Chris Tomlin - Arriving

Time and again in both his solo career and with his time with Passion, Chris Tomlin has shown a knack for good songwriting and inspired vocals. This particular album "Arriving" displays the best of both. This album features three songs that are among the most commonly performed songs in churches today ("Indescribable", "Holy is the Lord", and "How Great is Our God"). In addition to lending his clear, strong tenor voice to these outstanding songs, Chris Tomlin is credited as the writer or co-writer for all of the songs on this album with one exception ("Indescribable").

In addition to the fantastic first three songs, the rest of the album contains a few other very memorable songs as well. Outside the first three, my favorites are "Your Grace is Enough", "The Way I Was Made", "All Bow Down", and "On Our Side". In particular, I've become particularly attached to "The Way I Was Made". In many ways, this has become an anthem for my life. For my money, the depth of this album is what distinguishes "Arriving" from his other two studio albums that came out before and after it, "Not To Us" and "See the Morning", respectively (please note that this review was written after "Hello Love" came out but before this reviewer listened to the album).

So here's my final take on this album. "Arriving" has several inspired, very singable songs that makes this a praise and worship classic. If you like "Not To Us" and/or "See the Morning", you'll probably like this one as well. In fact, it is currently my second favorite Christian album, only behind the eponymous album by Sonicflood. "Arriving" is another testament to the vocal and lyrical talent of Chris Tomlin.

This is truly one of the best CD's I have ever listened to. This man is a gift from God. Get the CD, you will not be sorry.

Can't go wrong with this CD. So much to love! And I'm new to Christian music---but it's all I listen to now. My young kids love to sing along as well! Definitely recommend it!

The song Indescribable is a wonderful song for personal devotions. I find that it is uplifting and enouraging. Your Grace is Enough reminds us that we don't have to trust in ourselves alone - God is our helper in spite of our failures. Of course, How Great is our God is very good at building enthusiasm for any day. Overall, this is a very encouraging and inspiring CD.

I feel that this CD is splendid and fantastic!! The lyrics, the beat, the change of pace on the various numbers is just tremendous. This CD is my introduction to this artist and I'm definitley going to be a fan from now on. The words are clear and are so true and their depth of meaning has touched my soul. It's a clear example of how Christian music can compete with secular music for sound entertainment and it feeds the soul at the same time. The words of the first track are so colourful that your mind can just explode with the awesomeness of God our Creator. Keep it up Chris!!

I am not an evangelical, and I have not listened to very much contemporary Christian music. I am Catholic, and I was raised with the idea that proper worship music is J.S. Bach on a big church organ. Frankly, what I have heard within the Catholic Church of efforts to bring guitars into church instead of organs has largely repulsed me; the quality of the music has usually been low, and it seems to be part and parcel of the whole liberal attack on the traditions of the Faith. And I should also add that as a Catholic, I was always raised with the idea that evangelicals in general are illiterates who know nothing about theology or larger culture.

In this context, Chris Tomlin's music has been a revelation to me. The musical style is clearly contemporary. He uses the ordinary instruments of a soft rock band. What makes the music electrifying is its power, directness and passion. Virtually every song on this album is like a clear mountain spring. I find it hard to say which of the songs I like best. "Mighty is the Power of the Cross" is perhaps my favorite. Very simple, very powerful. And while I have not done an analysis of the theology involved, I heard nothing that in any way troubled me as a question of doctrine. On the contrary, other than the absence of any worship of the Virgin or the saints, Tomlin's understanding of the Faith seemed very orthodox to me.

I think that Tomlin's music could be a very powerful instrument in the ecumenical movement for Christian unity. When I hear the power of this music, I could care less about the theological differences between evangelicals and the Church; it just fills me with a sense of the joy and majesty of our common faith.

This is a wonderful CD for a christian music lover. Chris Tomlin is a wonderful Christian singer!! I enjoy singing his songs

I love this cd. I could listen to this all day long, you can't help but sing to the songs.

