Our first 20schemes music album is finished! ‘Songs from the Schemes’ is a collection of testimonies written by believers living in the schemes of Scotland. Set to release on 1st June 2019, the album is now available for pre-order and will be released on the 1st June.
All purchases go toward funding the work of bringing the light of the gospel to Scotland’s schemes.
The purpose for sharing these first-hand accounts of God’s grace amongst ordinary people is inspired by what we find in God’s word. Throughout the Bible we see examples of God’s people singing in response to His holiness, goodness, deliverance, steadfastness, mercy, and His worthiness of praise in all circumstances. In Exodus 15:2, Moses and the people of Israel have just been delivered from the Egyptians who pursued them into the Red Sea and safely on the other side they sing:
‘The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation’.
When Nehemiah finally rebuilds the wall of Jerusalem the people ‘..celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing,..’ (Nehemiah 12:27).
In Acts 16:25 we read that despite being falsely accused, beaten, and imprisoned with their feet in stocks, Paul and Silas ‘..were praying and singing hymns to God…and the prisoners were listening to them.’
For ‘Songs From The Schemes’ we simply wanted to have a go at doing what we read in Psalm 89:
‘I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations..’
And we pray that others will listen. We hope that believers will be encouraged as they hear true stories of God’s grace and we hope that other prisoners, those still lost in bondage to their sin and heading for a lost eternity, would listen and turn in repentance to Jesus Christ.
The lyrics for Resting Place were written by Fontaine Selway who lives in Gracemount, Edinburgh with her husband Mark and their family. Fonz was inspired to write this poem while reading Psalm 18 which speaks of God being a rock and a refuge. Fonz teamed up with Carlie who wrote the music for this song. With a past life of abuse, alcohol addiction and struggle Fonz writes:
Sing songs of my God, He is full of grace.
My rock, my refuge, He is my resting place.
Resting Place, Fontaine Selway
The verses for God Looked Down were written by Benny Anderson, a member of Niddrie Community Church. A few years back Benny was diagnosed with cancer. Verse 3 is Benny’s declaration of his certain hope even during the uncertainty of his treatment which was successful. That experience however, prompted him to write:
I’m getting close to my reward
To see Him face to face
Homeward bound that crown I see
Is what’s in store for me
God Looked Down, Benny Anderson
The lyrics for O God Of My Salvation were written by Andy Constable the co-pastor at Niddrie Community Church after his brother and sister in law tragically lost their son after only a few minutes of being born. Andy’s lyrics express the truths of John 16v33 and the peace we have in Christ even in the darkest circumstances:
By Your grace You bind up this sad and broken heart,
O God of My Salvation, Andy Constable
May I declare Your Glory ‘O Lord how great Thou art
The Truth was written by John Connor from Craigmillar in Edinburgh. John wrote the lyrics, the music and plays the guitar solo in this song as he expresses in his own words his salvation, referring to Psalm 62 when he writes:
My soul finds rest in God alone
My salvation comes from only Him
He alone is my rock and my salvation
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken
The Truth, John Connor
Daddy Assante (Swahili for ‘thank you’) is a spoken word poem written by Daphne Kabeberi who is a Kenyan woman who served as an intern for 20schemes. Daphne describes the sadness of her absent father during childhood yet explains how she came to know her heavenly Father:
The cross is the only solution, to the sin I now see as my own –
No more blame games and passing shame – His Spirit brings conviction!
Daddy Assante, Daphne Kabeberi
Glory was written by my wife Carlie Fenne. I pray this song encourages many who have suffered loss to see the glory of Christ displayed through His suffering and therefore the hope we can have through faith in Jesus, even in the darkest times of our own lives.
Show Your glory in the middle of this suffering
Show Your glory when I am in pain
My life is Yours
I trust You
Glory, Carlie Fenne
Reach Out was written by our 20schemes music partners in crime; Pete and Cara Bell from Hope Church Barlanark. Pete and Cara also feature respectively as the guitarist and principle vocals on the album.
God above, below, beyond me
I’m surrounded by Your light
How can a sinful wanderer
Stand blameless in Your sight?
Reach Out, Pete & Cara Bell
Jesus Are You There? was written by Debs Harvey from Lochee, Dundee. Two weeks before Debs emailed me these lyrics with an attached MP3 of her singing it into her phone, she had almost convinced me that she would never be able to write a song and that I should stop being a dafty:
I don’t know why You’ve saved me, I cannot tell
but this I know, You’ve rescued me and spared me from hell
and Your word, You’ve spoken to me
Jesus Are You There?, Debs Harvey
Jehovah Tsidkenu written by Robert Murray M’Cheyne – who in fairness isn’t a member of any of our 20schemes church plants – is a masterful account of how the late Scottish minister came to faith. We’ve done a new tune, found out that ‘Highland Cathedral’ fitted, added a bagpiper and it’s become a 9+ minute Scottish epic. You may need a lie down at the end of it.
This Is Grace was written to articulate the gospel and my ownaccount of Christ’s mercy and ongoing work in me.
Jesus paid in full for my forgiveness,
He was beaten mocked and hung upon a tree
Willingly He took my shame upon him,
The King of Kings crucified instead of me
This Is Grace, Sol Fenne
Saved For Him was written by Dave Dickson from Lochee. Dave also supplied chords which we pretty much stuck to; we made ‘Scotland the Brave’ work along with ‘we’re no awa tae bide awa’ and turned it into a ceilidh as we couldn’t come up with a decent answer for “why not?”:
Now to dance and to sing bringing praise to my King.
I am saved, I’m redeemed, I’m forgiven
The blood of the lamb melted through this hard heart
Raised to life what was dead, saved for Him
Saved For Him, Dave Dickson
‘Songs From The Schemes’ is available now to pre-order. Please pray that it will be used to direct our praise, worship and full attention to Christ alone. Pray also that these accounts of God’s goodness and mercy would, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, draw many others to find peace, hope, and forgiveness in our Saviour.