Outrageous Love had its UK release last year. What’s the title track about?
One of the first dates with my wife was in Whitechapel. She was giving out food and clothes to homeless people who slept in doorways. I was totally inspired by her going out on a Friday night, ministering to prostitutes and people on the streets. ‘Outrageous Love’ came out of that – God’s love is so outrageous it will find you on the street corner or sleeping on a shop front, but it will also find you in the mansion house.
How has the meaning of that song changed your life?
My wife and I have decided to programme acts of kindness into our thinking. Stopping at a petrol station and paying for someone’s petrol, or going into a restaurant and buying a family’s meal without them knowing. In the restaurant the waiter was crying and saying, ‘Why did you do it?’ I said, ‘Because Jesus paid it all.’ That was my simple answer.
What are the highlights on the album for you?
‘Freedom’ is a song we’ve sung for some time; seeing the response across the British Isles and the world where people are caught in that place of joy and the liberty that Christ gives. But when I wrote ‘Freedom’, it wasn’t written in a totally happy place. If you knew where I was, you’d think, ‘Why would you write a song in a place where there’s so much sadness and brokenness?’ It was the prophetic cry of my heart saying, ‘I want to be free.’ The Church must walk in joy, because joy actually demonstrates the praise of God.
You’re known for putting on the Renewal event in London every year, which aims to bring the whole Church together to worship. Many people say the Church is still divided along ethnic lines. How can we change that?
The Church lives in its own stereotype…Often there can be a sense of judgement already when we encounter something that’s different. The lack of unity [comes from] the lack of relationship. We’ve got to learn to intentionally build relationships that make the kingdom win.
The one area that we can come together is in worship because as I travel around the churches, regardless of whether you’re a black-led or a white-led church, we’re singing the same songs. Our expressions may be different, but we’re singing the same thing.
There has to be these moments of sharing and they must be balanced in ethnicity and culture. Unity and how that’s worked out is one component of revival for the Church that will bring transformation for the world.
What’s next for you?
The album is released in January in the US and I’m looking forward to taking it there and doing some events there. I’ve been travelling in South Africa, Germany and want to continue to share my heart with the Body of Christ. Revival is my heart; I want to see the Church revived so we can transform the world.
Outrageous Love (Integrity) is out now. For more information about the Renewal (29–30th January) visit kingdomworshipmovement.com.
