All male gospel group member Johnathan Hicks of Manifest stops by with a description of why they sing and a poignant discussion and joyful reminder of who they sing for.
Here are Johnathan Hick’s words:
I’ve have the great pleasure of directing a wonderful group of men who sing together. Our name is MANIFEST and we sing contemporary gospel and Christian music, all of it written by members of the group. It’s a group of brothers in a wide range of ages and professions: One is a barber, another counsels people with addictions, one is a banker, a couple are students. One of the wonderful aspects of singing with an all-male Christian group is that it allows me to be a part of a collection of brothers who don’t mind praising God unabashedly and wholeheartedly.
Let’s face it, this is an area where many brothers feel self conscious and restrained. We don’t mind going to a basketball or football game and cheering wildly. But when it comes to exhibiting our spiritual feelings and convictions, we’re often more than a little reluctant.
One of things that I’ve learned through fellowship with my brothers in MANIFEST is that we can not only become comfortable praising God fully, we can also feel empowered when we do. In the midst of the challenging circumstances that life throws at us—with financial difficulties, challenges in the work place, the demands of family—there is nothing as soothing or as powerful as turning things over to God. Ultimately, in the midst of praising him, he provides us with a feeling of peace, that he has things under control so long as we trust and follow Him.
One of the songs on our CD makes that point. Its name is “According to His Purpose,” and simply states:
Lifting my voice to praise his name
So glad to be his servant
Living my life according to his purpose
He knows what’s best for me
As men, we often seek to do things our own way, through our own planning, under own self-defined strategy. But I have learned something that my brothers in MANIFEST have help reinforce for me: We’re at our strongest when we surrender, we’re at our most confident when we yield and we’re at our most empowered and secure when we just lift our voices and hearts to offer praise.
Johnathan Hicks is Director of Manifest whose album “Highest Praise” is rocketing up the charts.
