I have the best dad. He is an elder in the great NY Church. I’m so blessed to have grown up in a family that put God first. Dad and mom even packed up and moved the whole family several times over the years to make sure that we were all set up spiritually – with close discipling relationship and a great church family.
They say your view of God is often shaped somewhat by your relationship with your father (for good or bad). While so many have that as an obstacle to understanding God, I’m so blessed to have been able to understanding God better by having a dad with a great blend of conviction and grace.
Anyway, in honor of Father’s Day I wanted to post a song called “His Hands” about the loving father we ALL share. We did this song at church yesterday – our group really loves to sing it. It works well a capella too (there are harmony parts). Sheet music and additional recordings are below.
Here is the version that appears on my CD, Be with Me, Lord:
A few years back some ministers and I we were thinking about ways to help unite our family of churches around the world. We thought having an international gathering of song leaders would be an inspiring way to encourage the saints – it had been quite a few years since we’d had anything like that. So we hosted a conference for worship leaders called “The Lord is My Strength and My Song” (click here to hear the theme song for the event, written by my friend Tony Martin). It was an inspiring time, with guest speakers and singers coming together from around the country (and a few from outside the US). Tony Martin was one of the presenters there from the Greater Baltimore church, and gratiously offered to host a similar conference the next year on the East side of the country. That year’s theme was “Praises Heard Around the World” (and the theme song has become a favorite of the LA church and other places). The next year we were in Chicago with the theme, “Glorious”, and last year in Rhode Island with the theme “Rejoice.”
These conferences have been an amazing time of spiritual renewal and friendship connection between brothers and sisters involved in worship ministry. Classes, speeches, and extended times of worship have equipped us with inspiration, ministry tools, and new songs to take back to our home congregations.
This year we join the ILC (International Leadership Conference for the ICOC churches), and we’ll have our conferences run side-by-side. The partnership between the leaders of our churches and those involved in worship ministry is both valuable and vital.
The ILC has chosen the exciting and compelling theme “The Mission” for their conference. We thought it appropriate that our theme be “The Passion.” As we continue to go forth into all nations bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to every tribe and language, it is our passion for God that will drive us on. It is our worship of Him, our relationship with Him, our connection to Him and our gratitude for all He has done that will fuel our mission to change the world. Where God’s people have ventured forth on conquest, singing has always accompanied them. As one of our favorite songs says it,
Righteous singing scares the devil,
So let’s shout our anthems loud!
A soldiers’ choir in holy concert,
Voices lifted, faces bowed.
We invite all those involved in leading worship in our family of churches — worship directors, song leaders, part-singers, musicians, choirs, praise teams, dancers, actors, media specialists, and audio technologists — to join us for this year’s International Worship Ministry Conference, THE PASSION.
Had a nice long time this morning at the beach. I’m so lucky to get to live just a couple miles away from the shoreline. Something about the big blue ocean and the sound of the waves crashing always helps me to connect with God. I was reminded of a song I wrote back in college during a day at the beach with my guitar. It’s about how there is so much we might want to understand, so much we can’t figure out, but if we listen for God’s voice and look for his will, he’s always right there to help us and guide us along.
Here is a recording of the song that appeared on an album I put together many years ago (Nothing Else).
I wish I could see forever from here
Fully understand emotion, my laughter and tears
I wish I could watch the beginning of time and space
But I can hear your heartbeat here in this ordinary place
As the waves crash into the sand
and the day is yours and mine to spend
I hear the waves and it makes me understand
Though now I can’t quite see eternally
or fully understand my destiny
still I can hear you gently speak to me
in the crashing of the waves
I wish I could walk across oceans and see the whole world
Touch the endless faces of each little boy and girl
I wish I could know your thoughts and understand your plans
But I can hear your voice in the word, and in the oceans and sands
I wish I could somehow speak to you, face-to-face
Ask you why you chose me to be free out of the whole human race
Sometimes it’s hard to believe what I think I can’t see with my eyes
But with my soul’s eyes inside open wide I can see beyond skies
This month has been one of celebration – my wife’s 40th birthday (and her twin sister’s) my birthday (and one of my sisters), my oldest son’s birthday, and our 17-year wedding anniversary. There have been so many moments this month where I’ve just sat back and thought, I must be the most blessed man on the planet! I have so, so much to be thankful for. God has been so good to me! It’s amazing how any little sacrifice you give to God, any hardship you endure for the kingdom, he SO multiplies it back in blessings –family, friends, guidance from his word, a firm foundation for life, hope for the future, heaven to look forward to.
