In this age of instant messaging via social media, letter writing has become an antiquated exercise of the past. Twitter-ology with the prevalence of and # has become the lingua franca of today's generation. As a result, this has liquidated our capabilities to express our worship of God in ways that are fresh, arresting and creative. Sadly, such a
...Read MoreRead more about In this age of instant messaging via literary impoverishment is most acutely felt in today's sermons and songs. Instead of frivolously throwing out yet another twitter worthy album in record time, Smokie Norful has taken his time, five years to be precise, to craft "Forever Yours." Written in the form of a love letter to Jesus Christ, every song on this project finds Norful reaching into the recess of his soul before articulating them. In short, these songs show a judicious balance between ruminative depth and theological maturity. Norful is at his best when he croons a ballad. This explains why his latest single "No Greater Love" is his fastest career rising single on Billboard's Gospel song chart. Released around Father's Day, "No Greater Love" details the unconditional love of a father which can both be a referent to God as well as our earthly fathers. In our culture of absentee dads and single parent homes, "No Greater Love" is the type of songs that ought to serve as wake up calls for the men in our churches. "In the Meantime" is for the underdogs and those who are waiting on the Lord. Anyone who has been a Christian long enough knows that the word "wait" is the most challenging word to come out of the Bible. This song not only accompanies us in our waiting but it reassures us of God's providence in ways that can irate the tear duct. "Run Run," on the other hand, shows that Auto-voicing and old fashion sounding strings can work conterminously on this ballad of trust. Read LessRead less about In this age of instant messaging via