Dec 7

Dec 7 Mercy, Ministry, & Music

You’ve heard of Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin, I am sure, but for every one prominent Christian musician, there are hundreds of other talented ones on the rise. Such is the case with Jordan Dillon — a Christian, husband, father, Worship Director, and, of course, musician from St. Louis, Missouri. His debut album, Mercy, releases tomorrow on June 9th. I was recently able to ask Jordan a few question about Mercy, music, and ministry.

The interview

David: I know you pretty well, but the readers of this site probably don’t. Why don’t you take a minute or so and tell us about yourself, and let us know how the passion for music initially started.

Jordan: Sure thing, David. I’m 26 years old. Married to an amazingly talented and beautiful woman named Felicity. We have 2.5 kids (the “.5” is due in September!) I’ve been writing music since I was about 15. I primarily wrote just for the sake of writing. I actually hated the thought of ever writing worship music at the time because I thought that all the worship music out there was bland. God slowly broke that in me over the course of a few years, and as my affections and devotion for Jesus grew so did the inspiration to write music for the church. I feel a labor and love for writing songs that carry both content & creativity.

David: So last year (if I’m correct), you were selling insurance, but now you’re a pastor in full-time vocational ministry, and you’re also a musician. Am I right? Tell us a little about the calling to ministry, and how you manage being in full-time ministry and likewise a musician.

Jordan: Yeah, I’ve been incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to work full-time within the church that I’ve called home for the past five years. For me, music is actually a relatively small part of what I do on staff at Jubilee Church in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to leading the Worship Team, I’ve had the amazing opportunity in this season to oversee multiple different groups within the church, and also lead a group of four interns. For me, this album, song writing in general, and leading worship have never been compartmentalized and separated from what I do to serve the church. They don’t war against each other. I’ve had so much support, guidance, and freedom from the leaders at Jubilee and they’ve made it very easy for me to pursue and grow in the gifting and calling I have in worship as well as try a lot of different leadership roles.

David: Great – now to the album. The first thing I notice about the album is the name – you decided to name it Mercy. Why?

Jordan: The album was named after the title track (#3), called “Mercy.” The song felt very catchy as I was writing it & within the lyrical content of the song I kept getting different imagery popping into my head about God’s mercy being everywhere and never hard to find in our lives if we’re willing to look for it. Jodi Hertz, my graphic design artist, ultimately was able to run with that theme and create an amazing album cover that I feel like captures that in such a creative way.

David: How long did it take to make the album? Where did you record?

Jordan: I began working with my Producer, Sam Cox, back in February this year and my family and I flew to England at the beginning of March to start recording. It was recorded at Luna Studios in Brighton, England. It took us 10 very long days in the studio to record everything, but with the help of some very skilled musicians and a mastermind Producer, we knocked it out!

David: Okay, so with that being said, what is the overall album about? What does Mercy mean to you?

Jordan: Great questions. As I mentioned earlier, there is a song on the album called “Mercy,” which became the title track and inspiration for the artwork. The song is all about seeing God’s mercy everywhere and in everything. You don’t have to look very hard to see God’s merciful hand in your life. Whether you’re in a season of pain or difficulty, God uses those times to grow us and draw us to Himself. If you’re in a season of blessing and benefit, it’s all funneled through God’s hands. The reality is that we all deserved death and separation from Him, but Jesus died our death and experienced utter separation from God the Father, not one drop of mercy was extended to Him on the cross, all so that we might never taste the end of the glorious unending mercy, love, and acceptance from the Father. His mercy is everywhere, we just have to look for it.

David: What is the #1 biggest takeaway you are hoping Christians get from the album?

Jordan: There’s a couple things I want people to take away after listening to this album. The first would be that it lifts their eyes to Jesus and gives them fresh hope and faith in God. The second thing would be that people see it as a resource. These songs were written with the church in mind, so my hope would be that they are songs not just to listen to in the car on your way to work, but that they would build something into a church as a whole and serve people in the context of congregational worship.

David: Great, man. That’s exactly what it’s all about. Well, let’s wrap this interview up. Moving forward, can we expect more music from you, or is this album just a “bucket list” kind of project?

Jordan: Well, considering my bucket list involves things like wrestling a Kodiak bear, breaking my previous record of consuming 7 lbs of food in one sitting, and lifting a weight (it’s singular cause I want to start small), I’d say I don’t see this as a checked box but more of a mile marker on a very long and mysterious journey. It’s been an absolute blast and I’ve loved every minute. I hope to continue to put out albums in the future and see songs that I’ve written come to life and serve people well, but I guess we’ve gotta see how this one does first!