I wanted to share a song I wrote a while back called “Everything’s Better with You.” Wherever God is, WITH him is the place to be.
Here is the version that appeared on a CD I put together back in 2002. (I like the horn parts at the beginning and end.)
My neighbor Jeff was baptized a couple weekends ago. It was so cool to watch God’s grace transform his life.
We’ve known each other for about seven years or so, and I had invited him to church a few times over the years. But he went through some rough times in his personal life more recently and was chatting with me about it. We decided to meet up for coffee. As he was telling me about some of the challenges he was going through I said, “you know it’s amazing because THIS Sunday the sermon is going to be ‘Finding God in Desperate Times’ (based on Matt 5:1-12).” His eyes kind of lit up and he said “Wow, sounds like I need to be there!” and he hasn’t stopped coming since.
In subsequent weeks we opened the Bible together and studied about what the Bible teaches about being a Christian. We talked about what Jesus expected from his followers and how you discover how the real Christian life is to be lived by studying out what it means to be a “disciple” (since that is the word the Bible uses for a Christian). It’s a very different picture than typical “denominational Christianity” you see in a lot of American churches nowadays. We talked about how our goal was not just to share some good Bible teaching with him, but to “make him a disciple” as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20.
It’s amazing how studying the Bible with someone, helping someone else to become a true follower of Jesus, always brings me back to again making the same decisions for myself. As we’re talking together about what Jesus expects and how awesome he is, I’m reminded again personally of why I do what I do. As I told Jeff, “this helps me just as much as it’s helping you.” I’m always amazed at Jesus’ simple plan to change the entire world – making disciples (of Jesus), who make disciples, who make disciples… living out his teachings in our every-day lives.
Here’s a simple and fun song I wrote several years back that can help you to keep Jesus’ plan on your mind (based on Matthew 28:18-20).
This song was published in DPI’s “Song of the Kingdom” songbook, and works great a capella too. Pick up that book to get the sheet music.
He said to go to every nation.
He said, “Tell everyone!”
He said to make them true disciples
And then the job will get done.
Go and make disciples of all nations,
Then baptize them in my name.
Teach them to obey all I have taught you
And I am with you all of the way.
Teach them to bow before the father.
Teach them to flee from sin.
Teach them real love for one another.
Make them true fishers of men.
Let’s go to each and every nation
Let’s go tell everyone!
Let’s go and make them true disciples
Let’s go ‘till this world is won.
On the video I’m doing it in the key of C so it’s not too high for my son Marshall who is singing with me, but when we do it at church with guitar or the whole band we normally do it in D. Here are the chords:
We spend this last weekend helping others in various community projects around LA (we do this annually every MLK weekend). At the same time our hearts and prayers were with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Randy Jordan, the CEO of HOPE worldwide, happened to be at our local worship service, where we collected $8200 to help out. He shared with tears an update he’d just received via text that two brothers who made a treacherous journey to reach members of our church there in Port au Prince (over 400 members, 150 still missing) had made it there just in time as the disciples’ food and supplies were running out. This song is dedicated to HOPE worldwide and to all who give their “time and heart away” in helping others. Feel free to download and share this song.
