|
1. Something Beautiful [Listen]
2. New Name [Listen]
3. Blood On My Hands [Listen]
4. Unchanging One [Listen]
5. Isaiah 6 [Listen]
6. Mercy In Me [Listen]
7. The Wonder Of It All [Listen]
8. In The Middle Of Me [Listen]
2. New Name [Listen]
3. Blood On My Hands [Listen]
4. Unchanging One [Listen]
5. Isaiah 6 [Listen]
6. Mercy In Me [Listen]
7. The Wonder Of It All [Listen]
8. In The Middle Of Me [Listen]
Reflection of Something
[Release Date: August 16, 2005] (INO Records)
Track Listing:
Track Listing:
9. Always There [Listen]
10. Where Were You [Listen]
11. Fullness Found [Listen]
12. My Jesus [Listen]
13. [Blank Track]
14. [Blank Track]
15. It Is Well [Listen]
10. Where Were You [Listen]
11. Fullness Found [Listen]
12. My Jesus [Listen]
13. [Blank Track]
14. [Blank Track]
15. It Is Well [Listen]
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
4.0 out of 4
3.0 out of 3
2.0 out of 2
1.0 out of 1
10.0 out of 10
Message
Music
Production
Creativity
Overall Score
| 100% A+ |
Another great album from Youth Pastor and Ardent Records recording artist, Todd
Agnew. 'Reflection of Something' is a great album, with a great message that needs to
be heard. I would strongly advise buying someone a copy of this album who desperately
needs the ministering power that only the Gospels can bring. It's full of raw emotion and
heartbreak along with words of hope for a better tomorrow, the better tomorrow that
only God can bring to the listener. If you think you've had a rough life, listen to Todd's
message. He's had a rough go-around as well, but one thing he will admit to you, which
is obvious in his most recent album and any of his music for that matter, is that God has
used him in a way he never imagined. He feels truly blessed with what the Lord has
done for him and the work the Lord has set before him. The concept of this album can
be explained in track one, "Something Beautiful". We are all reflections of the things that
we take into our lives. For example, if you follow Christ, then you should be a reflection
of His righteousness, His light, His love. The song explains how God can use you for
His purpose and that it doesn't matter who you are, or how much you think you've done
wrong. God can use you if you will let Him in. As a Christian, we were all wretches
and hell-bound sinners to the Lord at one time, but thanks to the grace He has given to
us, we can turn that into something beautiful for Him to work with.
For those of you who are fans of blues music, "New Name" is just the song for you.
The song goes back to Todd's early life. He was given up for adoption when he was just
a few days old, and not only was later adopted by a good Christian family, but one that
would later lead him to be a child of the Lord. Even though he started life 'with no
name', the Lord's work in his life gave him just that. I like the message that "Blood on
My Hands" brings. We have to realize that we are all equally responsible for the death of
Christ, and although we can never truly thank Jesus enough for what He has done, living
our lives for Him is a good start. Todd uses one of my favorite hymns in the chorus of
this song. "Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross" written in 1869 by the famous blind hymn-
writer, Fanny Crosby. This is such a beautiful hymn, (see Revelation 22:1-2) and one
that proves just how much Jesus loved us, and the sacrifice He made for us to be free.
"Unchanging One" really explains the depth of God's love for us. The chorus says it all
"You know when I wake, when I rise, when I pray, when I curse You and You love me
the same". I'm really glad to know how much the Lord loves us despite the detours we
take from Him at times in our lives. This was a good pick to be the first single off of the
album. In 'Grace Like Rain', Todd takes the message from Romans 12:1 and makes it
into a great worship song. The story told in "Isaiah 6" is made into just as great a praise
and worship song. This one comes directly from the Book of Isaiah, the story of how
the Lord allowed Isaiah to see Him on his throne, and the seraphims (angelic creatures)
around the throne declaring the Glory of God. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty",
wow what a great piece of scripture telling us of God's glory! Isaiah 6:3 also could be
referring to the Trinity as well. Go and read Isaiah 6, it's a good teaching tool.
