Matt Redman

Songs of praise are a crucial part of a Christian's worship experience. But according to Matt Redman, songs of lamentation are equally as important.

The U.K.-born Redman, who's just 29, is one of the contemporary church's most respected worship leaders, songwriters, and a key player in youth revival movements around the world. He has written such praise classics as "The Heart of Worship" and "Better Is One Day," which are sung at worship events in many countries and featured on countless recordings by other artists. "Blessed Be Your Name," one of his most popular songs, was written by Matt and his wife, Beth, in 2001 as both an anthem of praise and a response to the reality of human suffering.

"'Blessed Be Your Name' stems from the story of our lives," Matt explains. "Both Beth and I had tough upbringings—a lot of different issues to do with fathers—and over the years we've come to realize that worshiping God is a choice, and the best choice we'll ever make."

Matt and Beth were on sabbatical in the U.S. during the September 11 terrorist attacks. They wrote "Blessed Be Your Name" while in the shadow of those tragic events.

"It struck me how little a vocabulary we have in church worship music to respond appropriately in dark times of life," Matt says. "We all face seasons of pain and unease. And in those times we need to find our voice before God. The church, and indeed the world, needs songs of lamentation."

Many believe the Book of Job is about suffering, but Matt has a different interpretation. "I think it's really about something much grander—the sovereignty of God—of which suffering is a subcategory. At the end of chapter one it says: 'The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised.'"

Or, as Matt's song puts it, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."

"Trust is a beautiful act of worship," Matt says. "It says to God, 'I believe in You—in Your unfailing goodness and greatness—no matter what season of life I find myself in.'"

Lindsay Terry is the author of The Sacrifice of Praise: Stories Behind the Greatest Praise and Worship Songs of All Time (Integrity).

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