Categories
Life Praise

Madness

Featured song – Madness Dancing, by Bob Bennett, from his 1982 album Matters Of The Heart.

dancerThe thing I like about this song is that it shows the example of a person who has the attitude that despite how crazy the world is, he is going to take time to spend with God in prayer. Not only that, but his trust that God is handling the world for him is so great, he dances in this quiet place, dances for God alone.

The theme of this site is “Great Great Joy”, and this is the essence of joy – the connection with God that makes His joy hit you “like a crashing tide”, makes you want to dance. This is especially difficult for me, as dancing is not my strong point. But I want to have that freedom that lets me move my feet and be able myself to dance before God. It’s scriptural; look at all the songs in Psalms, the Bible’s song book, that deal with dancing.

As I listened to it, I was reminded of a story I read some years ago, written by a pastor who was imprisoned for his faith in one of the former Communist countries of eastern Europe, back in the 1950s. At one point in his imprisonment, he was put in solitary confinement for over a year. And during that time of suffering and isolation, he found his faith strangely growing and intensifying. At one point during that year, he actually danced to the Lord in his small, dark cell. It must have seemed strange to the guards who checked on him; in fact, it led them to increase slightly his food allocation for a short time, as they thought something was seriously wrong with him!

Dancing is not the point or focus of this, obviously. The point is making that intimate connection with God.

In the middle of this madness
I am dancing
Though I’m not sure why just now
I tried to be sober
I tried to be logical
But I could not stop my feet

I know I have not turned off my mind
I know there’s evil all around
But for now it’s outside
And I am in my room
And joy is like a crashing tide

I don’t wanna burn no books
Don’t wanna to argue rock ‘n roll
I don’t want to shoot anyone
With my high-powered doctrine gun
Let the madness roll on
Like a hungry beast
Cause no one will miss me
(No one will miss me)
For a half an hour at least

A song came this morning and woke me
And as I listened, then I found
That I was not alone
I was standing, moving,
Dancing, dancing
On holy ground

I don’t wanna burn no books
Don’t wanna to argue rock ‘n roll
I don’t want to shoot anyone
With my high-powered doctrine gun
Let the madness roll on like a savage beast
Cause no one will miss me
No one will miss me
No one will miss me
For a half an hour at least

No one will miss me
No one will care
No one …

In the middle
In the middle of this madness
In the middle of this madness I am
I am dancing
In the middle of this madness I am dancing

Matters Of The Heart, Bob Bennett, 1982
Categories
Praise

One Love

Featured song – One Love In My Lifetime, by McGuire, from their 1978 album Destined To Be Yours.

There is a story that is apparently making the rounds of blogs. I was pointed to one reproduction of it here, and on trying to find the original I discovered that many have posted and commented on it.

The article is well worth a read, but its essence is this: Do I love God for who He is, or do I love Him for what He does for me? I had read and thought about the article, and then came across this song as I was later listening to music. I felt that the two went together.

The song discusses a love for God that, yes, is in response to the leading He has provided for the life of the singer, but has advanced beyond the aspect of loving God just for what He has done.

A mature love is one that has gone deeper into the reason for the love. Do I have that love for God that is there regardless of how well things are going in my life? Do I have the faith of Job, who said (in Job 13:15), “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him”?

From rags to riches, here I stand
Shaped and molded by Your loving hand
With faith and trust unshaken, You led me all the way
Through years of joy and tears, I’m standing here to say

You’re that one love
In my lifetime
And if I search this whole wide world
I know I’ll never find
A love that’s stronger
Than an oak tree
That will be standing in the sun
When my life is done

Every day it’s hard to see
All the future plans
You made for me
You placed the whole world
At my feet
And lit a flame of love
That burns eternally

One love
In my lifetime
And if I search this whole wide world
I know I’ll never find
A love that’s stronger
Than an oak tree
That will be standing in the sun
When my life is done

Love may come
And love may go
But You’re the one that made me
And no one else could change me
You’re the beginnning
And You’re the end
And if I live a hundred years
I know they’ll only be

