Christ Our Wine

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The unsearchable mysteries of Christ
far beyond the bounds of our mind
We cannot plumb the depths but we can taste the bread
We can drink the wine and be satisfied

Christ our Feast
Christ our Life
Christ our Bread
Christ our Wine

We come to the table
Together, we dine
For only Your beauty
can, our souls, satisfy

Bread, we break in remembrance of Thee
To our lips, this cup we drink
We can taste and see Your blood, Your body
And our souls rejoice, no longer hungering

Christ our Feast
Christ our Life
Christ our Bread
Christ our Wine

We come to the table
Together, we dine
For only Your beauty
can, our souls, satisfy

The best of this life only whets our appetite

Jake, you asked for it...here it is. I recorded this by opening up Garageband and hitting 'record'; much like tape-recorders back in the days of old. By the way, I love that my laptop comes with that ability.

And sorry that I've been out of commission for a week. Betsy and I moved last Tuesday and we don't have internet at the house yet. Add to that, I was gone Thursday and Friday. Add to that, I tried to get online Saturday on campus at JBC, but their internet was down (again! imagine that...not that I'm bitter). Add to that, it took me literally 4 1/2 hours to figure out to use my new lawnmowers and then mow the lawn yesterday (which means from the moment I got home from church until 7:30pm). Add to that...well, you get the picture.

Anyhoo, here is Christ Our Wine.

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be still and know

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I will be still
and know that You are God (repeat)

You know my longings deep within
You have the whole world in Your hands
Your whisper is worth my soul's waiting
...so I will be still and know You are God

I will be still
and know that You are God (repeat)

(You are God) You know my longings deep within
(You are God) You have the whole world in Your hands
(You are God) Your whisper is worth my soul's waiting
...so I will be still and know You are God


This song is actually a fairly personal song for me. I wrote it a couple of years ago during a period of some serious anxiety. While driving in the rain one afternoon, praying through the stress, I was reminded of the story of Elijah and God's "gentle whisper". I began singing quietly to myself. And within just a few minutes, I had written this entire song while driving in the rain (well, not the guitar part...but the rest of it).

Before Sunday, I had never led it congregationally. But it just fit so perfectly with Mark's teaching, I thought "oh, why not". Anyhoo, here it is...

the joy of knowing thee

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Lord, my one delight
and my greatest joy
is in knowing my Christ
and hearing Thy voice

Precious to my soul
Be my all, be my only
Chains of pride now fall
in the joy of knowing Thee

Oft affections wane
and my spirit strays
Lord, I pray for Your reins
and fall on Your grace

May this wandering heart
Lord, by Your stubborn mercy
N'er again depart
from the joy of knowing Thee

And when darkness falls
Your presence seems far
Still my peace in all
is knowing Who You are

You're a God whose close
even when silent seeming
Be it weak, still my boast
is the joy of knowing Thee

Christ unspeakable
Like nothing compare
Now my spirit soars
in blessed affair

Waves of joy now roll
like a well overflowing
Springing up from my soul
this great joy of knowing Thee


Again, this is a live, one-track recording from this past weekend. I did play with it a little...I adjusted EQ and added reverb...but there is only so much you can do.

Also, this is a fairly new song and Sunday was literally the first attempt at playing it with a band. Musically, there are a few changes I'd make (like slowing the tempo a little, going sans acoustic, etc)...but overall, in the words of my wife, "this recording is good enough to get the idea across". At least, I hope so. Enjoy...

the King of love, my Shepherd is

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The King of Love, my Shepherd is
whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am His
and He is mine forever

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed
but yet, in love, He sought me
and on His shoulder gently laid
and home, rejoicing, brought me

My soul, you restore
and my cup, overflow

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
with Thee, dear Lord, beside me
Thy rod and staff my comfort still
Thy cross before to guide me

My soul, you restore
and my cup, overflow

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
within Thy house forever


I love cyberhymnal.org. It is a great resource for those of you who pick out songs on a weekly basis to be sung congregationally...and have already met your monthly quota of Chris Tomlin songs.

I found this old hymn that I had never heard before. Maybe it is well-known. I don't know. Having been born and raised Catholic, I have found that many hymns considered well-known by everyone else are brand new to me (and vice-versa).

Mark was teaching on John 10:1-30, the Good Shepherd passage. This hymn fit perfectly (it comes straight from Psalm 23). So, I picked up the banjo...wrote a simple little chorus...and had my wife sing some sweet harmonies. I was pretty happy with the outcome.

I hope you like it.

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one and only

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God above all other gods
share Your glory, You will not
Jealous of Your holy Name
You alone shall be praised

There's no other God
There's no other God
There's no other God but You

From eternity to eternity
You are the One and Only
And above all else, You are glorious
You are the One and Only

For Yourself, You made this heart
that I might see how great You are
So far above, so far beyond
The One, the True, the only God

There's no other God
There's no other God
There's no other God but You

From eternity to eternity
You are the One and Only
And above all else, You are glorious
You are the One and Only

One of my favorite parts of the Bible is found in the book of Isaiah, roughly chapters 40-49.

In it, God is flexing His muscles before the Israelites. They have, again, slipped into worshiping false idols and images of other gods. And in these chapters God looks at them and says, "Are you kidding me?! Other gods? Who made the heavens and the earth? Who made you? Who sustains you? Who set you apart? Who has saved your little butts time and time again? Was it one of the other gods? No. There is no 'other' God. I have no equal. I AM God. Alone. Just Me. No other. So, you best turn to Me now and be saved for it is in deed My splendor that is your salvation."

Isaiah 46:8-10 is a perfect example of this...

"Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago? I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times to what is still to come."

Later in Isaiah 48:11, He continues...

"For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another."

This is a jealous God. This is a righteous God. This is a God Who has no problem puffing out His chest and gloating of His power and His glory and His supreme standing as Lord of heaven and earth. Why? Because this is a God Who knows that it is ONLY in our heartfelt acknowledgment of His power and His glory and His supreme standing as Lord of heaven and earth that our salvation...that our life...can truly be found.

Bragging on Himself may just be the most selfless thing God could ever do. Because His love and His grace will mean nothing to us if we do not have a deep appreciation of His power and His glory and His supreme standing as Lord of heaven and earth.

He is God and there is no other.

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(note: this is a live recording from a Crossings worship gathering)

our hearts are restless

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God, our weary heads
may they find solace
in the comfort of Your breast

And may the beat within
provide rhythm
for the remainder of life's quest

Our hearts are restless
til they find rest in Thee
They wander aimless
til they find rest in Thee

May our tired eyes
be satisfied
with a look upon Your face

And our weary souls
may they finally know
the reason they were made

Our hearts are restless
til they find rest in Thee
They wander aimless
til they find rest in Thee

Oh to rest
and rest secure in Thee
Oh to rest
in blessed surety

Our hearts are restless
til they find rest in Thee
They wander aimless
til they find rest in Thee

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Saint Augustine: "Oh God, Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless 'til they find their rest in Thee."

Um...so that quote had a lot to do with this song. Maybe.

It comes from the first chapter of his Confessions. And, in my opinion, it pretty well sums up the history of mankind. Psychology, sociology, religion...again, it is only my opinion, but I believe this quote shines a great deal of light on the truth behind why we humans do what we do.

I sat down and recorded the song in one take, guitar and vocals at the same time. I usually enjoy the embellishing process...adding harmonies, piano, etc. But for whatever reason, I feel like I am done with this song. For now. I may sit back down, polish it up and add all the pretty stuff later (which, by the way, I'm open for suggestions if you've got them). But right now, this is it.

I hope you like it.

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wonderful

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You are wonderful
Far too wonderful for me
By Your mighty hand
Beauty displayed for all to see

In Your majesty
We adore You, King
With fear and trembling
We sing...

You are wonderful
You are wonderful
For You, my heart swells
You are wonderful

You are wonderful
The sunset warming the evening sky's arc
is but the faintest drop
of the beauty breathed into my heart

In Your majesty
We adore You, King
With fear and trembling
We sing...

