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Category Archives: Hymns and Songs

“Shifting Sand” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

21 May

“Shifting Sand” by Caedmon’s Call

Sometimes I believe all the lies
So I can do the things I should despise
And everyday I am swayed
By whatever is on my mind
I hear it all depends on my faith
So I’m feeling precarious
The only problem I have
With these mysteries
Is they’re so mysterious

And like a consumer
I’ve been thinking
If I could just get a bit more
More than my fifteen minutes of fame
Then I’d be secure

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace
Stand on grace

I’ve begged You for some proof
For my Thomas eyes to see
A slithering staff, a leprous hand
And lions resting lazily
A glimpse of Your back-side glory
And this soaked alter going ablaze
But you know I’ve seen so much
And I explained it away

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

Waters rose as my doubts reigned
My sand-castle faith, it slipped away
Found my self standing on Your grace
It’d been there all the time

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace
Stand on grace

Dear God, I’ll confess I’ve never cared for this son in terms of tune and sound, but the lyrics are really something. I’m so glad I married a woman who taught me to appreciate the power of words in poetry. How to marvel at the efficiency and how you can say so much with meticulously selected words. All of the songs on this album hit that nerve with me. I can’t say that they are great poetry, but I think they are great song lyrics.

Sometimes I believe all the lies
So I can do the things I should despise
And everyday I am swayed
By whatever is on my mind
I hear it all depends on my faith
So I’m feeling precarious
The only problem I have
With these mysteries
Is they’re so mysterious

Once again, there are all kinds of hidden references to scripture in this song. In this verse, they start with a little Paul.

Romans 7:15 – I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Pretty simple there. And we’ve all been there. A friend who is a recovering alcoholic texted me this morning to ask for prayer because some coworkers were either drinking or about to drink. He wanted prayers for strength. I get it. I have my addictions too. Why do I do what I hate and why don’t I do what I want to do? It’s nice to know that Paul identified with us on this one. Sometimes he seems a little too perfect to me. It’s good to know that there might have been some things with which he struggled. I’d sooner learn from and admire the person who has fought, failed, overcome, failed, and overcome again than the person who never failed at all. This verse makes Paul much more accessible for me because I certainly relate to these words.

I don’t want to miss the rest of this verse, though. My faith can seem so thin to me. Jesus talked a lot about the disciples and the people around him having faith or believing. From early in his ministry all the way through his conversation with Thomas after the resurrection, it’s a big deal to him, and yet I think everyone in those stories was like me and found their faith lacking when compared to what Jesus was requesting. It’s probably why I love the father who wants his son healed in Mark 9:21-24:

Mark 9:21-24 – Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has be been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

That goes for everything. I lose faith, and it’s so silly of me to lose faith. It’s so silly of me to trust my eyes and my intellect because I have been proven wrong so many times. And you have been proven faithful so many times.

And like a consumer
I’ve been thinking
If I could just get a bit more
More than my fifteen minutes of fame
Then I’d be secure

I’d like to think I’m past this desire to accumulate in my life, but I’m not. I want more in savings. I want to buy what I want when I want it. I want to know that my needs (food, shelter, luxuries, etc.) will be covered. True, I don’t pursue uber wealth, but I certainly put a lot of faith in how much money is in my bank account.

I’ve begged You for some proof
For my Thomas eyes to see
A slithering staff, a leprous hand
And lions resting lazily
A glimpse of Your back-side glory
And this soaked alter going ablaze
But you know I’ve seen so much
And I explained it away

Okay, here is where we get a lot of allusions to Bible stories–especially Old Testament, which I like.

John 20:24-29 – Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to the, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the hose again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out  your hand and put it into my said. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Exodus 7:8-10 — The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake. So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it because s snake.

Of course, there are a lot of stories of Jesus healing lepers and the prophecies in Isaiah of the lion being gentle and eating peacefully alongside animals it would normally eat for food.

Exodus 33:18-23 – Then Moses said, “Now sow me your glory.” And the Lord said, ” I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

And then there was Elijah (whom I love).

1 Kings 18:30-39 – Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down: Elijah took twelve stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”— and he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time.  So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.”

Then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”

And what happens to Elijah after this story? Well, he kills all the prophets of Baal, but he eventually gets scared and flees to Horeb. Amazing!

As far as the last part about explaining away your blessings, and not realizing you are the author of the good that happened, I try, but I know I miss what you’ve done all of the time. To my credit on this one, however, I do try to give you credit for the blessings we have. I just don’t seem to have faith that you can do it again.

Waters rose as my doubts reigned
My sand-castle faith, it slipped away
Found my self standing on Your grace
It’d been there all the time

This whole imagery of shifting sand is a good one. It reminds me of the parable of the house build on the sand.

Matthew 7:24-27 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell with a great crash.”

So while I might try to build my life on solid rock, but faith can just get tossed around by the waves. But at the end of the day, it’s your grace and not my faith that is enough. My faith will never be enough. It’s not even as big as a mustard seed, but your grace bridges the gap and meets me the rest of the way.

Father, help me to truly live in this victory. I almost prayed that you increase my faith, but that’s like praying for patience. I know better than that. But I am your servant and I will submit to any lessons/life lessons you have for me. You are my God. Thank you for your grace and for understanding before I was even born that my faith would never be as strong as you want it to be.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“Thankful” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

20 May

“Thankful” by Caedmon’s Call

I ran across an old box of letters
While I was bagging up
Some clothes for Goodwill
You know I had to laugh
That the same old struggles
That plagued me then
Are plaguing me still
I know the road is long
From the ground to glory
But a boy can hope
He’s getting some place
But you see, I’m running from
The very clothes I’m wearing
And dressed like this
I’m fit for the chase

No, there is none righteous
Not one who understands
There is none who seek God
No not one, no not one

I am thankful that I’m incapable
Of doing any good on my own

‘Cause we’re all stillborn
And dead in our transgressions
We’re shackled up
To the sin we hold so dear
So what part can I play
In the work of redemption
I can’t refuse, I cannot add a thing

‘Cause I am just like Lazarus and
I can hear your voice
I stand and rub my eyes
And walk to you
Because I have no choice

I am thankful that I’m incapable
Of doing any good on my own
I’m so thankful that I’m incapable
Of doing any good on my own

It’s by grace I have been saved
Through faith that’s not my own
It is the gift of God and not by works
Lest anyone should boast

Dear God, I think most people–Christians and non-Christians alike–can relate to this song. Why do I still have the same struggles? Again, this group has very poetic lyrics that say so much more than the words that are used.

I ran across an old box of letters
While I was bagging up
Some clothes for Goodwill
You know I had to laugh
That the same old struggles
That plagued me then
Are plaguing me still

It is amazing how there are just some things that plague me. Insecurities. Vindictiveness. Lust. Selfishness. Gluttony. The same old struggles that plagued me then are plaguing me still.

I know the road is long
From the ground to glory
But a boy can hope
He’s getting some place
But you see, I’m running from
The very clothes I’m wearing
And dressed like this
I’m fit for the chase

So am I trying to run from who I am? Do I have it wrong? Am I trying too much under my own power to address these issues instead of just embracing the place where you have me now and accepting your grace?

No, there is none righteous
Not one who understands
There is none who seek God
No not one, no not one

I am thankful that I’m incapable
Of doing any good on my own

I was in a meeting yesterday and I felt compelled to point out to the participants at the end that a lot of the good fortune we had discussed during the meeting had come from you and wasn’t really due to any of our own brilliance or even hard work. It was just you honoring our prayers. I hope it didn’t come across as too holy or fake because my desire to glorify you and not us was genuine.

‘Cause we’re all stillborn
And dead in our transgressions
We’re shackled up
To the sin we hold so dear
So what part can I play
In the work of redemption
I can’t refuse, I cannot add a thing

Born into sin. From our first breath we are about ourselves and about survival. But this part about the part that we “play in the work of redemption.” There is nothing I bring to it except repentance and submission.

‘Cause I am just like Lazarus and
I can hear your voice
I stand and rub my eyes
And walk to you
Because I have no choice

It’s interesting to draw this comparison to Lazarus’s resurrection. He had no choice. He was dead and gone and you called him back. Presumably (at least on this side of the dividing line) you didn’t ask his permission (or opinion) to bring him back. You just did it because you wanted him back. I wonder what the rest of his earthly life was like.

So the fact that I am submitted to you now–does that mean I was destined to be here? How much choice did I have. Or was I just involuntarily drawn to you?

It’s by grace I have been saved
Through faith that’s not my own
It is the gift of God and not by works
Lest anyone should boast

Father, thank you for saving me through means beyond anything I could accomplish. Thank you that I cannot point to anything within me that has brought me here, but that I can simply rest in you. There is so much more freedom and peace in just accepting you instead of performing for you. It makes loving you a lot more fun. Help me to love you well. Oh, and I am very sorry for the sin I still hold so dear.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 20, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“There You Go” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

19 May

“There You Go” by Caedmon’s Call

Is this the strange feeling of you
Working all for good
Cuz I am so confused
I don’t even ask for what I should
When I asked for a deserved stone
You broke and gave your body as bread
And even the stone dropped down
And rolled away, spoke of the one who bled

There you go working good from my bad
There you go making robes from my rags
There you go melting crowns from my calves
There you go working good of all I have
Cuz what I have is not that bad

When I ask for a deserved serpent
You gave a net full of fish
Even the serpent that told the lie
When lifted high foretold the gift

There you go working good from my bad
There you go making robes from my rags
There you go melting crowns from my calves
There you go working good of all I have
Cuz what I have is not that bad

For you so loved the unlovable
That you gave the ineffable
That who so believes the unbelievable
Will attain the unattainable

There you go working good from my bad
There you go making robes from my rags
There you go melting crowns from my calves
There you go working good of all I have

There you go
There you go
There you go
There you go
Cuz what I have is not that bad
It’s not that bad

Dear God, I thought I’d never get this one started. I had the hardest time getting the formatting of the lyrics correct.

I think I’m going to start a series on most of the songs from Caedmon’s Call’s 40 Acres album. The songwriting is very poetic.

This is the first song and the references to scripture are all over it. I wonder if a lot of Christians who are not as familiar with the Bible would miss them. Probably.

Let’s see what kinds of scripture references we can figure out for this one:

Is this the strange feeling of you working all for good?

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

When I asked for a deserved stone you broke and gave your body as bread

Matthew 7:9 – “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?”

Matthew 26:26 – “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 

Matthew 27:50-51a – And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

And even the stone dropped down and rolled away spoke of the one who bled

I’m actually not sure what this is referencing. Judges 9 when a woman drops a stone on Abimelek? I don’t know. Obviously, a stone was rolled away at the tomb when Jesus was resurrected, but I’m not sure what they are referencing here.

When I asked for a deserved serpent you gave a net full of fish

Matthew 7:10 – Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

Even the serpent that told the lie, when lifted high foretold the gift

Genesis 3:4-5 – “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

Numbers 21:9 – So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

John 3:14 – “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For you so loved the unlovable that you gave the ineffable. That who believes the unbelievable can attain the unattainable.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There you go working good from my bad.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

There you go making robes from my rags

Isaiah 64:6a – All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. 

Matthew 6:28-30 – “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow? They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clotes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you–you of little faith?” 

There you go making crowns from my calves

Exodus 32:1,4,19-20 – When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him…He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”…When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. 

1 Corinthians 9:25 – Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

 

Father, I think it all circles back to the first line of the song:

Is this the strange feeling of you working all for good? Cuz I am so confused, I don’t even ask for what I should.

My eyes can lie to me. My intuition and intellect are foolish. My comprehension is short-sighted and shallow. So I can look around and see things I don’t like, but I will 1.) try to see what you are actually doing that maybe I’ve missed, and 2.) simply have faith that there are things I cannot see that are part of your plan. And maybe I’ll never see the good or understand your plan on this side of life. That’s okay. I trust you. I believe these scriptures. I believe Jesus. I believe your Holy Spirit. I believe you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on May 19, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“The [UK] Blessing“

04 May

Dear God, this is why I haven’t deleted Facebook from my life. Well, things like this. Saturday night I heard a nice message from President George W. Bush that a friend shared on Facebook. Then when I woke up this morning, I found this blessing shared by another friend.

Father, bless us and keep us. Turn your face towards us and shine on us. Give us peace. And bring us to repentance, starting with your church. Help us, the church—your church—then humbly lead others into your loving presence.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Along the Road” by Ashton, Becker, Dente

17 Apr

“Along the Road” by Ashton, Becker, Dente (written by Dan Fogelberg)

Joy at the start
Fear in the journey
Joy in the coming home
A part of the heart
Gets lost in the learning
Somewhere along the road

Along the road
Your path may wander
A pilgrim’s faith may fail
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Darkness obscures the trail

Cursing the quest
Courting disaster
Measureless nights forebode
Moments of rest
Glimpses of laughter
Are treasured along the road

Along the road
Your steps may stumble
Your thoughts may start to stray
But through it all a heart held humble
Levels and lights your way

Joy at the start
Fear in the journey
Joy in the coming home
A part of the heart
Gets lost in the learning
Somewhere along the road
Somewhere along the road
Somewhere along the road

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Dan Fogelberg

Dear God, some of the poetry in this song might be too much for me to get into, but something brought it to mind the other day so I thought I would spend some time with it.

It was recorded by three different women Christian artists who combined for one album in the mid-90s. This was the closing track on the album and was probably the best song on the album. It helps that it was written by Dan Fogelberg, one of the great poetic songwriters over the last 50 years. There is a ton of poetry in here.

I think I want to look at this song this morning on more of a macro level than a micro one. What is the overall emotion I’m left with after I listen to it. Hmm. That’s harder to answer than I thought it would be. There some sadness in there. There’s some peace. There is a little hope. I guess that’s what a good song/poem can do. It can tap into a lot of different emotions at once.

For me, as I sit here at 50, my life has certainly been a whirlwind of emotion. As I look back on it, however, I’m grateful that there is as much joy in it as there is. As I read how the song starts and ends–“Joy at the start, Fear in the journey, Joy in the coming home”–I immediately thought about the people who didn’t have joy at the start of their journey and don’t have it at the end. It breaks my heart when I start to think about how many children, adults, and elderly live their whole lives in fear and don’t have the joy in the in between times, or at the beginning or end.

As for me, My childhood was a mixture, but certainly more joy than fear. This middle part of my journey, frankly, has had more joy that fear as well, although the fear, anger, and hurt I’ve experienced were more than I ever expected. And then there is the peace of knowing that, whenever the end of my journey comes, I will have this great joy of being with you. I guess what gives me peace is working for you now, worshipping you now, and knowing that there will be great joy at the end of the journey.

Father, make my journey count. Help me to love others regardless of how they love me. Help me to work on the behalf of others for no personal benefit–even an emotional one. Help me to be exactly who you need me to be as part of my journey.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Three Easter Songs

12 Apr

“The Easter Song” by Keith Green

Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be born again
Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing Christ is risen from the dead

The angel up on the tombstone
Said He has risen, just as He said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah

Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be healed right now
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing
Christ, He will reveal it now

The angels, they all surround us
And they are ministering Jesus’ power
Quickly now, reach out and receive it
For this could be your glorious hour

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah, hallelujah

The angel up on the tombstone
Said He has risen, just as He said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Songwriter: Annie Herring

https://youtu.be/muK1DPKhKJ8

“Sunday’s on the Way” by Carman

The demons were planning on having a party one night.
They had beer, Jack Daniels, and pretzels,
There was red wine, some white.
They were celebrating how they crusified Christ on that tree.
But Satan, the snake himself, wasn’t so at ease.

Well, he took his crooked finger,
And he dialed the phone by his bed,
To call an old faithful, to see if he was dead.
“Hey grave, what’s going on, did my plan fail?”
Grave just laughed and said, “The dude’s dead as nails.”

On Friday night, they crucified the Lord at calvary,
But he said, “Don’t dread, three days’ later I’ll live again, you’ll see!”
When problems try to bury you, make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday’s on the way!

A tranquilizer and a horror filck, couldn’t calm Satan’s fears.
So Saturday night, he calls up the grave, scared of what he’d hear.
“Hey, grave, what’s going on?”
Grave said, “Man, you done called me twice,
And I’ll tell you one-more-‘gin, boss, the Jew’s on ice.”

Satan said, “Man grave, you remember when,
Ol’ Lazarus, was in his grave.
Everything was cool then four days later… BOOM,
Ol’ Lazarus, he was raised.
Now, this Jesus, he is much more trouble
Than anyone has ever been to me,
And this man said he only gonna be dead, for three days.”

On Friday night, they crucified the Lord at calvary,
But he said, “Don’t dread, three days’ later I’ll live again, you’ll see!”
When problems try to bury you, make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday’s on the way!

Sunday morning Satan woke with a jump,
Ready to blow a fuse.
He was shaking from the tips of his pointy ears,
To the toes of his pointy shoes.
“Hey grave, is he alive, I don’t wanna lose my neck?”
Grave said, “Satan, you are a wreck.

Cool your jets Big D, my sting is still intact.
Jesus is dead forever, he ain’t
Never coming back.
So mellow out man, just go drink up or shoot up,
Just leave old grave alone,
And I’ll catch you la… la…
Oh no! Oh no! OH NO! OH NO!
Somebody’s messing with the stone!”

Well, the stone was rolled away,
And it ounced a time or two,
And an angel stepped inside,
And said, “I’m Gabriel, who are you?
If you’re wondering where the Lord is,
At this very hour,
I tell you he’s alive and well,
With resurection power!”

On Friday night, they crucified the Lord at calvary,
But he said, “Don’t dread, three days’ later I’ll live again, you’ll see!”
When problems try to bury you, make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday’s on the way!

Songwriters: Carman Licciardello

https://youtu.be/70qk6tLHht4

“He’s Alive” by Don Francisco

The gates and doors were barred and all the windows fastened down,
I spent the night in sleeplessness and rose at every sound,
Half in hopeless sorrow half in fear the day,
Would find the soldiers crashing through to drag us all away.

Then just before the sunrise I heard something at the wall,
The gate began to rattle and a voice began to call,
I hurried to the window and looked down to the street,
Expecting swords and torches and the sound of soldiers feet,

There was no one there but Mary so I went down to let her in,
John stood there beside me as she told us were she’d been,
She said they moved him in the night and none of us knows where,
The stones been rolled away and now his body isn’t there.

We both ran toward the garden then John ran on ahead,
We found the stone and the empty tomb just the way that Mary said,
But the winding sheet they wrapped him in was just an empty shell,
And how or where they’d taken him was more than I could tell.

Something strange had happened there but what I did not know,
John believed a miracle but I just turned to go,
Circumstance and speculation couldn’t lift me very high,
Cause I’d seen them crucify him and then I’d watched him die,

Back inside the house again all the guilt and anguish came,
Everything I’d promised him just added to my shame,
But at last it came to choices I denied I knew his name,
Even If he was alive it wouldn’t be the same.

But suddenly the air was filled with a strange and sweet perfume,
Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room,
Jesus stood before me with his arms held open wide,
And I fell down on my knees and clung to him and cried,

He raised me to my feet and as I looked into his eyes,
Love was shining out from him like sunlight from the sky,
Guilt and my confusion disappeared in sweet release,
And every fear I’d ever had just melted into peace.

He’s alive, He’s alive, He’s alive and I’m forgiven,
Heavens gates are open wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive, He’s alive and I’m forgiven,
Heavens gates are open wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive, He’s alive and I’m forgiven,
Heavens gates are open wide.
He’s alive!

Songwriters: Allen Collins / Ronnie Van Zant

Dear God, sometimes on Easter morning I like to think back on some of my go-to Easter songs. These three are very different, but they always come to mind. I know “He’s Alive is from the 70s. I’m not sure about “The Easter Song” by Keith Green. This one is either 70s or 80s. And then Carman’s “Sunday’s on the Way” is either 80s or 90s. I guess this is my tell for when I was more involved in Christian music.

Each of these songs is so different, I want to look at each one briefly this morning.

“The Easter Song”

This one is just pure celebration. Bells are ringing. The angel is telling us the news we all need to hear. Jesus is no longer dead. What’s an amazing thing for the disciples to learn. Despair to hope to victory. But their victory in Jesus was only the beginning. Now the work began. At this point, their entire lives were ahead of them and they had responsibilities. The news was great, and part of that great news is that they now had purpose. A new purpose. A purpose that all but one of them would die for. I suppose Easter is supposed to be a reminder to us (and to me) that my work is only just beginning too.

“Sunday’s on the Way”

This song is full of all of the bravado that was/is Carman. He had all kinds of songs like this. And it can be kind of fun to poke my finger in Satan’s eye, although I usually avoid doing it. I do not worship Satan. I worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But I do respect Satan and I hide behind Jesus’s blood when he’s involved. But what I think I like about this song is taking the fear of those at the time and relating it to the fear we have now: “When problems try to bury you and make it hard to pray, it might seem like Friday night, but Sunday’s on the way!” This song is a great reminder that you are still God and you are still capable of doing things I cannot even imagine. I just need to rest in you.

“He’s Alive”

Hopeless sorry. Fear. Guilt. Anguish. Shame. These are the emotions the song assigns to Peter as he struggles with the experience of losing Jesus and his actions leading up to the crucifixion. But by the end of the song–after the resurrection–it all melts into peace. You know I like that word as it relates to you and my relationship with you. In your light everything just melts into peace.

Father, as I sit outside in our town square typing this and looking at an empty church on Sunday morning because of this COVID-19 pandemic, I can’t help but consider how this particular Easter is impacting us. How it reminds us that, as one pastor put it, the church isn’t empty, but it’s deployed. How we have work to do. We can rest in the idea that while this particular day might not be our “Sunday” for this situation, but “Sunday” is on the way. And because of what Jesus did 2,000 years ago, all of our fears, guilt, and anguish can melt into peace while we worship you and work for you in faith. Help me to do all of that this Easter.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“I Loved Her First” by Heartland

22 Mar

“I Loved Her First” by Heartland

Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each other’s face
So much in love, you’re alone in this place
Like there’s nobody else in the world

I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one, she told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl

Time changes everything, life must go on
And I’m not gonna stand in your way

I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she’d find you someday
But it’s still hard to give her away
I loved her first

How could that beautiful woman with you
Be that same freckled face kid that I knew?
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time

I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she’d find you someday
But it’s still hard to give her away

I loved her first
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I’m going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Elliott Park / Walt Aldridge

Dear God, this is one of those father/daughter songs that gets me. It’s in the category of “Butterfly Kisses,” “Playing Cinderella,” and “There Goes My Life.” All three can make me cry. I guess “the love of a father runs deep.” As a dad, I totally get this. My little girl. I literally was the first person in the world to see her 21 years ago. What a day that was. It was scary too. My wife had a complication during delivery that almost caused her to “crash.” It was a day that I’ll never forget–or that I hope I never forget.

What I often do forget, however, is that my wife has a dad, and this could be his song too. In that version, I’m the guy dancing with his daughter and he’s looking at me askance. I don’t know that I ever appreciated that until a few years ago. I’m the guy who, to some extent, took a piece of her heart that was originally his to occupy. Not that that’s the wrong thing to do. It’s natural. But it hurts, and I don’t know that I ever appreciated until recently how much pain my existence might have caused him.

Then there’s the brand new thought that I heard Gary Thomas say a few months ago. You’re my father-in-law as well. I have your girl as my wife. What do I do with that responsibility? Do I point her to you or do I try to insecurely fill that part of her heart that is reserved for you with myself. There were a lot of years when I tried to do that. My neediness and insecurity caused me to try to be everything to her. I’m sorry for that.

Father, I pray for my daughter. I pray that you will fill the parts of her heart that she needs you to fill. I pray that you will raise up people around her to build her into the woman you have for her to be. I pray that she will swim in your grace, mercy and joy. I pray that she will exude love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, and self control as a natural expression of her relationship with you and the Holy Spirit flowing through her. I pray for my father-in-law, that you would help me to be the son-in-law you need me to be for him. Fill his heart with your peace and help him to feel the love his daughter has for him. I pray for my wife, my father-in-law’s (and your) little girl. Give her your touch. Help her to completely be at peace. Even now, as she is at a chapel praying, Holy Spirit, meet with her and love her richly. Give her a peace that passes understanding. Wash away any fear and replace it with faith, hope, and peace. And show me how to be exactly who you need me to be for my daughter and my wife.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Your Love Stays with Me” — Gary Chapman

15 Mar

“Your Love Stays with Me” by Gary Chapman

It’s dark in here
I feel so alone
But there’s a light
That Somebody just turned on
It opened my eyes
And lets me see
And once again
it amazes me

How your love stays with me
When shadows fall
And everybody leaves
I’m not alone
I know I’ll never be
Your love stays with me

When cold rains fall against my skin
It chills my body
But not the soul within
‘Cause I’ve got a fire
And it burns so bright
It keeps me warm
Through the longest night

Oh, how your love stays with me
When shadows fall
And everybody leaves
I’m not alone
I know I’ll never be
Your love stays with me

Written by Mike Reid and Rory Bourke

Dear God, I find it fascinating that when I want to spend some time in deep prayer about something I usually have a song from the recesses of my mind come out of hiding. In this case, “Your Love Stays with Me” by Gary Chapman popped into my head. I love the sound of this song as much of the lyrics. The simple piano, the soulful sound, and the humble lyrics combine to great effect.

It’s a Sunday and all over the world churches are empty. I understand why, but something seems so wrong about that. Churches have always been a touch point for us during tragedies. Pearl Harbor. D-Day. VE-Day. Kennedy assassination. Apollo 13. 9/11. People go back to you through the local church. Now, most of those doors are closed. Will we miss you or will this be the beginning of us not going to you during those times of crisis?

For me, I’ve decided that I need to really have some focused prayer time. I want to pray for world political leaders, health leaders, spiritual leaders, etc. I also want to pray for local leaders. Everyone from a mayor to the director of the local community choir. I want to pray for my own work and how I lead our charitable medical clinic through this unknown wilderness. As a medical clinic, we can’t simply shut down. But there are certain things we can do that will be smart. Where do I draw that line? Then there’s my role in loving my wife and helping care for loved ones around us. And I have a role in this community where others look to me for my opinion. In fact, I had someone call me last night and ask that I speak to their group about what to do. I found another solution, but it’s a certain type of responsibility that I have.

So let me go back to this song and then pray about these things.

It’s dark in here
I feel so alone
But there’s a light
That Somebody just turned on
It opened my eyes
And lets me see
And once again
it amazes me

I think a lot of people are feeling the darkness right now. It is evidenced by the runs on the stores. I’m convinced that if so much of our commerce weren’t electronic and not cash-based there would be runs on the banks. Will anyone look for the light to turn on? Will anyone look for you? Will we look to you for our peace? Will we look to you for direction? Will pastors be able to shift their paradigm and figure out how to be the church in this new set of circumstances?

But when we open our eyes and see you there is peace. You love us. You don’t promise how any of this will work out for us on this earth, but you continuously encourage us to not be afraid. You amaze me.

When cold rains fall against my skin
It chills my body
But not the soul within
‘Cause I’ve got a fire
And it burns so bright
It keeps me warm
Through the longest night

I happened to be in a situation yesterday when cold rain fell against my skin while I was on a three-hour bike ride. Is there a metaphor in there that would go with this verse? I never got too cold because my movement kept me warm. Does my continuing to move in my relationship with you keep me warm? Well, the metaphor might be a stretch, but I suppose I can make it fit.

The big thing is that this is where my “peace” thing comes in. The fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are love, joy, peace, patience… I’ve said for a long time that peace is my litmus test. I can fake the others, but I cannot fake the peace. When I’m good with you then peace tends to transcend my being. When I find myself not at peace, it’s usually driven by fear or insecurity. It’s driven by losing sight of serving you and instead focusing on serving others for my glory or benefit. To feed my own ego. But the Holy Spirit fire in my heart, when I let it burn, will keep me warm in the longest night.

Oh, how your love stays with me
When shadows fall
And everybody leaves
I’m not alone
I know I’ll never be
Your love stays with me

Yes, your love stays with me. Shadows are daunting. They are scary. Satan wants to mess with my mind right now and suggest that I will run out of food (or the ability to clean myself when I go to the bathroom). He wants me to believe that I should be scared and hide. The truth is, I can be at peace. I’m not alone. I’ve never been alone. I’ve seen you provide in miraculous ways before. You are a great God and you will provide for me one way or another. And should I contract this disease. Should I become one of the 2-3% who die from it, I’ll be okay. My wife will be okay. My children and relatives will be okay. Because your love stays with all of us.

Now, as I sit down and try to sort through some of this work stuff, please guide me and be with me. Help me to hear you. Make my path straight.

I pray for the pastors here in our community and across the world. Lead through them. Speak through them. Lead a revival in them and through them. Let your church be the church you always intended it to be.

Do not let this pain and grief return void. Make it count, Father. Comfort those who have already lost someone or who are concerned about their loved ones who are either sick or quarantined because of possible exposure. Comfort those afflicted with the disease and all other diseases.

Help guide our appointed health and human service officials. Guide our local primary care doctors all the way up to the highest health officials around the world. Give them humility. Give them wisdom and discernment. Fill them with your presence and your perspective.

And for our political leaders. May they be given a sense of your presence in their lives. Help them to stop blaming and posturing. Help them to stop trying to use this as any sort of advantage. I’ll be bold enough to ask that you use this to transform our leaders into the men and women you need and long for them to be. That we need them to be.

Father, this is unprecedented to me, but it isn’t unprecedented to you. This is overwhelming to me, but it isn’t overwhelming to you. I don’t know where all of this is going, how it all works out, or what I should do in the meantime, but you do. So help us. Help us to humble ourselves before you and seek you first and your righteousness.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Arms of Love” by Amy Grant

10 Mar

“Arms of Love” by Amy Grant

Lord, I’m really glad you’re here.
I hope you feel the same when you see all my fear,
and how I fail.
I fall sometimes.

It’s hard to walk in sinking sand.
I miss the rock, and find I’ve nowhere else to stand.
I start to cry.
Lord, please help me.
Raise my hands, so you can lift me up.
Hold me close, hold me tighter.

I have found a place where I can hide;
it’s safe inside
your arms of love.
Like a child who’s held throughout a storm;
I’m safe and warm
in your arms of love.

Storms may come and storms may go.
I wonder just how many storms it takes
until I finally know
you’re here always.
Even when my skies are far from grey.
Let me stay, Lord, teach me to stay.

In the place I’ve found where I can hide;
it’s safe inside
your arms of love.
Like a child who’s held throughout a storm;
I’m safe and warm
in your arms of love.

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Gary W Chapman / Amy Grant Gill / Michael Whitaker Smith

 

Dear God, last night I had the glums. I just felt a little down. Depressed is too strong, but I was definitely feeling…well, a lack of peace. I was wondering why when it started to occur to me that they uncertainty about the Corona Virus and how it will impact the charitable clinic where I work, our fundraising, etc. might be getting to me. In the grand scheme of things, I’m embarrassed that something like this could derail me so easily.

Since I had lost some of my peace, it made me wonder what I had started doing in my relationship with you that might have distracted me. My conclusion was that I have been so focused on this Mothers of the Bible and Fathers of the Bible series that I haven’t been spending much, if any, time in personal worship.

Then, as I was going to bed, this song from my childhood came to mind. I think it came out around 1981. It wasn’t the most famous song on Amy Grant’s Age to Age album, but it’s a good one. So I thought I would spend some time with it today. It seemed to capture what I was experiencing.

Lord, I’m really glad you’re here.
I hope you feel the same when you see all my fear,
and how I fail.
I fall sometimes.

This just seems so honest and transparent. I’m glad I know I have you to pray to and talk to. I hope you’re glad you have me, even after knowing who I really am and what I’ve really done or failed to do. This beginning of the first verse is a nice set up.

It’s hard to walk in sinking sand.
I miss the rock, and find I’ve nowhere else to stand.
I start to cry.
Lord, please help me.
Raise my hands, so you can lift me up.
Hold me close, hold me tighter.

That’s what I felt like I had done yesterday. I tried to walk, but I had missed the rock. I missed your rock. I missed just spending time worshiping you. So help me to raise my hands so you can life me up (the most poetic line of the song). I’m not much of a hand raiser, but is that one of the things I’m missing out on by not raising my hands in worship? Do I miss the opportunity to have you life me up? Then there’s the last three words: “hold me tighter.” How tight can you hold me? What a great image.

Storms may come and storms may go.
I wonder just how many storms it takes
until I finally know
you’re here always.
Even when my skies are far from grey.
Let me stay, Lord, teach me to stay.

I often try to put myself in the position of the songwriters when I hear songs like this. I don’t know if it was Michael, Gary, or Amy that wrote these lyrics, of if they sat together and wrote them, but I can see exploring the idea of the ups and downs of life and how we are continuously learning to have the same relationship with you regardless of our circumstances. The same peace. The same joy. Yes, we might mourn, but there can be a peace and joy that under-girds it all.

I have found a place where I can hide;
it’s safe inside
your arms of love.
Like a child who’s held throughout a storm;
I’m safe and warm
in your arms of love.

It seems like there were several songs with this sentiment back in the 80s. Twila Paris’s “The Warrior is a Child” and such. I guess there have been a couple of times in my life where I just wanted to shut down and hide from the storm, but I’m not sure that’s what you are calling me to do. When I think of this, I think of Elijah running and hiding in the cave. You finally ask him, “What are you doing here.” (1 Kings 19:9-13) The thought of hiding in your arms is nice, but I think you are more interested in us walking through the storm with you by our side (or carrying us through the storm as in “Footprints in the Sand“). It’s a fine line to walk between hiding in your arms and riding in your arms.

Father, thank you for your arms of love. Thank you that they stretched out through Jesus to forgive me. Thank you that they reach out and lift me up. Thank you for holding me and comforting me. And thank you for using them to provide for me, even when I don’t feel like you are.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 10, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Even If” by MercyMe

25 Feb

“Even If” by MercyMe

They say sometimes you win some
Sometimes you lose some
And right now, right now I’m losing bad
I’ve stood on this stage night after night
Reminding the broken it’ll be alright
But right now, oh right now I just can’t
It’s easy to sing
When there’s nothing to bring me down
But what will I say
When I’m held to the flame
Like I am right now

I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith
To move a mountain
Well good thing
A little faith is all I have, right now
But God, when You choose
To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing
It is well with my soul

I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt
Would all go away if You’d just say the word
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone

You’ve been faithful, You’ve been good
All of my days
Jesus, I will cling to You
Come what may

‘Cause I know You’re able
I know You can
I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, I know the hurt
Would all go away if You’d just say the word
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bart Millard / Ben Glover / Crystal Lewis / David Garcia / Tim Timmons

Dear God, I thought about just titling this prayer journal entry “Apology.” I owe you an apology. Now, I know that goes without saying. There is so much I do wrong. I can sin with the best of them, and I am, indeed, sorry for those things. But this is different. I’m not sure I’ve ever apologized to you for thinking you were unfaithful to me or your word.

My wife and I went through some trials a few years ago, and I remember telling friends, “I knew that when I became a Christian that I wouldn’t be protected from suffering, but in praying for my children and loved ones, I thought there would be some amount of protection.” One friend responded to me that I was disappointed in you. Yes, I thought. That’s it. I’m disappointed.

Well, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for ever being disappointed in the God of the universe. I’m sorry for ever thinking that I deserve better than I’m getting.

The song above, “Even If,” is a good song. It’s one of those that really works in a church setting. It says all of the right things. I can picture myself standing in a church with this song on the overhead and singing along–and even meaning it. But it’s the story that the lead singer tells in the video I’ve attached that helped me see that I owe you an apology.

The other thing that helped me see it was some of the stuff I’m been doing with Naomi and Ruth chapter 1 lately. One thought that occurred to me is that Naomi owes you an apology for trying to rename herself Mara. You were there the whole time. You were making a way, not only for her, but also all of Israel. You hadn’t made her life bitter. It just didn’t look how she thought she deserved it to…ohhhhhh. That’s me. I guess I owe you an apology too.

Father, I am sorry. I know you are able to do anything. I know you can change any life circumstance at your own will. But even if you don’t, my hope is in you alone. I choose to instead tell you thank you for loving me. I choose to let go of my selfishness and what I think I deserve to simply say, “It is well with my soul.”

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 25, 2020 in Hymns and Songs

 

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