Prestonwood Worship Releases new EP ‘Breath & Clay’

By Hallels News Jun 17, 2019 07:37 AM EDT

Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of America's largest and fastest-growing churches, is proud to announce the release of Breath & Clay, the newest EP by its Dove-nominated worship ministry.

Breath & Clay is the latest EP from the Prestonwood Choir. The recording project was produced by Lead Worship Pastor Michael Neale and Director of Musical Production Jonathan Walker. The album's name comes from the creation account in Genesis 2, which says God made humans out of dust and breathed life into them. Other Scripture compare humans to clay and God as the potter who shaped them.

"Breath & Clay is the second album in our new choral series, and like the Dove-nominated Horizon before it, the heart behind it is a cry of gratitude to God. Through the symphonic and choral sounds of these songs, we are saying, 'Thank you, God,' for his mercy and faithfulness and for not being a God who stood far off but came, as breath and clay, to us," Neale said.

Throughout the songwriting process, Neale and Prestonwood's worship leaders turned to prayer and Scripture to find creative inspiration for the project.

"These songs were born out of encounters with the living God; the awe and wonder of being in His presence; and the truth of His Word," Associate Worship Pastor Brian Taylor said.

Taylor had one such encounter when writing the album's fifth track "Overcome (It's Already Done)."

"I was holed up in my office working on some new song ideas. After a few hours, I felt like I was running into a wall. I was pretty frustrated," Taylor said.

In an article written for Prestonwood Baptist Church, Taylor shared about the all-too-familiar feeling of being overwhelmed by stress and challenges we face in life. "There I was trying to write, but nothing was coming out," Taylor said.

"I decided to stop what I was doing and spend some time in prayer and worship. For the next twenty or thirty minutes, I poured out my heart to Him, sitting at my piano. Then, I sang these words: I'm going to shout like the battle is over! I'm going to sing like the storm has passed!

"And I broke. I put my head down on the keys and I wept. At that moment, it was as if God wrapped His arms around me and pulled me in close. I was flooded with memories of His kindness and faithfulness to our family. He reminded me that every word He had spoken, every promise He had made, every step we would take - it was already done!"

Through moving orchestrations, fresh arrangements, and a "rockin' rhythm section," this contemporary collection of songs capture the heart of what God has done and is doing in Prestonwood's history as a church.

"We are a multigenerational, multicultural church and we've brought every part of who we are to this project," Taylor said.

In June, Prestonwood will celebrate Pastor Jack Graham's 30th anniversary at the church. Over the past three decades, Prestonwood's membership has grown by more than 400 percent, from 8,000 members to 42,000 who attend Sundayservices at three campuses. Prestonwood en Español, the church's Spanish-speaking ministry, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. This vibrant congregation has become Prestonwood's fastest-growing ministry, attracting 1,700 active members from 19 countries. As the years go by, Prestonwood continues to grow, reaching more people throughout North Texas with the gospel.

"These songs are anthems of testimony and triumph. They are declarations of praise and worship. They are prayers of healing and hope. They are the offerings of grateful people. We are overjoyed to share them with you and your choirs. We pray that they become for you what they have been to us: monuments to the faithfulness and greatness of our King. Weapons of praise on the lips of your people. A lighthouse of truth amidst the ever-present storms of life," Taylor said.

Revival is available on iTunes and Amazon and to stream on Spotify. The album's track listing is: