Open, open

 I have been pondering God's role as an opener in my life.  

I thought about a few verses in Revelation, in which Jesus says that he is the one "who is holy and true,who holds the key of David.  What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open...See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." (Revelation 3:7-8 (NIV)).

 I found myself asking, "What are the things/what are the doors that God opens in my life.  And eventually, I found myself singing.

Open, Open

Open, open, what doors do You open?

What doors do You open for me?

Open up the door to eternal life

So that I can walk on the path of light.

Open up my prison of sin and shame

So I can walk freely and feel no blame.

Open up my ears to Your Holy Book.

Open up the way with Your shepherd's crook.

Open up my heart. Open up my mind.

Open up my eyes so I won't be blind.

Open up my heart to my neighbor's need

so that I can love both in word and deed.

Open Your throne room high above

So I can find mercy and know Your love.

Open, open, what doors have You opened?

What doors have You opened for me?

God, Our Provider

In this season of political turmoil, it seems particularly necessary to remind myself that God is in control.  As I anticipate coming time when a number of people will be experiencing hardships, I want to solidify my understanding that God is a provider.  That I do not need to be afraid to be generous, that all of us can pray for God's provision.

I have been thinking about Romans 5:3-5, "Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance.  And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope.And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (TPT)

And James 1:2-4 (TPT) "My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!  For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance.  And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.

The final piece that went into this song was the memory of a friend of mine who would teach about gratitude, saying that he had always had what he needed (though not necessarily all that he wanted) provided for him--and that he knew that, because he was still here, still breathing.

You Have Always Provided 

You have always provided

All that I need.

I know that because I am breathing

Through sorrow and joy

You have cared for us all

Through winter and summer,

Through springtime and fall

You have always been there

You surround us with care

Through hardship and even disaster

Through rich times and poor times

You hold out Your hand

Through trials our faith will grow faster.

You have always provided

All that we need.

We know that because we are breathing.

Through sorrow and joy

You have cared for us all

Through winter and summer,

Through springtime and fall.

You have always been there

You surround us with care

Through hardship and even disaster

Through rich times and poor times

You hold out Your hand.

God help us be true

And to fully trust You

And to know in our hearts

You're the Master.

My Creator Created the World

 I wrote this song back in 2011, in conjunction with a project that meant I wasn't singing it constantly to myself, unlike most of the songs that I write.  And I had completely forgotten it.  Then I found it again, and kept thinking of it, and singing it to myself.  Finally, I decided that the time had come to play around with adding pictures, and recording it, so that is what I did today.  I am so grateful for vecteezy.com which enables me to find ai generated pictures that allow me to illustrate something like this without crediting each and every individual artist.  And I am also grateful for the many individual artists who cooperate with the Great Creator to make something like this possible.

My Creator Created the World

You spoke the world into being

Creatures both seen and unseen

Spirit and flesh came to life at Your touch

My mind can't imagine how You did so much

Every star and every planet

Each electron spinning so fast

Every galaxy whirling so slowly

In the dizzying cosmic dance.

Each blade of grass and every kitten

Each grain of sand and each fish in the sea

Thunder and lightning and sparrows and chickens

You made it all – You caused it to be

You made the whole world

And You made me.

My Creator created the world.

Fire and water and vacuum and dust

Unthinkable vastness 

And hearts that can trust

My Creator created the world

Our Creator created the world.

Temple Sparrows

 I was looking for all the words to this song that I wrote over a year ago, and was surprised to find that I'd never posted it here.  It's one I like a lot, though I don't have much to say about it.

Sparrows have been very comforting to me since the time that I wrote a song proclaiming that even though I'm not important in terms of this world, "I know a God who cares about sparrows."

This song began as I thought about Psalm 84:3 (NIV) "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God."  And of course, if I'm going to think about sparrows, it seems inevitable that I will think about what Jesus said, in Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV), "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. "

Temple Sparrows

At Jerusalem's temple, near the altar that was blessed

The swallows and the sparrows built their tiny nests.

In the place that was sacred they would all fly around

Knowing their babies would be safe on holy ground.

Like a sparrow in the temple

Let me fly in Your love

Let Your Spirit take me higher

To Your throne room above.

In the presence of my Savior

Let me settle and rest.

Secure in the knowledge that

I'm loved and I am blessed.

In the markets of Galilee and of Jerusalem

They sold two birds for a penny

People came for them.

And Jesus said his Father cared for every bird that fell.

So we can be confident that He cares for us as well.

Like a sparrow in the temple

Let me fly in Your love

Let Your Spirit take me higher

To Your throne room above.

