For the past decade, Rita Springer has been doing what she loves best. Worship. Writing worship. Leading worship. Living worship. It’s enveloped her life. The singer/songwriter has recorded 6 albums and toured the world, sharing her music and her heart with anyone who will listen. Her powerful vocals, unabashed lyrics, and philosophy of complete and utter openness before God have made her stand out in the worship community. Rise Up, Rita’s latest offering, is a live album that captures her passion for unscripted, spontaneous worship.
"My heart has always been to see people come into a perspective of worship that leads them to lifestyle membership and true ownership in Jesus. I have learned that He truly is the Best Friend, Father, Savior, and Lover of my soul," Rita shares. "Although writing and singing worship music is what I spend my days doing as a sort of ‘career,’ my flesh has had an awakening that worship is not bound by melodies or what my songs look like on Power Point presentations. Discovering that I gain more of him by simply lifting up admiration due his name has stunned me. This journey that I am on gives me the honor of watching the Bride, as a whole, capture the true intention of worship."
Since the age of 11, Rita has been playing piano and writing music. Rita recalls, "I remember not being able to talk to anyone about how I felt, but I could sing anything to God. I realize now that the Lord has been preparing me to minister through music since that time.”
Recording her song "Make Us A Prayer" on the Touching the Father's Heart #12-Throne of Grace album lead to Rita’s involvement with the Vineyard Music Group. There, she was able to pursue her calling as a worship leader, writing and recording songs and leading worship at conferences worldwide. During this time, she started her own Kindred Joy label and released 2 independent CDs before signing with Floodgate Records and releasing 4 more.
Rita currently travels upwards of 35 weekends a year. Women's ministry has always been on her heart, and through this passion, Rita and a few friends started the Fragrant Oil Conferences.
"In April 2000 I was able to launch a national conference called Fragrant Oil (www.FragrantOil.org)," she explains. "I felt strongly that the Lord was desiring an event focusing on the encouragement and freedom of women, both inside and outside the church. Along with the other incredible women of God involved in the events and the hosting churches, we began to see the Lord lift despair and shame off of women across the nation. It has been an incredible experience to watch God move. Now, we hope to launch our first youth event in 2004."
Along with the youth event, Fragrant Oil conferences are planned across the country as well as in Romania.
Out of these conferences the album Rise Up was born. The album was recorded during 5 days of ministry in New Mexico. "The idea was to make the album as vulnerable and real as possible. We just wanted to capture what was happening at the conferences. No effects. No flashy studio tricks. A lot of it is spontaneous and unscripted, but I hope we captured what God was doing in the lives of the women who attended.”
The Rise Up project was a challenge for Rita. She took on the job of producer - choosing songs, listening to mixes and taking many of the technical aspects of the album. "That was truly a learning experience! Wearing the producer's hat is a much different job than the musician's hat." Engineering the project was Skye McCaskey (Rebecca St. James, City on a Hill), and together they pieced the project together, creating a CD that is a raw, unrefined true expression of unhindered worship.
On the conferences, Rita continues, "It has been an honor to throw courage onto worship leaders, songwriters and those that long to stand in the presence of the Lord and gaze upon His beauty! God has been expanding my heart to reach with the hands of Christ and be one who searches out the meaning of mercy. As a worshipper, I want to reflect who He is and who He stands for - the poor, the widow, the orphan. I want the music to reflect the state of broken hearts realizing He is worth the pursuit! His light cuts through all darkness. There is nothing that will separate us from his love or the worship that is due His Name!"
