Known for her unusually poignant, poetic and honest songwriting, indie-pop artist Christa Wells released her highly anticipated second solo album, How Emptiness Sings, one of my top 5 albums of 2011. Christa has a vocal sincerity and creativity on par with Brooke Fraser, Audrey Assad, JJ Heller and Sara Groves--who are my top female vocalists of all-time.

I am a believer, and my testimony is that my love for music led me to Jesus Christ due to the Gospel messages of Christian music. This is a great album for your family and friends who haven’t yet made Jesus their Savior. One of the many highlights is the song “Kingdom Coming” with the challenging and moving bridge: “We are not free if we can’t give freely, If we live to have, we don’t have anything, Oh my heart, it’s good to bleed.” Every time I hear that line in Christa’s compelling song, I am challenged to think about how well I’m loving people.

I had the great opportunity to interview Christa about her great new song, “Everything Moves But You.”

Please share the background message of the song "Everything Moves But You."

I’m in my late 30s and I’ve been incredibly blessed. I’ve gotten to do many of the things I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. I’ve fallen in love, married and had a family. I get to do the work I love--writing and making music. Now that I have gotten to enjoy those things, I keep coming back to the idea that with each new thing that we accomplish or experience there’s this temporary high, but then there’s also this inevitable letdown once it’s behind you, or once the novelty has worn off. I was thinking why is that? Why can’t we ever be satisfied? Of course, the answer is rather obvious and yet we still keep banging into it again and again.

Those life experiences weren’t meant to fill us. Those things were meant as good and wonderful gifts from a good and generous God, but those things are not meant to replace Him, but to point to Him. Having returned from having traveled out of the country, it has put even more light on that point. How much of the idea of this song is universal in humanity and how much of the idea is American? In America, we all push for achievement and romantic love, and keeping our bodies strong, and family life and raising beautiful healthy children and having a lovely and safe home.

Please tell me about the Bible verses you used in writing the song.

James 1:16-18: “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.”

…and Matthew 6:20-21: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

How can listeners apply that message when they listen to the song?

Even as Christians, we fall into finding our comfort and security and worth in these things, rather than finding our security in Christ. That Matthew passage connects to the lyrics: Until my bones become brittle against my will, My heart is home, oh, to make the earth stand still. When I’m conscious I say my heart is in Heaven. The tendency is to make my home here and store my treasures here even though rust and moths and old age will destroy these treasures. Also, I love the references to Christ as living water. The bridge: You are a tree always in bloom, You are a hall of endless rooms, A living fountain springing up, I’m satisfied but never done, is based on Christ being our source of life. Christ will never lose His luster in our lives and everything moves but Him.

Lyrics:
When I was a child, I held to my mother tightly
Then I grew taller and left to follow my dreams
I went after my dreams, and some of them brought me delight
But they didn’t bring me everything I hoped they might

I fell into love like a skydiver in the clouds
It wasn’t enough, no, we couldn’t sustain it ourselves

All the things I pursue
Well, they stay for a season,
Then everything moves,
Everything moves, oh
My towers fall,
But you aren’t leaving me
‘Cause everything moves but You

I trained my body to run and not be weary
I worked and I read how to raise a better family
Then I bought a good house on the safe side of town, because I could
And as long as my life stays like this, I’m feeling good

Until my bones become brittle against my will
My heart is home, oh, to make the earth stand still

All the things I pursue
Well, they stay for a season,
Then everything moves,
Everything moves, oh,
My towers fall,
But You aren’t leaving me
‘Cause everything moves but You

You…I never outgrow you

You are a tree always in bloom
You are a hall of endless rooms
A living fountain springing up
I’m satisfied but never done
I’m never done
With you

Asbury’s Bible commentary: “It must be reaffirmed that God's movements toward humankind can be only good and right. This was evident at Creation when God overpowered the darkness of the abyss with light through his creative word. It is evident also in the first fruits among His creation, through the new birth, that proceeds from the Word of the Gospel. Although the celestial lights fluctuate in brightness, the Creator-Father is unwavering in His benevolence. He is unrelenting in His determination to achieve His purpose in creation. So His design, recently revealed, involved Him in birthing a new creation.”

One of the many standout experiences of this stellar album is hanging on every note of “Everything Moves But You,” where Christa’s brilliantly sings the biblical truth, “All the things I pursue, well, they stay for a season, then everything moves, everything moves, oh, my towers fall, but You aren’t leaving me, ‘cause everything moves but You

I can perfectly relate to every word Christa gorgeously wrote and sings in this song. I’m forty, and I’ve been married for almost 18 years and we have three beautiful daughters and a safe and lovely home. The tendency as a believer is to focus on the blessings we’ve received from God and this song is a gut check of my faithfulness.

If all of those things were removed from me, would I still understand that I’m blessed and cling to God for my security and hope? In America, there is a tendency to look to God for prosperity and think if they are faithful, they’ll receive gifts. That’s true, but they may not look like the American dream. This song is a prayer of thankfulness to God for what He’s given us.

(You can watch the moving music video here: http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/videodetail.php?video_id=4280.)