Celebrate the volunteer, who
With hours late, with sweat and tears
Strives to make a difference here
Where we’re living
With a hand to help someone
We have a chance to one by one
Make this land a better one
By what we’re giving
And what we give will in time
One by one multiply
Spreading HOPE worldwide
People helping people
It’s the way things ought to be
Spreading the HOPE we have around us
Building a peace and harmony
People helping people
It’s the way things ought to be
Come on and join us in the chorus
Giving our love to those around us
Spreading hope
The sun will shine; the rain won’t stay
Eyes now blind will see today
I’ll give my time and heart away
And we’ll be better
Won’t you help me sing the song
Won’t you tell me of the wrongs
The pains you’ve felt that must be gone
And we’ll sing together
And each wrong will in time
Turn into something that’s right
Spreading HOPE worldwide
People helping people
It’s the way things ought to be
Spreading the HOPE we have around us
Building a peace and harmony
People helping people
It’s the way things ought to be
Come on and join us in the chorus
Giving our love to those around us
Spreading hope
You don’t have to look far
You don’t have to look long
To find someone in need
Or something that is really wrong
Someone who’s lonely
If only we would take the time
Give our mind, start the climb
Help our neighbor not to slide
Together we’d be better
Nothing will break the ties
That hold the world together
Spreading HOPE worldwide
And what we give will in time
One by one multiply
Spreading HOPE worldwide
Chord Chart:
Intro:
G / D / C / D
Verse:
G / D / C / D
G / D / C / D
amin emin / D / amin emin / C(add 2)
Chorus:
G / D / bmin / C
G / D / bmin / C
Verse 2 (same as above)
Chorus (same as above)
Rap: emin / C/e (repeating)
Prechorus:
amin emin / D / amin emin / C(add 2)
Chorus
Vocal only Chorus twice
Modulated Chorus twice:
A / E / c#min / D
A / E / c#min / D
Wow, my last post was really long… here is a much shorter one this week. We did a really fun version of “Angels We Have Heard on High” at our regional worship service this past weekend. I love this song. Check out the bridge part –it’s fun. (Someday I’ll put out a whole professionally produced Christmas CD and I’ll definitely include this arrangement.)
Below is a demo recording I made for the band and singers, a teaching recording that goes through the parts, and a recording from the actual service. (Unfortunately that last one has got some major skips in the audio at the beginning and end, caused by some unknown error in the recording process. Oh well, at least you can get an idea of how it went with the whole band. This is just a recording off of the sound board, so you can’t hear the congregation who was belting it out!) Merry Christmas!!
My wife and I helped to put on a marriage retreat last week for couples in our church. On Sunday I shared a brief sermonette sharing some of the parallels between marriage and the relationship we, the church, have with Jesus (there are some cool things I’ve been learning the last few years). I also shared a song called “Wedding Banquet” – lyrics and a recording are below. Here are a few of the points I shared…
In Ephesians 5:32 Paul is in the midst of discussing the marriage relationship, talking about a wife and husband “becoming one,” and Paul says “This is a profound mystery –but I am talking about Christ and the church.” What does Paul mean by this “profound mystery?”
The old testament is filled with wedding language. A sample verse is Isaiah 62:5, “…as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”
John the baptist, last and greatest of old covenant prophets saw himself as the groom’s “best man” in John 3:29, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”
John the apostle got this idea. The 1st “sign” (of seven) he records takes place at wedding in Cana. He closes out Revelation with an image of bride beautifully dressed — that’s us, the church — refined, purified, beautiful, dressed in white. Jesus is the groom with “that look” on his face as we come down the isle. (Don’t you love to watch the groom’s face at a wedding? That’s our favorite part–looking back and forth between their two faces as the bride is coming down the isle.)
Prepare a Place
And then, in the familiar passage of John 14:1-4, the context is last supper, and the language used is wedding language. Jesus says “I am going to prepare a place for you …I will return and take you to be with me”. In ancient times the groom, after becoming engaged to the bride (a binding arrangement, that’s why in speaking about an engaged Joseph and Mary the bible says “he had in mind to divorce her quietly“), the groom would go away for a time (possibly a year or two), to “prepare a place” for the new couple to live. Often he would add on another room to his father’s house (notice Jesus says, “in my father’s house there are many rooms”). Then he’d come back to take her to be with him.
