The Rush, a Song

And I never could have guessed
How big and bright and beautiful you were
It was always hit or miss
But everything has changed now that you’re here

And I would give it all up if I could
To feel the fire burning in my blood
The Spirit breathing life into my flesh
Sweeping my heart away in the sacred rush
In the glorious crush
Of the holy hush
I wanna feel the rush

I may never understand
How awesome always and everywhere you are
When I thought I’d reached the end
I take a second look and I find more

And I would give it all up if I could
To feel the fire burning in my blood
The Spirit breathing life into my flesh
Sweeping my heart away in the sacred rush
In the glorious crush
Of the holy hush
I wanna feel the rush

Everything’s turned upside down
The world I thought I knew
It’s all gonna have to change
Cause everything that once made sense
Is making room for you
And I won’t ever be the same

And I would give it all up if I could
To feel the fire burning in my blood
The Spirit breathing life into my flesh
Sweeping my heart away in the sacred rush
In the glorious crush
Of the holy hush
I wanna feel the rush

A Theory of Everything, a song

I never knew that gravity could make you feel so light
I never knew that light could press you down with such a weight
I always thought each action had its equal opposite
I always thought each heartbeat was without its duplicate

When space and time collapse
And reference points collide
And everything is relative to you
When all my reason’s gone
And logic’s crucified
I find the source of everything that’s true

I always thought that two lines parallel can’t intersect
And rainbows shine only when there’s white light to reflect
And I was taught that equal poles would always push apart
And every circle brought you in the end back to the start

When space and time collapse
And reference points collide
And everything is relative to you
When all my reason’s gone
And logic’s crucified
I find the source of everything that’s true

Before we met I thought I knew
What my whole world was orbiting
Or anything could be so constant
As the speed of light. Before we met
I never guessed
The universe might be unravelling
But now we have and now I find
I’m having to rewrite my theory of everything

Before we met I thought I knew
What my whole world was orbiting
Or anything could be so constant
As the speed of light. Before we met
I never guessed
The universe might be unravelling
But now we have and now I find
I’m having to rewrite my theory of everything,
Everything, everything
You are my theory, my theory of everything

Truth Be Told, a song

Everyone has dreaming that they
Think they have to hide
A little bit of longing
Tucked away somewhere inside
And I don’t wanna make assumptions,
I don’t wanna pry
But if you never spread your wings,
You’re never gonna fly

If the truth be told
And the world could see
All the secrets you hold
All your mysteries
They would set you free
If the truth be told
If I could be so bold
To tell you honestly
You’re a sight to behold
You can show it to me
It will set you free
If the truth be told

Everyone has disappointments
Swept under the rug
The whole thing would unravel
If you gave a thread a tug
And I can’t make you promises
Or give you guarantees
But if you don’t let the light in
You won’t ever get to see

If the truth be told
And the world could see
All the secrets you hold
All your mysteries
They would set you free
If the truth be told
If I could be so bold
To tell you honestly
You’re a sight to behold
You can show it to me
It will set you free
If the truth be told

Everyone has bruises too sacred
For the light of day
The scarring left behind
When your innocence was stripped away
And I can’t give you easy answers,
If you need to know the whys
But one day it will all make sense
When you look him in the eye

If the truth be told
And the world could see
All the secrets you hold
All your mysteries
They would set you free
If the truth be told
If I could be so bold
To tell you honestly
You’re a sight to behold
You can show it to me
It will set you free
If the truth be told

Be Here Now, a song

I never saw you standing there
Cause though my flesh and blood was here
My heart was still a million miles away
I tried with all my might to hear
But even though your voice was clear
I never really heard you say

Be here, be here now
Each second holds the secret of eternity
Be here, be here now
The universe in every grain of sand
Each heartbeat is a window on your destiny
The ground beneath your feet your promised land
Each breath unlocks a door onto infinity
Don’t need to have it figured out to understand
Just be. Be here.
Be here. Be here now.

I had borrowed all my worries from tomorrow
And escaping from my sorrow I got trapped in yesterday
My heart was always spinning in a whirl
Trying earnestly to follow
But I couldn’t find a way (to)

Be here, be here now
Each second holds the secret of eternity
Be here, be here now
The universe in every grain of sand
Each heartbeat is a window on your destiny
The ground beneath your feet your promised land
Each breath unlocks a door onto infinity
Don’t need to have it figured out to understand
Just be. Be here.
Be here. Be here now.