You are wonderful
You are wonderful
For You, my heart swells
You are wonderful

I wrote this song a number of years ago and I think I've only played it live one time. So, I suppose it is kind of a 'B-side' type of song for me...one of my more obscure. Actually, all my songs are probably considered obscure, but whatever. My attention was, for some reason, just drawn to this one day. So I decided to recorded it. And really, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

I wrote it after being inspired by Psalm 145 and specifically verses 3-6:

"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds."

I began to think about God's 'mighty acts' or 'wonderful works' that truly moved me. And there is one that blows me away: sunsets. I can not tell you how much I love sunsets...and quite frankly, I don't really want to because it makes me sound like a chick. But I really do. I don't understand them. Why the colors? Why the beauty? Again, I don't want to get started on this...I've literally preached a sermon about sunsets before.

So, anyway, the song was born out of the line, "the sunset warming the evening sky's arc is but the faintest drop of the beauty breathed into my heart".

We may stare at sunsets and be absolutely amazed at the beauty of it all. But I think God looks at us and says, "Yeah, sunsets are nice. I did a pretty good job with 'em, I know. But you...oh you are the jewel of my heart. You are the beauty I can't take my eyes off of."

And that...as an incredible understatement...makes God wonderful.

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grace abounding

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Of all sinners, I am the worst
Nothing in me is lovely or pure

Short-fallen and depraved, I am found
Amazing is the grace that abounds

Your grace abounding
My sin not counting
O to be bounded
to the blessed, blessed flowing fountain...of grace abounding

I'm so good at all that I hate
I fall on mercy forever and today

Short-fallen and depraved, I am found
Amazing is the grace that abounds

Your grace abounding
My sin not counting
O to be bounded
to the blessed, blessed flowing fountain...of grace abounding

All redeemed now sing your praise
O for God's abounding grace
All redeemed now sing your praise
Grace alone, your soul, has saved

1 Timothy 1:15
"This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all."

Romans 7:15-20
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

Many of you have more than likely read or heard those words from the Apostle Paul a number of times. And maybe our familiarity with them has dulled their edges for us a little bit, but the truth is...it is absolutely amazing that Paul thought this way and spoke this way about himself. Its actually pretty scandalous.

Paul is obviously and undeniably one of the most important leaders in the Christian faith through all of history. And he considered himself a horrible sinner? The worst? And not just pre-conversion Paul, but after his Damascus Road experience? After his baptism?

Yes. And I believe it is absolutely vital that we, likewise, understand the depth of our own sinfulness. A "wise man" once put this quote on his blog (by they way, I still don't know whose quote this is), "If your sin is small, your Savior is small. But if your sin is large, then your Savior is large."

I think that is so true...not in the sense that you should sin big as a way of increasing God. Paul was pretty clear about the falsity of that belief.

No, rather in the sense that the deeper the understanding of your own sin and depravity, the deeper your understanding of grace. If you don't take your own sin seriously...acknowledging that, regardless of how moral and upright you have become, you deserve nothing less than death because of it...than you don't take grace seriously.

In other words, if your sin is not a "big" deal to you, than grace is not a "big" deal to you...and my understanding of the Bible is that grace should the biggest deal in the world.

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psalm 137 (in babylon)

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Standing here
Water's near
We've lost our song

The days of old
have long since gone
So far from home...here in Babylon

Our captors say
that we must play
our joyful songs

But our harps are hung
Our melody is gone
They can't be sung...here in Babylon

Can a heart tuned to mourning
sound a song in major key?
Songs meant for temple gates and rejoicing
May my tongue forget how to sing...here in Babylon

In my opinion, Psalm 137 is one of the most haunting passages in all of Scripture. Maybe its because it is so vivid and packed with imagery. It does end with the heartwarming line "...seizing infants and dashing them against the rocks".

But that image isn't the one that sticks out in my mind. Rather, its the picture of God's people hanging up their harps along side the river. Like a boxer hanging up his gloves...the Israelites retired their songs of praise while in Babylonian captivity.

Despite its somber tone, this psalm has always been one of my favorites. I've tried time and again to pen a "worship-y" tune that incorporated some of that imagery. But it has never panned out. It would feel out of place, like I was stretching to get it in there, and so it always ended up on the cutting room floor.

