Ill be the first to admit it: I have a rather slow processor. It’s works well enough; it just takes me a while to figure things out sometimes. I’ve been known to prayerfully ruminate over something for months. But often, if that something has deeply touched my heart, inspiration will eventually leap out from a prayer, or off the pages of a scripture, and rise on the wings of a tune, entwined with lyrics crafted as the result of my meditation.
Below please find the lyrics to several songs I have written. This first selection is of songs I wrote as I was interacting with the Holy Spirit about the needs of the African children that my wife and I went to live among in Mozambique. At the time that we lived there for 6 years, Mozambique was tied for the poorest country in the world and was in the middle of being hit very hard by the AIDS crisis that left millions of orphans in its wake. Staggered by the needs surrounding us, and only too painfully aware of my own shortcomings in any attempt to make a real difference in such a complex arena, I continued to find hope and life and equilibrium in the words of scripture and the constant presence of God.
The tab below is linked to my (amateur) recording of those songs.
Below please find the lyrics to several songs I have written. This first selection is of songs I wrote as I was interacting with the Holy Spirit about the needs of the African children that my wife and I went to live among in Mozambique. At the time that we lived there for 6 years, Mozambique was tied for the poorest country in the world and was in the middle of being hit very hard by the AIDS crisis that left millions of orphans in its wake. Staggered by the needs surrounding us, and only too painfully aware of my own shortcomings in any attempt to make a real difference in such a complex arena, I continued to find hope and life and equilibrium in the words of scripture and the constant presence of God.
The tab below is linked to my (amateur) recording of those songs.
1. Come!
(Isaiah 55, John 6:25-29)
All you thirsty, come, to the water, come,
come and drink, and never thirst again!
All you hungry--come! To the table, run!
Come and dine, the banquet is prepared!
And His blood will be your first real drink
And His body will be your first real food
And underneath the banner of His everlasting love
--close your eyes--taste and see: the Lord is good!!
All the poor can come! With no money--come!
Come and buy, milk and honey, sweet!
All the naked--come! Cover all your shame.
Your white robes are laying at His feet!
come and drink, and never thirst again!
All you hungry--come! To the table, run!
Come and dine, the banquet is prepared!
And His blood will be your first real drink
And His body will be your first real food
And underneath the banner of His everlasting love
--close your eyes--taste and see: the Lord is good!!
All the poor can come! With no money--come!
Come and buy, milk and honey, sweet!
All the naked--come! Cover all your shame.
Your white robes are laying at His feet!
2. Any Wonder
(Isaiah 4:5-6, Hosea 14:3, Amos 5:24)
Wrapped up in this desert heat, I keep dreaming the same dream
of quiet streams where I drink unafraid.
Beneath this arid barren sky, I keep looking for a place to land
to cool my head in lasting shade.
Is it any wonder that I came running
when I heard the kindness in Your voice?
(Chorus)
For You are a refuge from the wind
You are a shelter from the storm
and Your heart is pounding with adoption.
So let justice roll on like a mighty river
let righteousness flow like an eternal stream;
for in You the fatherless find compassion.
Who is this who fights His way into my burning house
and covers me till this inferno's over?
Who is this who wades into these waves that reach my mouth
and lifts me up high on mighty shoulders?
Is it any wonder that I came running
when I saw the confidence in Your smile?
(Chorus)
I heard You say that it's ok for me to come inside
and trade my past for true love without shame.
I heard You say that I can stay and make myself at home
and be with You and take Your name.
Is it any wonder that I came running
when I saw You knocking on my front door?
(Chorus)
of quiet streams where I drink unafraid.
Beneath this arid barren sky, I keep looking for a place to land
to cool my head in lasting shade.
Is it any wonder that I came running
when I heard the kindness in Your voice?
(Chorus)
For You are a refuge from the wind
You are a shelter from the storm
and Your heart is pounding with adoption.
So let justice roll on like a mighty river
let righteousness flow like an eternal stream;
for in You the fatherless find compassion.
Who is this who fights His way into my burning house
and covers me till this inferno's over?