The groom’s arrival was usually a surprise and a big event for the town (maybe even in the middle of the night — remember all the stories Jesus told about the bridegroom coming and surprising everybody?) Everyone would come out of the their homes and celebrate, forming a parade to the new place that has been prepared. They’d have a wedding ceremony, the couple would go in and consummate the marriage. Then there would be a big banquet, celebration and feasting, sometimes for days on end, major festivities for all.
There are other parallels between ancient marriage and us, the church, that are really cool. Remember, the context of John 14 is the last supper.
Marriage Covenant and Bride Price
- The betrothal was just as binding as marriage vows are for us. Groom paid a large sum to women’s father, as “pay back” for him raising his daughter.
- Jesus said “this bread is my body which is given for you.” Jesus gave his very life, his all, as the bride price for us, the church.
The Cup
- The bride would drink the cup in presence of her family to accept the binding covenant (see minute 6:28 on this clip from the movie Nativity Story).
- Jesus said “this cup is the new covenant in my blood” — Adds a whole new significance to communion and that last supper.
Gifts for the Bride
- Groom would give gifts to the bride to hold on to until he returned, as a reminder of their covenant. She would hold on this object during the time he was gone to “prepare a place”.
- Jesus gave his Spirit as a reminder. Paul calls it “a deposit guaranteeing what is to come“.
Mikveh
- Bride would take ceremonial cleansing bath – still done to this day by the orthodox.
- Parallel to baptism, to wash away our sins.
Waiting Bride Consecrated
- Bride was then considered “set apart”, consecrated, preparing for the return of the groom. Engagement would be a year or two –preparing, waiting for the return of the groom.
What does all this mean for us, as the waiting bride of Christ? Everything we do should be about anticipation, waiting in EXPECTANT PREPARATION for the return of Christ. This means we don’t put down roots in this place. In the months before our wedding 17 years ago, my lovely bride was living in a house with five roommates, sleeping on the couch. It was in no way a long-term situation! She was preparing for our life together.
We get so tempted to get focused on the here and now, to make this our home. But this is just a temporary living situation. Do we live our lives this way? This should affect our spiritual self-discipline, our evangelism, our source of joy, where we put our hope. We should not be stressed out, choked, focused on the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things. We should be the radiant, expectant Bride of Christ, anticipating what is to come.
1 Corinthians 11:26
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes…
As we, the church, the waiting Bride of Christ, share Communion, it it a time only of looking inward (self examination), looking backward (remembering Jesus), but also looking forward. “Remembering” that Jesus is coming, looking forward to that day, keeping ourselves pure and set-apart as we wait for his return, living lives of expectant preparation.
Song – “Wedding Banquet”
This song appears on my album, Remain in Me, all songs sung from the perspective of Jesus to his followers. So many of Jesus’ stories contain wedding imagery, and one he tells in several different ways is of a great wedding banquet prepared by a king. When the time for the big celebration comes, those invited refuse the offer — in one story they even kill those sent to tell them about it, which doesn’t really even make sense. I think Jesus was trying to help us see how ridiculous it is for people to turn down the offer of eternity with God because of spiritual apathy or a desire for immediate comfort.
Many invited
But few are chosen
Many are sighted but they’re blind
If you have ears then
Let you hear when
I tell you stories of the time
A king prepared a banquet
A wedding for his son
A feast that’s never ending
For all to come
But they refuse him
And they abuse the men
That came to tell them it was time
So will you say “no”
Or put on your wedding clothes
To join me ’cause the wedding’s mine
The joy of the groom is mine
The bride’s dressed in white
I’ll love her until the end of time
‘Til the end of time
Many invited
But few are chosen
Don’t be left outside tonight
Don’t make excuses
Do not refuse my love
I’m here to tell you that it’s time
A king prepared a banquet
A wedding for his son
A feast that’s never ending
–so come!
Won’t you come?
