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Category Archives: Hymns and Songs

Christmas Closure

07 Jan

Dear God, I just attended a lovely worship service on the evening of Sunday June 7. It was organized and led by two young women who attend a Catholic college in Ohio, and they gave it to (I could have said “led it for,” but it felt more like a gift) the church before they head back to school.

Since today kind of marks the end of the Christmas season with the recognition of Epiphany (the wise men), they had a bit of a Christmas season focus for the songs and readings, although they weren’t specifically about Christmas itself. But the thought I had during the service was that I needed it more than I realized. I have had a really good and special Christmas season this year. I was able to really meditate on the Incarnation of Jesus and internalize the beauty of your gift to us. What I was lacking, however, was closure on the season. It was just kind of fizzling out. It’s January 7. What’s next?

But today was a good day. I heard a good sermon my Andy Stanley that challenged me to think a little. Then I helped my wife take down our Christmas decorations and return the house to its normal state. And finally I attended this service. It was really good closure.

So as I sat in that church tonight, sang the songs, and prayed to you, I thought about a lot of things. Most important were a couple who is facing a huge health crisis for the wife and had to go to the hospital. They were going to come to the service, but the ER visit got in the way. I prayed for them a lot. Then there was just worshipping you. Appreciating you. Marveling at you. And I was also really appreciating these two young women and hoping great things for them. Not great as in they will increase and you will decrease, but that the fruits of your Spirit will grow powerfully through them.

I guess I’ll close with some of the words to one of the songs they sang for us. The song is called “Humble.”

Humble and human, willing to bend You are
Fashioned of flesh and the fire of life, You are
Not too proud to wear our skin
To know this weary world we’re in
Humble, humble Jesus
Yeah eh eh

Humble in sorrow, You gladly carried Your cross
Never refusing Your life to the weakest of us
Not too proud to bear our sin
To feel this brokenness we’re in
Humble, oh oh humble Jesus

We bow our knees (We bow our knees)
We must decrease (We must decrease)
You must increase (You must increase)
We lift You high

Humble in greatness, born in the likeness of man
Name above all names, holding our world in Your hands
Oh oh oh, not too proud to dwell with us, to live in us, to die for us
Humble, humble Jesus

We bow our knees (We bow our knees)
We must decrease (We must decrease)
You must increase (You must increase)
We lift You high
We bow our knees oh oh (We bow our knees)
We must decrease (We must decrease)
And You must increase (You must increase)
We lift You high

We lift You high
We lift You high
We lift You high
We lift You high
We lift You high
We lift You high yeah
We lift You high

Humble
You are humble
Make me humble
Like you
We lift You high

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Audrey Nicole Assad

The lines that struck me:

  • Not too proud to wear our skin
  • To know this weary world we’re in
  • Not too proud to bear our sin
  • To feel this brokenness we’re in
  • We must decrease
  • You must increase

Father, make that my final prayer as I move out of the Christmas season and into the rest of the year. May I decrease and you increase. Let me model what you modeled: humble.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, my Triune God,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2024 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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“The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets

25 Dec
“The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets
Three in the morning and I’m still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I’d say
If we were face to face
I’d tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and
Never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got his hand on you so
Don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
Love will find you where you are
I know, ’cause I’ve already been there
So please hear these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and
Never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got his hand on you so
Don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

From one simple life to another
I will say
Come, find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord and
Never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got his hand on you so
Don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
Thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Sam Mizell / David Frey / Ben McDonald

Dear God, I think this is the third time I’ve journaled about this song. That might be a record. The first time I did it was in 2012 and the second was earlier this year. But this time it’s because I have a relative who accepted the reality of you into her life yesterday at a Christmas Eve service. Ever since I heard about it, I have been thinking about what advice I would want her to have from me. What words would I say? This song is a good start, but it’s not what I would lead with. I would lead with warning her about the pitfalls I fell into–especially of weedy soil.

I think when it comes down to it, there are four different parts of the Bible I would tie together, starting with the end and then reverse-engineering to how you get to the end.

What is the end? In my mind, it is living a life from which the fruits of the Spirit flow (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control – Galatians 5:22-23).

So how do I grow the fruits of the Spirit? Well, it is by connecting my branch to your vine (John 15:5). You are the vine and I am the branch. I connect my branch to your vine so I might grow your fruit of which others can partake.

