “More Light” and “Peace Be with You” were used at the National Youth Event in 2008.

Grundy is associate professor of preaching and worship at UCC-related Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo. He also has a Facebook group for the Progressive Christian Artists Network (PCAN), and leads – with Bruxvoort-Colligan and others – the SHIFT progressive Christian music conferences. The next SHIFT conference is July 25-28 at Pilgrim Center in Ripon, Wis.

The musical offerings on “Stepping In” are well thought out and are recorded in sing-along friendly arrangements. Downloadable sheet music is available at www.christophergrundy.com.

The title track acknowledges that when we are entering into prayer and worship, we are entering a stream that flows continually from the hearts of believers in every generation. Elsewhere, Grundy reshapes the psalms for corporate worship singing, as in “Out of the Depths,” a lament drawn from Psalm 130:1, and “I Was So Glad,” which draws on Psalm 121:1 and Matthew 25:37-40. A younger band with the right guitarist might emphasize the U2-ish verses, but Grundy’s bias is to keep the songs open to a folk rock chorus sound that would work across the post-Elvis Presley generations.

As opposed to more conservative alternatives, the tracks on this disk are emotionally honest, and never manipulative. There is confession of one’s “privilege” and an invitation to enter into God’s “kin-dom,” and acknowledgements that there are many names for God. “More Light” uses the words from the early Pilgrim pastor John Robinson, that “God has yet more light and truth to break forth from [God’s] glorious word,” one of the inspirational quotes at the heart of The Stillspeaking Ministry, which is given more explicit expression in “Listening Now.”

Grundy has found strong background players that emphasize the sing-ability of his songs, with the occasional Black gospel soloist adding a touch of soul here, a tin whistle adding a bit of Irish melodic flair there. Grundy, as his role as Dean of the Eden Chapel would suggest, has a strong liturgical flair, whether writing songs for baptism or communion, or other special moments in the life of the worshiping community. There’s an earthy Celtic spirituality at work here and there, with the occasional reference to process or liberation theologies. On the whole, a pleasant recording, accessible music, and thoughtful lyrics mark this as a special offering for the worshiping life of the United Church of Christ.