Tag Archives: music

iMonk on Contemporary Worship

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As my kids could probably tell you, I’ve been somewhat conflicted for the last few years about music in general and modern evangelical church worship in particular. This comes on the heels of seven very challenging and extremely fulfilling years working with student worship bands. I’ll never lose those memories. In hindsight (and every other kind of sight) I still look back on those years as wonderful and, for the most part, right where God wanted me. But that doesn’t mean that I have little, niggling doubts about some of the things I took part in back then, and the worship culture I experienced.

I can’t articulate them very well. But the iMonk does, . Good read.

Listening . . .

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It happens with every musician, early on. There’s that moment when the instrument quits being a frustrating bafflement and becomes something that works, and that can be joyfully built upon.

I’m listening to my daughter Bethany in her room, playing guitar and singing. She’s reached that moment in the last few weeks, and is progressing at a really swift pace.

I love the sound.

Be Thou My Vision

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We’ve had a busy and good weekend. There is much I could write about, but a contented weariness steals over me (in other words, I’m beat). I’ll leave you with this (we sang this in church today):

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

From Wikipedia:

The original Old Irish text, Rop tú mo Baile is often attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 6th century. The text had been a part of Irish monastic tradition for centuries before its setting to the tune, therefor before it became an actual hymn. It was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary E. Byrne in Ériu (the journal of the School of Irish Learning) in 1905. The English text was first versified by Eleanor H. Hull in 1912 and is now the most common text used.

This side of heaven

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Below is the chorus of a song we sing in church sometimes.

I would run for a thousand years

If I knew every step would be getting me closer

I’d swim to the ocean floor

For my Lord is the Treasure

My Lord is the Treasure

– Treasure by the Desperation Band

Sometimes I wonder if I’m overthinking things, or if there’s something wrong with me. But I have a confession:

I can’t sing that.

Now, this isn’t self-deprecation or sham-humility. I honestly wonder how anyone can sing that. I wonder if St. Paul could sing that. This side of heaven, that is.

I believe that the person who wrote that song meant the words he/she was writing, on an emotional level, or at least desired to mean them. But we humans are fallible. In my more cynical moments I label songs such as these “brag worship”. I feel it’s a boast that few, if any, can keep.

Many of us have a hard time following the commands of Jesus in the mundane things of life, though there are many saints out there giving their all for the Lord.

But none of us can run for a thousand years, or swim to the ocean floor. And to sing this in a corporate worship setting troubles my spirit.

I realize, of course, that these lyrics are poetry. I am being too literal, most likely.

But I just know I can’t sing them yet, this side of Heaven. One day, though, I will be like Him, for I will see Him as He is. Then I’ll be able to sing this and other songs that we cannot even fathom or imagine yet.

Cleansing the temple complex

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This is the third installment of the My Friend Jenny series, in which I highlight some of the music of my talented friend, Jenny.

The mp3 this time around is called Cleansing the Temple Complex. It is short, prophetic, stark, and appropriate for our time, don’t you think?

You can download it here: Cleansing the Temple Complex.mp3

The lyrics are pretty straightforward, and I really like the use of the “turntables” concept in this context.

Cleansing The Temple Complex

Gone clubbing at the church of God

’til Jesus came in and threw over your turntables

Selling out at the church of God

’til Jesus came in and broke all your record players

Past Jenny postings: Worry Minds and Invisible Type.

Worry Minds

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Last week I posted my friend Jenny’s song Invisible Type. This week’s offering is a song with a much different sound – it’s called Worry Minds and it is Midi-driven, rather than accoustic as last week’s was. I love the lyrics. This song speaks of our worry and the ways we deal with it, and how Christ brings peace to us, like cooling water on our wildfires.

The song shifts midway into a midi instrumental, transforming the subdued and almost trudging feel (fitting for the lyrics) of the song’s beginning into a far more joyful and free melody that speaks of the freedom, peace and joy that Christ brings us. And even though it’s midi, somehow this works for me.

Click here to get the Worry Minds mp3.

(note: I figured the lyrics out by listening to it – Jenny sent me the lyrics to Invisible Type, but I didn’t want to bug her for these. Hopefully I got them right)

Worry Minds



Worry minds they always, they’re always at it

With a fist, with a grip so tight

And their biting fingernails

Darkness finds, yes it always, well it always finds them

Like a blanket wraps and their trapped

Backed into a corner

Drugs are kind but they always, they always leave them

With greed, they’re a state of need

Be it coffee or cocaine

You’re not blind no You always, You always see them

When they hide, when they’re lost, when they’ve lied

You always know better

You fall on them like water

You fall on their wildfires and ease their burning pain

And you poured out blood and water

You died for their wildfires and rose to breathe again

Invisible Type

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My friend Jenny is one of those unique people that one is sometimes privileged to meet: she is musical, artistic, intelligent, creative, thoughtful, and yet without a shred of presumption. She has a humble and Godly nature.

She’s also a prolific songwriter, and recently she passed me a CD of 26 of her songs, with an apologetic disclaimer about the quality of the recordings. On a recent car trip to Corpus I popped her CD in and was pleasantly amazed by what I heard. Yes, the recordings are rough (mostly done at home on her computer) but I just found the whole CD to be . . . delightful is the only word I can come up with.

It’s an eclectic mix of songs, ranging from whimsical escapades to songs about family members to songs taken directly from Scripture. The lyrical content is what grabbed me right away.

I’ve asked Jenny’s permission to post a few of her songs here (unfortunately, I will only be able to post a few due to space on my webhost). So now and then I’ll write a post and include one of Jenny’s songs for your perusal.

The first song posted here is called Invisible Type, and it’s the song that grabbed me the earliest. It’s such a clever use of rhyme and alliteration, and there are some true gems among this song’s lines (lyrics are below).

Click here to get the Invisible Type mp3.

(note: I remastered the original recording a bit in ProTools so I take the blame if my mix takes anything away from the original song)

Lyrics – invisible type

i got invisible type when i write cause i type it in white when i write so you’ll never ever know what i might or might not feel so comfortable to show, i hide it even though you could highlight it and scroll

i’m in the cracks of the concrete, i’m in a garden of steel

i’m a little ant with a pack on my back, i’m keepin it real

i am a part of the working class

i’m sitting at the arrow while the others pass

there’s a book full of people that i want to be like

there’s a painting on my wall i stare at every night

often i wonder what it would be like to lose my sight

learn to listen to color, learn to live with the night

i got invisible type when i write cause i type it in white when i write so you’ll never ever know what i might or might not feel so comfortable to show, i hide it even though you could highlight it and scroll

and if he hollers we’ll sit there and make him pay

50 dollars with interest growing everyday

“Screw Vegas, kids are a gamble.” (it’s a little more than i can handle)

Josh said it right

and i’d love it if you’d love me despite

all the invisible type when i write cause i type it in white when i write so you’ll never ever know what i might or might not feel so comfortable to show, i hide it even though you could highlight it and scroll

if he hollers, make him pay

50 dollars everyday

which one did you really mean-ie miney mo

by the tiger, by the toe