We Are Waiting (2)

I know I already did a blog post for this song, but I was helping with worship at a conference this weekend, and this song sort of came to the forefront because it tied in so well with the theme that emerged: waiting on God. (Plus, I got a new mic recently and felt like re-recording it).

I was reminded this weekend that waiting is such a crucial aspect of the believer's identity. We wait in confidence because we know that He who did not spare his only Son but gave Him up willingly, will not withhold anything good from His children (Romans 8:31-32). And we wait with a strong hope because of the coming Kingdom, where we will know Love personified in all His fullness.

P.S. I kind of went to town on this recording... I couldn't help myself... but I hope I'm not setting a precedent... I would still like this to be a place where I can throw up (very) rough recordings of songs I'm writing...

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Verse: (C Dm7 F Gsus)
Pre-chorus: (F C Gsus)
Chorus & Bridge: (F C Gsus Dm7)

All My Life (At the Cross)

I wrote this song about a few months ago, around the same time as "This World Has Nothing for Me". Both songs are centered around the theme of losing all things for the Lord, being crucified with Christ, but this song sprang more out of a meditation on the first part of Galatians 6:14, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

And I stole a line from a great old hymn... I'll let you figure out which one.

(I've also included the chords for this one, in case you care to play along)

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(C F G C Am G F C)
All my life I will live
At the cross
At the place you loved me
With all my strength
I will boast in the cross
For the way you loved me there

(Am G F C)
And I am crucified with Christ
And I have found new life
At the cross at the place you loved me

(F Am G C F Am G)
Riches I will heed not, nor man's empty praise
You will be my first love now and always
I will ever praise you, see your hands and feet
You have won my love for eternity

Jonah

I wrote this song probably four years ago now. I had a crisis of faith toward the end of my junior year of college, after which the Lord got me by myself for a little while. I felt like Jonah in the belly of the big fish. Anyway, I think I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves.

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I am Jonah and I am sailing on the sea
And you sent a storm because you wanted me
So throw me over, come and throw me overboard
I have a long awaited appointment with the Lord

I am Jonah in the belly of the deep
But it is in this place I can hear you clearly
And although its dark and cold, this I have come to know
It is my only hope

'Cause you had to get me into the secret place
You had to draw me out and get us face to face
You have my attention, and I know it's been a while
But I am all ears now

I am Jonah, and it has been three days
I've been waiting and praying here with no escape
Are you about to spit me out, 'cause Lord, I could use another hour
Just to be here with you

One thing I ask and I would seek
To meet you Jesus here in the deep
In lowly places my heart is weary
But you are near me, Lord

Strong and Loving

I love the passage in Psalms where David says, "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving."

I have needed this image of God, who is both strong - able to save me and take my daily burdens upon himself - and loving - willing to save me and take my burdens.

This song is an effort to understand who God is as strong and loving in the context of Christ's death and resurrection. The One who died in weakness displayed greater strength than any man ever has. He who loved his enemies unto death arose in strength and power to make salvation available to all who come in faith.

Other passages that I had in mind when writing were Proverbs 18:10 and 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.

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You are love, You are strong
You are good all day long

Your love is a strong tower
We run in and we are saved

You are our burden bearer
You are our sin forgiver
You were the man on the cross
You are our strong redeemer
You are our king forever
The risen ruler of all

You are God come in flesh
Knowing pain, drinking death

What strength displayed in weakness
What love conquered o'er the grave

Dead and risen, You have conquered
Strong and loving, What a Savior!

Thank You For Taking

I wrote this song recently, inspired by a time of prayer at my church. A friend of mine prayed a prayer that really struck me, and knowing a little bit about what had recently transpired in his life, it was all the more striking.

It went something like this...

"Lord, thank you for taking [...] out of my life;
Thank you for what you have given to me;
Thank you for what you have left in my life.
You are my portion forever. Amen"

So I wrote a song about it (and added a little something that might remind you of Neil Young...).

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Thank you for taking
Thank you for giving
Thank you for leaving behind
What you have taken
What you have given
What you have left in my life

Refrain
You are my portion forevermore
Your ways are higher than mine
You are my lot in the land, O Lord
Your love is better than life

Thank you for making
Thank you for changing
Thank you for taking control
What you have made me
How you have changed me
O what a love I can know

Please, God

This is yet another song I wrote in response to a sermon series one of my pastors did on ASKing. There are a few different ways I approach song-writing, and this one came first as the melody and first few lines of a verse... I figured out the guitar part later.

When thinking about what we should ask God for in worship, it seemed most obvious to me that we should ask that He be more greatly glorified on the earth. Our primary motivation in worship should be to make his "name and renown" the desire of our hearts (Isaiah 26:8).

James tells us that we have not because we ask not, and that when we do ask, we frequently ask with wrong motives and therefore receive nothing. But if we are firstly motivated by a humble desire for God's "name and renown," then our requests have a solid foundation.

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Please, God, build Your kingdom
Please, God, send Your rain
Hear, God, us Your children
Asking please, God, have Your way

We have not for we ask not
So we ask now
We are wretched, blind, and poor

Send Your Spirit, come down
And let every nation bow
For Your name and renown
We are asking, God
Holy Jesus we pray
Be exalted in our day
For Your glory and fame
We are asking God

Please, God, have a harvest
Have a people for your praise
Save, God, those in darkness
Teach our hearts to love Your grace

We have not
For we ask not
We ask now O God

One Thing I Ask

I wrote this song a few weeks ago. One of my pastors has been studying Psalm 27 lately and encouraged me to write a few songs for corporate worship based on some of its themes.

Having music ministry as a part of my job, I have appreciated the time and opportunity to grow as a song-writer. The vast majority of songs I have written in the past have come out of a very personal place of worship. Some of these songs have been suitable for a congregation (i.e. they have a melody that can be followed by most and lyrics that can be sung by different people in different seasons of life), but the original meditations that prompted these songs have been very personal in nature. I am now trying to learn how to come at song-writing from a different angle. Rather than just asking, "What am I learning?" I am asking the question, "What is my church learning?"

Interestingly enough, some of the songs I have introduced at church lately have been better received initially by fellow worshippers than they have been by my own soul. But as I continue to use these songs in worship, they grow on me, becoming more and more a sincere declaration of worship born out of my own personal experience. Only after sharing these songs with others do I learn to own them myself.

Anyway... this is one of those songs. I wasn't even the one to introduce it the first time it was led at my church; a very capable fellow worship leader did! I pray this song motivates worship and praise in your own heart.

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One thing I ask, this I would seek
That I might gaze upon Your beauty
One thing I want, this I desire
O just a tast of You and Your glory

Heaven rain down
Glory pour out

I am confident of this
I will see Your goodness
In the land of the living
In the land of the living