And where I ever I go, you’re right where I am
You’re right where I need to be
Taking it slow, and taking my hand
And whispering gently to me

Be here, be here now
Each second holds the secret of eternity
Be here, be here now
The universe in every grain of sand
Each heartbeat is a window on your destiny
The ground beneath your feet your promised land
Each breath unlocks a door onto infinity
Don’t need to have it figured out to understand
Just be. Be here.
Be here. Be here now.

The Lorica of St. Patrick, a song

Death in Battle, a song

Open the gates for me
Open the gates of the peaceful castle
Rosy in the west
In the sweet, dim Isle of apples
Over the wide sea’s breast
Open the gates for me

Open the gates for me, open the gates for me

Sorely pressed have I been
And driven and hurt beyond all bearing
On this summer day
But the heat and the pain are all disappearing
Suddenly fallen away
All’s cool, all’s cool and green

But a moment agone
Among men cursing in fight and toiling
Blinded I fought
But the labor passed with a sudden recoiling
Like a passing thought
And now I’m all, I’m all alone

Open the gates for me, open the gates for me
Open the gates for me, open the gates for me

Ah, to be ever alone
In the flowery valleys among the mountains
And the silent wastes untrod
In the dewy uplands near to the fountain
of the Garden of God
This would, would this atone?

O Country of Dreams
Out beyond the tide of the ocean
Hidden and sunk away
Away from the sounds of smoke and commotion
Near to the end of the day
Full of dim woods and bright streams

Open the gates for me, open the gates for me
Open the gates for me, open the gates for me

(The Lord is with You) Mighty Warrior, a song

The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
The Lord is with you, Gideon
And even though you hide your heart
Like grain in the winepress
And even though you think yourself
The weakest and the smallest
The Lord is with you mighty warrior

The Lord is with you barren Hannah
The Lord is with you, empty one
And even though you whisper dreams
In the shadow of the altar
And even though you lift your prayer
Till your voice starts to falter
The Lord is with you barren Hannah

Because your weakness is his power
And your foolishness his grace
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
Though you shrink from his embrace
And he will clothe you with his spirit
He will arm you with his love
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
He will guard you from above

The Lord is with you restless Jacob
The Lord is with you, Isaac's son
And even though you wrestle with him
Striving till the daybreak
And in your brokenness you beg
A blessing for the heartache
The Lord is with you restless Jacob

Because your weakness is his power
And your foolishness his grace
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
Though you shrink from his embrace
And he will clothe you with his spirit
He will arm you with his love
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
He will guard you from above

Because your weakness is his power
And your foolishness his grace
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
Though you shrink from his embrace
And he will clothe you with his spirit
He will arm you with his love
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior
He will guard you from above

Liminal Spaces, a song

Waiting out here in the hall
Don’t want to sit but I just can’t stand it anymore
I thought I heard my number call
Look through the keyhole but I just can’t see behind the door

Lost in liminal spaces
Sunset on Holy Saturday
In these in-between places
I can’t go but I can’t stay
But I thought I caught a glimpse of your face
Floating with me in liminal space

Waiting at the terminal
I missed my train and yet it’s somewhere coming down the track
Don’t know where I’m supposed to go
I can’t go on and yet I know I’m never going back

Lost in liminal spaces
Sunset on Holy Saturday
In these in-between places
I can’t go but I can’t stay
But I thought I caught a glimpse of your face
Floating with me in liminal space

Liminal spaces, liminal spaces

Colours turning green to red
Winter’s welcome and the summer’s fond farewell
New life burns auburn among the dead
It’s all so beautiful, it gets so hard for me to tell

Lost in liminal spaces
Sunset on Holy Saturday
In these in-between places
I can’t go but I can’t stay
But I thought I caught a glimpse of your face
Floating with me in liminal space

Looking for Someone (Looking for Me), a song

Hey where did you go?
I thought you were there
Or that you’d be passing by
I tarnished my halo
Disheveled my hair
Just hoping to catch your eye

