Michael:  On the songs that were familiar I just tried to pick great songs. We made Chris Tomlin’s “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” really big. When you have 12,000 people in the house, it’s just going to feel big. Another great song is “Mighty to Save.” I’ve been leading it for two years in my church, and it works every time.

In terms of contributions, I just started writing love songs for God. “Deep in Love with You” is probably one of my favorite songs on the record because it was so heartfelt. I started a journal and discovered I was writing lyrics and having ideas that I’ve never had before.

I think there are more mediocre songs out there than great songs when it comes to worship music. That’s just my opinion. I wanted to throw my songs up there against all these other songs I could’ve picked because I wanted to raise the bar.

CMP:  With all the passion and energy that goes into preparing a worship night of this magnitude, how do you also encourage 12,000 people to move beyond the church walls and take action?  If that’s even a fair question.

Michael:  Yeah it is.

I still meet so many people who struggle with self-worth. They struggle with “Does God really love me?” and “Maybe if I do all the right things, God will love me more.”  There are all kinds of reasons for that—bad father figures, moms checking out and bad theology—and the Gospel called “Grace” has not been preached.

God doesn’t just love us, but He actually likes us. He’s so very fond of us; that just floors people. So many have based their life on performance instead of response.

I believe when you get that message you will automatically get out of the walls of the church. That’s when [the church] will become hands and feet. They’ll go out and open up orphanages. They’ll go build a house for Habitat, and they’ll mentor a kid in boys club or a girl with a drug addiction.

Because it’s not about you; it’s not about the job; it’s not about the car; and it’s not about the house you live in. You just become very secure in who you are, and then you want to go out and change the world, because you realize it’s not about you.

CMP:  So it’s a response to the reception of Grace?

Michael:  It’s a response. It’s not performance. I’m not saying there are not ramifications for sin. My dad loved me well. If I broke the law—if I broke the rules—I paid for it. But it didn’t have anything to do with whether he loved me.

CMP:  Celebrating 25 years of making records, how does A New Hallelujah prepare us for the next chapter of Michael W. Smith?

Michael:  I’m not really sure. And I’m OK with that. I’ve always said, “God, when the inspiration comes, it’ll come.” I’ve never fought it. I’ve never tried to control it. So I’m not going to change my plan.

I do believe that when I hop back in the studio, it’s going to gush out. I just have to be ready to hit red, to put it in record and see what happens.

For more information, log on to michaelwsmith.com.

 
 
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*This interview first published on November 11, 2008.