Produced by her husband Nick Baumhardt (Stellar Kart, FM Static, Thousand Foot Krutch) in his home studio in Nashville, The Road is a refreshing new take on what we’ve grown to expect when we listen to the voice of Superchick's Tricia Brock. This project is a collection of songs meant to breathe hope and to inspire new life into a battling heart. 

 

"We may be broken, but we’re never destroyed," the album’s lyrics proclaim. Tricia wants to share that at times the listener may feel without hope, but there’s no need to fear. Hope, refuge and strength are always with us when we are with God.

 

The Road features new versions of the popular songs "Always" and "Jesus I Am Resting, Resting," in addition to new songs of worship penned from moments deep within Tricia’s personal journal. The Road is an open window into the intimacy of her heart. 

 

"The Altar" is a stand-out original worship song co-written by husband and wife Tricia Brock and Nick Baumhardt along with Jonathan Lee. I love how transparent and vulnerable these songs get, as "The Altar" has a chorus that wrecks me: "Come to this place, Come seek His face, find the hands of forgiveness, Look into the eyes of Grace, run to Redemption, with tears of joy and pain, let fire fall and purify our hearts, come to the altar, come to His arms." 

 

I had the great opportunity to interview Tricia Brock about her incredibly moving worship song, "The Altar." 

 

 

It’s been the most downloaded song on the album since it released, and is one of my favorite songs on the album. My sister, Melissa, tells me it makes her cry every time she hears it, and that she listened to it on the way to church one day and was wiping the tears from her face as she walked into church. When we started writing for this album, I was writing down every thought I had. 

 

I grew up in a church which was like a family to me. Worship was singing hymns from the hymnal and it was very conservative. The altar was where our pastor would stand behind and at the end of a service he would do an altar call and announce that if you made the decision for Christ and got saved, to approach the altar. Maybe one or two people would approach each week. 

 

I’ve now visited thousands of churches, including some charismatic churches, where sometimes half the church was at the altar, and not just because they had just gotten saved, but to worship. I noticed that stepping out of the pew and going forward to the altar brings this feeling that God is smiling over you. 

 

The idea for the song is that the altar is a safe place and everyone is welcome. To me, seeing people approach and know that the altar is sacred and know that God has called them to find forgiveness and freedom. I wrestled with some of the lyrics, in particular, "this place is secret." I told my husband and Jonathan Lee when we co-wrote the song that I wanted to write this song, but it would be hard. I love how it turned out as the idea from my head became a song.

 

The bridge is based on Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

 

 

Our sins are secrets, and we don’t have to say them out loud for God to know them. The altar is safe. You can cry out all of your tears or you can dance for joy. It is a beautiful picture. When I sing the song I hear God saying "Come to this place," and that’s very emotional for me. No matter how lost we get, we can know that He is seeking us out--even when we feel lost, hurting and straying. He’s never lost us and He’ll find us. That brings peace when life isn’t easy. 

 

For me, this album was written as a step of faith. I have continued to have tough times. It feels like at times as Christians we’re living on another planet and we’re fighting all the time. We all know why--because we weren’t made for this world. Writing and singing songs of worship aren’t always easy when things aren’t going well. We’re called to worship and we need to be obedient. We are dependent on God for every breath. A state of brokenness keeps us on our knees and helps us realize how much we need God. 

 

In reality, sometimes people’s lives seem to work out and they sometimes forget their need for God. I have seen in my life that God uses broken people as His vessels. Choosing to worship when you don’t feel like it deepens your faith. Even in the midst of our greatest struggles, we need to find joy and peace from knowing God.

 

 

Matthew Henry’s commentary: "Be still, and know that I am God. Let His enemies be still, and threaten no more, but know it, to their terror, that He is God, one infinitely above them, and that will certainly be too hard for them; let them rage no more, for it is all in vain: He that sits in heaven, laughs at them; and, in spite of all their impotent malice against His name and honor, He will be exalted among the heathen and not merely among His own people, He will be exalted in the earth and not merely in the church. Men will set up themselves, will have their own way and do their own will; but let them know that God will be exalted, He will have His way will do His own will, will glorify His own name, and wherein they deal proudly He will be above them, and make them know that He is so."

 

If you’ve always wanted to hear Superchick record a praise and worship album, don’t miss out on The Road. I’ve always loved listening to Tricia’s singing voice, in particular as she passionately sings the more spiritually themed Superchick songs "We Live", "Stand In The Rain", "Beauty From Pain", "Hero" and "Still Here." If you like those songs, then you’re in for a real treat with The Road. Tricia didn’t set out to record a worship project, yet she found herself in a spiritual desert in between album recordings. 

 

Tricia’s always felt the call to lead worship as she and her sister Melissa were raised in a Christian home. They have experienced their share of adversity and struggles while trying to nourish their faith throughout their teenage years and as members of Superchick for the past 13 years. 

 

This entire album has songs that bless and heal me as a listener. The Road is my top inspirational worship album of last year. I can’t get enough of the standout worshipful songs "Lean", "You Are My Shepherd", "You Hear", "The Altar", "Always" and the gorgeous closing track "Broken For Love’s Sake." Do yourself a favor and buy this album immediately. You’ll be refreshed, nourished, and encouraged as you lean on God for your strength. This album reminds us that the pain of this world is temporary and to live for Heaven.

 

I had the privilege to host Tricia and Melissa Brock for a worship concert at my church last fall, and we were all completely blessed by "The Altar," which has a chorus that gets me choked up. We all sang: "Come to this place, Come seek His face, find the hands of forgiveness, Look into the eyes of Grace, run to Redemption, with tears of joy and pain, let fire fall and purify our hearts, come to the altar, come to His arms." 

 

The tears were flowing as I sang this song with all of my heart. If you like stirring, emotional songs like "Blessings" by Laura Story, then you must hear "The Altar." As the song prayerfully proclaims, "There is no shame in His scars." Amen.

 

(Take a listen to the song here.)