I rise with the morning
Wait on the sunset
Ride on the wings of the dawn
But it comes without warning
I blink and I miss it
Just when I get there, you’re gone

I’m looking for someone looking for me
Open my eyes up but I just can’t see
Scratching the surface of the mystery
But I’ll never find it till it finds me

Is anyone out there
Does anyone see
The yearning in my disguise?
I look in the mirror
Don’t recognize me
The stranger behind these eyes

I thought that I knew him
Thought that I found him
Thought that you called his name
But your eyes see right through him
Left him astounded
He won’t ever be the same

I’m looking for someone looking for me
Open my eyes up but I just can’t see
Scratching the surface of the mystery
But I’ll never find it till it finds me

And whatever it is, it’s already here
Can’t you see it? Whatever it is?
And whatever it is, it’s already here
Can’t you see it? Whatever it is?

I’m looking for someone looking for me
Open my eyes up but I just can’t see
Scratching the surface of the mystery
But I’ll never find it till it finds me

The Eye of a Perfect Storm, a song

Clouds are forming in the distance
Shadows on the rise
Wind is driving with a vengeance
Darkening the skies
Can’t escape or run for cover
There’s nowhere to hide
Hold my breath until its over
Covering my eyes

Burning in the fire
Deafening the thunder
Shattering the summit
Of the holy mountain top
Quickening desire
Whispering in wonder
Crushing all the silence
Till the chaos stops

World turning, world burning
Spinning in the dark
World hurting, world yearning
World falls apart
Hearts are breaking, spirit’s aching
Calling out for you
Rocks are shaking, earth is quaking
World torn in two

Burning in the fire
Deafening the thunder
Shattering the summit
Of the holy mountain top
Quickening desire
Whispering in wonder
Crushing all the silence
Till the chaos stops

And I, I saw you there
Standing in the eye,
In the eye of a perfect storm
I found you swirling serene and
Shining in the night

And rising from the dead and
Glimmering with light
You were there
At the centre of the surging calm
In the eye of a perfect storm

Clouds are forming in the distance
Shadows on the rise
Wind is driving with a vengeance
Darkening the skies
Can’t escape or run for cover
There’s nowhere to hide
Hold my breath until its over
Covering my eyes

Burning in the fire
Deafening the thunder
Shattering the summit
Of the holy mountain top
Quickening desire
Whispering in wonder
Crushing all the silence
Till the chaos stops

And I, I saw you there
Standing in the eye,
In the eye of a perfect storm
I found you swirling serene and
Shining in the night
And rising from the dead and
Glimmering with light
You were there
At the centre of the surging calm
In the eye of a perfect storm

Dreamcatcher, a song

I was tumbling through the air
In a freefall of dying dreams and of helpless hope
Up where only angels dare
I couldn’t see the sky above or the ground below
I was calling out your name
Words into the empty void of my heart’s desire
Disappointing me again
Burning with fading light and a searing fire

Dreamcatcher, catch this one before it hits the ground
Everything is up in the air
Keep it all from crashing down
Without a wing or a prayer
It was tossed into the here after
It was thrown away in despair
Can you bring it back with laughter?
Dreamcatcher, Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher
Catch me in this trust fall
I’m throwing it all to you

I had it hidden all away
I couldn’t bear to risk it all and to let it show
Or to see the light of day
I held it like a fist full of melting snow
I found it hard to believer
That I would really gain it all if I let it go
So I held it close to me
A secret that I didn’t want to let the world know

Dreamcatcher, catch this one before it hits the ground
Everything is up in the air
Keep it all from crashing down
Without a wing or a prayer
It was tossed into the here after
It was thrown away in despair
Can you bring it back with laughter
Dreamcatcher, Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher
Catch me in this trust fall

And I, I heard a rumor
I’d find my heart’s desire
If my delight was found only in you
But I was always a late bloomer
And the dreams that you inspire
Are easy to believe but the feel to good
To be true

Dreamcatcher, catch this one before it hits the ground
Everything is up in the air
Keep it all from crashing down
Without a wing or a prayer
It was tossed into the here after
It was thrown away in despair
Can you bring it back with laughter
Dreamcatcher, Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher
Catch me in this trust fall
I’m throwing it all to you