Who is this who wades into these waves that reach my mouth
and lifts me up high on mighty shoulders?
Is it any wonder that I came running
when I saw the confidence in Your smile?
(Chorus)
I heard You say that it's ok for me to come inside
and trade my past for true love without shame.
I heard You say that I can stay and make myself at home
and be with You and take Your name.
Is it any wonder that I came running
when I saw You knocking on my front door?
(Chorus)
3. Look Away
(Luke 5:31-32, Matthew 25:31-46)
This song was inspired by my wrestling with the Western Church’s hesitation to engage with the AIDs pandemic
The night the soldiers came to town
The burned our little stick house down
Took our cows; took our sheep;
Took a knife to my brother in his sleep.
I screamed and cried as off I ran
But they caught my sister, tied her hands
They left her carrying their seed
As they filled her life with their disease
(chorus)
Look away--look away!
Don’t you worry ‘bout the state I’m in!
Look away--look away! Leave me to die in my sin.
My country’s lungs began to wheeze
Unemployment brought her to her knees.
Before her skin would grow stone cold,
Papa disappeared in search of gold.
Ma found a way to keep us fed--
Men paid her to share her bed;
She kept 5 kids alive that way
Till the sickness stole her life away.
(chorus)
(bridge)
Judgement’s comin’ on some day
And all self-righteous saints will say,
“Didn’t we do this and that in Your Name, Lord, Lord?”
Jesus Christ Himself will say,
“Turn around and walk away!! I never knew your name--
You never knew my pain!”
A mad bull gores society
Takes the strong and leaves the weak.
Through Africa’s streets and towns
--there’s orphans covering the grounds.
Find a way to reach them now.
Holy Spirit teach us how--
Since You Yourself are one of these
suffering with this disease.
The burned our little stick house down
Took our cows; took our sheep;
Took a knife to my brother in his sleep.
I screamed and cried as off I ran
But they caught my sister, tied her hands
They left her carrying their seed
As they filled her life with their disease
(chorus)
Look away--look away!
Don’t you worry ‘bout the state I’m in!
Look away--look away! Leave me to die in my sin.
My country’s lungs began to wheeze
Unemployment brought her to her knees.
Before her skin would grow stone cold,
Papa disappeared in search of gold.
Ma found a way to keep us fed--
Men paid her to share her bed;
She kept 5 kids alive that way
Till the sickness stole her life away.
(chorus)
(bridge)
Judgement’s comin’ on some day
And all self-righteous saints will say,
“Didn’t we do this and that in Your Name, Lord, Lord?”
Jesus Christ Himself will say,
“Turn around and walk away!! I never knew your name--
You never knew my pain!”
A mad bull gores society
Takes the strong and leaves the weak.
Through Africa’s streets and towns
--there’s orphans covering the grounds.
Find a way to reach them now.
Holy Spirit teach us how--
Since You Yourself are one of these
suffering with this disease.
4. Mercy Aire
(Psalm 42 & 122)
Every now and then we would drive from Mozambique into Nelspruit South Africa, to a beautiful respite center and humanitarian support “airline” —Mercy Air—that exists to help those who minister to the needy in southern Africa. There we could take hot showers and find our own thoughts again after weeks of pouring out in the primitive care giving center we ran in Moz. One morning as I was spending time in the beautiful solitude with God, the words and tune of this song tumbled out.
I hunger and thirst for the living God: when can I go and meet with my God?
(repeat)
I was happy when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of my God.” (repeat)
Now I breath the air of mercy, and I walk, in the sunshine of grace;
And I drink living water, but I long to see Your face!
(repeat)
I was happy when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of my God.” (repeat)
Now I breath the air of mercy, and I walk, in the sunshine of grace;
And I drink living water, but I long to see Your face!
5. I’ll cry for you
I saw your friend was laid to rest
Cold hands folded on his chest
Dressed up in his Sunday best
It’s hard to let him go, so hard to let him go
So I’ll cry for you. I’ll cry for you.
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you,
I’ve lost some of my friends too.
I saw your little girl in pain
Tears were fallin’ down like rain
Someone left a great big stain
on her little heart, on her little heart.
