Michael Card

Michael Judson Card (born April 11, 1957) is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which combine folk-style melodies and instrumentation with an in-depth study of the Bible. Since his debut in 1981, Card has released more than 25 album and has written several number one songs. He has also authored several books, including the Christian Book Award winner A Sacred Sorrow.

Card was born in Madison, Tennessee. He is the son of a doctor and the grandson of a Baptist minister. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in biblical studies from Western Kentucky University, and was awarded the university's

Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997. His studies in physics and astronomy led to a job at a planetarium, allowing him to fund his education.

Card received his start as a professional musician when his professor and mentor, William L. Lane, asked him to write some music to accompany weekly sermons at their church. Card's friend and fellow musician, Randy Scruggs, then requested that Card record a demo tape to help Scruggs get a job as a producer. The record label agreed to hire Scruggs as long as his first project featured Card. Since then, Card has released thirty-two original albums and six compilation albums. His Starkindler project is composed of his interpretations of traditional Celtic hymns. The compilations often include one or two new songs along with previously released material. With the exception of Starkindler and Hymns, Card writes a vast majority of the music he records.

Many of Card's albums are structured around a unifying theme. The songs from The Beginning are all based on the Pentateuch. The individual songs have subjects such as Genesis, Leviticus, Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. He is particularly adept at relating difficult or obscure concepts from the Old Testament to more understandable themes from the New Testament. The song "Jubilee" concerns the period of rest and the release from debts and slavery commanded in the Jubilee year as described in Leviticus 25, but also relates to the rest and freedom from condemnation offered through Jesus.

Card's most famous song is "El Shaddai," which was also recorded by popular CCM recording artist and songwriter Amy Grant. Grant's recording was named No. 326 on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of 365 Songs of the Century in 2001. Other popular Card songs include "Immanuel," "Joy in the Journey," and "Heal Our Land," which was commissioned as the 1993 National Day of Prayer's theme song. Despite his success in music, Card has always maintained that his music career is secondary to his calling as a Bible teacher. He has distanced himself from the Christian music industry by criticizing the promotion of personalities over musical content and the shifting emphasis away from God to sell more albums.

In 2008, alongside the By/For Project, Card produced and contributed vocals and songs to the album Sweet Sacrifice, collaborating with Seattle, Washington-based artists Brian Moss, Molly McCue, and Kurt Dyrhsen. The album was made available for free on ByFor.org under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

In 2019, Card released the album, To the Kindness of God, featuring seven new original songs, two hymn covers, and a new arrangement of one of Card's earlier songs, "Song of Gomer" (here renamed "Gomer's Song"), which first appeared on the album The Word: Recapturing the Imagination. Prior to its release, Card announced that it would be his final full-length album, but also clarifying that he was not yet retiring from music in general, or writing new music.

When not making music, Card is also the author and co-authored more than 20 books. Some of his books also served as companion books to some of his albums. Card also hosted a weekly radio program titled In the Studio with Michael Card. The program consisted of talk, Bible study and musical performances. The radio show ceased production in 2009 but was then revived as a podcast in 2018, with new and classic material.

Card lives in Franklin, Tennessee, where, with a group of close friends, he pursues racial reconciliation and neighborhood renewal, and is currently writing on the details of the life of Jesus. He and his wife, Susan, have four children and five grandchildren. Michael travels frequently each year, teaching and sharing his music at Biblical Imagination Conferences.

More information on Michael Card at Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Card

Discography

First Light (1982)

Legacy (1983)

The Life of Christ trilogy:

Known By His Scars (1985)

Scandalon (1986)

The Final Word (1987)

The Life (1988) (3-CD boxed set)

Present Reality (1988)

Sleep Sound in Jesus: Gentle Lullabies for Baby (1989)

The Ancient Faith trilogy:

The Beginning (1989)

The Way of Wisdom (1990)

The Word: Recapturing the Imagination (1992)

The Early Works (1991) (Benson Records compilation album)

The Promise: A Celebration of Christ's Birth (1991)

Come to the Cradle (1993)

The Ancient Faith (1993) (3-CD boxed set)

Joy in the Journey: 10 Years of Greatest Hits (1994) (compilation album)

Poiema (1994)

Brother to Brother (1996) (with John Michael Talbot)

Close Your Eyes So You Can See (1996)

Unveiled Hope (1997)

Starkindler: A Celtic Conversation Across Time (1998)

Signature Songs (1999) (Benson Records compilation album)

Soul Anchor (2000)

Scribbling in the Sand - The Best of Michael Card - Live (2002) (live album/DVD)

A Fragile Stone (2002)

The Ultimate Collection (2006) (2-CD compilation album)

The Hidden Face of God (2006)

Hymns (2008)

An Invitation to Awe (2011) (compilation album)

Luke: A World Turned Upside Down (2011)

Mark: The Beginning of the Gospel (2012)

A Violent Grace (2013)

Matthew: The Penultimate Question (2013)

John: The Misunderstood Messiah (2014)

To the Kindness of God (2019)