The question is not whether or not worship is necessary.  This is because worship is a round the clock event in heaven; according to Revelation 4 and 5, there are always living creatures constantly casting down their crowns in obeisance and singing before God's throne.  And it is in such a context God dispenses His word, His wisdom, His healing and His provenance.  Worship is as real as eating, drinking, sleep, walking and surfing the net.  And it is an event as perpetually powerful as the mighty torrents of the scending waters at Niagara Falls.  So, the question is not whether or not worship is necessary.  Rather, the question is how do we, by God's grace, join or become part of such a worship.  William McDowell's "Withholding Nothing" is a way of RSVPing  us into such a worship where we do get to meet God face to face.  Therefore, when we read on McDowell's website of how a deaf man was healed in the midst of worship, it should by no means surprise us.  For in the presence of our Almighty Father, miracles are as natural as the twinkling of the eye or the twitching of the ear.

Helmed by McDowell, Steven Lester of Elevation Church, Aaron Lindsey and Clay Bogan, "Withholding Nothing" is McDowell's third release.  It follows the lofty legacy of live worship records such as "As We Worship" and "Arise." "Withholding Nothing" is not the punch-in-the-clock recording.  Rather, the CD starts off at an evocative high where McDowell reveals to us a piercing vision he has had received from God on January 14^th of this year.  The vision, according to McDowell, predicts that a time will come when God will sweep across the nation that will refurbish the lives of millions to come.  And he follows up such a vision with "We Will Prevail" - a pull-up your boot strings spiritual challenge to our current generation not to sit in the sidelines but to gird up your loins and light up our lamps for the kingdom of God.  Unlike many of today's artists who have allowed sing-able melodies to slip out of their repertoires, "Sovereign God" takes on a punctiliously crafted tune and combines it with words that will automatically elicit praises from our hearts.    

In the midst of buzzing lives, "Expecting" bids riddance to our scurried propensities as McDowell invites us for an 8:05-minute's worth of "selah" of waiting on God.  The solicitous heart will definitely be ministered to by the instrumental "Bring Me a Minstrel."  The gorgeously orchestrated strings of this ballad have a way of sweeping us into the presence of God that is gentle, soothing and so faith-building. One of the key elements of worship in the early church as portrayed in the book of Acts is the church's constant calling on the name of Jesus Christ.  And when many of today's Christian music replaced the name of "Jesus" with the generic "he," we have tacitly short changed ourselves from something that is revolutionary. McDowell has wisely eschewed such a remiss with the ballad "When I Call Your Name." Awash with churchy organ flourishes and some heart-warming bells, "When I Call Your Name" brings out a powerful aspect of worship as the name of our blessed Lord is beautifully evoked.  Then McDowell seamlessly segues into the old hymn "There's Something About the Name."

Already a fast rising hit is the lead single and title cut "Withholding Nothing." This is a hymn-like ballad that calls to mind the chestnut "I Surrender All," "Withholding Nothing" excels in all areas: a powerhouse choir backing, McDowell's anointed vocals and a gorgeous melody.  But most importantly are the words: this is the type of songs that provide us with the first-class ticket to move right into the presence of Jesus Christ: "I surrender all to you/Everything I give to you/withholding nothing, withholding nothing."