How do I connect my branch to your vine? Two ways: Loving you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:29-31), and my making sure the connection is good by weeding my soil. What do I mean by that? Well, it comes back to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). I can have four types of soil. At this point, it is obvious I do not have a heart that is like the path, and I do not have rocky soil. My faith does have roots. But I do often allow the weeds of the cares of this world or pursuit of wealthy to choke out your Spirit.

So to recap, but in the right order, if my relative will worship you with everything she has and love her neighbors all while weeding her soil and turning away from the idols the world offers, then she will have a branch that is firmly attached to your vice and will bear great fruit. It is much easier said than done. These are the words I would say.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I pray over the precious woman. I pray over everyone in her sphere of influence as well. Her parents. Her siblings. Her friends. Everyone. Help her to be strong in you through the basics of loving you, loving others and weeding her soil. Raise up people around her who can be your voice and teach her. Bring her along in your joy. Oh, Lord, bless her life.

I pray all of this through the miraculous healing of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 25, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” by Henry Longfellow (1863)

23 Dec

Dear God, what would we do with peace? What if? What if there were all of a sudden peace on the entire earth? Not only would wars cease, but cartel violence, theft, and murder would cease as well. No more domestic violence. No more bullying in school. Just good will between us all. What would that look like? I simply cannot imagine because we are all so sinful. I am so sinful. While we are here in our sin, how can there be peace on earth and good will toward men?

My wife talked to me about this poem/song this morning. Henry Longfellow wrote “I Heart The Bells On Christmas Day” in 1863. Right about the time Abraham Lincoln was proclaiming the first national day of Thanksgiving. In the midst of terrible fighting and suffering. Suffering that came from our country’s original sin: slavery and racism (unless you count treatment of Native Americans as our original sin. Maybe we have two).

I’ll admit I’ve had Longfellow’s thoughts before. When the angels appeared to the shepherds in Luke 2:14 (KJV) and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” I wonder exactly what they meant. Maybe it wasn’t about peace between us, but peace and good will now being available from you to us.

Verse 3 is so sorrowful but powerful: “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said. “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.‘” But then the next verse brings it back. Your response to Longfellow expressed through the ringing bells: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth good will to men.‘”

I’m remind of another song as I close this prayer: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.” But Jesus was pretty clear that, on this side of heaven, there will be a break in our peace with each other. He said that we would divide over him. So to some extent, I guess there is only so much I can do. But let me leave no stone unturned as I try to be one of your ambassadors on earth.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“We Are Waiting” by Geoff Moore and the Distance

18 Dec

“We Are Waiting” by Geoff Moore and the Distance

(Words and Music by Geoff Moore and Goef Barkley)

We are waiting, waiting
All of Your people anticipating
Come hear our plea, we are down on our knees, our knees
Oh come quickly Lord, You’re all that we need
Come find your people are waiting

From all across the earth our voices can be heard
A chorus of the faithful calling to the word
A hymn of invitation, our humble offering
Come find Your people are waiting

We are waiting, we are waiting
All of Your people anticipating
Come hear our plea, we are down on our knees
Oh come quickly Lord, You’re all that we need
Come find your people are waiting

With hands into the soil, and hearts toward the sky
We wait to hear Your call to draw us to Your side
But ’til that final day may You find us in the fields
Working with hearts that are waiting

We are waiting, we are waiting
All of Your people anticipating
Come hear our plea, we are down on our knees
Oh come quickly Lord, You’re all that we need
Come find your people are waiting

As a mother awaits her baby, all of creation is ready
For the trumpet to sound and the heavens unfold
We’ll rise from the ground to see You Lord
All of Your people anticipating
Come hear our plea, we are down on our knees

We are waiting, we are waiting
All of Your people anticipating
Come hear our plea, we are down on our knees
Come quickly Lord, You are all that we need
Come find your people are waiting

We are waiting, we are waiting
All of Your people anticipating
Come hear our plea, we are down on our knees
Oh come quickly Lord, You are all that we need
Come find your people are waiting

Dear God, there are different ways to look at and define “waiting.” I think this song is thinking second-coming/rapture kind of stuff. I have to tell you, I don’t really care about the rapture or the second coming. I tend to think it’s a distraction, although I suppose it’s possible that I use my attitude as a form of denial that I should have a sense of urgency about helping those around me know you or know you better.