"Mercy in Me" if I remember correctly, Todd says goes along in lines with Romans 12:1,
"..present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service." Tim LaHaye says in a reference in his "KJV Prophecy Study Bible"
that Romans 12:1 means "Rather than being conformed to the world's philosophy or
standards, the yielded believer will be transformed through a mental renewal to
experience God's will in his life." Bottom line, we need to help people in need, this is also
well-pleasing unto God, to help others less fortunate. "The Wonder Of It All" really goes
into how amazing it is in all that God has created. Have you ever just stared at the big
blue sky and were amazed at what God has done? Amen. "In The Middle Of Me" has a
simple, but important message. I think as Christians we all strive to have more of God in
our lives, more of Jesus and what He can do in our lives if we trust Him as our Lord and
Savior.
"Always There" can kind of go along with the concept of "Unchanging One", but I think
Todd is referring to the story of the Prodigal son and how after he went out on his own
and became distraught, his father was there when he came back. This is how God fits
in our lives. No matter how far we stray from Him, we know He's there waiting for us
when we come back and at the times in our lives when we need Him the most.
The last track "My Jesus" is in my opinion, the best cut on the album. It really asks us
(especially as Americans) which Jesus do we follow? It's a perfectly ligitimate question.
Todd goes onto say that "if Epesians says to imitate Christ, then why do you look so
much like the world?" Amen. I noticed that some churches have to use the world to
draw people into the church, but what we fail to realize is that, Jesus does not need our
help in drawing the people unto him (John 12:32), we just need to pray that people are
lifted to Christ. The question is also raised "Who is this You follow, this picture of the
American dream". Some view Christ with curly brown hair, blue eyes and a clear
complexion, (the Americanized picture of Christ) but may miss the part that He was
battered and bruised when He died for us on the cross, and that we may have not even
recognized Him at all. I especially think the part Todd writes about Jesus not being
welcome in his church is an interesting point, because of His appearance and the 'blood
and dirt' on His feet. I think this is very true in today's church. We are so focused on
the look of people, rather then the fact that these people need our help and that whether
they are dirty from head to toe or wearing a suit and tie, Christ told us that we need to
love and help anyone seeking it! I think Todd's message is clear, that Christ wanted us
to focus on Him, and not of the things of this world.
I really like the hidden track on the CD, taken from Horatio Spafford hymn, "It Is Well
With My Soul". Another sad story taken and put into a meaningful message. Here is a
brief insight on this hymn... "This hymn was written after two major traumas in
Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him
financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the
Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s
wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several
weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the
Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have,
no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.
Closing Thoughts:
This closing thought was added October 5, 2009, just prior to the release of Todd's fifth
studio release Need. I thought it necessary to go back and add this since the closing
thoughts weren't a part of my 2005 review.
After listening to this album for the past four years, I have come to love it even more. I
would have to say that Reflection of Something is the pinnacle of Todd's music
ministry. This album ministered to me so much and even after all of these years, it
continues to do so. In my opinion it's hard for Agnew to top this one.
If you pick up one retro album this year, this one is one that's definitely worth going
back and listening to. You won't be sorry.
Agnew. 'Reflection of Something' is a great album, with a great message that needs to
be heard. I would strongly advise buying someone a copy of this album who desperately
needs the ministering power that only the Gospels can bring. It's full of raw emotion and
heartbreak along with words of hope for a better tomorrow, the better tomorrow that
only God can bring to the listener. If you think you've had a rough life, listen to Todd's
message. He's had a rough go-around as well, but one thing he will admit to you, which
is obvious in his most recent album and any of his music for that matter, is that God has
used him in a way he never imagined. He feels truly blessed with what the Lord has
done for him and the work the Lord has set before him. The concept of this album can
be explained in track one, "Something Beautiful". We are all reflections of the things that
we take into our lives. For example, if you follow Christ, then you should be a reflection
of His righteousness, His light, His love. The song explains how God can use you for
His purpose and that it doesn't matter who you are, or how much you think you've done
wrong. God can use you if you will let Him in. As a Christian, we were all wretches
and hell-bound sinners to the Lord at one time, but thanks to the grace He has given to
us, we can turn that into something beautiful for Him to work with.
For those of you who are fans of blues music, "New Name" is just the song for you.
The song goes back to Todd's early life. He was given up for adoption when he was just
a few days old, and not only was later adopted by a good Christian family, but one that
would later lead him to be a child of the Lord. Even though he started life 'with no
name', the Lord's work in his life gave him just that. I like the message that "Blood on
My Hands" brings. We have to realize that we are all equally responsible for the death of
Christ, and although we can never truly thank Jesus enough for what He has done, living
our lives for Him is a good start. Todd uses one of my favorite hymns in the chorus of
this song. "Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross" written in 1869 by the famous blind hymn-
writer, Fanny Crosby. This is such a beautiful hymn, (see Revelation 22:1-2) and one
that proves just how much Jesus loved us, and the sacrifice He made for us to be free.