One Last Hurrah, a song

The party’s almost over and time is running out
And no one knows when we’ll be back here again
And we’re holding on for love or the fear of missing out
Cause the end is about to begin

The hour’s getting later, but I don’t want to leave
Cause we’ve been through a lot, but we’ve still got one shot
And now this might be our fate or our final destiny
So let’s give it all we got

When it’s all said and done,
The joy of the race is the ache of the run
Cause whether you lost or you won
You still gave it your all

For one last hurrah, here in the land of the living
We’re making the most of this moment we got
Cause nobody knows,
Just how much time we’ve been given
So stay lost in the wonder and standing in awe
For one last hurrah

The party guests are leaving the night is nearly done
But as late as it gets, it’s not over yet
We got one more chance at living before the rising sun
So let’s love with no regrets

Cause at the end of the day
Your heart is worth more than the parts that you play
And when it’s all stripped away
You still gave it your all, for

One last hurrah, here in the land of the living
We’re making the most of this moment we got
Cause nobody knows,
Just how much time we’ve been given
So stay lost in the wonder and standing in awe
For one last hurrah

Hallelujah, I’m holding on to you
Till our final au revoir
O, Hallelujah, I give my heart to you
For one last glorious hurrah

One last hurrah, here in the land of the living
We’re making the most of this moment we got
Cause nobody knows,
Just how much time we’ve been given
So stay lost in the wonder and standing in awe
For one last hurrah

Three Times Holy, a song

Holy, three times holy, holy
Holy three times holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, three times holy, holy

My David, Your Jonathan (String Version)

If you would be my David
Then I’d be your Jonathan
Yeah, I’d take off all the trappings
Of the glory I got on
And I’d remove my armour
And I’d offer you my crown
If you would be a David
To my lonely Jonathan

And I would stand before you
Unclothed and unashamed
And I’d show you all my secrets
Just to hear you whispering my name
And if it meant I could no longer
Be my father’s son
Still I’d let you be my David
If I knew that I could be your Jonathan

Cause there’s a friend who sticks closer
Than any brother could
There’s a water that is thicker
Than the purest drop of blood
There’s a love that is more wonderful
Than any I have known
So hold me to your heart my Holy David
And I swear that I will be your Jonathan
O I swear that I will be your Jonathan
I swear that I will be…

And when the night is lonely
And the shadow’s running high
If I took my shot into the dark
Would you swear to never leave my side
And when my journey stumbles
And I’ve fallen on my sword
If I swore to be your Jonathan
Would you swear with all your heart to be my Lord?

Cause there’s a friend who sticks closer
Than any brother could
There’s a water that is thicker
Than the purest drop of blood
There’s a love that is more wonderful
Than any I have known
So hold me to your heart my Holy David
And I swear that I will be your Jonathan
O I swear that I will be your Jonathan
I swear that I will be…

Batter My Heart (Three Personed God), a song

With gratitude to John Donne

Batter my heart, three personed God,
Break my spirit down and build it up complete
O, Batter my heart

Ravish my heart, Three personed God
Take my life from me I lay it at your feet
O, Ravish my heart

I long to know you Lord, I long to see your face
I long to find peace in the shadow of your grace
Break me bend me mould me mend me make my life anew
Teach me to let go of what holds me back from you

Cleanse my life, O lamb of God
Wash me clean and let your Spirit enter me
O Cleanse my life

Take my life, O Lamb of God
A slave to you that I might finally be free
O, Take my life

I long to know you Lord, I long to see your face
I long to find peace in the shadow of your grace
Break me bend me mould me mend me make my life anew
Teach me to let go of what holds me back from you  

The Last Ride of Jesus and John Wayne, a song

The warrior was waiting for Billy the Kid
When he rode into town
He started cursading for the quick and the dead
With a Bible and a gun

He said: Calling all you outlaws
With your promises to keep
There's a way to save your souls
If your man enough to believe

That Billy's riding shotgun
For Jesus and John Wayne
With a pose of his lost boys
Holding up the train
Making deals with the devil
And trading pain for gain
And saddling their horses for the last ride
Of Jesus and John Wayne

The kid told the warrior to reach for the sky
When they take their last stand
To be a good soldier and never say die
And fight for the Promised Land