But when I think of waiting, I think of some of my favorite Bible characters who were waiting. Hagar was waiting. The Israelites in captivity were waiting. David in exile was waiting. Jeremiah and the conquered Israelites were waiting. Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah were waiting for a Messiah before their angel visits, and then they were waiting for their new babies after the angel visits. Waiting for them to grow up. There are times when I wonder if you didn’t take Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah out of the way before John and Jesus were 30 so that they wouldn’t get in the way of your plan. Was Mary alone the only one you could trust to not thwart what you were doing?

Naomi didn’t know she was waiting, but she was waiting to see what you might make of her suffering. Joshua was waiting until you allowed them into the Promised Land. Paul in prison was waiting. John in exile was waiting.

So what kind of a waiter am I? Do I get discouraged? Do I get impatient? Do I try to force timing? Do I get angry with you for not giving me what I want now?

My favorite line in this song is the beginning of the second verse: With hands into the soil and hearts toward to sky. That is a great picture. While I am waiting, I have to be productive. That is where my joy comes from. My joy comes from loving you and loving others. Loving you is worship and spending time like this with you. Loving others is my work. Whether it’s directly my vocation, or it is my personal service to family, friends, and others, while I wait I might as well be productive.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank you for being with me while I wait. Thank you for not making me wait alone. Thank you that my life isn’t about the waiting, but it’s about the work you’ve given me in the soil. The more I focus on loving you and loving others, the faster the waiting will go and the more joy I’ll have along the way. Oh, my Triune God, teach me to be an effective wait-er.

I pray all of this through the name of my savior, Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Hebrews 1:1-4

02 Dec

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

Hebrews 1:1-4

Dear God, this was the Verse of the Day on Bible Gateway this morning, and the beginning of verse two really struck me. You spoke through the prophets in the Old Testament, but you spoke through your Son 2,000 years ago. Part of what Jesus did by coming to earth was not only to live sinlessly, be martyred and then rise again, but also to teach. Sometimes, as amazing as it sounds, I don’t think we ingest the teaching as much as we should. I mean, sure, we look at some of the stories and parables Jesus taught, but do we really take and apply them?

So as I sit here this morning, I am wondering what I think, off of the top of my head, Jesus was mainly teaching when he was here:

  • Worship you with everything we have
  • Love our neighbors
  • There will be a sorting at the end of the age. I’ve tried to get away from this one, but it’s there. He said it several times, and in different gospels.
  • Worry about your own repentance first before you worry about the sins of others (and when you have repented, have mercy on the other like you have mercy on me)
  • Have faith in you (God) and not in ourselves (consider the lilies)
  • Have mercy while not sacrificing the standard you set (woman in adultery)
  • Have self-awareness so that I won’t be hypocritical
  • Don’t be oppressive to others from my own self-righteousness (Pharisees)
  • Forgive (70X7)
  • And this isn’t explicitly in there, but I think it is implicitly in there: Don’t worry about things you cannot control like the government, but serve in the sphere of influence where you put me
  • Do not pursue wealth or the things of this world
  • Sometimes even bad things happen so that you can get glory when they are redeemed, or the thing can lead to redemption itself
  • Spend time alone with you in prayer. Even he survived his earthly experience by regularly getting alone with you (and Moses and Elijah here and there as well)

I would say that is a pretty good list. Of course, it’s not completely conclusive. I’m sure I missed a lot of things, but this is what I carry with me. Sure, I fail in all of them. I like to judge without repenting. I often don’t come close to loving you and worshiping you with part of my heart, much less all of it. I am hypocritical. I worry about things out of control and make idols of them. And I often fail to set aside time to just spend it with you.

Father, yesterday, I was feeling distant from you and really dry. One interesting thing I did was to go back and listen to some 1970s and 1980s Amy Grant songs that meant a lot to me when I was a young Christian. It helped me tap into that just a little bit. A little like playing certain songs from the beginning of my wife’s and my relationship brings a flood of affection for her. So even this morning, I was still listening to some of those old Amy Grant songs like “I Have Decided” and “Sing Your Praise To The Lord.” It’s good stuff. So let me just affirm to you in this moment, “I have decided I’m going to live like a believer. Turn my back on the deceiver. I’m going to live what I believe. I have decided being good is just a fable. I just can’t because I’m not able. I’m going to leave it to [you].”

