The name Vicky Beeching has slowly been circulating around worship music circles ever since the Hungry album from Vineyard Music in 1999. But between writing music for the church and a record deal that involved a move from the UK to America, the Oxford grad has shied away from sharing her personal side in songwriting. That changed with the release of her sophomore effort Painting the Invisible, which acknowledges the difficulty of trying to express God through words and sounds. But Beeching gives it her best shot, and in the process of sketching the Almighty, she reveals a bit more of herself in the process. Christian Music Today took the opportunity to talk with her about this, including her diverse background, her friendship with Melody Green (wife of the late Keith Green), and her passion for showing others how to put worship into action.

It feels as though this CD is an artistic coming of age for you.

Vicky Beeching: I've always wanted to be a whole person in the sense that life is more than just music. I [wrote] what I'm really experiencing as I'm coming of age and growing. God's really opened my heart since moving to the States, which was quite hard, and put me into a bit of survival mode. [Producers] Ed Cash and Nathan Nockels are people who really believed in me, and last year God started opening my heart through them, moving me to a new level, which reflects itself in the music.

What was so hard about the move from England to America?

Beeching: I think it was just coming out on my own. I wouldn't trade it for the world, because it's always been a dream to live in the States and do music. But I left behind all that was familiar to me—Mom, Dad, and friends, which took more of a toll than actually moving at first. But God's really waking me up and bringing me back to myself. My heart feels so alive this year!

What do you account for the turnaround?

Beeching: Great people made it easy. There's something about the way Ed works—he has such belief in you and looks into your heart. We would pray about song choices and options, plus he would have his eyes closed worshipping as I would do a vocal take. It was a very affirming process.

Considering that your past work has been more corporate worship in nature, how were you able to open up more personally on this album?

Beeching: I do struggle with being more personable. I feel like I have a corporate church calling and want people to understand it and get into a church setting. On this record, I included two more songs that are a lot more personal. "Everlasting Arms" came from a period of loneliness, and it talks about God holding us when we are weary and broken. That song is real and says how much I need him. Then "Twenty-Six Summers" is a testimony song about God's faithfulness to me after all these years. People can sing along and insert their own age, but hopefully it will inspire them.

With a title like Painting the Invisible, it feels as though you're trying to bring a more tangible perspective of God to listeners. Do you feel as though you pulled it off?

Beeching: Yeah, I don't know. I was thinking about the whole concept of worship CDs and songs, but I wanted to step back a bit and reconsider what it means to write songs about God. It's quite bizarre that we take words on this planet to describe something so supernatural. I put a journal entry in my CD liner notes that describes what the [title] means: that I was trying to describe something beyond description. It's kind of like a kid with crayons trying to paint Monet. We can't replicate the greatness of God, so why do we try? Because the passion in us is so great, and so we write songs because we can't be silent. What we're doing is kind of crazy in a wonderful way, but it's good to remember how limited we are in humanness.

That's partly the definition of art, right? Attempting to express something—like God—through a different medium.

Beeching: I remember the stressful days studying at Oxford, when we talked about how using human words to describe God kind of shrinks him. You say "father," and I think of my Dad. Even when you use "beautiful" or "majestic," they're all human words. They're on the same scale as those little crayons. We use them because we have nothing else, but we have to remember he's an incredible masterpiece beyond us.

You're an academic, yet also an artist. How do you relate the two sides?

Beeching: My dad is an accountant and an introvert who likes numbers. My mom is the life of the party who likes songwriting. So I'm this strange hybrid of the two. Some days I love being academic and sit down with a stack of books. Other days I can't put the guitar down and go outside the box to be a touchy feely artist.

Most artists aren't the numbers type!

Beeching: Sometimes I wonder if it's hindered me because I'm not one of those people who'll be all artistic and say, "I see the color green when I write." I'm much more analytical, thinking about the syllables in the line of a song. I have to be myself, and sometimes the way I write helps because I'm writing for the church. But sometimes the more "space cadet artists"—whom I really respect—can't reign in their lyrics and ideas for the church. My calling is not to be a space cadet. I'm not as good painting words that are rich and thick!

So you've found a way to use the right side of your brain for the church via your left side?

Beeching: (laughing) In a nutshell, yes! God gave me the balance on purpose for my specific role. He gave me creativity, but also balance in the pastoral sense, and that's been really helpful. I love working in churches, which requires showing up on time and managing people. God knew I needed my dad's ability on the business side to put schedules together, but I do miss being one of these crazy people floating around too.

Speaking of contrasts, how do you balance your charismatic upbringing with the more traditional, liturgical side that developed through school?

Beeching: It's been an interesting journey and a strange combination. I grew up in the Assemblies of God tradition and took theology classes at Oxford, so I feel like an odd value meal at McDonald's: a Big Mac with yogurt. I'm in these two worlds that seem to make a messy combination, but God knows what he's doing. One side informs the other, and that's exciting for me.

You've also balanced a lot more musically on the new record—ballads with rockers, more prominent piano with the guitars. What led to this new direction?

Beeching: I took a lot more time on this record. With the last one, it was more like me packing my suitcase, leaving my homeland for the new world, and recording right away. I was able to approach a few influences, but not fully breathe them all out. I was very into Avril [Lavigne] at the time and had my Les Paul guitar, but I didn't capture a lot of the other stuff I loved, like the melodic and soft side with strings and piano. This record has moments that are energetic, but there's also a lot more beauty.

Interesting that you were able to write on Keith Green's piano too. How did your friendship with Melody Green come about?

Beeching: We met through a friend of a friend, and I could tell from the first time we met over coffee that God was in it. It's amazing how she's been working at Sparrow since the beginning and still knows people working there now. She has such a perspective, especially with the worship stuff since Keith was so worshipful. And she also understands the issues women face in the industry—the pressure that's put on girls—so she's been a real refuge and encouragement.

In fact, there's a room at her house that's become "my room." She also has a music room with Keith's piano, some old records, and a few paintings people did of him. One day when I was sitting at the piano—and this is probably my charismatic side coming out—I was playing and thought, How bizarre that this man touched this piano but is now in the reality of heaven? It seems so ethereal sometimes, but he was really here and now he's really there! And suddenly those two worlds collided for me. Heaven felt so real, almost like I could reach out and touch how real God was at that moment.

Your passion for worship and ministry led to the development of the Worship In Action web site. Tell us a little about that.

Beeching: I was inspired by my grandparents, who were missionaries. I grew up hearing great stories about mission life and even visited Africa when I was a kid. I wanted to do something to spread the gospel with more than merely words and songs. I'm very passionate when playing music in front of people, but I can't make everybody sing along in concert. I have to also do it on the front lines. For me, the site was God stirring my heart to show people what I'm talking about—how to put worship into action. A year ago, I went to Peru for two weeks, and while it was such a good experience, I don't just want to do token trips. Worship In Action looks at neighborhood life and brings it locally into the everyday—like the homeless guy on the corner, or the poor person down the street who can't pay the bills.

Has the site helped believers localize their outreach in their communities?

Beeching: It's still in the early stages right now, taking baby steps. But I want to show what I'm doing and hopefully start a fire for worshippers to do their own thing. I also plan to ask other artists to put their observations on the site. The site will be an inspirational place to go to and become a place to live out the songs. I think it will evolve with time and become a window to what God is doing in me as well as others. It's definitely geared toward everyone—not just leaders, but anyone who calls themselves worshippers. The goal is to encourage the average follower of Jesus to make discipleship practical—to get their hands dirty Monday through Sunday.

Visit our site's artist page to learn more about Vicky Beeching and her music. And you can visit WorshipInAction.org to learn more about putting legs to faith and worship. Our review of her album Painting the Invisible is available here. And go to ChristianBook.com to listen to song clips and buy Vicky's music.

© Andy Argyrakis, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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