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Category Archives: Hymns and Songs

“Lay Down the Burden of Your Heart” by Amy Grant

03 Feb

“Lay Down the Burden of Your Heart” by Amy Grant

It’s a cold, cold world
That we’re walking through.
Lay down the burden of your heart.
But it’s warm as toast
Walking two by two,
Lay down the burden of your heart.

Lay down the burden of your heart.
I know you’ll never miss it.
Show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.

It’s a fine, fine line
Betwixt love and hate.
Why, it’s tough to tell the two apart.
But you know it’s love
That He offers you.
Lay down the burden of your heart.

Lay down the burden of your heart.
I know you’ll never miss it.
Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.

Lay down the burden of your heart.
I know you’ll never miss it.
Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.

Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Adrian Plass / David Clifton / Ian David Blythe / Philip Andrew Baggaley

Dear God, I have a couple of thoughts on this song this morning. I came across it while I was trying to find another Amy Grant song that I never did find. But I’ve always liked this one so I thought I would spend some time with it this morning.

The first thought was based on a conversation my wife and I had yesterday about our image of you as “father,” and how some people with “daddy issues” can have difficulty separating you as our father from our earthly fathers. I’ve never had that issue. I mean, it helps that my earthly father is an honorable person. Sure he’s flawed like we all are (probably not as much as I am), but overall I’m fortunate in that way. At the same time, I’ve never thought of you as father in the same way as him as my father. For me, you’re God. You have this amazing love for me. I understood just a little bit of that love in a new way when I became a father. But I don’t expect the same things of you that I expected from my earthly father growing up. And now that I’m an adult I have a different kind of relationship with my earthly father than I have with you. Frankly, while my relationship with him is reasonably good, my intimacy with you is much great. Yeah, maybe that’s the word: intimacy. Maybe that’s what I was trying to articulate to my wife when we were talking about how I see the difference between you as “father” and my earthly “father.”

So when Amy sings about showing you, my “daddy,” where it hurts and letting you fix it, I think she is describing something I’ve done with you many times. And I know that “letting you fix it” can sound cliche and like just words, but there’s something real to it. And often you don’t fix it. You just hold me while I hurt and then let the natural healing process happen (tears in my eyes as I type this). Thank you for just holding me when that’s what I need.

The other thing that came to my mind was the writers’ decision to include the line, “It’s a fine, fine line betwixt love and hate. Why it’s tough to tell they two apart.” First, they chose the word “betwixt.” I Googled it to see if it was a specific reference to a piece of literature and didn’t immediately find anything, but I don’t think it would have changed the rhyming scheme to say “between” instead of “betwixt,” but they went with the latter. I wonder why.

Second, they chose this phrase for this song in the first place. A song about laying down my burdens includes this curious quote. “It’s tough to tell the two apart.” As the four writers sat down and wrote this song, I wonder if they talked about how sometimes what someone does out of love can seem suffocating and like hate. I think my children have interpreted that from me sometimes. And I have sometimes interpreted your actions that way. So they added the line, “But you know it’s love that He offers you.” I can have faith that while it might sometimes look like hate that I’m experiencing from you, I should know have faith that it is always love. Always love.

Father, I’m here to lay down the burden of my heart. I told a friend yesterday that I’m preparing to really spend some time with you and meet with you during Lent this year. I feel like I’m preconditioning my heart to some extent. I don’t want to go in cold. I want to be in an already “present” state with you so that I might simply sink into what you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, my Triune God, have for me this year. I need you. I really do need you. So I will stay in the moment. I will keep my eyes off of the water and on yours. And I will let you hold me while some of my wounds continue to heal.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 3, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Bring the Rain” by MercyMe

29 Jan

“Bring the Rain” by MercyMe
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I’ve gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It’s never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there’ll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what’s a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Billy Montana / Helen Darling

Dear God, I’m always hesitant to say, “Bring it on.” I don’t want to invite the rain. But I do want to invite you. I want to invite you to mold me. I want to invite you to live through me. I want your Holy Spirit to help me weed my soil and provide you a good place in which you can grow quality fruits of your Spirit.

I’ve talked a lot about the “dark clouds that may loom above.” There are some that are always there, and they bring me sorrow. But I have to tell you that I honestly don’t know who I would be without them. Those clouds have developed so much mercy in me. They have made me very non-judgmental towards others whom I might have otherwise, well, judged. Yeah, I don’t know who I would be without the challenges, struggles, and humiliations.

What I really like about this song is that it just ends in worship. It is 5.5 minutes long, but the last 2.5 minutes are just them repeating, “Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord, God Almighty. Is the Lord, God Almighty.” Just over and over again. Sometimes I get there. In the midst of the pain, I just want to worship you.

Holy, Holy, Holy. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord, God Almighty. Is the Lord, God Almighty. Holy, Holy, Holy. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, God Almighty. Is the Lord, God Almighty.

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“I Give You My Heart” by Hillsong

19 Jan

“I Give You My Heart” by Hillsong

… This is my desire
To honor You
Lord, with all my heart
I worship You
All I have within me
I give You praise
All that I adore
Is in You

… Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
And every breath that I take
Every moment I’m awake
Lord, have Your way in me

… This is my desire
To honor You
Lord, with all my heart
I worship You
All I have within me
I give You praise
All that I adore
Is in You

… Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I’m awake
Lord, have Your way in me

… And I will live
And I will live for You
And I will live
And I will live for You

… Oh and I will live
And I will live
And I will live for You

… Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul, I live for You alone
Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake
Lord, have Your way in me

… Have Your way
Have Your way, have Your way

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Reuben Timothy Morgan

Dear God, this song has been going in my head this morning, and I’ll take that. It’s a good song. It’s my heart this morning. As I start this Friday, I just want to give you my heart. I’m going to be writing some letters to donors. I’m going to be meeting with a volunteer and his wife at lunch. I’m going to be doing some planning. I have a meeting with a new community leader today. And of course, I’ll be with my wife this evening. Help me to take you throughout this day with me. Be in everything I do. Every breath that I take. Every moment I’m awake. Lord, have your way in me. Live through me. Touch others through me. Be glorified through me.

And help the two men who are on my heart this morning. Give them some real solutions. One has huge addiction issues. One is homeless and facing an uphill battle to resolve his homelessness. Frankly, the situations seem hopeless to me. Please show me if there is anything I am supposed to do for them. Make it obvious. Don’t let me miss what you’re telling me, but also keep me from doing anything out of my own wisdom or power because my wisdom is flawed and my power is small. But your wisdom is great and your power is endless.

I offer all of this to you in your Holy Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 19, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus” performed by Dennis Parker (featuring Charley Woods)

15 Jan

“Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus” performed by Dennis Parker (featuring Charley Woods)

1 What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2 For my pardon this I see:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]

3 Nothing can for sin atone:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]

4 This is all my hope and peace:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]

Dear God, I discovered a new artist this past weekend at the men’s retreat. Dennis Parker is amazing. There were some incredibly talented Nashville musicians at the retreat this weekend, and one of two of them might have had a little more technical ability (although I’m not sure of that because he was great), but I was mesmerized by his performance, his spirit, and his story. I won’t go into his story because it is his to tell, but here’s a link for anyone reading this who is interested:

With that said, I found some YouTube videos of him performing, and I came across this great hymn, so I thought I would just sing it to you this morning.

  • What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
  • What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
  • For my pardon, this I see nothing but the blood of Jesus.
  • For my cleaning, this my plea nothing but the blood of Jesus.
  • Nothing can for sin atone but the blood of Jesus.
  • Naught of good that I have done but the blood of Jesus.
  • This is all my hope and peace: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
  • This is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank you for this flow that makes me white as snow. There is no other fount I know–nothing but the blood of Jesus. I worship you, my Triune God.

I offer this prayer to you through the power of the blood of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Mary” by Patty Griffin

12 Jan

“Mary” by Patty Griffin

Mary, you’re covered in roses
You’re covered in ashes
You’re covered in rain
You’re covered in babies
Covered in slashes
Covered in wilderness
Covered in stains

You cast aside the sheets
You cast aside the shroud
Of another man who served the world proud
You greet another son
You lose another one
On some sunny day
And always you stay
Mary

Jesus said, “Mother, I couldn’t stay another day longer.”
He flies right by and leaves
A kiss upon her face
While the angels were singing 
His praised in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts
Cleaning up the place

Oh Mary, she moves behind me
She leaves her fingerprints everywhere
Every time the snow drifts
Every way the sand shifts
Even when the night lifts
She’s always there

Jesus said, “Mother, I couldn’t stay another day longer.”
He flies right by and leaves
A kiss upon her face 
While the angels were singing
His praises in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts 
Cleaning up the place

Oh, Mary, you’re covered in roses
You’re covered in ruins
You’re covered in secrets
You’re covered in treetops
Covered in birds
Who can sing a million songs
Without any words

You cast aside the sheets
You cast aside the shroud
Of another man who served the world proud
You grieve another son
You lose another one
On some sunny day
And always you stay
Mary

Dear God, I have tears in my eyes as I write this to you. My wife introduced this song to me recently, and I’ve had it going in my head ever since I heard it as I arrived at this retreat yesterday.

Mary is a complicated figure in Christendom. Satan has used her beautiful life to divide a lot of Christians over the last 500 years. But there are some things that are simply undeniable about her. One of them is this image of her dealing with the ascension of Jesus. Acts 1:14 tells us that she was among the disciples when they returned from the ascension. I wonder what her interactions with Jesus were like for those 40 days between the resurrection and the ascension. Joyous? Sorrowful? Bitter/sweet?

I know Mary as mother is a huge inspiration to some women. And as I’ve gotten an up-close look at Catholicism over the last 13 years, I’ve learned a lot about the Catholic theology about Mary—and it’s not as scary as I expected it to be as a boy raised in a Southern Baptist Church. If there is a cloud of witnesses, then she is among them. She’s not granting prayers, but she is joining us in prayer. She is caring about our prayers. I can accept that.

The second verse of this song really speaks to me: 

Oh Mary, she moves behind me
She leaves her fingerprints everywhere
Every time the snow drifts
Every way the sand shifts
Even when the night lifts
She’s always there

I’ve seen mothers who have experienced great sorrow receive a lot of comfort as they feel Mary’s empathy—maybe in a way that even you, God, never experienced. That’s probably too far. I’m sure that with the completion of Jesus’s earthly life and your own experiences there is absolutely nothing you cannot empathize with, but I can certainly see why women would find a special kinship with this woman. Motherhood can bring every emotion. From great joy to great sorrow. Sometimes it’s nice to know there’s a woman in heavenly places who knows how these women feel. Mary certainly was not spared any joys or sorrows.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, you know what’s currently on my heart. Things I cannot say publicly for the privacy of others. But you know. Oh, please be in these thoughts and prayers. Please move. Please grant them. If it is your will, Father, please, please grant them. The tears are here again. Oh, Father, please grant this prayer.

I offer this to you through the power of Jesus’s conception, birth, life, death, and resurrection, all of which Mary was a witness,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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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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