I pray this in the name of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 2, 2023 in Hebrews, Hymns and Songs

 

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Chronic Dissatisfaction

21 Nov
From Simply Sacred by Gary Thomas – 11/21

Dear God, I started this a few days ago, but never got to come back and finish it. Okay, I never prioritized making the time to come back and finish it. But now it’s the morning after Thanksgiving, and I am wanting to spend a little bit of time with you before I get going with my day.

My wife and I were talking about a month ago about our “bucket list.” The list of things we want to do or places we want to visit or things we want to accomplish before we “kick the bucket.” It’s odd, but I told her I have no such list. If I were to be on my death bed right now, the only thing that I think would be on my mind is how it would impact my wife and children. I don’t think I would have any places I wish I had gone, things I wish I had done, or accomplishments left unfinished. Well, I take that back. I have a few writing projects I’ve started but haven’t finished. I really do need to focus and get those completed. I just might feel bad if I didn’t finish those. But those are also things I think you’ve put on my heart to work on. But as far as experiences and places visited, there just isn’t anything in that realm that I care about.

I wish I could say that I feel that way because I am a great Christian and I don’t have a need for travel or experiences. But the truth is that I’m kind of lazy and not very ambitious. However, I do think there is a contentment in my spirit that comes from your Spirit ministering to me as I get to know you and spend time with you. I think part of it might be 1.) you have unreasonably blessed me with a wife who is a delight, and 2.) you have given me a life that pretty much wants for nothing even though I would consider myself solidly middle class to lower-middle class. But you have given me so much, it makes it easier to accept what I have. With that being said, I know people who have what I have and more, and they are still looking.

That makes me think of the U2 song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Even in the last verse, when they acknowledge they haven’t even found what they are looking for even in you:

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I’m still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Oh my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

This used to really bother me about this song. I know Bono is a Christian and believes in you. Where is this continued search still coming from after he found you? And I don’t know exactly what he means by this, but one thing it could mean is that it’s one thing to know this about you, and even believe it, but it’s another thing to develop a relationship with you that will allow you to minister to me and develop my soul.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I offer you this day. I thank you for ministering peace to my soul. I confess the times when I allow my heart to dwell on the cares of this world and I don’t weed the soil of my heart well. I am sorry for that. That is when my heart is unstilled. So help me to enjoy you today and to embrace fully, warts and all, the life and path you have given me to walk.

I pray this joyously as your servant and worshipper,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2023 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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“I Just Want To Be With You”

18 Nov 
I just want to be with you 
So come close and put your arms around me. 
I just want to love you. 
So come close and look right at me. 

So I can sing into your eyes. 
So I can look into your heart. 
So I can feel you by my side 
And know that you're here.

Dear God, my wife and I went to the chapel at our church last night to pray for a friend who is seriously ill. While we kneeled on the front row and prayed silently, I had this song come to mind. The church we attended nearly 20 years ago in Waco used to sing it. I’ve searched it and Googled it, but I can’t find it online anywhere. Maybe it was original to the church and the music minister, Antioch Community Church and James Mark Gulley, respectively. I don’t know.

One thing I’ve always found interesting about this song is that it is a little vague about who the singer is. Who is “I” in the song and who is “you?” My inclination is to say that I am the singer and it’s from my perspective. And that’s certainly how I felt last night as I prayed. I just wanted to be with you. As I prayed, I was praying about my lack of faith. I was praying, “Father, I believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) But as I sat there in the silence and tried to tap into the Holy Spirit’s presence, I just felt this song pouring out of me. “I just want to be with you.” Sometimes there aren’t great, or even good, answers to our concerns. In those moments, all I’m sometimes left with is your comfort. I just want to be with you so I can feel your arms around me. So I can feel you look right at me. So I can sing to you. So I can look at you. So I can feel you. So I can just know that you’re near.

But then there’s the flip side of this song. What if it is you singing to me? What if you are the one saying, “I just want to be with you”? What if you want to feel my presence? What if want to sing to me? What if you want to see my heart? What if you want to feel me by your side and know that I’m near?

Hagar named you El-roi, the God who sees me. (Genesis 16:13) You see me now. You see me as I sit here at my computer. You see me when I am scared. You see me even when I walk away. But the idea that you love me that much…well, sometimes it’s simply impossible to believe.