Calling all you outlaws
With your promises to keep
There's a way to save your souls
If your man enough to believe

That Billy's riding shotgun
For Jesus and John Wayne
With a pose of his lost boys
Holding up the train
Making deals with the devil
And trading pain for gain
And saddling their horses for the last ride
Of Jesus and John Wayne

And you can never let us see
There's a boy insde the man
In the shadows, under lock and key
And you can never let it go
There's a truth inside the child
It's a secret none of us can know

'Cause Billy's riding shotgun
For Jesus and John Wayne
With a pose of his lost boys
Holding up the train
Making deals with the devil
And trading pain for gain
And saddling their horses for the last ride
Of Jesus and John Wayne

My David, Your Jonathan

If you would be my David
Then I’d be your Jonathan
Yeah, I’d take off all the trappings
Of the glory I got on
And I’d remove my armour
And I’d offer you my crown
If you would be a David
To my lonely Jonathan

And I would stand before you
Unclothed and unashamed
And I’d show you all my secrets
Just to hear you whispering my name
And if it meant I could no longer
Be my father’s son
Still I’d let you be my David
If I knew that I could be your Jonathan

Cause there’s a friend who sticks closer
Than any brother could
There’s a water that is thicker
Than the purest drop of blood
There’s a love that is more wonderful
Than any I have known
So hold me to your heart my Holy David
And I swear that I will be your Jonathan
O I swear that I will be your Jonathan
I swear that I will be…

And when the night is lonely
And the shadow’s running high
If I took my shot into the dark
Would you swear to never leave my side
And when my journey stumbles
And I’ve fallen on my sword
If I swore to be your Jonathan
Would you swear with all your heart to be my Lord?

Cause there’s a friend who sticks closer
Than any brother could
There’s a water that is thicker
Than the purest drop of blood
There’s a love that is more wonderful
Than any I have known
So hold me to your heart my Holy David
And I swear that I will be your Jonathan
O I swear that I will be your Jonathan
I swear that I will be…

Scared Sacred, a song

 Last spring I was leading a verse by verse Bible study through the Book of Revelation at our church. There are no end of compelling themes and difficult images to be drawn from the pages of this mysterious book , of course, but what stood out to me especially this time through was the tension between God's beauty, on the one hand, and his fearsomeness, on the other. The Jesus revealed in the Book of Revelation draws us into his light and then drops us on our faces, trembling and undone by the sheer glory of his presence. A while ago I came across the expression "scared sacred" in a book about Christianity and the creative life by Andrew Peterson. The line found its way into my commonplace book and re-emerged as I was pondering the "fearful Holiness" that I was glimpsing in the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Revelation. The line inspired a guitar riff, which morphed eventually into this song. I'm not sure the final result quite captures the unbridled awe I was feeling as I wrote it, but there are one or two places where it comes close. And for what's missing, I suppose, yet one more journey through the Book of Revelation will easily fill the gaps.

And when you speak to me from the whirlwind
And your lightning lights up the sky
And when your dark clouds are gathering
And I’m standing in the eye of the storm

And when I hear the sound of your thunder call
Over the crashing waves of the sea
And in the roaring of your waterfall
The deep cries out to the deep in me

Cause your glory leaves me trembling
All my defenses are unraveling
And your eyes pierce my secrets
In your presence I’m scared sacred
Scared sacred, I’m come undone
Scared sacred

And when you call to me from the holy place
With a cry that makes the heavens shake
And every seraphim is covering their face
And every saint is quaking inside 

Cause your glory leaves me trembling

All my defenses are unraveling
And your eyes pierce my secrets
In your presence I’m scared sacred
Scared sacred, I’m come undone
Scared sacred

I’m come undone before the Holy One
I’m come undone before the Holy One

Cause your glory leaves me trembling
All my defenses are unraveling
And your eyes pierce my secrets
In your presence I’m scared sacred
Scared sacred, I’m come undone
Scared sacred

Wait, a song

As I get older and look back on my journey of faith, I've started to notice how huge a role the hope of the Second Coming has played in my understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. I was raised in a largely dispensational tradition that regularly talked about the End Times and held to very clear dogmas about the timeline of the millenial reign of Christ. My parents has a copy of the Ryrie Study Bible on the bookshelf. My Grandfather would often share his theories with me, about why he was convinced Christ would return in his lifetime, or what he believed the Mark of the Beast really was, or any number of similiar eschatological speculations. The first book of the Bible that I have a very clear memory of reading for myself was the Book of Revelaiton. One of my favorite storybooks as a child was The Last Battle. I never really added this stuff up before, but my childhood was shot through with a deep sense that the Second Coming was more than just a matter of credal assent; it was an urgent, pressing reality.

