Recon Records

21/12/2023

In 2016 Andrea Hunter wrote some lyrics and the talented Stephanie Samuels added her music and vocals). Andrea also wrote a devotional based on the song entitled "The Night is Silent" and we're posting it here. Although, not a "Recon" project, it was co-published with Life Unto Life Music, Recon's publishing arm with Risen Music.

THE NIGHT IS SILENT (Devotional) "It’s the beginning of the end…of death. The hopes and fears of all the days and all the years are met in You, O Holy Child, for us right here, this Holy Night." (Excerpt from “The Night Is Silent.”)

Sometimes in the midst of your life, you’re required to take a trip to Bethlehem. It seems like the powers around you are forcing this journey: The Domination System. In this case Caesar and his armies are making you travel, and not first class, to be registered so they won’t miss your presence, not because you are valued, but your taxes are needed. It’s cold and rough, it is more than uncomfortable and when you get there, you’re sent to what is basically a homeless shelter…a barn, full of straw and animals and, yes, manure. (This in spite of the fact you have relatives and friends who could squeeze you in if they chose to do so.) So now, not only must you endure indignity, you have more people to forgive.
But God’s secret Light is shining and those who see and know will follow. Caesar is inadvertently cooperating with a larger plan: a plan to free you and all of mankind, to give you and each person the opportunity to escape sin and death and enter into eternal life. It doesn’t come with a band and glorious parade, but with the lowing of animals, and the cry of a tiny infant piercing the night. It’s a new beginning, the beginning of the end of death. Life shines from this humble shelter. Wise men bring extravagant gifts. And in the midst of trials, there is the promise of the more of God—the secret Light that bids you to invite Jesus into the manger of your heart, to let Him decorate it with His radiant beauty. Herod misses the light; it is a secret for him. Satan misses the light. They are asleep. They have a mistaken idea of how God delivers and reveals himself. But you will see it.
If you’re finding yourself in the middle of a journey that isn’t what you expected, if the accommodations or relationships are poor and you can’t understand after saying “yes” to God, as Mary and Joseph did, why things seem to be worse rather than better. If you’ve lost a loved one, or misplaced a dream, been falsely accused, not seen, misunderstood, passed over or overlooked, know that God’s plan to give you a future and a hope is still in place. The Father of Lights still brings Magi to give good gifts in your life, not when you’ve moved to the palace, but right where you are in the barn. He sends His angels to serenade you with good tidings and say “peace to you of good will.” He sends His Spirit to comfort you. God still supplies all your needs according to His riches in glory. Jesus lives in and through you and offers love, peace, and joy in abundance. Your worst fear and greatest hopes are met in Him, now and forever.
DEAR FATHER: Thank You for the great sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, “Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to cling to but emptied Himself,” and came to dwell with us in the flesh as a fragile infant. Thank You for sending the true Light into a world of darkness. I offer all of my life to You. Help me to see Your larger plan when my life is difficult…even devastating. Help me to say, “It is well with my soul,” whether I’m brought low or raised up. Help me to not miss Your life and light by dictating to You how I should be delivered. Rather, may I trust and rest in Your amazing love, knowing that You lead me and feed me in the shadows and the sun. And nothing or no one can stop Your good plan for my life and the life of my family and community in Christ. AMEN.

Buy this song on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/secret-light-ep/id1181601262From Stephanie's debut EP "Secret Light", this is the song, "The Night...

18/09/2023

In October of 2020 at the bi-annual song-writing retreat for the Wesleyan Worship Project (WWP), four writers spanning from Generation Z to the Boomers sat down to discuss the onslaught of confusion, despair, and theological questioning that came along with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. As if all the lockdowns and quarantines weren’t enough, coming into this retreat all four of these writers had endured major life-changes and/or losses that had nothing at all to do with the virus itself.

Marcus, who is a spoken-word artist, led the way as to the subject of the song. Coming into the writing session he had recently experienced the passing of his beloved grandmother, the end of a significant relationship, and was watching his best friend and his wife deal with the grief of a difficult miscarriage. With all this taking place in the middle of a worldwide shutdown, the subject of the song was going to be a confrontation with the harsh realities of life – an expression of anger and grief in some ways.