Father, I am substitute preaching tomorrow morning for a pastor who suddenly got COVID this week. I think I know which direction I’m going, but I want to make sure. I want to just sit with you for a bit and feel your presence. I want to feel you by my side and know that you’re near. Thank you, Father.

I pray all of this only through the grace you afford me through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Old Hymns

11 Nov

Dear God, it’s early on a Saturday morning, and I just feel a need to worship a little. I usually listen to something on my phone in the morning. Frankly, I like to have some sort of noise happening at any given time. Pure silence is not natural for me. I grew up with background noise, so I almost never live in pure silence.

With that said, I normally watch some YouTube videos when I get going on a Saturday morning, but this morning I find myself just wanting to hear some old hymns. I currently have “Tis so Sweet” by Shane & Shane going in my headphones as I type this. “Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, how I trust Him!” It’s a balm for my soul.

Growing up Baptist in the 70s and 80s, we used that standard white Baptist Hymnal. It has some great songs I’m glad I carry with me to this day. It’s so sentimental. For me, it’s the way I first learned to worship you. Singing off of a page. Not knowing how to read music but trying to follow along what I now know is the soprano/melody line as I figured out the tune, following the notes up and down. (Oh, now Shane & Shane are singing “How Great Thou Art.” Classic!) My favorite parts were when the men would echo in the chorus. “It is wellllllll (echo: It is wellllllll), With my soulllllll (echo: With my soul), (join together) It is well, it is well with my soullllll.” Love it! I remember one time in a contemporary praise and worship service that it seems that the new Christian praise songs that include the echo have the men lead with the women echoing. I prefer the classic way. I don’t know. Somehow in my little boy heart, it felt like the women were worshipping and then men were coming behind and supporting them. Giving them a foundation for their worship. Interesting. I wonder why this pattern has changed with our modern music.

By the way, I have to say, this Shane & Shane Hymns, Vol. 1 is really well done. They’ve kept the integrity of the hymns without altering them too much, but they’ve still added some nice repeats here and there. This is definitely going to go into the rotation.

Now I have “Give Me Jesus” going in my ears. “When I am afraid, give me Jesus.”

I spent the day helping a friend have a surgical procedure yesterday. I spent right at 12 hours in a hospital waiting and helping him while his wife was out of town. It was a long day. But whenever I thought about complaining, and there were plenty of things I could have complained about with what the hospital did, I would think about the people in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, etc., who are injured and needing hospitals that aren’t safe. I thought about the chaos of their situations. The trauma. It made me hurt for them and more accepting of my first-world problems of things not moving as swiftly as I would like. It helped.

We are up to “Come Thou Fount.” Good stuff. “Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it. Mount of thy redeeming love.”

So Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I’m not going to lie. Yesterday taxed the patience that you give me as your fruit. It was easy to will myself to be patient and kind for the first half of the day, but by 8:00pm, when things weren’t progressing, they started to exhaust my good will. But you gave me the strength I needed to help my friend and stay positive for him. He was frustrated too, but we got through it. I got him home to his daughter who can care for him until his wife gets back in town. It was a long day, but in retrospect I wouldn’t trade it. I pray that you use this procedure and the pain of it for his good. Both physical good and also good in the other areas of his life. In his wife’s and children’s lives. If there has to be pain, please don’t let it be wasted. Please don’t let it be wasted. And don’t waste it in my life either. Help me to grow from this as well. And let it all be for your glory. “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.”

I pray this in your name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 11, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“The Father’s House” by Cory Asbury

29 Oct

“The Father’s House” by Cory Asbury

Sometimes on this journey, I get lost in my mistakes
What looks to me like weakness is a canvas for Your strength
And my story isn’t over, my story’s just begun
And failure won’t define me ’cause that’s what my Father does
Yeah, failure won’t define me ’cause that’s what my Father does

Ooh, lay your burdens down
Ooh, here in the Father’s house
Check your shame at the door (ooh)
‘Cause it ain’t welcome anymore (ooh)
Ooh, you’re in the Father’s house

Arrival’s not the end game, the journey’s where You are
You never wanted perfect, You just wanted my heart
And the story isn’t over, if the story isn’t good
A failure’s never final when the Father is in the room
And failure’s never final when the Father is in the room