I just want to add a one point that you might not I find in other reviews: that most of Chris Tomlin's songs are solidly scripturally based. Read through the book of Psalms and you'll find a lot of lines from Chris' lyrics. I don't want to listen to songs filled with pop psychology, the health and wealth Gospel, or someone's warped theology. If you are going to be walking around singing tunes in your head, let it come from the source of all truth - scripture.

Make no mistake about it - this is a worship CD and we sing many of these songs in my church, but there is also a lot of variety here. There is direct worship (How Great is our God, Holy is the Lord, King of Glory), humility (Your grace is enough, Unfailing Love), introspection (The way I was made), fantastic homages to Christ on the cross (Mighty is the Power of the Cross) and God as creator (Indescribable, You do all things well). One more point - the music is so good, it sometimes is distracting - I sometimes need to make a special effort to let the words sink in.

I highly recommend Arriving as well as Chris' latest, See the Morning.

I was at a retreat singing these oh-so-familiar songs when I noticed the composer's name. "Hey! I know these songs and they're all by Chris Tomlin". Loaded this CD onto my iPod and can't stop listening to it! It's not your grandma's worship music anymore.

Peace!

We always sing How Great Is Our God, Holy Is The Lord, and Your Grace Is Enough at church so that is why I bought it. And how can you forget Indescribable!? One of the greatest Christian songs I have ever heard! This is my favorite Christian artist with Lincoln Brewster not far behind. Great lyrics and great music and not a cheesy-Christian sound.

This CD is ridiculously good! All the songs are catchy, inspirational and just plain awesome. If you ever have the chance to see Chris Tomlin in concert this is pretty much the lineup! Great music, recommended to everyone!

This CD is just amazing. Could listen to it 24/7. Chris Tomlin's voice gives each one of those songs a special inspiration that you can't help but join in with him to praise the Lord. I give it a 5*.

If you look at the title of this review, you may think I'm joking. I'm not. Arriving might well be the best worship album ever made. The only albums that I can think of in this genre that even come close to this one are Illuminate, by The David Crowder Band, Beautiful News, by Matt Redman, Hiding Place, by Selah, and Not to Us, by Tomlin himself. Every song on this disk is amazing and has a powerful message to it. Not only that, but the mixing, producing, and sound quality of the album are excellent as well. Tomlin has become one of todays' best singer songwriters in my opinion, and what he has crafted here will and should go down in history. His love for The Lord is immediately evident on the first three tracks of the album, "Indescribable", "Holy is the Lord", and "How Great is Our God". These three tracks stand out and are easily accessable by anyone. They have become staple songs in my church's worship services. However, my personal favorites are "Mighty is the Power of the Cross", which just shows the beauty of Christ's sacrifice for us, and the best song "Unfailing Love" with Steven Curtis Chapman. This track just shows us how much He loves us and through his sacrifice is willing to do anything for us. Pure beauty. If you are a lover of God, and a lover of standout Worship music, don't miss Arriving, by Chris Tomlin.

Chris Tomlin is a truly gifted musician. I really enjoy listening to his music and love singing at the top of my lungs. This is a great CD. You'll be very glad to have it in your collection.

I play this cd all the time in my car. On a road trip with a friend, she loved it so much that the week we got home, she bought her own.

When people complain about the shallowness of all modern worship music, they haven't heard Chris Tomlin. The singer has mastered Christian doxology that achieves true praise - the adoration of God rather than the introspection of self while one worships - by wedding language impregnated with biblical vocabulary to singable melody.

The 'worship wars' among which such achievements take their place suggest that Tomlin's is no small accomplishment.

