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"A lot of these songs were written out of serious adversity, out of something really deep inside," says Kirk Sullivan. Andy Chrisman agrees. "That's probably why they've been around so long. These songs have legacies, were written when big changes were happening in the history of the earth, or in the history of Christianity. Probably more than half these songs on this record define their era, or define whoever was the leading spiritual voice of that day. As we began and continued to do this record, we realized the history and importance of these songs."

And so was entrenched the desire, the vision, of digging deeper into the calling of 4HIM. A calling of ministry through song, to the masses; to fans of every age who attend their concerts, buy their records, and certainly to the Body of Christ in the church, where this group's mission was born and continues. An added joy of this mission became the re-gifting of their gift to the church from whence they came. "As contemporary as we got," notes Magehee, "we wanted to make sure this could go to print and could be reproduced in churches, in ensembles and such. A few of them won't work, but we tried to make it work where we could."

Trending ancient worship music as contemporary offered a multifaceted opportunity. "We want those who haven't heard theses hymns to hear them in a setting where they will appreciate them," says Harris, "but also become aware of the history and foundation of where Christian music originated. And because they're hymns, someone who grew up singing them back in the 50s will appreciate them."

Keeping their ministry alive, fresh, and reaching became an integral part in the making of Hymns-A Place of Worship. Transforming thousand-year-old sacred songs into new sacred songs, retaining the essence and integrity could have been a daunting task, and reverence was an issue. "We didn't worry so much about vibe or production values," says Magehee. "We found songs that moved us. We knew they'd have a life of their own."

Still, 4HIM took to heart the great responsibility with which they were being charged. The group drew parallels that assured tem of their creative freedom: "In college a professor once said," Magehee relates, "as a musician [recreating] is your call, especially in the narrow sense of the Image of God, being, if we're saved and we are operating out of His creative image. God is the only source who can create something out of nothing. We, on the other hand, have to have something to create with. With this, we get these old things that are cherished by millions over the history of time, and we have a great responsibility of crafting something beautiful and new without tampering with what it was meant to be here for." Harris reminds us also, that almost without exception, in the early days of Christian music the lyric was written through God's inspiration, and the music was later added by a composer. Some of the melodies, in fact, were from pre-existing secular songs of the day.

And so, with God's assurance and His gift of creative freedom, 4HIM began the daunting task of choosing from hundreds of sacred songs. As each member recalled their favorites from their early years in the church, an inspiration came to choose those with a vertical message, "Those that talk to Him, kind of a first person approaching the Father," says Magehee. Another inspiration soon lit their path, to add interludes where the listener might feel the comfort and structure of a time of worship. "We wanted to make it a full experience," says Chrisman, "wanted to make one long journey and experience."

The journey of making this album had some profound effects on 4HIM, both as a group and as individuals. That men were able to write such anointed lyrics that would stand the test of a millennium served as a beacon for both Harris and Magehee as songwriters. "It took me past the art of making records into the essence of the songs," says Marty. "It's the lives these lyrics represented, and it made me check my life. All the things you're conditioned to as a writer, you begin to let all that drip off to the side, you begin to mature and look at it and go, I want to say exactly what God's put in my heart." The simplicity inherent in the lyrics here also spoke to their lives as men. "This helped me to retrace my steps a little bit," says Chrisman, "revealed a simpler way of dealing with my relationship with God. We as Christians sometimes don't see the big picture. What the hymns will do is help us take a step back and say, look how it all works together." For Kirk Sullivan, he was reminded of the charge of humanity. "I guess learning how to trust is a life-long quest."

Under the visage the foundation these lyrics provide, the six-time Dove Award winning, Grammy nominated group with over 20 Number One songs acknowledges their role as anchor Christian recording artists, adding that responsibility to their daily accountability. "If people look to us as an anchor, we have to have a firm commitment to back up what we talk about," says Harris. "We've sung a lot of lyrics and said a lot about faith, and we have to be men of that. Every year I feel more convicted about making sure I guard myself, my testimony, my Christian witness." The group still has their accountability board, though they've nearly counseled themselves out of a job. "They taught us how to use each other and our wives as more of a life support system," says
Magehee. "They're glad we don't use them much, and have arrived at being able to use each other now." After 13 years together-three in the group Truth, a decade as 4HIM-the group has a shared goal of seeing "a second wind" imbue their path, as musicians, performers, and ministers.

Choosing Michael Omartian as the producer was an inspired choice as well. Having worked with "Omar," as they affectionately call him, since 1994's The Ride, a blessed relationship has existed between producer and artists. "He's about making us the best we can be," says Sullivan. "It's a partnership you can't even dream about," adds Chrisman. Magehee says simply: "He's a musical genius." Omartian's broad genius helped to create a stylistically eclectic project that honored both the integrity of the hymns and the creative exploration of 4HIM.

The blessings inherent in the messages of these timeless hymns also brought a renewal to the creative abundance that is 4HIM. "One thing I'm constantly drawn to," says Harris, "is how much of a great surprise this album has been; I think we really needed this, just for us. After making seven studio albums of new material, you need something different. This was the different thing we needed. This was so refreshing. And we had so much fun making it. The reason for the fun is that we felt freedom in making it. The songs were there, and we just went it and created what we wanted to create. It's liberated us as a group. I think we're freer now to just go out and make music, and make it for all the right reasons.

Genius, inspiration, calling, ministry, creative challenge and freedom. Faith and martyrdom. Love, salvation and conviction. All these and more are the faith of our fathers, the faith of our brothers and sisters, and give us Hymns-A Place of Worship.

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