Present, Rooted, and Awake to God with Pat Barrett - Renew the Mind Series

My guest today is someone whose music has resonated deeply with worshippers around the world. Pat Barrett is not only a gifted musician but a passionate worship leader whose songs have helped countless people draw closer to the heart of God. From the global anthem “Good Good Father” to the personal and reflective songs on his latest project, Shelter, Pat’s lyrics carry a rare authenticity that invites us into real moments of worship, wonder, and surrender.

In this episode, I have the privilege of sitting down with Pat for a heartfelt and honest conversation. We dive into the creative process behind his newest album, exploring the themes of rest, refuge, and renewal that shaped Shelter. Pat opens up about how the chaos of life has actually led him to a deeper commitment to simplicity and spiritual clarity, and how that posture continues to influence both his music and his walk with Christ.

This is more than just a conversation about songwriting. It’s a look into the heart of someone who wants his art to reflect the peace and presence of God. Whether you’re a fellow musician, a worship leader, or someone looking to reconnect with God in a busy, noisy world, this episode offers inspiration, encouragement, and a much-needed reminder that the safest place we can be is in His presence.

 

Core verse for this series:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
–Romans 12:2

If you enjoyed this conversation with Pat, please subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. Don't forget to share this episode with friends and fellow worshippers. Stay connected for more engaging discussions and stories as we continue in this walk of real faith in real time.

***

Hey friends, this has been on my heart for a long time…

I’ve wanted to add a charity component to The Nook Podcast—a way for this community to rally together and actually make a difference in the lives of hurting people.

And I can’t think of a better recipient than Crisis Aid International.

Together, we can be the light in the darkest places.

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:28:20
Unknown
I think there's a what scripture does is dignify the human experience as we give our life to God. It's not like he ignores the way we feel. He understands how we feel. He's a great high priest. He's experienced every thing that we could possibly imagine because he walked in our shoes.

00:00:28:22 - 00:00:57:22
Unknown
This is the Nook podcast. My name is Steven and my guest today is Pat Barrett

00:00:58:00 - 00:01:23:12
Unknown
Dear listener, if you've been hanging out here in the Nook for a while, you've probably heard me mention that I have worked on live events for many years. It just so happens that I recently had the pleasure of working with Pat Barrett. He's an incredibly gifted worship leader, songwriter and collaborator with names like Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake.

00:01:23:14 - 00:01:49:03
Unknown
He's been nominated for nine Dove Awards, toured the country multiple times. But if you ask him what means the most to him, it's being a good husband and father to three kids. If you ever get a chance to see Pat Barrett in person, please go. He is such an authentic person. The way he is on stage is exactly the way he is backstage.

00:01:49:03 - 00:02:32:06
Unknown
And I know that that's the kind of thing that you hear about front facing people like that. All the time. But I love it when I can wholeheartedly endorse that. That is exactly the way people are. Pat is so incredibly genuine, so honorable, and just a really good human being. Arena events typically have a really tight schedule, so I am immensely grateful that Pat was willing to give me a few minutes backstage to talk about his creative process, his latest album, and his priorities in finding simplicity and renewal in all of the craziness.

00:02:32:08 - 00:02:42:04
Unknown
So settle in for this brief but powerful conversation with Pat Barrett.

00:02:42:06 - 00:03:04:04
Unknown
What title are you comfortable with? Worship Leader. Artist. What are you. Are you what? You know, I just worked a lot with worship leader types, and that's just one of those curious things for me. I don't know. I like being a dad. I like three kids. So I think about I don't know, like, what if I don't know anybody?

00:03:04:04 - 00:03:29:07
Unknown
They don't know what I do and they ask what I do. I usually say I'm in music and I like to write and sing songs. That's what you tell somebody. Yeah, Yeah, that's usually the intro. But I might, you know, keep it casual, right? I love your new album. It's so good. I mean, just one of those that just hits me and it's like you put it on shuffle, you don't come across a bad song.

00:03:29:09 - 00:03:57:14
Unknown
What is something that a listener who punches up shelter, what do they not know about the process of putting 12 songs together for for an album like that? Yeah, well, there's What don't they know? I mean, you know, you listen to 12 songs, it usually takes a couple of years to get 12 songs that you love, you know, and then that even to get down to those 12, you're coming through 60 songs that you all do, period.