My friend Todd and some of his fellow film students were over at my place last week to shoot a video. For their senior project they are putting together a music video and asked if they could use a song of mine, “Better than I Was Before.” They came to know the song through my myspace page. They shot some interview footage at my house and this “unplugged” version of the song (and we went into the studio to shoot a bunch more for the music video now in production, to be completed by the end of the year) [update - here is the finished video below, and scroll down further for the "unplugged" acoustic version I reference in this blog entry].
Prompted by my sister, I wrote the song as an entry for the “American Idol Songwriter Contest.” The idea of the contest was that the winning song would be sung by whoever won the “Idol” competition on their big winning night in their moment of glory (ie. “This is My Now“). You know the type of song. Got to have the word “moment” in it. Helpful if it talks about flying, dreams, destiny, etc. Such songs are fairly self-centered, but I thought, hey, I’d give it a shot. I wanted a song that would fit the contest, but that also came from my heart and my convictions.
I decided to write about how God has sometimes used the hardest times in my life to produce the most change. The rocky road, the ups and downs of life can make us more useful, more surrendered to God and his will, more perseverant and possessing greater character. It is not the easy times or the “good times” that make us who we are. It is the challenges. Jesus begins his teaching in the sermon on the mount with the basic idea of “How LUCKY you are when you are a loser… that’s when you find God. God is with the down and out.”
Consider these verses:
Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance… James 1:2-3
These (trials) have come so that your faith… may be proved genuine… I Peter 1:7
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him… Romans 8:28
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons… Hebrews 12:7
Anyway, so that was the sentiment of the song –still fairly inward and reflective, but coming from a place of seeing God and his sovereignty in the journey of life. I got sick the week I was recording the song and so my friend Pete Wade came over to sing it for the contest entry (amazing singer – click here to hear him singing it). The day it was due we went to upload the song and they had changed the front end of the entry page on the website — you couldn’t upload anymore! (There were all kinds of people upset about that on the Internet forums that night –I’m sure thousands entered the contest). I emailed it to a few folks who said it would still make it into the contest but never heard a word back, even to collect my entrance fee, so my guess is that it was never considered. O well, I’m sure God will do something with the song down the road if he wants to. Maybe it will encourage you, so here it is.
Better Than I Was Before
I was down
Some said I was out
I was looking down a long road
Heard the sound of the thunder
And the rains came down
Didn’t know if I could make it
But I’m here now!
And the hurts and pains and hunger
Have taught me that I could
Faith has made me stronger
It all works for the good
And now…
I’m better than I was before
I’ve changed
I’m not the same as I was
And I’m walkin’ through the open door
I can
I’ll take my stand
‘Cause the ups and downs
The ins and the outs
They’ve brought me here
I’m not lookin’ back no more
And I’m better than I was before
Here I am
My moment is now
It has all lead up to this point
It’s funny how the bright lights
Can hide all the crowd
I’m alone in all my thoughts
And they are racing now
As I’m looking towards the future
I’m feeling so alive
I’m part of something bigger
It’s open field and sky
Because now
I’m better than I was before
I’ve changed
I’m not the same as I was
And I’m walkin’ through the open door
I can
I’ll take my stand
‘Cause the ups and downs
The ins and the outs
They’ve brought me here
I’m not lookin’ back no more
I’ve learned I can be stronger
I’ve seen I can go longer
I know I can hold on to hope!
To hope…
Just wanted to take a bit of time and share a prayer –an old favorite hymn called “Nearer, Still Nearer”. This song really captures the heart of longing to be close to God. I love the way the prayer looks at God and his grace, looks at sinful self, resolves to change and cling to the cross, and looks forward to eternity.
Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart,
Draw me my Savior, so precious Thou art;
Fold me, O fold me, close to Thy breast,
Shelter me safe in that haven of rest,
Shelter me safe in that haven of rest.
Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,
Naught as an off’ring to Jesus my King,
Only my sinful, now contrite heart;
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart,
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart,
Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine;
Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign,
All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride;
Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified,
Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified,
Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last,
Till, safe in glory my anchor is cast;
Through endless ages, ever to be;
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee,
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee.