So I’ll cry for you. I’ll cry for you
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you
Someone stole my innocence too
Cryin’s just a form of prayer
that bleeds out of our wounds
and soaks up through the ceiling tiles to heaven
Tears go on beyond our words
to say what can’t be spoken
and make a way for wrongs to be forgiven
Got no place to lay your head
Got no feathers for your bead
Tired feet are made of lead
You’re far away from home, so far away from home
So I’ll cry for you, I’ll cry for you
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you
I was once a homeless person too
I’ll cry for you, I’ll cry for you
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you
I know my scars can bring you healing too,
I know my scars can bring you healing.
Cold hands folded on his chest
Dressed up in his Sunday best
It’s hard to let him go, so hard to let him go
So I’ll cry for you. I’ll cry for you.
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you,
I’ve lost some of my friends too.
I saw your little girl in pain
Tears were fallin’ down like rain
Someone left a great big stain
on her little heart, on her little heart.
So I’ll cry for you. I’ll cry for you
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you
Someone stole my innocence too
Cryin’s just a form of prayer
that bleeds out of our wounds
and soaks up through the ceiling tiles to heaven
Tears go on beyond our words
to say what can’t be spoken
and make a way for wrongs to be forgiven
Got no place to lay your head
Got no feathers for your bead
Tired feet are made of lead
You’re far away from home, so far away from home
So I’ll cry for you, I’ll cry for you
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you
I was once a homeless person too
I’ll cry for you, I’ll cry for you
It seems like the divinest thing to do
I’ll cry for you, let me cry for you
I know my scars can bring you healing too,
I know my scars can bring you healing.
6. Postcards
All my favorite dreams
are buried in His kingdom
on a green and grassy hillside
where a wolf lies with a lamb;
and a little child is with them
with flowers in her hair--
she leads them in a dance in front of
saints and angels there,
beneath a banner of her Father’s love,
where all my favorite dreams are
buried in His kingdom.
He placed them there
when I put my dreams in His care,
as I saw I couldn’t keep all I’d collected.
And though no eye can see
I know He’s made a place for me
And He’s coming back to take me there
so He and I can always be together . . . where
(chorus)
And from all these goodbyes
I know He’ll take me through the skies
to a place where He will put an end to crying.
All the best that I see
Is like a post card sent to me--
just a picture of what lies ahead,
right around the corner in His kingdom . . . where
(chorus)
are buried in His kingdom
on a green and grassy hillside
where a wolf lies with a lamb;
and a little child is with them
with flowers in her hair--
she leads them in a dance in front of
saints and angels there,
beneath a banner of her Father’s love,
where all my favorite dreams are
buried in His kingdom.
He placed them there
when I put my dreams in His care,
as I saw I couldn’t keep all I’d collected.
And though no eye can see
I know He’s made a place for me
And He’s coming back to take me there
so He and I can always be together . . . where
(chorus)
And from all these goodbyes
I know He’ll take me through the skies
to a place where He will put an end to crying.
All the best that I see
Is like a post card sent to me--
just a picture of what lies ahead,
right around the corner in His kingdom . . . where
(chorus)
7. Joy in the Morning
The tune and words of the chorus for this song literally came to me in a dream, our first night in Mozambique; it left me feeling that God was there ahead of me, inviting us past all the tremendous difficulties that we would face living in the bush for the next 6 years, urging me to focus on the joy set before me. Pondering the phrase, “joy in the morning”, for quite a while, I ended up crafting the remainder of the song from the gifts offered to overcomers in the letters to the churches, found in Revelation 2-3
If you overcome
you can eat from the tree of life in paradise
If you overcome you will not be hurt at all, by the second death
If you overcome I’ll give you some of the hidden manna
and I’ll give you a white stone with a new name written on it
known only to you and to me!
(Chorus)
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
If you overcome
I’ll give you authority over the nations
I’ll give you the morning star, and fresh white clothes--
you can walk with Me!
If you overcome I’ll never erase your name from the book of life;
instead, I’ll announce your name in front of my father and all my fathers angels!
