Ashes to Glory / Look Unto the Hills

Hello all,
Just a quick side comment — I don’t really look at my own blog much – I just write stuff and post songs. But as I pulled up jbriancraig.com and scrolled down, there are all these videos, pictures of my face… I hope it doesn’t look like I’m trying to build a monument to myself or something. I just have lots of people ask what I’m doing, ask about new songs, resources etc, and this seemed like a good way to share stuff. I would actually share more songs by other people too (Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, Jeremy Camp, Lincoln Brewster, etc) but I want to respect copyright, and there are no copyright issues with posting my own recordings!

Anyway, I just got back from a great weekend with the Omaha Church of Christ and some great friends, Gregg and Cathy Marutzky. My wife and I taught a parenting class early Sunday and I got to lead the worship and share some thoughts for the Sunday worship service. They also had me give a concert Saturday night – which was a blast… two hours with no time pressure, I could tell stories and share songs and we all enjoyed a spiritual time together. Normally with Sunday worship I’m really concerned with trying to pull in the audience and help people sing, but with the concert I told them I wasn’t going to worry about that and I might go into my own little world a bit (honestly, I think it can be impacting and worshipful to just listen to music with a focus on the words as well as singing yourself).

It was great being with Gregg and Cathy again. Gregg was our campus minister (and leader of the Denver church) back at CU Boulder where my wife and I met and fell in love. He did our wedding over 16 years go. G and C had such an impact on our young days of learning to follow Christ, and to lead and love others. There were a couple songs he wanted to make sure I shared, both theme songs from conferences or retreats back in those days, Ashes to Glory, and Look Unto the Hills. I share a little bit about the songs on this video (I don’t mention the name of the school because we were in “Cornhusker territory”). It was moving to connect with the words of these songs again, not just for nostalgic reasons but for the spiritual message of these songs, written in my young Christian days. It reminded me of the freshness of salvation, and the grace that reaches me even now, as an older Christian.

I’ve also posted recordings of these songs from an album I put together in 1995 as a senior project. Yeah, they’re a bit dated, but so what…
Ashes To Glory

Look Unto The Hills

ASHES TO GLORY

Oh, my eyes are turning
From the past behind the wall
Oh, my world’s been burning
So I run to the waterfall
I can see my life for what it is:
A fragile paper doll
Oh, my heart’s been yearning
So I answer heaven’s call

I die and am made clean
I fly unbound and free
I cry and you move me
From Ashes to Glory…

Oh, my heart was crying
My life was spinning round and round
Oh, my soul was dying
Ashes, ashes, all fall down
But the like the phoenix from the flame
I leave the ashes on the ground
Oh, for glory flying
I want to wear a golden crown

I die and am made clean
I fly unbound and free
I cry and you move me
From Ashes to Glory…

Oh, I see forever
And whatever comes my way
Oh, we’ll be together
And forever yours I’ll stay
A thousand years from now
Perhaps I’ll think of what was yesterday
And I won’t remember
If I ever felt afraid

I die and am made clean
I fly unbound and free
I cry and you move me
From Ashes to Glory…

LOOK UNTO THE HILLS

Me, I was looking at me
and all I could see
was my iniquity.
I’d fall, couldn’t see at all
to know that I wasn’t moving.
So down, I was feeling down,
not looking around
out from inside of me
O I’ve got to lift up my eyes,
swallow my pride,
and see His glory!

I look unto the hills.
Where does my help come from?
I look unto the hills and I can
see my Maker’s love.
I look unto the hills
and then I know I’ve won,
’cause with my Daddy I can only
overcome.

Why, I’m wondering why
I sit when I
have the power to up and fly.
Not me – but when I see above me,
up into eternity.
And then I understand
creation’s hand
is what supports me,
I can see he’s watching over me.
I can be anything with Him when I…

I look unto the hills.
Where does my help come from?
I look unto the hills and I can
see my Maker’s love.
I look unto the hills
and then I know I’ve won,
’cause with my Daddy I can only
overcome.

My Father’s House

Happy Father’s Day!

OK, so I missed a week completely of the Monday Morning Music blog, which I had told myself I wouldn’t do. But there were so many things coming together at the same time. The church of which I am a part had a big transition where one region merged with another and that has taken a lot of time, energy, and logistical stuff to make happen. We had several “final” worship services, send-off’s, things of that nature. And then just over a week ago our church-at-large, the Los Angeles Church of Christ, just celebrated her 20th anniversary in existence. We had a big worship service at the Home Depot Center –an incredible, memorable, heart-moving (and very long) time together.  You can see photos at this link a great photographer has put up here. And there will be a video and photo essay soon posted on www.laicc.net.

