Books by Dale Harris

Books by Dale Harris
A Feast of Epiphanies

Though I Walk, A Novel

Daytime Moons and Other Celestial Anomalies, a book of poems

Second Wind

Second Wind
An album of songs both old and new. Recorded in 2021, a year of major transition for me, these songs explore the many vicissitudes of the spiritual life,. It's about the mountaintop moments and the Holy Saturday sunrises, the doors He opens that no one can close, and those doors He's closed that will never open again. You can click the image above to give it a listen.

The Song Became a Child

The Song Became a Child
A collection of Christmas songs I wrote and recorded during the early days of the pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2020. Click the image to listen.

There's a Trick of the Light I'm Learning to Do

This is a collection of songs I wrote and recorded in January - March, 2020 while on sabbatical from ministry. They each deal with a different aspect or expression of the Gospel. Click on the image above to listen.

Three Hands Clapping

This is my latest recording project (released May 27, 2019). It is a double album of 22 songs, which very roughly track the story of my life... a sort of musical autobiography, so to speak. Click the album image to listen.

Ghost Notes

Ghost Notes
A collections of original songs I wrote in 2015, and recorded with the FreeWay Musical Collective. Click the album image to listen.

inversions

Recorded in 2014, these songs are sort of a chronicle of my journey through a pastoral burn-out last winter. They deal with themes of mental-health, spiritual burn-out and depression, but also with the inexorable presence of God in the midst of darkness. Click the album art to download.

soundings

soundings
click image to download
"soundings" is a collection of songs I recorded in September/October of 2013. Dealing with themes of hope, ache, trust and spiritual loss, the songs on this album express various facets of my journey with God.

bridges

bridges
Click to download.
"Bridges" is a collection of original songs I wrote in the summer of 2011, during a soul-searching trip I took out to Alberta; a sort of long twilight in the dark night of the soul. I share it here in hopes these musical reflections on my own spiritual journey might be an encouragement to others: the sun does rise, blood-red but beautiful.

echoes

echoes
Prayers, poems and songs (2005-2009). Click to download
"echoes" is a collection of songs I wrote during my time studying at Briercrest Seminary (2004-2009). It's called "echoes" partly because these songs are "echoes" of times spent with God from my songwriting past, but also because there are musical "echoes" of hymns, songs or poems sprinkled throughout the album. Listen closely and you'll hear them.

Accidentals

This collection of mostly blues/rock/folk inspired songs was recorded in the spring and summer of 2015. I call it "accidentals" because all of the songs on this project were tunes I have had kicking around in my notebooks for many years but had never found a "home" for on previous albums. You can click the image to download the whole album.

Random Reads

Lenten Prayer

God, in the righteousness of Jesus, we discover the depth our unrighteousness.

In the wholeness of Jesus, we discover the extent of our brokenness.

In Jesus’ oneness with you, we discover the great chasm of our alienation from you.

I mean: we’ve fit you in to our lives, but we haven’t loved you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We’ve tolerated our neighbours, but we haven’t loved them as ourselves. We pray, but usually it’s for our own will to be done, not yours on earth as it is in heaven.

Oh, God: we’ve judged specks in the eyes of those around us, specks we could barely see through the plank in our own eye.

We’ve stored up earthly treasures, all the while knowing you’ve offered us heavenly treasure—see: we were hoping we could get both.

We’ve looked at people made in your image, as though they were things.

We’ve sworn “yes” when we really meant “no” and said “no” when we really meant “yes”;

We’ve used words to hurt and tear down and kill instead of to bless and give life and create.

We’ve done these things, and more.

[pause]

We’re sorry God.

We want things to be different.

We want Jesus’ righteousness, Jesus wholeness, Jesus oneness with you to define us, and to define our life with you.

And so we come to you today praying this ancient prayer from the ancient book you gave us, because we know that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, quick to forgive and infinite in steadfast love. Jesus proved it to us:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

[Time for quiet confession]

Friends and followers of Jesus, hear his good news:

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Receive the grace of God: In Jesus Christ we are new creation.


We are forgiven.

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