00:03:57:18 - 00:04:31:21
Unknown
Yeah, Yeah. To just try to whittle it down to something. And you know, when this album was so much of it was written out of scripture and even the songs shelter on the record like that, the title track of it is just it's Psalm, it's Psalm 46, and the laws are refuge and strength shelter. I need shelter. I need away from the home, away from it all.

00:04:31:22 - 00:04:58:06
Unknown
Saving your living. I need to do shelter. I think there's such a what's a reminder to me that, you know, no matter what life feels like and what current events are happening all over the world, it's a reminder that God not only is our refuge, but he's been one for a long time for a lot of people.

00:04:58:08 - 00:05:24:03
Unknown
And it just reminds me as well that I'm a part of something. All it's like it's not a new idea. You're singing him worshiping God and there's nothing new about it. But there are beautiful ways of of experiencing timeless truths in a present day reality that make it feel brand new. And so I don't know. I know there's a a lot there for me.

00:05:24:03 - 00:05:46:03
Unknown
It's never just been like, it's time to make an album. It's always been like, What are the songs that have helped me see God and hopefully give me a more kingdom minded perspective for my life. And so any song that I ever put out, it has helped me in some way through some chapter of my life. It's like the prerequisite for it to even end up on an album.

00:05:46:03 - 00:06:05:11
Unknown
So well with that then, is there any one specific song on this album that was most reflective of where you are right now, or is it just kind of an aggregate of on what you just said that it's it's a it's that process of pairing it down, that process of, yeah, what do I feel like God is really saying.

00:06:05:13 - 00:06:40:23
Unknown
I think one there's a song on there called Hopes for You that originally was written for my kids. It was like a and then I realized when we actually went to go record, it was getting ready to sing it. And we know the band we're working out our arrangement in the studio, and then all of a sudden it was like the lights came on in my head, in my heart, and I realized like, I wrote this for my kids because I want this these things for my kids, but I actually want them for me to.

00:06:41:01 - 00:07:26:16
Unknown
Joni Mitchell someone looking down on Easy Road. The hardest thing to make you go, my God, So many of so many homes. And then all of a sudden this a song that I had an intention one way, you know, to write. And I hope they live a life of love and integrity and you know, with open eyes experience all God has for them.

00:07:26:16 - 00:07:46:17
Unknown
I want that for my kids. I still want it for myself. And then all of a sudden, it came from like, instead of just hopes for someone else, it became like a prayer for myself. So I, you know, that's the one currently that I still am. I think about a lot. You know, when you talked about scripture in one like shelter, it's obvious that Scripture is a big deal.

00:07:46:17 - 00:08:06:21
Unknown
And I know you're a preacher's kid. Yeah. Is that your inner preacher's kid coming out when when a song comes out of you that is so steeped in scripture, gosh, I, I think there is. Well, growing up, I think a lot of times like, like the most music I ever heard growing up was in church, you know, live music, you know?

00:08:06:23 - 00:08:36:22
Unknown
And so for me, it was like discipleship and theology and melody and faith and singing all were like this intertwined thing. And, you know, a lot of it's like, no, we grew up in the church or especially certain denominations, you know, that the hymns were, in a lot of ways a conduit for a way to think about God.

00:08:37:00 - 00:09:00:16
Unknown
You know, you sometimes you sing things before you believe them. So at times there are there are songs in most certainly that are like, okay, I know it's just true. I don't necessarily feel it, but, you know, they're aspirational and prayerful and, you know, you're singing the truth regardless of your feelings. And but then there's also songs for me that are trying out to God because of what you feel in the moment and bringing those before him as well.

00:09:00:16 - 00:09:24:10
Unknown
And I think I think there's a what scripture does is dignify the human experience as we give our life to God. It's not like he ignores the way we feel. He understands how we feel. He's a great high priest. He's experienced every thing that we could possibly imagine because he walked in our shoes, which is why it's so powerful that Jesus is our, you know, our high priest.

