Christian Music News

SEATTLE, WA – Mars Hill Music / BEC Recordings is set to release the full-length worship project from Dustin Kensrue titled The Water and The Blood, which will release October 1. This project is a collection of mostly original worship songs, blending modern musical sensibilities and sounds with lyrics expounding a depth of robust and life-giving theological truth. This is the third full-length release from the partnership with Mars Hill Music / BEC Recordings. The debut music video from this album premiered today along with the live presale. Click here to watch "It's Not Enough" and preorder The Water and The Blood.

Kensrue, a Worship Pastor at Mars Hill Church, oversees Mars Hill Music and leads worship weekly at the church’s Bellevue location. Prior to beginning to serve at Mars Hill Church in 2011, Kensrue was known primarily as the voice of the rock band Thrice, which is currently on an extended hiatus after 14 years, eight albums and vigorous touring.

“This project is a different creative process than when writing for Thrice, but only because the songs have a different purpose and focus,” shares Kensrue. “You make a lot of different decisions in the creative process when you are writing songs for people as a group to sing together in worship. As different as this may be in practice, the root of the process is still the same, as I am using the gifts God has given to me to honestly express my heart and through that, point myself and others to Jesus.”

The title of the record is pulled from a line in a hymn rewrite on the record. Kensrue explains, “Water and blood are important and prolific symbols throughout scripture. While the context in the ‘Rock of Ages’ is on cleansing and justifying sinners, there are many other ways that the metaphors are used. As I was finishing the record I began to see two larger themes emerging. The first was shown in blood, representing God’s grace for the undeserving through the sacrifice of Christ. The second was shown in water, acknowledging that Jesus is the source ultimate satisfaction, as He himself says ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink’ and ‘whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.’”

The songs from The Water and The Blood are geared first and foremost for local church worship, though the record itself is a textured and dynamic offering that both encourages and rewards private listening. The debut single “Rejoice” is a call to rejoice in our salvation as well as our suffering. It reminds us “Jesus walked this path before us, [and] is walking with us still, turning tragedy to triumph, turning agony to praise. There is blessing in the battle, so take heart and stand amazed.”

“Growing up in the church singing worship songs, the songs always left me with a sense of pride or despair,” explains Kensrue. “The focus was not on what God had done through Christ, but on what I should or could or was doing for Him. So I wanted to create songs that explicitly celebrate the truth of the gospel.”

The final track “It Is Finished” is perhaps the most explicit in this regard with the refrain “It is finished, He has done it, let your weary hearts rejoice!” Other songs rounding out this project include “Suffering Servant,” which is essentially putting into song the text from Isaiah 52 and 53 that so stunningly portrays the passion of Christ more than 700 years before He was born. “Come Lord Jesus” is a unique worship first written in 5/4 timing. The heart wrenching “It’s Not Enough” is the only song on the record not explicitly written for corporate worship, and takes it’s cue from Ecclesiastes arguing that no amount of worldly gain will ever fill us up or make us whole.

Dustin Kensrue will also be a part of the 2013 Resurgence Conference November 5 and 6, organized by TheResurgence.com, a ministry of Mars Hill Church. Resurgence will be live from Seattle, where Kensrue will be leading worship, as well as four other satellite locations (Bellevue, WA; Reno, NV; Orlando, FL; and Albuquerque, NM) where other Mars Hill Music bands will be playing live. More information here: http://theresurgence.com/conference