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Tag Archives: “Cry the Name”

Mark 2:1-12

16 Jan

2 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Mark 2:1-12

Dear God, just verses 1-5 have so much in them. My first thought is wondering why he was staying in the house while so many people were trying to see him. Was he staying away from the temple? Was he trying to lay low? I don’t know, but it’s interesting that his popularity created a situation where these men destroyed the roof of the house that was hosting Jesus. How did the homeowner react? Were the men who tore up the roof ready to fix it?

My next thought was about Jesus’s seeming intention to make his point about forgiving sin by starting with that. He knew that’s not why the people brought the man to him. He knew they wanted him to heal their friend. But he started with something he knew would be inflammatory: His ability to forgive sin. Then he moved on to the healing. But up through verse five, the only thing he’s done so far is teach and forgive sin.

I confess that I think I’ve had kind of a bad attitude lately towards others who are outside of my work sphere. Honestly, I think it’s fatigue. I am kind of mentally and emotionally fatigued right now. Can I get some healing? Is my problem that I’m trying to do so much on my own and without your power? Wow, I think that might be it. I praying to you, but am I calling on you to live through me and love through me?

Father, I need your provision. Beyond resources, I need your provision in my spirit. I need your Spirit to fill me, motivate me, strengthen me, direct me, and sustain me. I need your vision. I need your peace. I need your love and joy. I need your kindness, patience, and goodness. I need your gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. I need you. I need you Holy Spirit. I need you, Jesus. I need you, Father. To quote a Rich Mullins song, “I cry the name of the one who loves me!”

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 16, 2026 in Mark

 

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“Cry the Name” by Jill Phillips (originally by Rich Mullins)

26 Oct

“Cry the Name” by Jill Phillips (originally by Rich Mullins)

I cannot hide this longing that grows
In this temple of silence and stars
But a thief in the night stole in and broke
Every chain that had bound up my heart
I cannot cling to shadows again
So here on this altar tonight
I lay every dream I’ve ever dreamt
To burn in the fire He lights

I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

Every breath I’ve ever breathed
Was sent as a gift from on high
And with all that is left of all that is me
Up to the Heavens I cry

The Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

The Name of the One who loves me
Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
Down these canyon walls

I cry out Your name
I cry Your name out
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls
Down these canyon walls

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David “Beaker” Strasser / Richard Mullins

Dear God, I think Rich Mullins would have liked this cover of his song. Like most people, I usually like the original more than any remakes, but this one really brings the poetry of the words alive for me.

I cannot hide this longing that grows
In this temple of silence and stars
But a thief in the night stole in and broke
Every chain that had bound up my heart

Paul talked about Jesus coming like a “thief in the night,” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) so Rich and Beaker lean into that imagery here. Our minds think of a thief in the night as a bad thing, but, well, if you know you know, right? If you know this verse then you know the depths of what Rich and Beaker are saying. So with this verse, I just get this image of someone at the end of themselves and they’ve finally submitted to you. They let you come in the window and trusted you to rob them of everything you want to take. The beauty of it is, you want to take their shame, their guilt, their vice, their selfishness… You want to take all of that and leave them with the smooth skin of a new baby. The innocence of a spotless lamb. That’s what you stole. So now that the thief (you) have made off with all of the bad:

I cannot cling to shadows again
So here on this altar tonight
I lay every dream I’ve ever dreamt
To burn in the fire He lights

At least at first, it’s hard to cling to the shadows again. Shadows come from the light, when things are there to block it. And we want those things in our hearts that will block your light. But you want to remove them so the light shines everywhere. And, at least at first, we want your light everywhere. We want the shadows gone. I just finished looking at Jonah and Nineveh. At first, the Ninevites and the King of the Assyrians wanted you and repented. They wanted to get rid of their shadows. The sad thing is, the thrill wears off and the comfort of our shadows and shame can slowly come back if we don’t walk through the narrow gate and persevere down the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14). But let’s sit a little longer on this night that Rich and Beaker are describing. They have chosen to lay every dream they’ve ever dreamt and let them burn in the fire you light. Beautiful.

I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls

I know there are a lot of places with skies, stars, and canyons, but this makes me think of some moments I’ve had out at the H. E. Butt Family Foundation Ranch near Leakey, Texas. Mountaintop experiences, to be sure. Glorious. Emotional. Humbling, but in a good way. It can be hard to leave that place. So I’ll just let the poetry of these words take me back to those times. When the soil of my heart was freshly weeded. Before some thorns and weeds had crept in. Just you, me, and guiltless soil.

Father, to quote another Rich Mullins song, “Elijah,” “Sometimes my ground was stony, sometimes covered up with thorns, and only you could make it what it had to be.” Help me to weed my soil again today. Help me to go and be your ambassador in every situation I find myself in. I love you, Father. Make me what I need to be today so that you might be glorified. I want to decrease and you increase. As I teach Sunday school in an hour, I want you to move hearts. Let this be a day when we do some weeding in all of our hearts.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 26, 2025 in Hymns and Songs

 

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