One love
(one love)
In my lifetime
(in my lifetime)
Only one love
(only one love)
Burning in this heart of mine
(burning in this heart of mine)

You’re that one love
In my lifetime
And if I live a hundred years
I know I’ll never find
A love that’s stronger
Than an oak tree
That will be standing in the sun
When my life is done

One love
(one love)
In my lifetime
(in my lifetime)
Only one love
(only one love)
Burning in this heart of mine
(burning in this heart of mine)

Destined To Be Yours, 1978, McGuire
Categories
Praise

More Praise

Featured song: Now’s The Time, by Carman, from his 1993 album, The Standard

The world doesn’t make sense at times. We know it today; the writers of the Bible knew it thousands of years ago. Certainly, it was known in the years when the songbook of the Bible, the book of Psalms, was written. And many of those songs focus on the glory of the Lord. They recognize that things happen that we don’t understand or like, but fall back on a faith that the Creator of the universe has everything under control.

It’s not a matter of putting hands over ears to not hear what’s wrong, or over the eyes to not see what’s wrong in the world. It has everything to do with seeing and hearing clearly everything around us, but still looking up to God, and giving Him the glory that He deserves.

Psalm 150 doesn’t waste words or draw it out. It tells why to praise God, it tells how to praise God, and finally tells who should praise God – “Everything that has breath”.

Join Carman in this rousing song giving praise to God!

Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise

Here’s the jam goin’ ‘cross the land
And a jam that I think you know
It’s a groove on the move and a groove you’ve heard
From the Word called the 1-5-0

Now this book called Psalm may look all calm
But it’s anything y’all, but mild
It’s all about praise when the big band plays
And it makes the saints go wild

Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise

Bring the glory down with the trumpet sound
Let the tambourine kick, too
With the harp and the lyre everyone can hear
How the praise of the Lord will come through

The strings, the bass, the cymbals clash
And the people clap their hands
The Spirit’s right and with all their might
Everyone starts to dance

Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise

Let the people sing, let the people dance
Let the people sing, lifting holy hands
Let the people sing, let the people dance
Let the people sing, lifting holy hands

Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise

The Standard, 1993, Carmant [iframe http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=gregrejoy-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000S52ME4&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr” 120 240]
Categories
Life Praise

Unloved

Last Sunday was Life Sunday, when we remember the sanctity of life. At my church we had a panel of five local ministry leaders with whom our pastor talked during the sermon time. We heard from:

  • AAA Center For Pregnancy Counseling, working to encourage women to seek alternatives to abortion when facing an unplanned pregnanacy
  • Embrace The Heartland In Prayer, focused on dedicated prayer for the city of Omaha
  • Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, ministry to those serving sentences, to bring hope to those who are hopeless and giving them a reason to not return to crime
  • Abide Network, working in the underserved and poor part of the city to restore and empower children and families to change their world through the transforming power of Jesus
  • Threefold Cord, which focuses on ministry to the elderly in nursing homes, many of whom are forgotten, lonely, and facing death
Photo credit -- Flickr, Romanlily
Photo credit -- Flickr, Romanlily

As each representative spoke, and told of the work they do, and the lives they have impacted, it was startling to see the great need present in the very city in which I live. I was shown how lives from pre-birth to the grave all have their own unique problems, and how some people had been called out of their comfort zones to help and minister to these underserved groups.

Amongst the songs we sang that morning, our worship leader chose one that specifically focused on getting a feeling for God’s heart for all of these hurting people. Notice the lines that I’ve emphasized below in boldface, especially this: “break my heart for what breaks yours.” Or, as one of our speakers stated, “I once asked Jesus into my heart. I now learned that I needed to ask Jesus to let me into His heart.”

Oh, Lord, help me see each person you bring across my path with Your eyes, as I do my daily work!

Here is the song Hosanna, as sung here by Hillsong, from the live 2007 album Saviour King.

I see the King of Glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

I see His love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We’re on our knees
We’re on our knees

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I go from earth into Eternity

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Saviour King, 2007, Hillsong