A week ago or so, I sat down with my guitar and this song kinda just came out. Its not "worship-y" but that's okay with me. Anyhoo, here you go:

delight in you

This past Saturday night I played at Grounds & Sounds in Powell, TN. It was an absolute blasty. No band, just a couple friends and I on stage, switching instruments and figuring the songs out as we go. It was laid back and loose.

Here is a clip from the show.

It was my favorite moment of the night. The song is titled "Delight in You". This summer, I blogged about the story that inspired it . Click here to read that story. Enjoy.

beyond the dark

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You lost your job
You lost your girl
Your car broke down
You lost your world

You asked me why
So I slipped out
the back door
and cried out loud

The sun shines down
on the rich and poor
but through the rain
I need more

Rainbows, they
do look nice
but right now
a word would suffice

There is a hope
There is a way
There is a peace found in the pain

Beyond the dark
Beyond the night
There is the sun still shining bright

We're made of clay
And, yeah, we break
But its the cracks that let in the light

You told your mom
You told your dad
just like you
knew you had to

You went out back
for a smoke
and watched the rings float away
...to a better place

There is a hope
There is a way
There is a peace found in the pain

Beyond the dark
Beyond the night
There is the sun still shining bright

We're made of clay
And, yeah, we break
But its the cracks that let in the light

Don't run, don't hide
Its the cracks that let in the light

Ladies and gentlemen...drum roll please...its a bonus song of light!

This is also my first real attempt at co-writing a song.

The Apostle Paul paints the picture in II Corinthians 4 that we, human beings, are like clay jars carrying inside of us the treasure of the Gospel of Christ. One thing about clay, however, is that it certainly is not the sturdiest material in the world. It doesn't take a whole lot crack a clay jar. And quite frankly, as humans, it doesn't always take a whole lot to crack us either.

Cracks are inevitable in life. And there is no need to hide them or run from them. There is a great quote from Leonard Cohen:

"There is a crack, a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

That idea led me to begin writing this song this past summer. I wrote the guitar part and the entire chorus fairly quickly, but was drawing a complete blank on the verses. So I tucked it away.

Over the last 6 or 7 months, I would occasionally pull it out and see if I was any closer to figuring out where to go with the verses. But every time I tried to write something it came off sounding like Blessed Be Your Name's (by Matt Redman) lame, uninspired younger brother.

A few weeks ago, however, I was hanging out with my friend Taylor. He had just played for me a song that he had recently written and it reminded me of this chorus. So I played it for him and asked him if he had any idea of a good direction to go with the verses.

Despite our very different styles of songwriting, we spent the next few hours penning the lyrics above. It was challenging and quite a lot of fun. And the result is a song that, for me at least, is certainly outside of the box.

I hope you like it...

(to hear more of Taylor's music, check out his myspace page)

fireflies

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You see, the truth is our lives
Are like the pretty fireflies
They look so nice and so bright tonight

But awake on the morn
See all the pretty lights are gone
What'd they learn from their turn on the earth?

And did they shine with the light of worth?

O God, I wanna shine
I wanna shine for You
I wanna shine Your truth and Your beauty and Your grace

O God, I wanna shine
I wanna shine for You
Before my time is through and I leave this place
to see the light, so bright, in Your face

O God, I wanna shine...

But awake on the morn
See all the pretty lights are gone
What'd you learn from your turn on the earth?

And did you shine with the light of worth?

gonna shine my light

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I'm gonna shine my light for the King of Glory
Gonna shine my light til His Kingdom come
I'm gonna shine my light for the King of Glory
Gonna shine my light til He outshines the sun

This little light of mine
I know its gonna find
Something for to shine
O this little light of mine

But there's no need to search
For something that's of worth
Cause I've found my Something
He's the One and Glorious King

I'm gonna shine my light for the King of Glory
Gonna shine my light til His Kingdom come
I'm gonna shine my light for the King of Glory
Gonna shine my light til He outshines the sun

These little hearts of ours
They'll search and they will scour
For beauty, love and power
O these little hearts of ours

