Altar and the Door

I can not emphasise enough how dedicated and genuine Casting Crowns is. Each CD they have come out to date has been amazing, and each CD continues to surpass the last. Before this cd, I certainly liked the first cd better than the second, but with Praise You in this Storm on the second cd, this song alone really amde the second worth it. If you havent encountered Casting Crowns and are a Christian, you need to give them a chance.

As for Altar and the Door, you are not going to get anything new musically. This the group members will tell you themselves, as they have several postings on there site on exactly this. What you will also hear them say, though, is this cd is meant to challenge everyone who listens. If you do not come away from listening to Casting Crowns without being affected; check you pulse, you may be dead.

You have probably heard East to the West, which is a powerful, overwhelming song of God's deliverance through Jesus Christ our Lord. This song however, is not the best song lyrically on the cd. The songs Every Man and The Word is Alive are very well done. In Every Man he talks about every person in the Christian community, every living person. All the people we will see in our life time we will pass by and as Christ followers we have a responsibility of giving them more than a second look. So many people will walk through this life not realizing they are loved, not knowing they are unique, and not understanding that there is more. Even Christians today are depressed and even Christians are committing suicide. But the song every man makes you realize that there is a solid place to stand a Savior who will help us endure. The Word is Alive is one of the groups most powerful songs to date. In a world where truth is relative, Casting Crowns is willing to stand up and say that God's word is alive this very day and is the words of God himself. Everything that it says comes from the breath of God through his creation that have landed on a page for us to read. The song quotes John Piper, a strong Calvinist preacher from the Baptist General Conference: Having gone to his church and heard his sermons, this clip is probably the most powerful clip I have heard by him. It fits perfectly.

If you are frustrated with the church, this cd is for you. If you are frustrated with Christianity, this cd is for you. If you need a breath of God's word in your life, put this cd on and then start reading the Bible.

Overall: A
Recommended: If you dont know the answer by now, read this again.