"Unchanging One" really explains the depth of God's love for us. The chorus says it all
"You know when I wake, when I rise, when I pray, when I curse You and You love me
the same". I'm really glad to know how much the Lord loves us despite the detours we
take from Him at times in our lives. This was a good pick to be the first single off of the
album. In 'Grace Like Rain', Todd takes the message from Romans 12:1 and makes it
into a great worship song. The story told in "Isaiah 6" is made into just as great a praise
and worship song. This one comes directly from the Book of Isaiah, the story of how
the Lord allowed Isaiah to see Him on his throne, and the seraphims (angelic creatures)
around the throne declaring the Glory of God. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty",
wow what a great piece of scripture telling us of God's glory! Isaiah 6:3 also could be
referring to the Trinity as well. Go and read Isaiah 6, it's a good teaching tool.
"Mercy in Me" if I remember correctly, Todd says goes along in lines with Romans 12:1,
"..present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service." Tim LaHaye says in a reference in his "KJV Prophecy Study Bible"
that Romans 12:1 means "Rather than being conformed to the world's philosophy or
standards, the yielded believer will be transformed through a mental renewal to
experience God's will in his life." Bottom line, we need to help people in need, this is also
well-pleasing unto God, to help others less fortunate. "The Wonder Of It All" really goes
into how amazing it is in all that God has created. Have you ever just stared at the big
blue sky and were amazed at what God has done? Amen. "In The Middle Of Me" has a
simple, but important message. I think as Christians we all strive to have more of God in
our lives, more of Jesus and what He can do in our lives if we trust Him as our Lord and
Savior.
"Always There" can kind of go along with the concept of "Unchanging One", but I think
Todd is referring to the story of the Prodigal son and how after he went out on his own
and became distraught, his father was there when he came back. This is how God fits
in our lives. No matter how far we stray from Him, we know He's there waiting for us
when we come back and at the times in our lives when we need Him the most.
The last track "My Jesus" is in my opinion, the best cut on the album. It really asks us
(especially as Americans) which Jesus do we follow? It's a perfectly ligitimate question.
Todd goes onto say that "if Epesians says to imitate Christ, then why do you look so
much like the world?" Amen. I noticed that some churches have to use the world to
draw people into the church, but what we fail to realize is that, Jesus does not need our
help in drawing the people unto him (John 12:32), we just need to pray that people are
lifted to Christ. The question is also raised "Who is this You follow, this picture of the
American dream". Some view Christ with curly brown hair, blue eyes and a clear
complexion, (the Americanized picture of Christ) but may miss the part that He was
battered and bruised when He died for us on the cross, and that we may have not even
recognized Him at all. I especially think the part Todd writes about Jesus not being
welcome in his church is an interesting point, because of His appearance and the 'blood
and dirt' on His feet. I think this is very true in today's church. We are so focused on
the look of people, rather then the fact that these people need our help and that whether
they are dirty from head to toe or wearing a suit and tie, Christ told us that we need to
love and help anyone seeking it! I think Todd's message is clear, that Christ wanted us
to focus on Him, and not of the things of this world.
I really like the hidden track on the CD, taken from Horatio Spafford hymn, "It Is Well
With My Soul". Another sad story taken and put into a meaningful message. Here is a
brief insight on this hymn... "This hymn was written after two major traumas in
Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him
financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the
Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s
wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several
weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the
Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have,
no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.
Closing Thoughts:
This closing thought was added October 5, 2009, just prior to the release of Todd's fifth
studio release Need. I thought it necessary to go back and add this since the closing
thoughts weren't a part of my 2005 review.
After listening to this album for the past four years, I have come to love it even more. I
would have to say that Reflection of Something is the pinnacle of Todd's music
ministry. This album ministered to me so much and even after all of these years, it
continues to do so. In my opinion it's hard for Agnew to top this one.
If you pick up one retro album this year, this one is one that's definitely worth going
back and listening to. You won't be sorry.
Review Written By: Jay Heilman [jay.heilman@christianmusicreview.org] Date Written: August 10, 2005
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| [Album Review] |
| Todd Agnew |