Carrollton ‘Everything or Nothing’

Written by: Laura Chambers (October 1, 2017)

Famed for its ominous prophecies, vivid symbols, and a final message of hope at the end, Revelation is one of the most well-known books of the Bible. Yet one of its most unappealing images can be found in its earlier chapters, specifically the letters to the seven churches. God tells the Laodicean church that He wishes they were either hot (passionate) or cold (completely uninterested). Instead, finding them to be lukewarm – neither hot or cold – He says He will spew them out of His mouth. As in, vomit. God literally says to this church, “You make me sick.”

When it comes right down to it, we either trust God or we don’t. You can’t just straddle the line and move back and forth between sides as it suits you. Ultimately, any answer that isn’t a definite, 100% yes is a no.

 Carrollton renews their pledge to unequivocal surrender in their third album, entitled Everything or Nothing.

Rather than holding out for showy Biblical miracles, “Glimpses” searches for God’s hand at work in the small ordinary experiences of everyday life. Sincere efforts to find God will always be rewarded with a change of perspective, if not situation. The first single of this album, “Shelter”, takes refuge in God, choosing to trust Him through the unfamiliar and the catastrophic. From the burnt-out ash which is all that remains of our former lives, God rescues us and gives us a firm footing to rest on that will not wash away with the waves. Definitely include this encouraging track on a road trip playlist. Drawing inspiration from 1^st Corinthians 13 (and more than a few newspaper headlines, I suspect) “Stand My Ground” vows that love will be the core motivator and forerunner of the message we bring to the world. Unless we begin by sharing the love and forgiveness God gave to us first, everything we say and do will be meaningless and unattractive to the people we’re trying to reach.

“Everything Or Nothing” recognizes that anything less than complete surrender is effectively the same as no surrender at all. Time is running out. We’ll never get anywhere by choosing the easy and the comfortable. Jesus exemplifies this truth because His was the ultimate expression of great love; giving everything for us. “Giving It All To You” expounds further on the same topic, questioning the logic of clinging tightly to our own ideas for our lives in light of our limitations when compared to God. We can only begin to live when we let Him have all of us. When we look back at God’s track record of victory upon victory, why would we ever want to trust our comparably pitiful selves with our own future? “In-Between” deals with a problem we don’t really hear about much; the difficulty we have turning to God when we’re neither miserable nor blissful. The high and low lights of Scripture are by no means what we’re to expect at any given moment. Our commitment to God must be strong enough to survive the calm before the storm as well as the storm itself, lest we become complacent or self-centered.

In the aftermath of a great tragedy, “Rebuilder” tells of how God rescued us and supported us until we were able to trust that He was putting us back together again. Just as the song unfurls slowly and surely, His restoration of our lives is a process that takes time. Little by little, we watch the daylight unexpectedly fill our lives again, feel the warmth of love surrounding us. Rather than distancing ourselves when the world goes wrong, “Leaning In” decides to move closer to God with every blow, choosing a hunger for His presence over bitterness. If we need to experience heartache in order to know Him more and awaken our passion for Him, then so be it. “Promises” vows reliance upon the promises God has given us in His word. He listens whenever we call upon Him, leading us through good times and bad. We don’t come to Him ashamed because He has forgiven us. No other ground provides an adequate foundation for our lives than hope in God. “I Will Trust” concludes with a hymn of unwavering faith, whether God is silent or our troubles are overwhelming. With a minimum of instrumentation, this song lets the voices carry it skyward instead.

Listening to this album, one thing becomes abundantly clear; God seeks our complete surrender to His will for our lives, but He doesn’t compel us to give our lives to Him. Rather, He calls in the middle of the storm, sunshine, and stillness alike, beckoning us to respond to His providence and presence with Everything or Nothing. We would do well to choose the former.

3.8/5