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
So hold on to what you have
and don't let anyone take away your crown
for I’m coming very soon
and my reward’s in my hand
Whoever has ears to hear--
please hear what the Spirit says,
whoever has ears to hear, whoever has ears to hear.
If you overcome,
I’ll make you a pillar in my fathers temple
and I’ll write on you the name of my God
and the name of His city
and I’ll write on you my own new name
and if you overcome,
I’ll let you climb up on my throne with me,
just like I overcame and
climbed up on my father’s throne in heaven
and I’ll give you joy in the morning!
you can eat from the tree of life in paradise
If you overcome you will not be hurt at all, by the second death
If you overcome I’ll give you some of the hidden manna
and I’ll give you a white stone with a new name written on it
known only to you and to me!
(Chorus)
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
If you overcome
I’ll give you authority over the nations
I’ll give you the morning star, and fresh white clothes--
you can walk with Me!
If you overcome I’ll never erase your name from the book of life;
instead, I’ll announce your name in front of my father and all my fathers angels!
And I’ll give you joy in the morning! (x 4)
So hold on to what you have
and don't let anyone take away your crown
for I’m coming very soon
and my reward’s in my hand
Whoever has ears to hear--
please hear what the Spirit says,
whoever has ears to hear, whoever has ears to hear.
If you overcome,
I’ll make you a pillar in my fathers temple
and I’ll write on you the name of my God
and the name of His city
and I’ll write on you my own new name
and if you overcome,
I’ll let you climb up on my throne with me,
just like I overcame and
climbed up on my father’s throne in heaven
and I’ll give you joy in the morning!
8. Edge of the Promised Land
Forty years of lost dreams
lying on their side;
thirsty bones of hope
jutting from the past
all your precious treasure
scattered in the wandering
now your pocket’s empty
and your eyes are full of tears.
(chorus)
But I can taste it in the water
I can read it in the sky;
I can see the grasses dance it out
as you walk by:
this beautiful mystery
that wears your name
guided by the pillar of the cloud and flame
has come to the end of all this sand.
Can’t you hear the message hanging on the wind?
“You’re on the edge, the edge of the promised land.”
Forty years of waiting
for unbelief to die;
distancing yourself
from the rebellious.
Though your feet are blistered
from the fire you have walked through,
God has fashioned for you
a heart that’s made of gold.
(chorus)
(bridge)
And as the sun paints your morning
you will see a land full of milk and honey;
you, too, will have your vine and fig tree!
And a rainbow of promise
wraps it’s coat of many colors ‘round you.
I know you will dance again!
(Chorus)
lying on their side;
thirsty bones of hope
jutting from the past
all your precious treasure
scattered in the wandering
now your pocket’s empty
and your eyes are full of tears.
(chorus)
But I can taste it in the water
I can read it in the sky;
I can see the grasses dance it out
as you walk by:
this beautiful mystery
that wears your name
guided by the pillar of the cloud and flame
has come to the end of all this sand.
Can’t you hear the message hanging on the wind?
“You’re on the edge, the edge of the promised land.”
Forty years of waiting
for unbelief to die;
distancing yourself
from the rebellious.
Though your feet are blistered
from the fire you have walked through,
God has fashioned for you
a heart that’s made of gold.
(chorus)
(bridge)
And as the sun paints your morning
you will see a land full of milk and honey;
you, too, will have your vine and fig tree!
And a rainbow of promise
wraps it’s coat of many colors ‘round you.
I know you will dance again!
(Chorus)
9. Your Rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)
Come to Me--you are so tired!
Come to Me--so overburdened!
Come to Me. I will give you rest.
Take My yolk upon your shoulders.
Learn from Me--I am gentle.
And in My humble heart, you will find your rest.
My yolk is easy, my yolk is easy, My yolk is easy--
And My burden is light; your rest, your rest is here.
Come to Me--so overburdened!
Come to Me. I will give you rest.
Take My yolk upon your shoulders.
Learn from Me--I am gentle.
And in My humble heart, you will find your rest.
My yolk is easy, my yolk is easy, My yolk is easy--
And My burden is light; your rest, your rest is here.