Brief Biography
Karen Clark Sheard was born the youngest of six children born to Pastor Elbert Clark and Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, a pioneering gospel choral director. Clark-Sheard is best known for being a member of iconic gospel group The Clark Sisters.
Karen's involvement in the Island Inspirational All Stars' "Don't Give Up" in 1996 (along with Donald Lawrence, Hezekiah Walker, and Kirk Franklin) led to her signing with Island Records.[1] Her solo career began with the release of her debut album Finally Karen in 1997. The album, consisting of half studio recordings and half live recordings, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 1998. The set did however win the Lady Of Soul award for Best Gospel Album the same year.[2]
After Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard became the 2nd gospel artist to sign to Elektra Records. She released her Elektra debut album 2nd Chance in 2002 led off by the single "Be Sure". Though Clark-Sheard was in excellent form vocally, the slick, progressive sound of the disc was not received well. The 2003 followup The Heavens Are Telling fared well, but came at an awkward time when Elektra Records was being dissolved into Atlantic Records. In 2005, after a bidding war with several labels, Karen Clark Sheard finally signed with Word Records and issued It's Not Over, the following year.
Singers Mariah Carey, Faith Evans and Beyoncé all count Karen Clark-Sheard as one of their greatest vocal influences.[3]
Personal life
On June 16, 1984, Karen Clark-Sheard wed John Drew Sheard, a minister. Her husband is senior pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit. Together they have 2 children: Kierra, who is also a gospel recording artist, and John Drew Sheard II, a young musician and up-and-coming producer.
In 2001, Clark-Sheard was faced with a life-threatening crisis when a blood vessel burst during a scheduled hernia surgery. Her doctors only gave her a 2% chance of survival due to her complications. After the blood clot was surgically removed, Clark-Sheard fell into a coma. The coma lasted three and a half weeks[4], but Clark-Sheard made a miraculous [5][6]recovery and recorded her sophomore album, 2nd Chance (named so because of the "second chance" given to her by God) [7], in 2002. Clark-Sheard's near-death experience is referenced in her daughter Kierra's song "You Don't Know".
Voice
* 1st Soprano
Highest Note
* Eb6 in "Name it and Claim it" (Gospel, motion picture, 1982) and "Livin'" ("You Showed Me" was a C6 natural)
Lowest Note
* G3 in "So Good" and "Its Not Over" (version from album of same title)
We Acknowledge You
Karen Clark Sheard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holy Spirit You are welcome
Come on in, take a seat, inhabit our praise
God of Zion, Judah's lion
We acknowledge Your presence o Lord
God of mercy show Your glory
As we enter this place show us Your face
God please, give us peace
(Chorus)
Oh...oh...oh...
We acknowledge Your presence o Lord
Come on in, take a seat
Come on in, take a seat o Lord
We acknowledge Your presence
We honor Your presence
Inhabit our praise o Lord
Come on in, take a seat
Come on in, take a seat o Lord
Oh...oh...oh...
We acknowledge Your presence o Lord
Karen Clark Sheard's song "We Acknowledge You" is a beautiful expression of worship and reverence for God's presence in our lives. The chorus of the song invites the Holy Spirit to come and inhabit the worship of the people singing the song. It speaks to the power of acknowledging God's presence in our lives and the transformation it can bring to us.
The first two lines of the chorus, "Holy Spirit You are welcome, Come on in, take a seat, inhabit our praise," are a humble acknowledgment of the Holy Spirit's place in the lives of those singing the song. By recognizing the Holy Spirit's presence and welcoming it, they are opening themselves up to the transformation and guidance that the Holy Spirit can offer them.
The second part of the chorus, "God of Zion, Judah's lion, We acknowledge Your presence o Lord, God of mercy show Your glory, As we enter this place show us Your face, God please, give us peace," speaks to the greatness of God, but also to the intimacy of His relationship with us. The song acknowledges that God is both powerful and merciful, and His glory is something that we long to see. The final line of the chorus, "We acknowledge Your presence o Lord," is a repeated statement of the song's central theme.
Overall, "We Acknowledge You" is a beautiful expression of worship and recognition of God's presence in our lives. Its lyrics serve as a reminder to always be aware of God's presence and to welcome Him into our hearts and our worship.
Line by Line Meaning
Holy Spirit You are welcome
We invite and welcome the Holy Spirit into our presence
Come on in, take a seat, inhabit our praise
We ask the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and let our praises be an atmosphere in which He can dwell
God of Zion, Judah's lion
We recognize and address God as the King of Zion and the powerful Lion of Judah
We acknowledge Your presence o Lord
We acknowledge that God is with us and present in our midst
God of mercy show Your glory
We ask God to reveal his glory and mercy to us
As we enter this place show us Your face
We ask God to reveal himself to us as we gather in worship
God please, give us peace
We ask God for His peace to be with us
We honor Your presence
We honor God's presence with us
Oh...oh...oh...
A sound of adoration and worship
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DONALD L. LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind