Danny and I spent another
Late night over pancakes
Talkin’ about soccer and
How every man’s just the same
We made speculations on the
Who’s and the when’s of our futures
And how everyone’s lonely
But still we just couldn’t complain
And how we just hate being alone
Could I have missed my only chance?
And now I’m just wasting my time
By lookin’ around
But ya know I no better
I’m not gonna worry about nuthin’
Because if the birds and the flower survive
Then I’ll make it okay
Given a chance and a rock
See which one breaks a window
See which one keeps me up all night
And into the day
Because I’m so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in
But it’s not my job to wait by the phone
For her to call
Well this day’s been crazy
But everything’s happened on schedule
From the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt
Cause you knew how you’d save me
Before I fell dead in the garden
And you knew this day
Long before you made me out of dirt
And you know the plans that you have for me
And you can’t plan the end
and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace
Just to get me to sleep.
Dear God, the video above was recorded about 15 years after this song was released, and his short introduction resonated with me. His final words before he started singing it described by unarticulated thoughts regarding the overall truth to this song when you look at it (and life) with older eyes: “Everybody, just enjoy the season of life that you are in.”
Of course, that’s easy to go back and tell my younger self, but am I doing that now? Am I enjoying this season of life? It makes me wonder how I would describe this season. I guess I could label it as empty nest/aging parents/stable career/good health. Wow, that’s not a bad season at all. When looking at it from a Texan’s point of view of the seasons, I’d call it a nice fall. The harshness of summer (teenagers) is over. The winter of our own health issues is not yet here. There are struggles, to be sure, but they are just the fluctuations of a solid fall. But back to my question: Am I enjoying this season of life? Will I look up and it will be gone? There are parts of my life’s history that I miss and I wouldn’t mind living again. The good news is that I feel like I knew what I had at the time and I enjoyed them. Will I look back at this period and feel the same, or will I have missed how nice it really is?
Father, help me to consider all things joy. All things. I’m sorry for taking so much of this for granted. I promise I try not to, but I do it anyway. Thank you that you’ve not only been singlely good to me, but you been doubly good as well. Find me faithful with everything you’ve given to me.
The grass looked greener on the other side
So I tried to, snatch myself from your hand
Caught a boat to anywhere but Nineveh
And, well you know, I got spit back on dry land.
Give me purity and give me continence
But oh no, not yet.
Like a coin hiding in the corner
Trying not to be swept
And I was trying not to be swept.
Kicking against these goads
Sure did cut up my feet
And didn’t your hands get bloody
As you washed them clean (you washed them!),
Here I am again, back where I began
Try as I may I can’t get away from you
And all of these roads lead me to roam,
Bring me back home.
Here I am again, back where I began.
So you have yourself your ninety nine (ninety nine),
Isn’t that enough for you?
Still you followed me to the shadowed valley
Carried me on your shoulders too.
I’ve done the work of Sisyphus
Thinking that I could get over this hill
But the one thing I can’t get over now…(is the)
Is the force of your will.
Here I am again, back where I began
Try as I may I can’t get away from you
And all of these roads lead me to roam,
Bring me back home.
Here I am again, back where I began.
Here I am again, back where I began
Try as I may I can’t get away from you
And all of these roads lead me to roam,
Bring me back home.
Here I am again, back where I began.
Dear God, well, here’s another great song that is just full of biblical reference, and happens to be a really enjoyable song to listen to as well. I’ve always noticed the references to familiar Bible stories in this song, but I’ve never really thought about the theme of how these stories fit together. This should be interesting.
The grass looked greener on the other side
So I tried to, snatch myself from your hand
Caught a boat to anywhere but Nineveh
And, well you know, I got spit back on dry land.
John 10:28 – “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Jonah 1:1-3a,17, 2:16 – The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed to Tarshish…Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights…And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
When thinking about Jesus talking in John 10 about not letting any get snatched from his hand, I don’t think I’ve ever thought about snatching myself. But isn’t that what I do? “Worshiping you and spending time with you doesn’t sound like much fun today. I have some things I’d rather do instead.” Then I start doing them. At least I can say that I do, indeed, start to miss you after a while.
Give me purity and give me continence
But oh no, not yet.
Like a coin hiding in the corner
Trying not to be swept
And I was trying not to be swept.
Luke 15:8 – “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?”
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.
Kicking against these goads
Sure did cut up my feet
And didn’t your hands get bloody
As you washed them clean (you washed them!)
Acts 26:14 – “We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “
John 13:8 – “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
The reference to the goads takes my rebellion to the next level. Not only am I leaving you and hiding from you, but a goad is something an animal worker uses to get an animal to do its will. But like Paul was actively working against you, there are times when my selfishness actually gets in the way of your plan for me, for others, and for the world. But there you are, washing us clean.
So you have yourself your ninety nine (ninety nine),
Isn’t that enough for you?
Still you followed me to the shadowed valley
Carried me on your shoulders too.
Luke 15:-6a – “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.”
Psalm 23:4 – Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
When I read the parable about the hundred sheep and the thrill of finding the lost one, it made me think of Jesus being found by Joseph and Mary in the temple. He was too big at that point for Joseph’s shoulders, but I’ll bet their anger melted pretty quickly when they found him. He knew what it was like to see that kind of love for him from his parents.
I’ve done the work of Sisyphus
Thinking that I could get over this hill
But the one thing I can’t get over now…(is the)
Is the force of your will.
So now we get a little Greek mythology. Here’s the beginning of the Wikipedia entry for Sisyphus:
In Greek mythology Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down every time it neared the top, repeating this action for eternity.
“Self aggrandizing”
“Craftiness”
“Deceitfulness”
Yes, I’ve lied to you, myself, and others over the years. Who am I kidding? Maybe not so long ago. But here I am again, back where I began. And try as I may, I can’t get away from you. All of these roads that lead me to roam bring me back home. Here I am again, back where I began. I’m sorry for leaving.
As I survey the ground for ants
Looking for a place to sit and read
I’m reminded of
The streets of my home town
How much they like this concrete
That’s warm beneath my feet
And how I’m all wrapped up
In my mother’s face
With a touch of my father
Just up around the eyes
And the sound of my brother’s laugh
More wrapped up in what binds our
Ever distant lives.
But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But I don’t want to know
Life is better off a mystery
So keep on coming
These lines on the road
Keep me responsible
Be it a light or a heavy load
Keep me guessing
These blessings in disguise
I’ll walk with grace me feet
And faith my eyes
The hometown weather is on TV
And I imagine the lives
Of the people living there
And I’m curious if they imagine me
They just want to leave,
I wish that I could stay
I get turned around
And I mistake my happiness for blessing
And I’m blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I’m dressing
So keep on coming
These lines on the road
Keep me responsible
Be it a light or a heavy load
Keep me guessing
These blessings in disguise
I’ll walk with grace me feet
And faith my eyes
So I’ll sing a song of my home town
Breathe the air and walk the streets
Maybe find a place to sit and read
But the ants are welcome company
So keep on coming
These lines on the road
Keep me responsible
Be it a light or a heavy load
Keep me guessing
These blessings in disguise
I’ll walk with grace me feet
And faith my eyes
Dear God, not all songs have to beat you over the head with religious talk or explicit prayers to you to speak to my soul. This song is a great example of a Christian just kind of taking some contemplative moments to work through some things. Instead of going through this one verse by verse, I want to just pull out a couple of phrases that speak to me because, like all good poetry, a lot of this was written for the poet himself and wasn’t intended for me. But it does give me a peek into the life and struggles of a fellow believer as he works out his path and his faith with fear and trembling. :
The first verse:
It’s interesting to go back and remember being away from home for the first time. My memories are a little clouded, but I remember being a freshman in college and trying to build new routines. I was, for the first time, having a life experience completely separate from my parents or siblings. I was building a new life in a new place, in a totally different city. I remember trying several things out to see what would work. I would find different places to read my Bible. I tried out jogging around campus. I tried out the different cafeterias on campus to see which one I liked. I tried out some different friends, ultimately hanging out mainly with my roommate and two other guys. I remember walking across campus one morning and hearing the bells in the administration building playing a hymn and thinking that you were there on campus and welcome. While it was a Christian school, it was not as conservative as other Christian schools, but you were there, and I was grateful. I’m trying to remember what I did for church. I think I went somewhere, but I can’t quite remember where. I think I tried several churches that first year.
Even now, I live a life that is completely different than my family of origin. It’s in a different town. I have a career that none of them has experienced. I’m fortunate to be 50 years old and have all of them still living. But we are all certainly different and living different lives.
And the sound of my brother’s laugh
More wrapped up in what binds our
Ever distant lives.
My siblings and I are very different from each other. I joke that my brother and I are photo negatives of each other. Outside of a love for cars (especially old cars), we have nothing in common. But social media and texting have been a remarkable thing for my brother, sister, and me. Even though we live in different cities, I would say that being able to check in with each other via text and social media has drawn us closer over the last 5-10 years than we were the previous 20. I’m grateful for that because I really do love them and want the best for them. And we’ve all been able to support each other through different trials in ways that we weren’t before. I’m glad that I would not describe our relationships now as “ever distant.”
I get turned around
And I mistake my happiness for blessing
And I’m blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I’m dressing
The whole idea of happiness is an interesting one. What is success? What does a blessed life look like? How do I misinterpret the different situations or realities in my life? When things were really rough seven years ago, did I miss that I was actually living in the middle of your blessing at that moment? When things are going well, do I interpret that as you being extra happy with me? Am I any closer to seeing the reality that you see, or do I still just see the world through my own eyes. That brings me to the chorus.
So keep on coming
These lines on the road
Keep me responsible
Be it a light or a heavy load
Keep me guessing
These blessings in disguise
I’ll walk with grace me feet
And faith my eyes
I suppose this chorus kind of sums things up for me. Keep coming life. Father, help me to do what I need to do to live up to the responsibilities you have for me. Help me to let go of evaluating my life by measuring only the things I can see and understand, but to embrace every circumstance (be it a light or heavy load) as being part of the journey you have for me. Help me to walk in grace. And help me to see my life through faith and not what my eyes actually see because my eyes lie to me all of the time.
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.
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.
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.
1Corinthians 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.
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.
“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.
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!
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.
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.
Emails to God 