Music Review: For the Sake of the Call by Steven Curtis Chapman

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Challenging lyrics, fun songs
Cons: None for me
The Bottom Line:
My first Steven disc
It is still a favorite
20 years later




Steven Curtis Chapman's Echoing of God's Call Still Deserves to be Heard

When I was first starting to get into music on my own, I kept hearing one name over and over again, Steven Curtis Chapman.  At the time, For the Sake of the Call was his newest release.  So I bought it, and a new fan was born.  It's hard to believe I have owned this disc for almost 20 years now.  These songs are like old friends in many ways, and pulling this disc out reminds me of all God has taught me through the songs.

The disc was released in 1990.  It was Steven's fourth release and stuck pretty closely to his tried and true acoustic guitar format.  In fact, if I have one complaint, it is that the songs can sound too similar, especially the first four.  But, oh the lyrics.

The disc opens with the title track.  As is usually the case with Steven's recordings, "For the Sake of the Call" is an anthem.  Drawing first from the Apostles, the song reminds us of God's call to surrender everything as we follow him.  The backbone of the song is Steven's guitar, but it also includes keyboard and hints of strings along with a choir to fully flesh out this classic.

Actually, a reprise of this song ends the disc as well.  This time, it is completely instrumental and strings do the melody.  It's about a minute and a quarter long, and a pretty way to end the album.

Honestly, the rest of the songs follow this theme in one way or another.  A few are a bit of a stretch, but most do fit into the call for radical discipleship.

"What Kind of Joy" definitely fits the theme.  Here, Steven is marveling at how people can continue to spread the Gospel in the face of stark rejection.  The first verse is about generic missionaries (or at least no one I've ever recognized), while verse two talks specifically about the Apostle Paul.  It's slightly more upbeat than the first track and features more of the keyboard.

"Busy Man" picks up the tempo and gives us heavy percussion and some fun guitar playing.  Granted, the subject matter is familiar.  He sings of "Billy" a man so busy working to earn stuff that he ignores his family and friends, leaving him lonely.  And I don't know what you want to call it on the bridge, but I still think of it as a whip; either way, it adds a fun touch.

Steven reminds us of his main theme with "Lost in the Shadow."  This steady mid-tempo number is a personal prayer of commitment and surrender to God.

My favorite song on the disc is "Higher Ways."  The acoustic guitar really stands out as Steven pucks the strings for this ballad.  Rounding out the music are beautiful strings.  The song is a statement of faith in God's providence despite the trials of life.  As much as I love the song, I wish I could say it was true in my life.  Unfortunately, I just don't have that constant faith.  But I keep going back to my song to remind myself that I can indeed trust Him.

"Blind Lead the Blind" kicks off the second half with a call to stand for the truth in a world full of lies.  Steven paints pictures of a teacher teaching evolution and a preacher twisting the Bible for his own purposes.  The tempo is back up to mid tempo with a strong keyboard presence.

I have a love/hate relationship with "You Know Better."  At times, I love the song for it's reminder to live whole heartedly for God.  Plus it has a fun, upbeat tempo and catchy melody that makes you want to smile.  But God has used it more than one time in my life when I am comparing myself against others favorably and using that to slack off in many areas of my life.  So consider this a warning - listen to this song and you will be convicted any time you try to measure yourself to compared to others and not the truth of the Bible.

Keyboard takes center stage for "When You are a Soldier."  This ballad is an offer of support and friendship toward a brother or sister in Christ who is growing weary of the battle of living for God.  It's a beautiful song, although it wouldn't sound quite so dated if they had used piano instead of keyboard.

Things pick up again for a fan favorite.  "No Better Place" in a fast song that celebrates the joy that comes from living for God.  It's impossible to not have a smile on your face as you listen to Steven sing the lyrics.

The final song is another guitar and string ballad.  Pulling from John 15, "Show Yourselves to be" reminds us that our lives will show if we are truly following God or not.  I will admit, in my high school years, I didn't appreciate this song, but now I enjoy the message and the music.

I know classic can be thrown around at will these days, but in my mind, For the Sake of the Call is a classic release from Steven Curtis Chapman.  There isn't truly a bad song here.  And almost 20 years after I bought it, I still get so much from the lyrics.  If you are looking for a disc to challenge you, this one will do it.

CD Length: 45:30

Tracks:

1. For the Sake of the Call

2. What Kind of Joy

3. Busy Man

4. Lost in the Shadow

5. Higher Ways

6. Blind Lead the Blind

7. You Know Better

8. When You are a Soldier

9. No Better Place

10. Show Yourselves to be

11. For the Sake of the Call (Reprise)