But there's no need to search
For something that's of worth
Cause I've found my Something
He's the One and Glorious King

I'm gonna shine my light for the King of Glory
Gonna shine my light til His Kingdom come
I'm gonna shine my light for the King of Glory
Gonna shine my light til He outshines the sun

back to You

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May the words that we sing be more than a song
May our melody reach beyond
May the breath from our lips,
which You first did give,
find its way back to You

And may the lives that we live be the refrain
That this song of praise would never wane
Even in minor key,
may our harmony
finds its way back to You

May the hearts that You've sought throughout the earth
Hear the song that You sing and know their worth
May their souls awake
to a brighter day
as they find their way back to You

This song is my prayer for our little faith community here in Knoxville, known as Crossings.

(note I: I recorded this song at 3am Sunday night, with nothing but a prayer and a banjo...and a melodica. also, I must warn you that I have been playing the banjo for less than a week.)

(note II: before anyone says anything...yes, I do know that John Mayer already has a song titled, "Back to You". but that was the only name I could think of. sorry)

o blessed fount

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O blessed Fount of goodness and light
O blessed Sovereign, just and so right
O blessed Lord, reign over this life
O blessed God, O blessed King, O blessed Christ

Your mercy, like dew
falls fresh and new every morn
The sun, like Your grace
shines forth its rays, bright and warm

So my heart blooms and opens to You

O blessed Fount of goodness and light
O blessed Sovereign, just and so right
O blessed Lord, reign over this life
O blessed God, O blessed King, O blessed Christ

God, we seek Thee
for we need Thee
because in Thee
is all life and being

O blessed Fount of goodness and light
O blessed Sovereign, just and so right
O blessed Lord, reign over this life
O blessed God, O blessed King, O blessed Christ

Most songs have stories that run deeper than the lyrics and melody. Stories of the inspiration that gave life to the song. I find it important that we share those stories, which is one reason I created this blog.

I wrote this song last March. I had been wanting to write a song that was simple in thought, but rich in poetry (at least by my standards and abilities). I was reading A.W. Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy, which is quite heavy in its theology. And because of that, the last few songs I had written were very wordy and informative. They had decent melodies and they even rhymed. But they lacked the rhythm and imagery that makes poetry...poetry.

Well, one morning while walking to my car, I noticed my shoes were soaked. Now, my shoes getting wet or dirty is one of my biggest pet peeves in life. Don't ask me why, because I don't know why. But its true. After my initial rage cooled down, I began to wonder to myself, "what in the heck is up with dew." All day long, I was either sitting at my desk or driving my car, off in my own little world thinking, "It is never there when I get home at night. Yet it is always there when leave in the morning. It doesn't come from rain or snow or sleet or hail...yet it has to be some form of precipitation."

That night, my wife had just gone to bed and I was sitting on the couch still pondering the mystery that is dew. By this point I had moved away from trying to understand the "what" of dew and was now contemplating the "why" of dew. See, we get a lot it here in East Tennessee. And I think that is a big reason why everything is so green and lush. That morning dew, even though it often angers me by getting my shoes wet, is vital to the beauty and abundance of the natural life here in Knoxville. I soon made the leap over to what is vital to the beauty and abundance of our spiritual lives, grabbed my guitar and began writing this song.

It is a simple song of praise to our good and Sovereign God.

you are there

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When I hurt, I'll cry for You
for I know that You are there
When I break, I'll reach for You
for I know that You are there

And when I fall time and again
Still I'll have faith in my faith in You

Cause when I'm weak, You are strong
And, as always, You are there

This song is not a spectacular song by any stretch of the imagination. I just want to get that out of the way right from the start. It is short (a little over 90 sec.), very simple musically and theologically, and it doesn't say anything that hasn't been said before.

I know all of this. Yet, it is still very dear to my heart.

About 8 months ago, I got a call in the middle of the night. A friend's father had been murdered. He was out of town on a business trip and was walking back to his car with a colleague after eating out. They were mugged, and he was shot and killed.

