A New Heaven And A New Earth artist Jason Gray joins Jason Roy, Don Chaffer, Phil Joel for newly remastered 'Our Common Home'

Church leaders welcome song inspiring creation care; short video documentary recorded in Rome premieres

Press Release

Critically acclaimed Centricity Music singer/songwriter Jason Gray adds his voice to the multi-artist A New Heaven And A New Earth project’s single, “Our Common Home,” which has been remastered and is available today at digital and streaming outlets globally from The Fuel Music via https://slinky.to/OurCommonHomeANHAANEH. Originally released Oct. 6, 2023, around the close of last year’s ecumenical “Season of Creation,” the single also features Jason Roy (Building 429), Don Chaffer (Waterdeep) and Phil Joel (Newsboys).

Church leaders from around the world welcomed the song with joy last fall, declaring, “These artists felt called to express how care for creation glorifies God.” The note was signed by:

√ His Eminence Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson, The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, The Vatican

√ His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Ecumenical patriarchate

√ The Most Rev. Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury

√ The Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate, The Episcopal Church

√ The Most Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding bishop, Church of Norway, former general secretary of the World Council of Churches

"This kind note of welcome from international church leaders is a testament to the spirit of ecumenical collaboration from which this project springs,” shares the Rev. Séamus Finn, OMI, director, OMI Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation.

Written by Chaffer, Joel and Gray, “Our Common Home” was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato si’, On Care for Our Common Home. This single from the A New Heaven And A New Earth project slated to premiere this summer commemorates the encyclical’s ninth anniversary.

“Our Common Home” is also heard in a short video documentary following the artists’ experience of singing songs from the A New Heaven And A New Earth recording at a concert held at the Vatican (Oct. 26, 2022). This documentary, filmed and directed by Joel’s daughter Phynley, can be viewed now at https://youtu.be/Q-VUqrapSno.

WATCH:

“This project has given me perspective, a greater conscientiousness about how closely tied care for creation is to caring for the poor,” Gray said.

Chaffer added, “The more we discover about the connection between the health of the poor with the health of our earthly home, the more we’re inspired to pray, ‘Lord, we need to do better. Help us to do better.' ”

“We are all coming from different places, gathering around a round table, all uniting around the fact that we need to take better care of this beautiful marble that we are all travelling around on,” Joel summed up.

Producing “Our Common Home” and singing and playing various instruments on the track, Roy said, “It was an honor to work on this song with these musical legends, these friends of mine.”

Featuring Joel on bass/vocals; Chaffer on acoustic guitar/vocals; Roy’s son, Avery, on drums; Lori Chaffer and Phynley on backing vocals; Gotee Records' Jon Reddick on keys; and Jesse Garcia on guitar, the resulting, multigenerational “Our Common Home” single has an organic, Americana feel along with a pop sensibility and the lyrical refrain:

“Lord, help us hear the cry of the earth (sleeper awake) // Hear the cry of the poor (sleeper awake) // From the dark of the deep to the sky-blue dome // Let us rise with a heart to care for our common home (sleeper awake)”

In addition to this song, A New Heaven And A New Earth tracks already released include: Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning Building 429 lead vocalist Jason Roy’s “It’s All Yours;” iconic singer/songwriter Phil Joel’s “Arms Around The World;” recording artist, actress and producer MŌRIAH’s “You Mean The World;” Dove Award-winning, No.1 Billboard-charting, Stellar Award-nominated Aaron Cole’s “Together;” chart-topping recording artist and songwriter Micah Tyler’s “So Will I;” husband and wife duo Don and Lori Chaffer of Waterdeep’s “Into the Unseen”; and Jason Gray’s “Awestruck (On My Way Home).”

Each of these well-known Christian artists felt led to participate, responding to the call to write and record a song on taking care of creation. The songs collectively cover rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B, indie, folk/ Americana and more musical genres.

For all the latest A New Heaven And A New Earth details, go to www.anewheavenandanewearth.org and Instagram.