MC Worship Collective Releases Two New Songs Online

Two songs from MC Worship Collective's fifth album, "Prayer Warrior" and "Jesus, That Is You," will be available for streaming Oct. 25.

The COVID-19 pandemic has done much to limit the enjoyment of live musical performances during the last several months, but it hasn’t silenced the MC Worship Collective.

Fans of the Mississippi College Department of Music’s Christian performance ensemble are now able to stream two brand-new worship songs, “Prayer Warrior” and “Jesus, That Is You.” The songs are from the MC Worship Collective’s fifth album, “Church Music,” scheduled to be released in early 2022.

"We wanted to give the MC family a little sneak peek of what we've been working on by releasing two of the songs now as singles," said Dr. Will Bishop, assistant professor of worship leadership in the MC Department of Music and MC Worship Collective director. “Church Music,” MC Worship Collective’s most ambitious album, includes 12 songs recorded last March and April in the chapel at First Baptist Church in Clinton. The recordings were mixed and mastered by Brennan White at the Fairview Sound recording studio in Jackson.

Bishop said the album originated from restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Due to COVID, we weren’t able to perform like we normally would – we were essentially stuck on campus without much to do,” he said. “We had an incredible group of seniors in the spring who had been the backbone of our previous four albums, and I just couldn’t let that group leave without recording one more album.

“I set a goal early in the spring of writing a song for each of the seniors in MC Worship Collective that fit their unique voice and personality.”

He said the songs on “Church Music” represent issues faced by students who are about to graduate and enter the “real world.”

“Whether consciously or not, COVID shaped the themes of several of these songs,” Bishop said. “With COVID came the reality that all we hold dear, including life itself, could be suddenly snatched away. Worry, anxiety, and even death are touched on in various lyrics.

“But I also wanted to make clear that God is sovereign over COVID and all other earthly problems.”

Bishop said “Prayer Warrior,” sung by Collin Fortenberry and Audrey Sanders, worship leadership majors, takes inspiration from passages in Hebrews that describe Jesus as “our Great High Priest who is always praying to the Father on our behalf.”

“I tried to think of the times in life, and particularly in a college student’s life, when we most need Jesus to pray for us,” he said. “When we’re weary, when we’re worried, when we’re anxious, when we’re afraid of what lies ahead in life. It gives me peace to know that even when I’m in the midst of a difficult season, Jesus is praying for me 24/7 and He’s lovingly and patiently guiding me through those challenges.”

"Jesus, That Is You" is sung by Steviana Thomas ’21, who was a senior at MC when the song was recorded. The song is an attempt to tell the story of Jesus.

“As Baptists, we don’t generally recite creeds as part of our worship, but I view this song as a creedal statement of who Jesus is,” Bishop said. “The same Jesus who made all things in the beginning is the same Jesus who we will one day adore in Heaven. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

MC Worship Collective performed the song at the Mississippi Baptist Convention’s Pastors’ Conference Oct. 25 and at the convention’s annual meeting Oct. 27.

Bishop said the album contains a wide variety of musical styles, from Southern rock to modern Gospel to acoustic worship.

“I always preach that I want MC Worship Collective’s original songs to be Biblically rich and musically interesting,” he said. “I’m excited to share this new album with the MC family because I believe that we’ve met that goal.

“These songs are so powerful because they’re full of God’s word. It’s our hope that these songs will be used in churches across the world.”

Since October 2018, MC Worship Collective’s original songs have been streamed more than 180,000 times in 48 states and 75 nations. “Prayer Warrior” and “Jesus, That Is You” will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other streaming services.