But Marcus wasn’t alone. Due to the shutdowns of COVID, Kal, a Worship Pastor in Rapid City South Dakota, and his wife Kassie had just dealt with the stress of re-planning their entire wedding and honeymoon, as well as Kal dealing with severe back pain that would force him to be nearly bedridden for several months after this cowrite. Elisa, a worship leader, designer and graphic artist was bringing a battle with anxiety due to the COVID lockdown into the session. And finally, Andrea, writer/editor, and producer, had just lost her mom to Alzheimer’s after many years of ongoing physical and spiritual care, on top of losing three of her dearest friends to cancer and Parkinson’s Disease in a one-year period.

Despite all the collective sorrow in the room, a song began to emerge. Not a song of self-pity or a song full of complaints, but rather a song of God’s faithfulness during situations that seem to point to everything other than His goodness. Their time together, gave these writers “a garland instead of ashes” and a “mantle of praise instead of fainting.” From the authors’ feelings of significant loss and abandonment came a proclamation of God’s enduring presence in our lives. From the weight of tragedy came an anthem of God’s faithfulness. Though lyrically simple, “Never Will” tells a profound truth founded on Scripture, weaving together our most difficult valleys with God’s mountaintops of redemption.

And the story isn’t over. All these writers continue to wrestle with the harsh realities of life, and it isn’t always pretty in the moment. And yet, this song serves as an anchor and a reminder, that what “seems” and what “is” are usually quite different. As long as we draw breath, our story is never really over.

“Never Will” answers some of the deepest questions of our hearts: Is our suffering wasted? Absolutely not. Is God faithful? Unequivocally yes. Does God ever leave us? No. He never has, and He never will.

In the midst of "fiery trials" and sinking despair, GOD is there,.. even when it seems like He is not. When does He abandon those He Loves? HE NEVER WILL.

27/05/2023

Tomorrow is the end of Shavuot and Pentecost Sunday and Day 27 of the Israel Fast. Thank You, Lord, that the people of Israel possess the adoption of sonship. It is theirs. Theirs is the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. Thank You that Your Word to them cannot fail, and that You will fulfill every promise.

02/05/2023

https://youtu.be/MLvlmIlWPCk. A 21 day worldwide fast for Israel and the Jewish people begins this Sunday. Marty Goetz tells you why it matters in the video below. And the song following gives you other key Scriptures to back up your prayer. Join Yeshua and your family around the world in intercession for Israel.

Marty Goetz, Jenny Goetz and Cindy Clemens create a compelling call to prayer for Israel. Excerpted from the full-length musical presentation of Intercessor ...

14/04/2023

We love this by Bonhoeffer. This is a joyful entry for those who are sad. God at the center of a life of LOVE. “God wants us to love God eternally with our whole hearts—not in a way to injure or weaken our earthly love, but to provide a kind of cantus firmus to which the other melodies of life provide the counterpoint. One of these contrapuntal themes (which have their own complete interdependence but are yet related to the cantus firmus) is earthly affection. Even in the Bible we have the Song of Songs, and really one can imagine no more ardent, passionate, sensual love than is portrayed there. It is a good thing that that book is in the Bible, in the face of all those who believe that the restraint of passion is Christian (where is there such restraint in the Old Testament?) Where the cantus firmus is clear and plain, the counterpoint can be developed to its limits. The two are “undivided and yet distinct,” in the words of the Chalcedonian Definition, like Christ in his divine and human natures…. Do you see what I am driving at? I wanted to tell you to have a good clear cantus firmus; that is the only way to a full and perfect sound, when the counterpoint has a firm support and cannot come adrift or get out of tune, while remaining a distinct whole in its own right. Only a polyphony of this kind can give life a wholeness and at the same time assure us that nothing calamitous can happen as long as the cantus firmus is kept going.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

07/04/2023

Today is the second day of Passover and also Shabbat. To celebrate that, and also join the upcoming call to fast and pray for Israel issued by prayer ministries around the world (May 7-28), we're releasing this deeply moving excerpt from the musical Intercessor, performed at Church on the Way in 1987. Some of you were there (Bob Hoyer, Charlene Hoyer, Patti Harrison, of course sang, and you'll see Jennifer Yaffee Goetz and Marty Goetz speaking and singing, as well as Cindy Clemens. Rick Norris (another contributor, Hope Hunter and so many more. And Bill Worthy helped to put together the original video from which this is excerpted. I hope this will fuel your ongoing prayers for Israel and the Jewish people, and ignite anew those prayers that have been silenced or dimmed in the tumult of the past few years. https://youtu.be/MLvlmIlWPCk

24/02/2023

https://youtu.be/bpTOcZN9JB4 Really Sweet timely video.

