I was blind, now I’m seeing in color
I was dead, now I’m living forever
I had failed, but you were my redeemer
I’ve been blessed beyond all measure
The band Rend Collective released “Counting Every Blessing” on their 2018 album, Good News. The song has enjoyed lasting success, remaining in the top 20 of Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs since its January release.
The infectious tune is performed in the modern pop style that arranges many folk elements (clapping, acoustic instruments, a round of “Ohs” in the chorus) around a soulful melismatic vocal. The lyrics are a prayer of thanks that draws on quite a few biblical phrases. The song sounds like it would be especially fun live, as the ending seems perfect for inviting a crowd to sing along.
Rend Collective is an Irish band that has been producing albums since 2010. They didn’t reach the US charts until 2013, with their album Campfire. Each subsequent album has done a little better than the last, and two of their albums, including Good News, have reached #1.
Along with the release of the album, they put out an explanation video, in which they described the influence for “Counting Every Blessing.” Gareth Gilkeson, the band’s drummer, explained that he had found himself growing depressed while comparing his own life to the lives of people he sees on social media:
“For us we realized that we had to remind ourselves of all the good things that God had done. The apostle Paul talks about giving thanks all the time and the old hymn ‘Counting Every Blessing’ … And that’s really what sparked the idea that we need to go through that. It’s a discipline.”
And today we celebrate...