Worship, Prophecy and Lamentation Posted March 07, 2021 By MarkRyan_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know Pat Barrett's sophomore studio release, Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly, is a gift to the church of 17 new worship songs that focus on the person and promises of God. What Barrett delivers is a prophetic album that not only exalts Christ, but also strengthens, encourages, and comforts the listener.
What It Sounds Like
Barrett stays true to the sound that we became familiar with on his self-titled debut and throughout his work as the former lead singer of worship band Housefires. It's a group of songs that feel just right as produced studio tracks and that would pare down to a simple acoustic set.
Spiritual/Lyrical Highlights
The album and title track carry the key phrase from Micah 6:8 (NIV): "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." "So Real" falls into this category. Barrett questions the things that society treasures and states clearly that what he is waiting for is something "So real, Just You." "By The Spirit" echoes the cry of Zechariah 4:6. "As For Me" features Christian music veteran Chris Tomlin and, as the title suggests, focuses on Joshua 24:15 and encourages us to give in fully to Christ and to see His will done in our homes.
Best Song On The Record
"Lightning," featuring musician Harolddd, falls perfectly in line with the prophetic message of this album. It addresses the current evils of today while, at the same time, encouraging listeners to pray and with a message of "one day all things will be the way it should be." It's a bold song to include on a worship album. But, it goes with the messages throughout, especially to act justly and love mercy.
Final Word
Just as Micah 6:8 is a prophetic word, Barrett gives us a prophetic album that, as 1 Corinthians 14:3 (NIV) puts it, "speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort." Each song fits into at least one of the three categories of justice, mercy, and humility. This isn't merely a worship album for performance on Sundays or for listening to in your vehicle. This is an album of lamentation and heart cry to God.