00:09:24:10 - 00:10:12:16
Unknown
So I'm saying that because I often times I go back to Scripture to remind myself of the truth. And also I go back to Scripture to remind myself that God can handle all the richness of my life, because he because it's all over. It's all over the pages. And something that in my well, your worship leader, you've been around this game for a while.

00:10:12:20 - 00:10:38:03
Unknown
You collaborate with a lot of other names that we know, you know, that's got to take up a good deal of your time. But you're also a husband, a father. There's probably a to do list waiting for you of stuff that needs to be fixed around the house, all those things. How do you keep it in balance and renew your mind to to stay on top of your game in each of those arenas?

00:10:38:05 - 00:11:03:15
Unknown
Yeah, I well, I have some practices that I always try to remind myself, and I think a really great way is to have friends that don't really care what you do. They just love you, you know? So I have friends that won't let me get away with anything and, and a wife that I mean, we just love is such a grounded life.

00:11:03:15 - 00:11:30:07
Unknown
I feel like I we limit to an extreme degree any social media or screen time for kids. And, you know, we try our best to be present. And I started to realize so many things in my life, like the anxiety that we're talking about renewing your mind, like keeping your head clear of all the things that don't necessarily, you know, the long like those it can be really hard to do.

00:11:30:07 - 00:11:54:06
Unknown
And when I read like the Sermon on the Mount, it's almost like it was written for our minds today. And when Jesus, Jesus never really gives a pass for filling our lives with anxiety and worry about things we can't control. And the way he does it is funny to me in some ways because he's like, you know, if the birds aren't worried in the flowers, I'm worried.

00:11:54:08 - 00:12:16:23
Unknown
And you don't have to be worried about worrying has ever added another minute. You think if you worry about the problem, going to give you more time to solve it. That's just not how life works. And there's just such a grounded, practical, almost like level headedness to the way that Jesus talks about those things that that if if we're not if we didn't know, we'd be like, that's not really spiritual.

00:12:16:23 - 00:12:51:07
Unknown
It's just like practical, which makes it very spiritual. And I think sometimes we we try to like pray anxiety away instead of changing some practices in our life that are causing it. That's good. And so, yeah, so in that way I try to change some of the rhythm of my day and make sure the first thing that's going into my mind isn't junk digital junk, and try to live from a place that's present and rooted and an awake to God and my family and awake to God in my songwriting and awake to God throughout the day.

00:12:51:07 - 00:13:25:20
Unknown
The best to the best of my ability and, you know, at the end of the day, reflect and go, okay, where God is our place, for I miss you. And there's some you want to speak to me. Is there is there things we can work on? I can maybe tomorrow wake up to my own life. Because you're here saying something that is phrases I'm saying so see, that is praises to every high level hearing.

00:13:25:20 - 00:13:51:09
Unknown
Now for evermore. Sing, Sing, Sing his praises now like he's not the one with the presence problem. We are you know we well, I know we're like we're like the the kings and queens of like God and like we want your presence to fill this place. He's like, I've been here. You think Emmanuel, God with us has the presence problem.

00:13:51:09 - 00:14:49:06
Unknown
Like, we're usually the ones that are in the future worried about something or on our phones somewhere else. So I always remind myself of that as well. And that that's it kind of keeps me in check right now. And forever. Remember one of my favorite ways of renewing my mind, of recentering myself in Jesus is to put on some good worship music and let the lyrics remind me of how amazing God really is.

00:14:49:07 - 00:15:29:03
Unknown
No matter what has me worried, overscheduled, or just plain distracted, I am so thankful that God has gifted such good people with ways of making music that can take us back to the place of peace and right priorities. So has this series of shows been good for you? I'd love to hear what God is teaching you. Drop me an email, the address is Steven at Nook Podcasts dot com that is always in the show notes along with links to the Nick Facebook page and my social media feeds.

00:15:29:03 - 00:16:00:03
Unknown
If you'd like to follow along. I've also got a link in there for Pat Barrett's website. Please check it out and be sure to add some of his music to your favorite playlist. Thank you so much for listening today and I will catch you here next time in the Nook for this right. Time to be a loud it doesn't mean it's always good to hear.

00:16:00:05 - 00:16:10:15
Unknown
The Nook podcast is a production of Sozo Digital Media.