I obviously had a hard time getting to sleep that night. I was wide awake and trying to somehow reconnect the dots between a loving, sovereign God and a world in which a good man with family and friends who dearly love him can be randomly murdered after eating dinner at Outback. It almost felt as if it had been my own father. I was so sad for my friend. I didn't know what to say or how to say it. And in that moment I wrote this song. It is a simple sentiment of faith.

I wrote it for my friend. I wrote it for myself.

Again, I know it isn't the best song in the world, but it says everything I felt that night and not a word more.

dust to glory

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From dust to glory
From death to dawn
Ashes to beauty
brighter than the sun

You've found me holy
You've found me pure
You call me lovely
You call me Yours

From dust to glory
From dust to glory, I have come

You brought me from my death
and gave me life
Yes, You made me to rise...

From dust to glory
From dust to glory, I have come

I wrote this song while listening to a sermon about death and the after-life. The old adage goes, "From ashes to ashes, from dust to dust." Well, that may be true for the rest of the world. But for those of us who claim Jesus as Christ and God, that simply is not the case. For us, it is dust to glory and ashes to beauty brighter than the sun.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

it's all for thee

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Any seed I’ve sewn … its all for Thee
Any kindness shown … its all for Thee
Any gift I give … its all for Thee
This whole life I live … its all for Thee, its all for Thee

Its all…its all…its all for Thee
Every gift, every ounce of char - ity
Every jewel in the crown I inherit from Thee
Before for You, I’ll lay it down for etern - ity
Its all…its all for Thee

Any need I’ve met … its all for Thee
Any mouth I’ve fed … its all for Thee
Anyone I’ve blessed … its all for Thee
All my righteousness … its all for Thee, its all for Thee

Its all…its all…its all for Thee
Every gift, every ounce of char - ity
Every jewel in the crown I inherit from Thee
Before for You, I’ll lay it down for etern - ity
Its all…its all for Thee

Every good and perfect gift comes from You
Its is my joy and honor just to be used…by You
May my life redound to the glory of Your Name
May my life redound to the glory of Your Name

Its all…its all…its all for Thee
Every gift, every ounce of char - ity
Every jewel in the crown I inherit from Thee
Before for You, I’ll lay it down for etern - ity
Its all…its all for Thee

All that awaits us in heaven…the treasures, the crowns, the mansions…none of it is ours. Nor will any of it make heaven a better or more enjoyable experience for us. No, the enjoyment we will receive from the treasures, crowns, and mansions, is getting to step before the throne of God and lay it all down at His feet...getting to say,

“It was all for You, my God. You are my only Crown, my only Reward, and my only Treasure. You, and You alone, make heaven heaven. And the truth is: any good I accomplished while in life, any thing I did to further Your Kingdom or care for Your children…it was all done out of my love for You. And even more, it was all done in You and through You. So all these treasures that I have stored-up for myself here…they are all Yours. May they add to Your pleasure and may they add to Your fame. Take them, my God, for they are all for You.”

That is the purpose for the heavenly bounty that awaits us. The joy of that moment. Before the soul-satisfying beauty and unrestricted glory of the Risen Christ…who would want mansions, crowns, and the like? We will want only Him.

So we lay it down. All that we have stored up. Some of us have earned nothing more than a tiny gold star to lay before Him.

“Here it is, God. See it there? On the tip of my finger? See it? It is all Yours.”

While others, those who spent their time and energy and resources well on earth, will have truckload after truckload after truckload backing-up, dumping heaps upon heaps upon heaps of treasures at the feet of the King they served so faithfully in life.

And those are the people who will know the deep and lasting joy of getting to say,

“My God...it's all for Thee”.

lord over me

(click here to listen this song)

How unworthy am I in Your presence
Hands are dirty, heart full of sin
How do I look through eyes made for perfection
I have never felt such compassion

You call me beautiful
You call me loved

And I fall down at Your feet
Proclaiming You merciful and holy
And I fall down at Your feet
Anointing You worthy as Lord over me

I have never felt such compassion
How unworthy, I bow before You
Here's my every desire and possesion
All I have is the least that You're due

I wrote this song from the first-person perspective of the sinful woman who fell at Jesus' feet in Luke 7. And when I first wrote it, the words to the chorus were:

And my tears fall at Your feet
Proclaiming You merciful and holy
And my tears at Your feet
Anointing You worthy as Lord over me

And actually, the song makes more sense and remains closer to the story in Luke with the original lyrics. But I changed it because I felt like the current chorus is more universal and easier for your average congregant to grab onto and make his/her own. And I don't believe that changing it severed the song from the story.