ARRIVING focuses on the Lord's glory and its saturation of a world often too dim to understand that it's been filled. But not all are sightless:

'But rising up all around
Is the anthem of the Lord's renown
Together we sing
Let everyone sing:
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with his glory'

Even with his focus on the Lord, Tomlin is able to express life here below, lived in the company of this Intimate Stranger:

'You have my heart and I am yours forever
You are my strength, God of grace and power
With everything you hold in your hand
Still you make time for me, I can't understand
Praise you God of earth and sky
How beautiful is your unfailing love
And you never change, God,
You remain the Holy One
And my Unfailing Love'

This is brilliant song-writing, rooted deep in biblical faith, understated in the performance arts, contagious to those with a penchant for singing along. ARRIVING could be a university curriculum for the How To Write a Song that People Can Actually Sing major. May its graduates multiply.

This CD is beautiful! The first cut is so anointed for worship. There are many that have now become familiar standards in contemporary worship. I highly reccomend this to anyone who likes Chris Tomlin. If you're unfamiliar with his work, you certainly will not be disappointed with this one!

This album is great! I like that it has a lot of up beat songs which are great for motivating me on those blah days.

PRAISE GOD..PRAISE GOD. THIS ALBUM IS AN INSTANT CLASSIC. EVERY SINGLE TRACK PLACES YOU IN A STATE OF JOYOUS GLORY. I RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET CLOSER TO JESUS...SINGING AND DANCING LIKE DAVID!!

I just got into Christian Rock, and have very few cds. In fact, I very rarely buy music cds. But this is an amazing cd, for any collection, be it Christian or regular rock. Chris has an amazing voice, great songs, and it makes you feel great listening.

I am only writing a review for this album two years after it was released and it's a shame I only found this jewel of a cd. However, better late than never. This, hands down, so far is the best worship album I have ever had the pleasure of finding and listening to.

I didnt know much of Chris Tomlin. I had ony heard 'Indescribable' on chrisian radio and I always thought that God, Himself must love that song. I bought the entire cd for that song but instead I got an eleven track treasure.

Chris Tomlin focuses on pure worship. There's no us involved here. It's all about God and that's what makes this cd so unique.

The music is of excellent quality, upbeat, catchy and stirring all at the same time. You can not doubt Chris Tomlin's love for the Lord. It's infectious and I would like to congratulate Chris Tomlin on such an amazing effort.

Chris Tomlin is an amazing worship leader and this is without a doubt a solid worship album all the way through. We use the song "How Great is Our God" in the youth band at our church and the beauty of it hits the whole congregation every time. Most worship albums you can't tell if they're really worshipping God or marketing themselves, but not on Chris Tomlin's "Arriving". You can hear in his voice and in his song just where he's coming from.

I really don't know how you can't like this album, or the singer. Chris Tomlin has a wonderful voice that's soothing for all ages. You clearly see (in all the songs) his love for the lord in every track.

This album also has some terrific songs. Holy is the Lord, for one, is a stand alone classic that is played in lots of churches and is a great worship song. Tracks like Indescribable and How Great is Our God are also tracks that will get a lot of stereo time. Unfailing Love and King of Glory are some of my personal favorites. This album is very balanced with Christian Rock and slower songs that praise the lord.

Bottom line: The only reason NOT to like this cd is because you don't like Chris Tomlin, or you don't love God. This is a must-have for all ages and, as I said earlier, a classic!!! It will be great to see Tomlin's next album, See the Morning, in September 2006!!!

Generallly, I listen to gospel music, but one of my singing buddies got me hip to Christian music. I listen to the Christian music station on occasion, and a few songs stood out to me: Indescribable, Holy Is The Lord, and my favorite, How Great Is Our God. Imagine my surprise when I realized those songs were all by the same person! I was just listening to How Great Is Our God just now, and I'm just overcome with how great He is, how awesome He is, how wonderful He is. I'm so glad I've been exposed to something new, because God is doing something great in Chris Tomlin's life. God bless him and his ministry, because he is a pure worshiper and it's contagious!!!