In the presence of my Savior

Let me settle and rest

Secure in the knowledge that

I'm loved and I am blessed.

Like a sparrow in the temple

Let us fly in Your love

May Your Spirit take us higher 

To Your throne room above

In the presence of our Savior

Let us settle and rest

Secure in the knowledge 

We are loved and we are blessed.

God, the Great Giver

I've been thinking about the various attributes of God that sometimes function as a kind of name for God, and one that came up is that God is a Giver.  Maybe with Thanksgiving on the horizon, that struck me.

When people think of God as a giver, and think of actually praying for specific things, this is sometimes derided as reducing God to a heavenly vending machine.  You pop in prayer, and he pops out stuff, and if the stuff doesn't arrive, then maybe it's a stuck vending machine, or you didn't add enough faith or something like that.

We think of the old Janis Joplin song, "O God, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?  My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.  O God, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?"  And we are (rightfully, I think) scornful of the materialism derided in that song.   But it is not the case that the only good prayers are exclusively spiritual.  We are commanded to ask for our daily bread.  And Jesus expected tax money to be given to him, and provided miraculous catches of fish.  

When I started meditating on some of these scriptures, I was somewhat surprised to find that the verse I was familiar with as "Every good and perfect gift is from above..." was actually about giving as well as gifts.  In time, that yielded a song.

"All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.  By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message. of truth, that we would be a kind of first fruits of all creation." (James 1:17-8 NET)

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11 NIV) 

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13 NIV)

All Good Gifts

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

He gave us new birth by the word of his truth

So we could be first fruits of all creation

First fruits are his; they are given to God

He gave us as gifts to himself.

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

If you who are evil know how to give 

Good gifts to the kids you adore.

How much more will your Heavenly Father

Give to his children so much more?

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

If your child asks for bread, you won't give them a stone

If they ask you for fish you won't give a snake.

And those who ask God for the Holy Spirit

Will find He is given to them.

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

God's Gift

 This morning I was thinking about spiritual gifts, because our church will soon be doing a workshop about this topic.  And suddenly I heard this song in my heart, God singing it over me and all of us.  Very simple and short, but meaningful to me.

God's Gift

Be a gift, be a gift

Be a wonderful present

Be a gift, be a gift 

To the world.

Help them know who I am.

Help them see that I love them.

Be my gift, be my gift

To the world.

You're my gift, you're my gift

You're my wonderful present.

You're my gift, you're my gift

To the world.

When the Testing Comes

 I was in a Bible Study.  We had just read 1 John 4: 17-18.

"This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:  In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

The question was asked, "What is the day of judgment?" and it occurred to me that there are many sorts of "days of judgment", times when our faith is tested.  I don't have fear for the final day of judgment, but what about the intermediary times of testing.  I don't want to be foolishly sure that I will pass the test in all times of trial.

So that became a prayer, became a poem, became a song.  I probably did not pay as much attention as I might have to the rest of the study.  

When the Testing Comes 

When the testing comes,

I want to ring like a bell

When the trials come,

Give me Your stories to tell.

Let me know Your love

Throws away all my fear

Let me walk in love,

Knowing You will be here

And Your love casts out fear.

You are my Number One

Come and burn like fire.

Let my passion grow

Let the flames reach up higher

Burn away all chaff

Burn away all my dross

When I pass through flame

Nothing real will be lost.

When the testing comes,

I want to ring like a bell

When the trials come,

Give me Your stories to tell.

Let me know Your love

Throws away all my fear

Let me walk in love,

Knowing You will be here

And Your love casts out fear.

Covenant Love

 This is a song I wrote almost 30 years ago, but I had lost it.  I couldn't remember the words or the melody except in a kind of ghost sense.  In recent years, I've asked God if he would help me get it back.  Then yesterday, it suddenly came back to mind.  I guess it's time.  I drew from Romans 8:28, Romans 8:38-39, the idea that the church is the Bride of Christ, and my memories of my wedding vows.

Covenant Love

O Lamb of God

You keep covenant with Your people

It's in the broken bread

Our spirits will be fed

We know all things

Will work good in our lives and blessing

And from your love, O God,

Nothing can part us.

O Lamb of God

You keep covenant with Your people

We drink the cup of life

We are Your chosen wife

We are Your bride

You have suffered and died to claim us.

Help us to live for You.

Help us be faithful.

O Lamb of God

You keep covenant with Your people

You make a solemn vow

You will be with us now

Through good and ill

You will always be there beside us

And since You conquered death

Nothing can part us.