The subliminal eschatological orientation of my life has shown up in my songwriting over the years, too. The first album of music I ever recorded, with a group of musicians from my home church in 2004, had at least 2 songs on it that were explicitly about the Second Coming, and at least three others that alluded to it. Nearly twenty years later, these songs strike me as a bit naif and pedantic, but they also remind me of the orientation towards hope and the future that my faith has given me over the years, and the "Already/Not Yet" tension I've always carried in my heart.

This song, called "Wait," is probably the most explicitly eschatological song I've ever written. It goes back to 2001, and although I hope I'd handle the subject matter with a good deal more subtlety and sensitivity today than I did a two decades ago, still, it captures a feeling that has been throbbing in my heart, I think, all my life.



How long will you be silent
How long will you hide your face?
Wake O Lord the arm of your righteousness
Cleanse our land with your love and grace

     And we will wait for the dawn of your righteousness
     We will wait for that thief in the night
     We will hold out the hope of your glory
     Shatter the darkness with your truth and light

How long will the wicked prosper
How long will the lie seem right?
Arise O Lord and scatter your enemies
Shatter the darkness with your truth and light

     And we will wait for the dawn of your righteousness
     We will wait for that thief in the night
     We will hold out the hope of your glory
     Shatter the darkness with your truth and light

Wait, we will wait for you
Hope, we will hope in you
Watch, we will watch for you

     And we will wait for the dawn of your righteousness
     We will wait for that thief in the night
     We will hold out the hope of your glory
     Shatter the darkness with your truth and light

The Dragon, the Maiden and the Baby Boy, a song

I saw a strange sign burning in the heavens
One winter night
O, tidings of comfort and joy
When the world was dark and the sky was awash
With pale moonlight
I saw a dragon, a maiden, and a baby boy
O, a dragon, a maiden, and a baby boy

She was clothed with the sun and the moon
And the silver starlight
In her labor pains lifted up her cry
She gave birth to a heavenly child
That cold winter night
But the dragon lay in wait for the baby boy
O the dragon lay in wait for the baby boy

    But God rest ye, all ye merry Christian friends
    Hear the heavens ringing out with joy
    The earth resounds with praise that will never end
    For the dragon was trampled by the baby boy
    O the dragon was trampled by the baby boy

The dragon lashed with his tail and his teeth
To swallow the child
A third of the stars fell from the sky
The maiden fled through the darkness of the night
Off into to the wild
And the angles came to rescue her baby boy
O the angels came to rescue her baby boy

Then I saw a war break out in the heavens
All across the night sky
The dragon come to kill and to destroy
The host of heaven came out to meet him
And they raised the battle cry
And they cast him down with the love of the baby boy
O they cast him down with the love of the baby boy

    So: God rest ye, all ye merry Christian friends
    Hear the heavens ringing out with joy
    The earth resounds with praise that will never end
    For the dragon was trampled by the baby boy
    O the dragon was trampled by the baby boy

Now have come the salvation and the power of our God
The accuser of his children is cast down
We have triumphed over him
By the truth and the blood of a lamb
So rejoice! You heavenlies rejoice!
The Messiah is that Maiden’s Baby Boy
O Messiah is that Maiden’s Baby Boy

Now the dragon still is seeking to devour the maiden
In the wilderness
But she was given eagles wings with which to fly
Cause the dragon is defeated but the battle still is raging
For hope and peace
And the love of that glorious baby Boy

    So: God rest ye, all ye merry Christian friends
    Hear the heavens ringing out with joy
    The earth resounds with praise that will never end
    For the dragon was trampled by the baby boy
    And the dragon is trampled by that baby boy
    And the dragon will be trampled by that baby boy