Wow! Could this be the best seven tracks to start a worship CD ever? As a guitarist of a praise and worship band, I received this CD and immediately learned the guitar chords to Holy Is The Lord, How Great Is Our God, Your Grace Is Enough, Unfailing Love, and Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross. Chris Tomlin has become the best at corporate worship and his songs have become staples of every praise and worship band. It's almost impossible not to go to an event with a worship band and not hear a Chris Tomlin song. God has blessed him in every way. And it's funny that a vocal teacher in college told him that he would never make it as a singer...well, I guess he has done ok, huh? This is a CD that makes you sing along and is a must have (along with "Not To Us") for everybody's CD collection.

I love the first four songs on this CD - especially "How Great is Our God." However, I have trouble distinguishing the remaining songs. Tomlin has a great voice, but I would've liked to hear some more versatility in the music.

That said, the first four songs on the CD make it worth a purchase.

Arriving is a wonderful album,its very inspirational and it lifts me up if I'm feeling a little down. I love to sing along to all the songs and I've gotten several friends listening to it also.

This cd is superb and full of truth. Every song is a gift from God along with Chris Tomlin.I recommend this to everyone especially if you are seeking the Lord.Chris explains God's love and forgivness through song and shows God's ultimate authority through expert lyrics.This cd is definately God inspired.Give it a try.You won't regret it one bit.His music is very upbeat and will appeal to all.He sings from his heart which is not seen alot anymore nowadays.

I love this CD. All the songs are wonderful Christian song and I love to listen to it driving in my car.

Enough said about Chris Tomlin's latest album, Arriving. I don't want to repeat what others have already stated but would just like to add another "5 stars" and my own opinion about this worship collection. Songs like Indescribable, Holy is the Lord and How Great is our God are songs I can never stop listening to, whether it's in the car, at home or in my cubicle. It's packed with powerful words that will thrill you away with the Lord. Along with the songbook, you too can learn how to play these songs on your guitar. Other great songs such as Unfailing Love, The Way I Was Made, and All Bow Down are songs that gets better every time. You may not like some songs at first, like I did when I first heard it, but after awhile, the words clicked in and everything just makes sense. The only down side to this cd is the fact that it's too short (less than 50 min). But still, that is a minor problem. I don't care whether you borrow it, rent it, download it or buy it, just get a hold of it and listen to it. It's worth every second you spend listening to this album.

This album is wonderful. It is one of the best worship CDs out there. The Music is terrific and Chris Tomlin's voice is unbeatable.

Chris Tomlin is more than just an annointed worship leader: he has a gift of psalm writing. He expresses his love and reverence for our Father is a way that few can. I've not been this touched by new songs since Michael Card. Exceptional doesn't do the music justice. The glory of the Lord comes through your speakers when this music plays. Definately a must have for any Christian.

I am an avid Contemporary Christian fan and this CD possesses a spirit of worship that is absent from so many other CDs released under the label. Highly recommended for anyone who wants some quality time spent with the Father.

I hardly ever buy cds anymore with the radio and internet but this is a CD that is so worth buying. Its also rare for me to love every song on a CD, there are usually at least one or two that I skip. Not with Chris Tomlin. This music really brings me down to where I need to be when I'm getting frustrated with the silly little things in life, or when I'm getting to sure of myself. Tomlin's songs on this CD remind me of who I am, who God is and how amazing it is that I can worship Him. This CD will make you want to worship God. There are times I don't even want to stop listening to get out of my car! Praise God for an artist like Chris Tomlin.

this cd is very uplifting and inspirational. i have just recently began listening to chris tomlin. i enjoy his contemporary sound and easy to listen to lyrics. i found the cd to be very good.

This CD is awesome. Chris Tomlin really knows how to praise god. I listen to it when I'm in my car, while I'm doing my daily devotional, while relaxing with my wife... anytime anywhere! GOD BLESS the musicians and songwriters and singers who dedicate their lifes to sing praise to the Lord.