Consumed by Fire "First Things First" Official Music Video from Red Street Records.Download/Purchase Here: https://consumedbyfire.lnk.to/FirstThingsFirstLyr...

31/01/2023

This joy-infused song is just a delight. Love to point to worship that focuses us God-ward and invites us into the realm of Spirit and truth...and community.

"I'll give You the best, I'll keep the first place for You!" - Let's declare this together before the Lord for the year of 2023!Filmed with more than a 100 w...

20/01/2023

Lyric video for Bow featuring Chris Cron and WeBody1. Check it out

BOW puts the focus directly on our Holy, merciful, loving GOD. Reflecting Scriptures, primarily from Isaiah and Revelation, we look to Him and fall at His fe...

17/01/2023

We always celebrate when a song of beauty and power is released. Check out Marty Goetz' new release from the book of Romans https://youtu.be/W13yF1dGEZE

15/12/2022

Jonathan Powers in an article for Firebrand online magazine describes Advent as “the crescendo of God’s redemptive narrative, showing the church that the rest of the story is the best of the story because Jesus does not leave the world in turmoil and despair, but he comes to set all things right and to make earth as it is in heaven.” That is precisely what Recon's latest release is all about. Here is the official lyric video:

23/11/2022

Happy Thanksgiving with "Thank You Lord," sung by Rick Norris and Alice Echols, with amazing musicians, Dean Parks, Justo Almario, and Abraham Laboriel, among others. They donated their amazing talents to support Embracing Life Ministries and those with HIV/AIDS. A key writer, Jeanette Hawes, was a member of the original R&B trio The Emotions. She infused it along with everyone else with "soul."

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyThank You, Lord · Alice Echols · Justo Almario · Abraham Laboriel · Dean Parks · Rick NorrisHealing Presence℗ 2011 multipleRelea...

01/11/2022

New all-year song that's GREAT during Advent and Christmas.

In a season of tempestuous change, the character of our God and His unfolding Kingdom remains... And He shall reign forever and ever. HALLELUJAH!

07/10/2022

N.T. Wright calls us to live out the songs we sing.

N.T. Wright discusses Mary's song, a key passage from the Gospel of Luke. Although this passage is often sung in churches, its text - and the Old Testament t...

10/09/2022

New from Recon Records: "Bow." In a world of "I" and "Me," the focus shifts to the Holy One, Creator of all things.

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyBow · Chris Cron · WeBody1Bow℗ 2022 Andrea C. HunterReleased on: 2022-08-23Auto-generated by YouTube.

18/06/2022

This short film "No Mere Mortals" is a glimpse into my experience in striving to see others as God does ... but I've always felt like there's been something ...

24/02/2022

We need to stay in a book-of-acts-frame-of-mind as the Book of Acts is continuing. The mighty exploits of believers around the world resonate and echo in the heavens. We join them in prayer and worship and acts of faith as the Holy Spirit confirms the preaching of the word with signs and wonders in the Holy name of JESUS.
Grant that your servants might speak your word
With boldness and confidence undeterred
While you extend your hands to heal
And signs and wonders take place in the name of Jesus.
https://youtu.be/Ln1jSjcXOmw

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyLord of the Harvest · Marty Goetz & FriendsIntercessor℗ 2011 Andrea C. HunterReleased on: 2011-05-15Auto-generated by YouTube.

22/02/2022

Pray along with theses songs. They were written for such a time as this. If you you prefer audio without video, they are available on Spotify, Apple, etc., and YouTube individually. Sung 35 years ago at Church on the Way, they echo in eternity and will not return void. It's just a raw reference tape, so be patient.

PRAY ALONG WITH US. THESE SONGS ARE POWERFUL PRAYERS! "Intercessor is a bright yet weighty pointed and powerful statement calling us all anew to Intercessory...