What happens if God takes away your most indispensable gift?  What happens if God takes away your voice if you were a recording artist?  Without a voice, what is left of a singer?  This was what happened to Charles Billingsley.  In 2009, Billingsley's career was put in the dock, when an aggravated blood vessel in his vocal cords burst.  This left a sizable polyp that needed immediate operation.   With many fearful questions arising about his voice, questioning if he'd ever be able to sing again, the night before his surgery friends gathered to pray over him. The last man to pray put his hand on Billingsley's throat and said, "If you never sing again, will you still love God? Will you still serve God? Will you still worship God?" Billingsley replied, in a moment of pure transparency, "I think so." Through the grace of God, Billingsley did recover.  And he has lived to testify about this divine intervention vowing never to use his voice for success but for significance.  In the light of such a context, "Live" is more than just your average worship album, it is a testifying memoir of God's healing and grace.  Every time when you hear Billingsley's voice soaring with the ceiling reaching magnitude, you know that those are nothing less than "grace notes."  Recorded live at his home church, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg Virginia where Billingsley serves as worship pastor, save for one, all the songs in their studio form here are found on his previous albums, namely "Never Forsaken," "God of the Ages" and "20."  The only pseudo-new track here is the "Favorites Medley" where Billingsley slings together four of his better know songs ("You are the Holy One," "A Loss for Words," "Marks of the Mission" and "Freed") from his twenty odd years of music ministry.

For those unacquainted with Billingsley, his modus operandi is piano-based worship.  Unlike many of his peers who have used a rock centered guitar and drum driven blueprint to worship, at the cardinal of Billingsley music is the piano.  Thus, Billingsley's style has a nostalgic throwback to the nineties where piano-based worship leaders such as Don Moen, Marty Nystrom and Steve Green had been spearheading a more adult contemporary direction in worship.  This is far from suggesting that this record is dated or droned.  Rather, Billingsley knows how to incorporate within the rock sounds of modern worship a more contemplative feel that would minister to those who want a more classic edge to their worship.  Such an approach certainly works for the prayerful "Use Me."  The piano flourishes to this plea to God that calls to mind Jeremiah 18 certainly enhances the message by giving it a more heartfelt dimension.  And Billingsley does go all the way operatic with the soaring David Phelps-like "Down from His Glory."  Here he can give Phelps or even Josh Groban a run for their monies as Billingsley gives a jaw dropping manifesto of his healed voice on this glorious piece exalting Christ's incarnation.

Billingsley does speak about his healing ordeal on "Where I Don't Know What to Do."  This song is noteworthy of mention because it is more than just an average worship ballad.  But here in his utter brokenness, Billingsley spiritually comes down from the stage and stands with us pleading for God's intervention when we are lost.  Such ministry moments are rare and thank God this was captured on disc for us.  "God So Loved the World," not the old hymn, but a new song written by Tony Wood, Keith Smith and Adam Lancaster has an evangelistic focus whereby Billingsley actually names different people from all walks of life whom God loves.  For fans who love his older songs, Billingsley graces us with some re-visits with "Favorite Medleys."  One track from Billingsley's twenty five album canon that still stings the soul is "Marks of the Mission."  Too often worship songs paint the picture that worship is all about feeling good, but few dare to sing about suffering for Christ when this is such a prominent theme in Scripture.  "Marks of the Mission" is a Godly and worthwhile reminder.

There are also a couple of pleasant surprises: the first is Billingsley's take of Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise."  Not often regarded as a worship song; but the dissonant-causing lyrics of "Another Day" certainly are.  A dire cry to all of us to be grateful enough to God to care for the homeless, this is actually what worship is about.  It is in helping the needy where God is most exalted.  And on "Baby I Blinked," Billingsley waxes sentimental as he reflects back on all the "Kodak" moments of his life.  Calling to mind Bob Carlisle's "Butterfly Kisses," "Baby I Blinked" is sincerely earnest without being tweely chirping.  Never showing any sign of wear and tear, Billingsley's tenor timbre is in great form here.  "Live" is more than just a worship record, it is truly an experience of seeing and hearing what God can do when we leave our prized possession (be it our voice, money or talent) at his altar.