And that was important, because that story is one of my favorite stories in the bible.

Basically, Jesus was dining at a Pharisee's house one night. Back before tv, radio or the daily newspaper, when an important person in the community invited another important person over for dinner, it was not uncommon for large crowds to gather outside the house and listen in to the conversation. So, for that woman to be in attendance that night was not unusual.

However, her response to seeing Jesus was.

Apparently she had had a previous encounter with Jesus and knew that He was special. We don't know what the encounter consisted of...but she had obviously been shaken to the core by the words or deeds of the Man she was now watching from afar.

And in seeing Him again...she snapped.

She broke out from the crowd and drew unwanted attention to herself by running towards Christ. Certainly the people in the crowd knew this woman...or at least her reputation. They would have found it embarrassing and completely inappropriate for her to approach a Pharisee, let alone whoever this Jesus guy might be.

How unbelievably humbling would it be to come before a Man who you know is privy to every horrible thing you have ever done? How dirty would you feel knowing that these eyes, that were made to gaze upon the splendor and perfection of the inner sanctuaries of heaven, now fell upon you, in all your filth and despair? How pathetic would you feel having nothing with which to clean the feet of this holy Man, except your salty tears and matted hair?

And then...how would it feel for Him to look at you, and despite all of the above, call you beautiful and loved?

Well...that'd probably be enough for you to pour out everything that used to be of worth to you and call this Man: Lord and Christ.

gladness divine

(listen to this song at www.myspace.com/billwolfworship)

O Great Delight
God's lone Son, my blessed Christ
Gladness Divine
The Risen Victor enthroned on high ... O Great Delight

I've found Treasure, I've found Truth
O the sweet pleasure I've found in You
The Royalty of the universe
The Mystery of my heart's searching
O Great Delight ... Gladness Divine

O Great Delight
God's lone Son, forever reigning
Gladness Divine
The Father's joy never waning ... O Great Delight

I've found Treasure, I've found Truth
O the sweet pleasure I've found in You
The Royalty of the universe
The Mystery of my heart's searching
O Great Delight ... Gladness Divine

O Blessed Ecstasy
Holy Felicity
Great Delight, Gladness Divine
O Jesus Christ, my joy in Thee

The pursuit of our own pleasure is the motivation for which we do all we do in life. Blaise Pascal puts it this way, "All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end...The will never takes the least step but with this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even those who hang themselves."

We were made to know the intimate and infinite joy of an unhindered, unfiltered relationship with our God. The beauty and perfection that we would know in Him would be the satisfaction of our souls. Our unquenchable thirst for pleasure was designed to glorify God as our unending source of delight and gladness. But when sin entered the picture, we lost our ability to fully see and savor God for Who He is.

We lost our ability, but we did not lose our appetite.

Ever since that day, our hearts have been searching for the Great Delight, the Divine Gladness we were created for. And the amazing truth is that God, as Jesus Christ, has offered Himself that we might find Him again, our Fount of eternal joy. But too often we prefer the glittering gold and painted beauties of this world. C.S. Lewis stated, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased."

'Gladness Divine' is a celebration of the immeasurable and eternal pleasure found in knowing Christ. He is His Father's prized Jewel, and our Great Delight.

Jonathan Edwards wrote in 1755, "God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that He might communicate, and the creature receive, His glory; and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies his idea of God's glory doesn't glorify God so much as he that testifies also his delight in it."

We've lost a bit of this in the church today, haven't we. We often speak of the joy found in Christ's blessings, but rarely the delight found in Christ, Himself. So, let's sing again with the twelfth century hymnist, Bernard of Clairvaux: "Jesus, the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast. But sweeter far Thy face to see and in Thy presence rest."