Mutual Kumquat - For the Beauty of the Earth

The Church has shaped us. Four of us of grew up in the Church of the Brethren, one as part of the Quaker community. Through our experiences in the church we learned to value a life lived with compassion, humility and gratitude. We learned by example what it meant to work for peace, how to respect the beautiful world around us, and how to live in the service of others. We learned the importance of empathy. We learned how to respect and walk with the outcast, the forgotten, the judged. And we gained comfort when we were broken or forgotten ourselves. Our church communities nurtured us and encouraged us to truly embody a life of love. Ultimately, we have witnessed the power of the Church's prophetic voice, arched towards justice and inclusion, to offer inspiration and comfort when the world needs healing. No matter where any of us have gone or will go in our own individual journeys, these lessons live deep within us. These are lessons that we believe the Church, now more than ever, has the important opportunity to continue teaching. The music of the Church has been especially formative in our lives. In worship, as prayer, at family gatherings, at weddings and funerals, hymns are where we learned how to sing harmonies. We learned how to play our instruments by playing these melodies and rhythms. We sang the songs that generations before had also sung connecting us to our ancestors. We learned new songs that our parents and grandparents' generations had written, and we began writing our songs, participating in the dynamic experience of music. As musicians this collection of arrangements is our first attempt to bring new and re-imagined life to the lyrics and melodies of sacred songs that have moved us and many others before. We have attempted to truly honor the spirit in which these songs were written while staying true to our own musical inspirations. We hope that you enjoy the result!

1) For the Beauty of the Earth
2) Will You Let Me Be Your Servant (The Servant Song)
3) Come Thou Fount
4) Great Storm Is Over
5) Spirit of the Living God
6) Hear My Prayer
7) This Is God's Sacred World
8) Be Thou My Vision
9) Every Time I Feel the Spirit
10) Kum Ba Ya
11) Move in Our Midst
12) This Little Light of Mine
13) For the Beauty of the Earth (Live)