Family Life

04.07.09 | Cecil Van Houten

One of the newer songs being played on Family Life Network is a worship anthem called "God of This City" by the Belfast-based band Bluetree.  One of their passions is to show that the gospel calls us to do more than just worship the Lord in the context of our surroundings, and to actively be aware of the needs around us every day and work to show how the gospel can make a difference.

Growing up in war-torn Belfast, lead singer and guitarist Aaron Boyd admits that he began to "grow so numb that when you hear that a car bomb killed 10 people, you immediately go on with the mundane business of the day without as much as giving it a second thought."  That's why the band has never cared to write feel-good worship songs that make believers feel warm and fuzzy on Sunday morning as much as writing songs that inspire change and action once the church service has ended.

Boyd, along with bandmates Johnny Hobson and Pete Kermoghan, are writing songs to show that hope is not dictated by our circumstances and that becoming desensitized by the constant stream of bad news we face every day should motivate us even more to struggle to share truth in a world that sees itself as either hopeless or hopelessly self-sufficient with no need of God.

The band lives missionally, taking their music not only to venues and concert tours but to underdeveloped areas around the world, sounding a prophetic voice that God's reality is just as valid in the darkest places of our world as in the comfortable, middle-class suburbs where many believers live.  The song, "God of This City" was born during a period of time the band spent in Thailand.  Boyd realized that even in the darkness, God was still the God of those people - that God loved them and was pursuing them even if they weren't aware of it.  The simple lyrics followed, "You're the God of this city, you're the King of these people, you're the Lord of this nation, You are." 

Chris Tomlin later heard the song and included it on his "Hello Love" record; and Bluetree has been invited to participate in some of the Passion events around the world.  But when they play, their goal is not just to do a great concert then hit the bus for the next stop on the tour.  Their desire is to take the message beyond the music, beyond the evening, and build life-changing relationships with listeners with the ultimate goal of helping followers of Christ to be aware of the needs around them every day and be the salt and light they are called to be. 

Learn more at www.myspace.com/bluetreeonline