Third Day
Offerings - A Worship Album
Essential Records
2000

Billboard Magazine has called Third Day "one of the best rock bands period," and now they're out with a duel worship/live album that proves that statement. Offerings features five studio-recorded worship songs and six worship-oriented live songs that capture the power and energy of Third Day live. This is the album fans have been asking for since Third Day's beginnings.

Offerings captures some of Third Day's best live moments, including 'Agnus Dei' from the Exodus project, and a trio of crowd favorites from their debut CD: the riveting 'Thief,' the soft and gentle 'Love Song,' and the loud rocking 'Consuming Fire'--songs that are arguably Third Day's best ever. The worship songs include the Bob Dylan classic 'Saved,' a Jacob's Trouble song 'These Thousand Hills,' and three more brand new Third Day originals.

The album threads the live cuts with the polished worship songs, giving a beautiful mix of rocking, crowd-echoing anthems, and quiet gentle praise tunes. The live recordings are some of the best I've heard, and they didn't record any overdubs. Mac Powell's thick southern accent booms on the live cuts, inviting you to sing along with crowd. This is one of the best live CDs I've heard, and it offers more than just your favorite songs with more energy. It's truly an offering from Third Day to their fans and to God as well.

As a side note, you can't help but wonder if Third Day has simply jumped on the worship bandwagon. Powell comments that "worship has always been a huge part of what we do." Drummer David Carr says, "Worship has to come from the heart and be sincere." These sound like the same comments from every other band that's released a worship project. Are Christians that good at following trends? Or is there something deeper going on here? Is worship something vital and necessary for every Christian, and the plethora of worship albums is just a natural result? Nearly every Christian band, and nearly every Christian person has an innate desire to worship the creator--and that's no music industry trend. (Kevin H.)