Description
The Word, sub-titled Recapturing the Imagination, is the tenth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Card, released on Sparrow Records in 1992. The album was recorded and mixed by Ronnie Brookshire with Phil Naish producing. The Word is the last album of The Ancient Faith trilogy covering the Wisdom books of the Bible. (The Beginning and The Way of Wisdom being the first two installments.)
Michael Card has saved his best for last. This album is the last in Card’s ‘Ancient Faith’ Old Testament trilogy and is more sharply focused and musically diverse than his previous albums. Card’s ministry has always focused on trying to make the Bible come alive for his listeners so that they would be encouraged to read it, but this album deals with his most difficult biblical subject to date – understanding the prophets and why they did some of the strange things they did (like walk into a fiery furnace).
Card seeks to recapture his listeners’ ears through a variety of musical styles. The second side of the album allows Card to explore his many musical interests, ranging from the acoustic guitar instrumental «A Little Child Shall Lead Them», to Irish music on «Valley of Dry Bones», to singing in an a cappella quartet with Steve Green, David Green, and Jon Mohr, on «Why Will You Not Listen». There are also rich orchestrations on this album by J.A.C. Redford and excellent production work on the background vocal counterpoint of songs like «Recapture Me».
Card also promotes a cause on this album that he seems perfectly suited for: The Bible League and its project to get study Bibles to pastors in China. The song «So Many Books», is dedicated to this cause and says “More hungry by far a billion and more/ Who wait for the bread of the word of the Lord.”
Card says in the introduction to the album that prophecy is poetry and paradox, music and metaphor, and uses those elements to encourage his listeners to read the Bible and see it in a fresh way.
Card answers his own paradox in the next song «Then They Will Know», by discussing the purpose of prophecy as being God’s invitation for people to know his inner life. There are 27 scripture references listed with this song to encourage listeners to feed on the Bible.
The song «Valley of Dry Bones», which Card dedicates to a friend’s vision for the city of Belfast, Ireland, is filled with the poetic images of a people rising from the dead and being born again.
In keeping with saving the best for last the final song on the album is the most powerful. «I Will Bring You Home» is dedicated to everyone who still longs for a home and speaks of God as being a home to his people – a final image from God’s word and Michael Card to recapture the imagination. [Dave Geisler, CCM, November 1992]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-word-recapturing-the-imagination/716138689)
CD tracklist:
01. The Prophet – 5:15
02. So Many Books… – 2:42
03. Then They Will Know – 4:25
04. Recapture Me – 3:04
05. Song Of Gomer – 2:43
06. Who Can Abide? – 3:16
07. Through The Eye / And A Little Child Shall Lead Them – 4:38
08. Valley Of Dry Bones – 3:15
09. Will You Not Listen? – 2:40
10. The Kingdom – 5:26
11. I Will Bring You Home – 2:44
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Sparrow Records. The Ancient Faith released in 1993 contains the trilogy – The Beginning, The Way of Wisdom and The Word: Recapturing the Imagination – in a boxed-set (plus “Heal Our Land” song for the National Day of Prayer and “Ancient Faith Overture”).
A full-page advertisement for Michael Card’s The Word: Recapturing The Imagination was featured in the September 1992 issue of CCM Magazine.
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