Christian rock band plays Midland

Their songs have played in top radio spots for years - both sacred and secular - and large arenas have housed the inspirational Christian music concerts.

But MercyMe band members are finally "Coming Up to Breathe" - wrapping up a hectic tour crunch to share "All That Is Within Me" in an intimate concert fashion.

The group plays Thursday at Stonegate Fellowship Church in Midland for a performance with Bebo Norman that sold out quickly.

Not only is the West Texas stop an overdue return to the Basin, but it's also part of the band's back-to-the-basics approach, keyboardist and co-founder Jim Bryson said, which includes playing in more churches and promoting an album that was recorded unlike any of the rest.

Instead of following the well-beaten path to Nashville, Bryson said the band went to the scenic, desolate mountains of Idaho to record "All That Is Within Me" - a project that revisits the band's purpose of glorifying God.

"It was so isolated; I think we were probably a 45-minute drive from the airport up mountain roads," he said. "It was real peaceful - I even followed a turkey into the woods for an hour-and-a-half one day with my camera."

In the stillness of seclusion, MercyMe renewed the worshipful spirit that's kept it going for almost 15 years - from humble beginnings when Bryson and lead vocalist Bart Millard joined up with guitarist Mike Scheuchzer to expand a praise team. The first years were tough, playing mostly youth camps and retreats for little money and a lot of work.

"We'd come home from summer camp and our electricity and phone lines would be cut off because we didn't have the money to pay them," Bryson said. We were doing it all, and it was wearing us out."

A record deal and the release of hit ballad "I Can Only Imagine," on the 2001 "Almost There" CD, catapulted the band to national success.

"We've been blessed so far - God has been extremely gracious to us," Bryson said.

But even with a mantel full of awards and musical recognition, MercyMe tries to keep it real with their audience - real about life's struggles and real about its relationship with God.

The group has even incorporated a question and answer time into the acoustic set on stage, Bryson said - all part of the push for genuineness and authenticity to a message they spread in song.

"It's a good way for them to get to know us instead of just as musicians on the stage under the lights," he said. "They can hear why we do this and why we keep doing it."

Vying for more family time at home these days than strenuous trips away, MercyMe has the ball in its court as seasoned Christian performers. But even if the applause does fade one day, Bryson said the songs will remain behind - testaments to the hand of God and worshipful responses from his followers.

"If they're not Christ-centered, then why are we writing them? That's what consumes us and that's what we write about," Bryson said. "We're writing about how God's changed our lives."

got your ticket?

>> The "All That Is Within Me" Tour with MercyMe and Bebo Norman is at
7 p.m. Thursday at Stonegate Fellowship Church, 6000 W. Wadley St. in Midland.