Over and Over

I have recently been thinking about various Arabic names for God, and have come to Al-Ghaffar, the Repeatedly Forgiving.  As I read through the different commentaries in Islamic sources on this name, they read much like Christian commentaries on forgiveness, especially stressing the point that one should not fail to ask for forgiveness even though it might seem like the number of sins one has committed are overwhelming.  (There is another, related name, Al-Ghaffur, which stresses God's willingness to forgive even great sins).  

In liturgical churches, we often pray some version of a general repentance prayer that goes, "We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name.""

There is a tension in the Christian life.  On one hand, in Christ we are dead to sin, and sin should have no dominion over us.  John goes so far as to say that "who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him." (1 John 3:6).  However, Christian experience tells us that becoming a Christian does not, in fact, bring us immediately into a sin free life.  It is not that there is no progress or no victory, but we as we progress in our spiritual walk, we become more aware of subtler sins.  At least, that is the hope.

Over and Over

Over and over and over again

I find myself missing the mark..

Over and over and over again

I stumble and fall in the dark..

Sometimes I try and fail

And sometimes I fail to try.

Over and over and over again

I cry out for forgiveness to God on high.

And over and over and over again

You forgive me and help me to make a new start

Over and over and over again

You clean up the mess in my heart.

And I stand here in wonder and awe that You

Would keep on forgiving a person who

In all of my blunders keeps coming to You

Over and over again.

Living Stones

This song is almost a year and a half old.   I started a blog entry and never posted it.  I'm trying to catch up on having my blog up to date.

I've always been intrigued by the concept that we are living stones.  When I looked up the verse, I was struck by the fact that we are living stones that God is building together into his temple or his house.  Together, we are meant to hold the very presence of God.  

The letter of 1 Peter talks about this: 

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple.  He was rejected by people, but was he was chosen by God for great honor.  And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.  What's more, you are his holy priests.  Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.  As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."  Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.  But for those who reject him, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."  1 Peter 2: 4-7 NLT

As I thought about this, I realized that I have always thought of Jesus as our cornerstone as meaning that he was like the keystone of an arch (without the keystone the whole thing falls apart).  But the cornerstone is the one that all the other stones have to line up with for the building to take shape.

This is what came to me as I thought about this.

    Living Stones

Living Stones

You tell Your people we are living stones.

Made to fit together

And when we come together

We become the house of God.

Cornerstone

Jesus is our living Cornerstone

The standard we are set to

So when we come together 

We become the house of God.

House of God

Together, we're the house of God.

The Church is made of people

And when we come together 

We become the house of God.

 

Now We See in a Mirror Dimly

 This is a new song that has been running through my mind lately.

Along with it is a recognition that it is all to easy to have the "mirror" running backwards so that instead of reflecting God with our lives, we only see in our understanding of God a reflection of our own prejudices and preconceived notions.  This song, at least in my mind, is a prayer that more and more I'd be able to see God as God is and not just as I want God to be.

Now We See in a Mirror Dimly

Now we see in a mirror dimly

Then we shall see face to face

Now we see in a mirror dimly

Then we shall see face to face

And even what we see in that mirror

Fills us with wonder and awe.

Now we see in a mirror dimly

But then we shall see face to face.

Lord, when we see You we shall be like You

For we shall see You as You are

Help us to see You and to be like You

Help us to see You as You are.

Pressing Forward

 I guess one isn't supposed to post two blog entries on the same day, but I realize that this is a song that never made it on to the blog, and it is one that is important to me just now.

It's at least a year old, but it focuses on two scriptures that have been dear to me for a long while now.

Pressing Forward

Pressing forward, pressing in, pressing on to lay hold of

That for which Jesus laid hold of me.

Pressing forward, pressing in, pressing on to lay hold of

That for which Jesus laid hold of me.

Draw me, draw me, draw me and I will run after

Draw me, draw me, and I will run after You.

Help me to be more like Jesus.

What does it mean today to carry my cross?

Help me keep my eyes on the target

And follow whatever the cost.

Pressing forward, pressing in, pressing on to lay hold of

That for which Jesus laid hold of me

Pressing forward, pressing in, pressing on to lay hold of

That for which Jesus laid hold of me.

Draw me, draw me, draw me and I will run after.

Draw me, draw me, and I will run after You.

You Make It All Worthwhile

I woke up recently with part of this song running through my mind and heart, and was able to spend some time making it come together.  I think it represents how I have thought of God since I came to be a follower of Jesus, since I did not come to him primarily to have my sins forgiven but to find something that was worth living my whole life for.