Anyway, all of that came together last week and I had some deadlines to hit with designing graphics and launching a new worship series, married series, planning for a singles conference I’m directing, and things like that. Whew, makes me tired just writing about it all! So, I missed a week of blogging. As my lovely and always supportive wife was nudging me to take a week off I said, “but how can I disappoint my 20 or 30 readers?!” (OK it might be a few more than that.)

We did have some great time to recuperate and relax last weekend and celebrate Father’s day with my wonderful family. I am so grateful for my dad, who has always been so loving, caring, spiritually-guiding, faithfully-trusting-in-God. And I’m so grateful God has given me my own family to shepherd and care for.

I’m going to share a song I wrote some years back for Father’s Day called “My Father’s House.” The words are from Jesus to his followers on the night of his betrayal, taken loosely from John 14 and the surrounding chapters. I love this section of scripture. Sometime I’ll write more about all the cool Jewish wedding language that is used here.

We did this song at church yesterday. I usually have the congregation sing on the choruses, “fa-ther’s house… oo-oo.” I have a recording I made for the part-singers so I’m posting that as well, in case you’d like to use it sometime.

My Father’s House – parts

This is the version that appears on my latest CD, “Remain in Me.”

My Father’s House

My Father’s House
John 14:2

You know the way
even as you have known me
I’m here today
though tomorrow you’ll feel alone
Don’t slip away
when you feel the demons on you
‘Cause in you I’ll stay
and then I’ll come to take you home

And in my father’s house
there is room enough to hold you
In my father’s house
there’ll be no more fear and no more pain
In my father’s house
Remember all that I have told you
‘Cause my father’s house
you’re going to find is worth the wait

I’ll be beaten I will bleed
I’ll be pierced and I’ll be stricken
And in my name just like me
you’ll be ridiculed and scorned
But for a single grain of wheat
to give it’s fruit it must be buried
And so I’ll go but you will see
Tomorrow I’ll be reborn

There’ll be war there’ll be cold
There’ll be flood and fire and hardship
But remember what you were told
when you see this happening
That if you trust, if you hold
hold on to what I’ve shown you
If you’re faithful, if you’re bold
you’ll do even greater things…

drums – Pete Wade
bass – Malcolm Turner
electric guitars, mandolin – Marshall Mead
piano, guitars, percussion, vocals – JBC

Verse:
amin emin / G D
amin emin / D (break)

Chorus:
A / D / G / A

“Rejoice” – Worship Conference and New Song

Hello all,

I wanted to invite you to this year’s worship leader conference entitled “Rejoice”. We hosted one of these conferences a few years back in LA, then it was in DC, and last year Chicago. This year we’ll be in Rhode Island, and we’ll be coming together for worship on Sunday with the New England churches who will be there the same weekend for the New England Conference and 30-year anniversary of the great Boston Church of Christ.

It is an amazing, amazing time being with singers, musician and other people of the arts who are passionate about worshipping God. Being in the audience, I have a hard time singing my part — I’m usually too choked up to emit much sound because it is just so moving hearing the voices all around me (and if I am on stage I have to really try to hold it together).

I wanted to share this year’s theme song, entitled “Rejoice,” and some thoughts that went into writing the music and lyrics for it.*

In what some consider the oldest book in the Bible, God tells Job that the angels and the morning stars sang and shouted together as the cornerstone of earth’s foundation was being laid. From the dawn of time, the instant of God’s creation — the song of praise was there!

When God entered his creation as a human being, the night of his birth, the sky was filled with angels singing “Glory to God, peace on earth.” (I love that the audience was some ordinary hillside shepherds.) The song of praise continued.

And then when Jesus entered Jerusalem the final week of his ministry, on his way to make atonement for all sin for all time, his followers were overcome with the moment, and the song of praise continued…

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 
 
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
      
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:37-40

As a singer, and song writer, minister and musician, I love the fact that praise is part of the creation. Creation itself sings praise to God (see Psalm 148). The song of praise to God is very old, and as we join in, we sing along with a mighty throng of those not only on earth but in heaven who sing praises to God even now. As performers, we can sometimes think of ourselves more highly than we ought or desire personal glory — imagining our name in lights or on the lips of screaming fans. But as Christ-followers, we really are nothing but a voice in an enormous choir singing praise to God. As worship leaders we exist to point people to him. And his praise will continue for all eternity. I love this picture of the heavenly realm, revealed to the apostle John:

 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
      
to receive power and riches
   
and wisdom and strength
      
and honor and glory and blessing.”

