The Compassionart songwriter’s retreat began Monday with the admirable goal of receiving 10-12 songs to be given to the world not just to sing, but to raise money for the relief of suffering for the poorest of the poor around the planet. On target to surpass that initial goal, Compassionart founder and Delirious? frontman Martin Smith says, “We now have 21 songs; all are strong.”

“There are times in history when people join together to do something great and lay down their own agenda, their own territory,” continues Martin. “It’s been especially touching to see everyone be themselves and be vulnerable in front of each other. Yet when a group plays its song, the whole room erupts. It’s just pure Christianity. It’s a team thing of people lifting each other up.”

“In a word, this week has simply been ‘unbelievable,’” says Michael W. Smith. “It’s incredible to be working with all of these artists for a worthy cause. Laying down your own agenda really frees you in so many ways, and this week has been a pure joy.”

Compassionart is hosting internationally recognized songwriters Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu Garrard (Delirious?), Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Martin Smith (Delirious?), Michael W. Smith and Darlene Zschech in Perthshire, Scotland.

The latest blog from author and journalist Christa Banister, who is attending the retreat that ends today, can be found at www.delirious.co.uk/livingroom/blog.php. One fellow blogger, after reading her posting, wrote, “There are those moments in history that changed history and you just hear about them. It is amazing that I am seeing history being made in my lifetime. One day I won’t just tell the historians I heard about the great evangelists of the 1800's, but I will be telling the next generations about the worship revolution that happened in my time.”

For more information on the Compassionart songwriter’s retreat, go to www.compassionart.co.uk.