Grace and Peace

Our oldest son Jared, our resident computer guru, helped me figure out how to add background music to my blog, isn't it beautiful? (If you can't hear the music, you need to turn on your speakers.) Thanks so much, Jared! After he finished he reminded me that computer techs typically make around $75 an hour. Hmmmm.....are you sure you wanna go there, Jared? LOL

"Grace and Peace" was written by one of my favorite Christian artists, Fernando Ortega. My prayer is that the beauty and splendor of his tender music will quietly usher you into intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, and that the Holy Spirit will bring grace and peace to your hearts.

This is what Fernando had to say about why he wrote and recorded "The Shadow of Your Wings: Hymns and Sacred Songs", which includes "Grace and Peace":

"There's too little time for reflection in my life these days--too little meditation and quiet. As everything about our culture gets louder and more "in-your-face", my ability to concentrate on spiritual things feels thin and compromised. These songs were written in response to that dilemma.

My starting point was the morning mass from the The Book of Common Prayer--a pronouncement of peace, prayers of contrition, the bending of the knee. These things bring me to a right perspective of worship.

From there, the record turns to the Holy Trinity--the faithfulness of the Father, the wooing of the Holy Spirit, the sacrifice and supremacy of Christ. I tried to lay these songs out with a liturgical sense, though in the form of a personal devotion, or "quiet time."

My greatest reward in putting this record together has been in finding rich, new beauty in simple Bible passages I have known all my life."

~~Fernando Ortega

Here are a few rave reviews of the album:

~Cross Rhythms Direct

His first release since 2004, this collection of reworked hymns and sacred songs by US-based singer/songwriter Fernando Ortega is simply spectacular. Ortega's main aim for this release is to offer up music of meditation as an antidote to these loud and busy times and, with the utmost skill and precision that is now his trademark, he carries this off in style. The album itself consists of traditional hymns, some of which have been given new music by the man himself, together with a tasteful seasoning of outstanding original material containing expressions of praise that come close to matching the sheer poetry of the hymn writers.

~LifeWay

Ortega’s The Shadow of Your Wings invites introspection, contemplation, adoration, and exultation. There is a sense that we don’t have to "get this over with in a hurry, because we have so much to do." Rather, there is a peace that pervades the music, encouraging you to spend a little more time just being present; there is permission to sit quietly with no other agenda than to perhaps hear the voice of God.

In this moment in history when there are a hundred voices clamoring for our attention, and down time is frequently considered wasted time, it is utterly refreshing to hear someone issue a call to "Come away, my Beloved." With The Shadow of Your Wings, Fernando Ortega does just that.

~CMCentral

Fernando Ortega returns with an album of hymns and inspirational songs to share a sense of gratitude for [God's] providence with listeners. The Shadow of Your Wings...exudes praise in it's purest musical form. From the opening song...which offers a traditional Christian greeting, to the final strains....that closes the album, listeners are treated to an elegant collection of earnest and heartfelt music that worships our Creator.

After a career that spans over fifteen years [Fernando] continues to craft albums that are experiential. The Shadow continues this trend, allowing listeners to feel as though they've stepped into a sanctuary just in time to participate in an endearing worship service. The stripped down production found on the album is entirely unassuming and lends itself to an intimate setting, making this a rather personal album.

Since our world is so busy and filled with appointments and other distractions, it's a real treat to find an album like this to take your mind off of what's coming at you from all directions. The Shadow of Your Wings is like a musical eddy that reminds us to pause and consider the world around us, to thank our Creator for all that He's given us.

http://www.fernandoortega.com/