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
      
belong to the one sitting on the throne
      
and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
Revelation 5:11-13 (NLT)

Here is a video of me sharing some thoughts, and a recording of the new song for you. I pray to see you at the conference, “Rejoice” this summer, August 28-30.

*My friend and fellow minister / worship leader Jay Minor helped to write the bridge section of this song. I love what we’ve come to call the “whoa whoa” part he came up with.

Here is a video of Jay’s ministry, Turning Point LA, introducing the song to their congregation.

Here are the lyrics of the song:

REJOICE

The cornerstone of earth’s beginning
The morning stars and angels singing
In joyful music as the world began
And still the song is ever-flowing
The choir of voices keeps on growing
Eternal praises of the great I AM

Rejoice, rejoice
I will lift my voice
and join the song
Creation is singing
Sing and shout
Even stones cry out
I must rejoice
For you are my King

Reign over me, O King of glory
All of my heart will sing the story
Of how your grace has saved a wretch like me
How sweet the sound we all are singing
The celebration’s just beginning
We’ll sing your praises for eternity

One day every knee will bow
But I give all to crown you now
One day we’ll see face to face
Till then I will run this race
Oh, oh…

Click here to get a detailed chart that Jay put together. Here is a simple text chord chart below…

REJOICE

Chorus
Bb / F/A / gmin / Eb
(repeating)

Verse
Bb / Bbsus / Bb / Bbsus
gmin / Eb/G / F / F

Bridge
cmin / cmin / Bb/D / Bb/D
Ab / Ab / Eb / Eb
(repeat)
F / gmin7 / F/A / Bb
cmin7 / Bb/D / Eb / Eb
(repeat)
F/Eb…

Be with Me, Lord

It will be 10 years this summer since this song was published in the church song book “Songs of the Kingdom”, by DPI (I had written it a couple years earlier). “Be with Me, Lord” has definitely become the most popular of songs I’ve written. Maybe it’s because of the infectious repetitive chorus. Maybe because so many can relate to the sentiment of the lyrics. Honestly, I’ve got to give credit for this song to Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

How I remember it, I had been listening this great album, “Graceland,” by Paul Simon, in particular this song called “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes.” On that song the choral group Ladymith Black Mambazo (these cool African guys) close out the song going “Ta na na na na, Ta na na na na” over and over again. I remember humming the tune while taking a shower and somehow that repeating phrase became “Be with me, lord; be with me, lord” –over and over, and OVER. The next few days I kept mumbling it and my wife was like, “can you stop that, please?!” I went on a prayer walk at a park near my house, and the melody and lyric of the three verses just came to me. So many of my prayers seem to be filled with the content of those verses:

“I need to know that you are there, God.”

“I know you promised I wouldn’t be tested more than I could bear… so help me!”

“Help me to be bold. Help me to make a difference. Help me know you’re with me.”

I wrote out the parts and taught it to some singers in my local church, and then it just gradually started catching on in churches around our fellowship. It was cool last year to get to go both to Mexico and hear them singing it in Spanish, and to Ukraine and hear them singing it in Russian. Here is a video of the Keiv Ukraine experience. There was this awesome band of musicians that I jumped in with. We couldn’t even communicate with each other except through music, smiles, and hugs. We had about 5 minutes to throw it together. On stage was a group of singers in Russian, and a group of Americans singing in English. The audience was filled with about five thousand people, mostly singing in Russian. It was really cool. On the video you can hear the second verse being sung in Russian.

Also this past year my church did a special worship service where they appointed me a “Minister of Music and Media” and the kids surprised me by singing the song. My young friend Daniel Plymell played guitar and all these kids filled the stage to sing. I love that my own kids hold this as their #2 all-time favorite song (#1 of course is “Blue Skies and Rainbows” – which my middle child referred to for the longest time as “Blue Guys and Rainbows”). I think these are great words to have rolling around in their brain. Here’s the video (my oldest son is the one in blue the camera zooms in on during the first verse):

I put out a CD a few years ago called “Be with Me, Lord.” Here is the version of the song that appeared on that album.
Be With Me, Lord

Here is an earlier version of the song. I couldn’t decide which recording I liked better for the album, so at the time the CD was being released I put it out to vote and the one above was chosen. I still like this version too, though.
Be With Me, Lord (prerelease)

Finally, here is a version that appeared on an album put out by members of a church in Berlin, Germany — a total surprise and a lot of fun to hear it when a friend gave me a copy.
Be With Me Lord – IGC Berlin

Chord Chart – here is how I normally play it
(by the way, this was a purely a capella song for a long time. But then a friend Tammy Fleming asked me to play guitar with it for a women’s event and I’ve been doing it with guitar ever since)

1st two verses: E / A B
D …
Last verse: G / C D