Ooh, lay your burdens down
Ooh, here in the Father’s house
Check your shame at the door (ooh)
‘Cause it ain’t welcome anymore (ooh)
Ooh, you’re in the Father’s house, yeah

Prodigals come home
The helpless find hope
Love is on the move
When the Father’s in the room
Prison doors fling wide
The dead come to life
Love is on the move
When the Father’s in the room

Miracles take place
The cynical find faith
And love is breaking through
When the Father’s in the room
The Jericho walls are quakin’

Strongholds now are shakin’
Love is breaking through
When the Father’s in the room
I said love is breaking through
When the Father’s in the room

Ooh, lay your burdens down
Ooh, here in the Father’s house
Check your shame at the door
‘Cause it ain’t welcome anymore
Ooh, you’re in the Father’s house
Yeah, lay your burdens down
Ooh, here in the Father’s house
Ooh, you’re in the Father’s house

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Cory Asbury / Ethan Hulse / Benjamin Hastings

Dear God, I want to get into the lyrics of this song in a second, but my overall thought this morning with this song is, what would it be like if the church represented this to people? If they didn’t see our politics or our policing of sin? If they saw a place for the wounded to come and be loved? To be supported, nurtured and healed? If they saw us living your fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, and self control?

I’ve mentioned the Apple TV+ show, Ted Lasso. I think what makes it so appealing to the world is that Ted is completely worldly, as is everyone else in the show, but he exhibits nearly all of the fruits of the Spirit (besides peace). While the writers can create an extraordinary character who exhibits the other fruits, peace is one even they cannot write about apart from you (in my opinion). But thinking of the locker room on Ted Lasso as the English Premier League football team’s version of a church, the environment Ted created is the kind of thing Cory Asbury is singing about here. He created a type, albeit incomplete, of your House. At one point at the end of the series, Ted looks at the guys on the team as they all have their hands in the middle and says, “I know folks like to say, ‘There’s no place like home.’ And that’s true. But, man, there ain’t a whole lot of places like AFC Richmond either.” Here is a link to the scene from Ted Lasso with the warning to anyone reading this that it contains a huge spoiler at the end of the series should you want to watch it.

With that said, let’s look at some of these lyrics:

Sometimes on this journey, I get lost in my mistakes
What looks to me like weakness is a canvas for Your strength

I’ve heard this song several times, but I’ve never spent time with the lyrics. Some of them caught my ear this week and I knew I wanted to sit down with it like this this morning. So what if we allowed ourselves to live into this verse? What if I allowed myself to live into this verse? I get lost in my mistakes. [My] weakness is a canvas for Your strength. What if we lived into that and then offered that to the world?

Arrival’s not the end game, the journey’s where You are
You never wanted perfect, You just wanted my heart
And the story isn’t over, if the story isn’t good

I LOVE this first line. I’m not here this morning so you’ll let me into your eternal life. I’m here this morning because I need you. I need to spend some time focused on your Holy Spirit ministering to me, speaking to me, teaching me, and comforting me. The arrival is not what my life is about. If you had created me for just the afterlife then you would have just created me as an angel. No, you wanted me for this journey. You are here in the present moment, not the future. I cannot find you there this side of death. No, you are only in this present moment.

The other parts of this verse are also good. First, I think you do want perfect, but you just know it isn’t going to happen. But if you have my heart then the rest will follow. Because where my heart is, there will my treasure be also (See Luke 12:34 – Parable of the Rich Fool). And just because my story doesn’t look good doesn’t mean it’s over–even if it doesn’t look good at the time of my death. I don’t have to see what you are doing long-term to have faith in you now. Thinking of Job 38, who am I to question you?

Oh, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, you know what’s happening for me right now. You know where my concerns are. You know I have people I love who think of me as their enemy. You know there are strangers who think of me as their enemy as well. Well, I surrender any rights I might feel in this moment to deserve their love or respect. It’s no mine to give or to demand. But I do pray for each of them. I pray for the soil of their heart. Some of them have hearts akin to the path. Some of them have rocky soil. Some with thorns. And some have great and rich soil. Whatever the case, and whomever they are, I pray that all of them will have deep, rich, dark soil that will give your Holy Spirit to move in them. I pray the same thing for myself. Help me to weed the soil of my heart. Help me to get rid of the thorns that represent the cares of this world and the pursuit of wealth. Help me to get rid of the cares of advancing myself over my neighbor. Help me to get over the cares of my rights not being respected. And I pray this for all of those on my heart as well. Heal them. Help them to find you. Help them to find peace. Help them to truly channel you into this world. Help us all, Jesus. Help us all, Holy Spirit. Help us all Father.

I pray this in the name of the Triune God,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 29, 2023 in Hymns and Songs, Job, Luke

 

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“Thursday” by Jess Glynne

27 Aug

“Thursday” by Jess Glynne

I won’t wear makeup on Thursday
I’m sick of covering up
I’m tired of feeling so broken
I’m tired of falling in love
Sometimes I’m shy, and I’m anxious
Sometimes I’m down on my knees
Sometimes I try to embrace all my insecurities
So I won’t wear makeup on Thursday
‘Cause who I am is enough

And there are many things that I could change so slightly
But why would I succumb to something so unlike me?
I was always taught to just be myself
Don’t change for anyone

I wanna laugh, I don’t wanna cry
Don’t want these tears inside my eyes, yeah
Don’t wanna wake up and feel insecure
I wanna sing, I wanna dance
I wanna feel love inside my hands again
I just wanna feel beautiful

Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, I just wanna feel beautiful

I’ll wear my sweatpants on Thursday
And I’ll drink sloe gin from a can
I’ll build my own independence
I don’t always need a man

You know sometimes I feel lonely
Could do with the company
Oh, I get high when I’m down
But you know that’s alright with me
So I will do nothing on Thursday
Sit alone and be

And there are many things that I could change so slightly
But why would I succumb to something so unlike me?
I was always taught to just be myself
Don’t change for anyone

I wanna laugh, I don’t wanna cry
Don’t want these tears inside my eyes, yeah
Don’t wanna wake up and feel insecure
I wanna sing, I wanna dance
I wanna feel love inside my hands again
I just wanna feel beautiful

Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, I just wanna feel beautiful
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, I just wanna feel beautiful

I won’t wear makeup on Thursday
‘Cause who I am is enough

And I, I wanna laugh, I don’t wanna cry
Don’t want these tears inside my eyes, yeah
Don’t wanna wake up and feel insecure
I wanna sing, I wanna dance
I wanna feel love inside my hands again
I just wanna feel beautiful

Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, I just wanna feel beautiful
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, oh I
Oh-oh-oh, I just wanna feel beautiful

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Steve Mac / Ed Sheeran / Jessica Glynne

Dear God, I came across this song about a week ago on one of my Ed Sheeran playlists. He doesn’t sing it, but he is one of the writers and his fingerprints are definitely on it. I’ve thought about the song since then. I decided I wanted to journal and pray to you about what is hitting me about this song a few hours ago, so since then I’ve listened to it about 10 times.

So what is it that strikes me about this song? I think it’s the ache. The fatigue. The giving up and surrendering in it. It reminds me of coming to the end of myself and just falling into your arms. I don’t think that’s what Jess Glynne is implying when she sings it, but that’s what it reminds me of. It reminds me of the freedom of turning loose of what others think and only finding my feeling of “beautiful” in your eyes.

As I read back over the lyrics of this song, I wonder why Thursday. If I were to have picked the most likely out of the seven days of the week, I would have thought it would be a Saturday or Sunday. I also wonder what her (and when I say “her” I mean not just Jess Glynne, but the anonymous woman who relates to this song) other days are like. Performing. Acting. Putting on a show. Even for someone who works a regular job who identifies with this song. Maybe a school teacher or even someone who works with me. Maybe the person next to me in church. Maybe someone who has built a life of isolation. Maybe someone who is in need of real community.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, like I said, there is a real sense of ache in this song. I pray this morning for anyone for whom it might apply. I have a couple of people on my heart right now. Set them free. Give them a path to your peace. Help them to feel their beauty from your eyes. When I was first married, I really looked to my wife for my sense of affirmation. And while I certainly lean on her to tell me when I’m in error, I don’t feel that endless need for her adoration. I can just let her be. And the irony is that letting her go like that only makes me love her more, and I think it frees her up to love me as well. So I pray that the spirit of this song would be broken in the lives of those for whom it relates through Jesus’s mercy and blessing, I pray that they, and I, would feel our beauty in your eyes.

I offer this to you through the mercy of Jesus and in his name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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