Sing To The Heavens: Artists relish 'Blessing' of music, fellowship

When Christian music artists Kari Jobe and her husband Cody Carnes released new music with their respective bands in early 2020, they obviously couldn't have known what that music would come to mean for their fans in the coming months.

On Saturday, March 6, Jobe and Carnes posted the live video of them leading the song "The Blessing" the previous Sunday. The song had only been written eight days earlier, and that church service was the first time they performed it. "I felt this strong impression from the Lord that the song needed to get out quickly," Jobe remembers.

One week later, Carnes released his second solo album, "Run to the Father." It was the morning of March 13. Only a few hours later, the president declared the coronavirus a national emergency, and many organizations that hadn't already paused operations prepared to shutter for 14 days to "slow the spread."

"We write music about God, we write music to God, for two reasons: to connect to God in worship, but also to help people and to help people see God's heart, to help people get through things with the hope of Jesus," Carnes says.

So, in spite of the initial disappointment over releasing an album during such a chaotic time, Carnes and Jobe both quickly saw that the timing was exactly right for their music to offer hope in the middle of a fearful season.

"I think what's beautiful about what we feel called to do and what we get to do as people who do ministry and people who write songs that are more in the 'inspirational hope of Jesus' vein is the pressure isn't on us," Jobe muses. "It's really fun to see when someone gets kind of a significant thing in their heart, and they obey God, and they put it out. We just stay leaning into the Holy Spirit in our lives and have watched God just do what he wants to do and use us to encourage people and remind not just them, but ourselves that God is still in control."

"It's a song that's straight from Scripture," Carnes says of "The Blessing" and why, after its early release, he realized the importance of sharing that message as soon as possible. "It's full of the promises of God. And in times like this and times of uncertainty, this thing that we cling to in faith the most is the promises of God. You hold on to the promises that he's with you, that he's for you, that he's walking with you, that he has a future and a hope for you, that there's a plan. So that song, you look back and you realize, 'Wow, we were really just walking into something that God was appointing that we didn't even realize was going to be so significant.'"

After wrapping their own tour this spring, Jobe and Carnes were invited to join Grammy and Dove Award-winning artist and worship leader Chris Tomlin and praise collective Bethel Music on a summer tour. The tour started on Aug. 13 and is the first time ever these worship leaders will be together on the same stage.

"It is always special to be in a neutral venue, which is what we kind of call them -- not be in a church, for something like this," Jobe says of the tour's mostly outdoor shows, including the Aug. 19 stop at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers.

"Worshiping outside always feels special to be able to do. It's like you can look up and just see God's creation, and it just kind of makes you think about things differently. And it doesn't feel like your singing is hitting a roof; it feels like it's literally going to heaven. It's like a visual. And I think it hits more of our senses sometimes to be able to be outside in creation like that. It seems to add like an extra element of just reality and beauty."

"The real reason I do music is not for accolades, not for recognition and all that; it's really to help people through hard times, and help people see Jesus," Carnes adds. Coming off "The Blessing Tour" this spring helped Carnes realize how much people can take for granted the ability to come together in worship.

"We realized, 'Wow, this is special.' So I think it kind of reset some things in a good way, in us and people, just to come back together and not take it for granted."

Contemporary Christian artists and worship leaders Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes join Chris Tomlin and Bethel Music on tour this summer in celebration of reuniting. “Being transparent as a leader, there’s something to steward when people are leaned in, and they feel like they can trust you,” Jobe says of her candor in sharing what’s on her heart with her worship community. “I’ve given my life, we’ve given our life, for the sake of just being used by God and love getting to do that. So I think that sharing those kinds of things just helps to break down walls, it helps people to feel connected.” (Courtesy Photos)