I was recently ordained, and I used this song as part of my testimony in conjunction with the ordination process.

You  Make it All Worthwhile

You are my center, and You are my core

The Ground of my Being, What I'm living for

Help me remember when I'm feeling weary

That you make it all worthwhile.

You are the one that I'm running the race for

And You are the one that I run to embrace

Help me stay certain when I'm feeling shaken

That you make it all worthwhile.

King of all kings on the throne of my heart

The Lamb that was slain and my Light in the Dark

All of my days as long as I'm living

You make it all worthwhile.

For what it's worth, I think I have the words slightly different in the YouTube video.  The way I have it here is the way I want it, but I don't have the bandwidth to change the video just now.

Our King Walked Among Us, Carrying His Cross

 I wrote this song last year, when our church participated in a "Cross Walk" organized by ten local churches, to celebrate Good Friday by carrying a cross around to different churches, and at each church sharing a brief moment of reflection on the meaning of Good Friday.  I am quite confident that when Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him, he didn't have this kind of cross carrying in mind, but the question of what he did mean, and what that instruction means for us today is something I still ponder.  This song represents part of my attempt to grapple with that.

Our King Walked

Our King walked among us,

Carrying his cross.

He'd been whipped and beaten,

And it seemed all hope was lost.

But he won the battle

When he died upon that tree –

He gave up his life for you and me.

Our King died among us,

Nailed upon that cross.

He cried out, "Forgive them"

As the dice were tossed.

He cried, "It is finished" 

As he took his final breath.

He brought us salvation with his death.

Our King said to follow

And to carry our cross

To love one another

Whatever the cost.

To pray for our enemies

And leave all hate behind.

To love God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind.

Our King walked among us,

Carrying his cross.

Psalm 130

 This isn't really my song, but one someone taught me years ago when I was in college, sometime between 1973 and 1975.  I have no idea now who wrote the tune.  I wanted to share it with some folks, and so I made a video.  The words are pretty much straight King James.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord.

Lord hear my voice

Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If Thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand

But there is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait and in His word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning

I say more than they that watch for the morning.

Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy

And in Him is plenteous redemption

And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities

And He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.

The Belt of Truth

 Something like 28 years ago, a close friend was given a vision in which God gave him the Belt of Truth.  I was jealous.  "Me too, God. Why don't I get cool visions like that?"  And as long as I was praying for the belt of truth, I figured I might as well ask for the rest of the armor of God at the same time.

Why the focus on the belt of truth?  Well, partly it was my envy of my friend's vision.  But also it is perhaps the aspect of the armor of God that I struggle the most with.  It is so easy to shade the truth so that I make myself look better.  But that is not the total trust in God that I believe we are called to in this concept of spiritual armor.

I don't make a practice of religiously praying for this armor to be applied to me every day, but I do try to walk in the full meaning of each piece of the armor in all of my life.

At any rate, the subject came up recently, and I realized that I had not shared this particular song on the Internet.

   The Belt of Truth

I want to be ready for battle today

Wearing the armor that helps me to pray

Yielded in all that I am to your truth,

Lord, give me the belt of truth

And strip all the lies away

All my defenses, all my pretenses

Let me walk in the light of day

Give me the belt of truth

Only Your righteousness guarding my heart

Faith as my shield against fiery darts

Your gospel of peace as the shoes for my feet

O Lord, make my love complete

And strip all the lies away

All my defenses, all my pretenses

Let me walk in the light of day

Give me the belt of truth

With Your salvation protecting my head

Your Word the manna with which I am fed,

Your Word of life as my sword for the fight

Lord, help me to walk in light

And strip all the lies away

All my defenses, all my pretenses

Let me walk in the light of day,

Lord give me the belt of truth.

The Mercy Seat

I wrote this quite some time ago, but never published it to YouTube.  I shared it with a Bible Study group and a friend encouraged me, "Time to get it up."

The Mercy Seat

I want to meet at the Mercy Seat

I want to stand in Your Presence

Under the wings of the Cherubim

There at your feet, at the Mercy Seat

Where the streams of life are flowing

From beneath the throne of God

And your grace and mercy fall like rain

On your people, Lord.

 I want to meet at the Mercy Seat

I want to stand in Your Presence

Under the wings of the Cherubim

There at your feet, at the Mercy Seat

Though I cannot always feel You

And I often do not see

I can boldly come before You

And receive Your love.

 I want to meet at the Mercy Seat

I want to stand in Your Presence

Under the wings of the Cherubim

There at your feet, at the Mercy Seat

Here at your feet at the Mercy Seat.