Category Archives: Music

June 21, 2015

Bringing in the Sheaves

By Joe

Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

– Psalm 126:5-6

Bringing in the Sheaves

By Knowles Shaw

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Knowles Shaw (1834-1878) was a preacher, singer, and songwriter (of both words and music). In his day he was one of the best known figures in the American Restoration Movement. He was a member of the churches of Christ, which many of you know is a non-instrumental church. Perhaps Shaw’s best known work is the popular gospel song “Bringing in the Sheaves.” Shaw was an exceptional singer by all accounts, and integrated hymns into his sermons as a natural extension of his message.

“Bringing in the Sheaves” was written in 1874, and was dedicated to the memory of Augustus Damon Fillmore (1823-1870), a fellow preacher and songwriter. For some reason this hymn has taken hold of the popular imagination as the go-to cultural reference for American “old-time religion.” It has appeared in a lengthy list of movies and television episodes. It is often associated with the Salvation Army because it is played by the Salvation Army band in the musical Guys and Dolls.

Ancient Israel was an agrarian society, and Jesus himself grew up in the farming country of Galilee, so the Bible naturally is full of references to the commonplace sights of planting and harvesting. It was difficult work to get a crop out of the dry, drought-prone land of Palestine, and then as now the farmers relied on their store of practical knowledge to get the most from their land. Jesus referred to this common knowledge in John 4:35, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’?”

The harvest was a joyous time, especially if there was an assurance of a good yield after the uncertainties of the planting and growing season. Reapers would cut off the stalks close to the ground with a scythe, tying up convenient arm-loads and stacking them in groups for loading onto carts. The book of Ruth gives a detailed description of the ancient harvest practices, including the harvest feast when the crops were taken in and the work was over.

The Bible makes at least two spiritual applications of this earthly process. On a personal level, our actions and course of life, good or bad, are often compared to planting seed that grows to a harvest–good or bad, which I wrote about last week in the “Parable of the Soils.” And in a more outward-looking sense, our efforts toward spreading the gospel and leading others to Christ are frequently compared to sowing seed that will bring about a harvest in the lives of others.

Also, in the parable of the tares (or “weeds”) in Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus taught:

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'”

Jesus concludes with the warning, that although the wheat and the tares were growing side by side, and impossible to separate, the final reckoning would sort each out. God will not be mocked; His just judgment will return a harvest fitting to the seed that is sown.

The Old Testament spoke this truth in proverb and prophecy, and often with great poetic beauty. Proverbs 22:8 says, “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,” returning on himself the misfortunes he causes to others. Hosea 8:7 goes a step further, famously warning, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” The result of continued sowing of wicked deeds is presented in terrifying language in Joel 3:13–“Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.” When God “tramples out the vintage” of His “grapes of wrath,” it is not a sight any wise person wants to witness. But even in the absence of great wickedness, the lack of good deeds has its consequences: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”(Jeremiah 8:20)

On the positive side, the Bible also presents the harvest as a long-awaited recompense for the righteous person’s struggles. Hosea, though so much of his prophecy was of punishment, also exhorted the people with this beautiful picture of a better harvest to come: “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you.”(Hosea 10:12) James seems almost to echo these words in this passage: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”(James 3:17-18)

In this sense we are all farmers, planting seed every day in the words we say and the things we do, for either good or bad; our harvest is being determined now, both in quality and proportion. “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”(2 Corinthians 9:6)

As I said last week, we all will reap what we sow. God tells us that in numerous passages of the Bible. Many who call themselves Christians will tell us that as LGBT individuals, that we will reap Hell because we have sown a life of sin with our homosexuality. Even if I didn’t think they were wrong about this, their hatred is sowing not seeds of kindness but seeds of hatred and ungodly behavior. However, we cannot allow people like that to sow seeds of discord, nor can we allow them to push us away from God. Instead, we must continue to sow seeds of kindness so that we can nourish and grow in great faith within the Christian community.

We are already sowing the seeds of this with the faith initiatives of the Human Rights Campaign and within congregations who are LGBT friendly, such as the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church. Some congregations are merely non-discriminatory and LGBT-affirming while others are specifically oriented toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons. Some local congregations, especially those designated as “Welcoming churches” in the Disciples of Christ, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Methodist, Episcopal, and Brethren/Mennonite denominations, may consist of a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members.

We cannot let the weeds of discord choke our growing faith communities and we should continue to celebrate the harvest of churches who are welcoming to all. The welcoming churches show the true spirit of the message of Jesus, and I believe as the LGBT community continues to gain acceptance and equal rights, we will see more churches opening their doors to the LGBT community.

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May 10, 2015

Shall We Gather at the River?

By Joe

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. – Revelation 22:1-2

Shall We Gather at the River?
By Robert Lowry

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever,
All the happy golden day.

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God

At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Savior’s face,
Saints, whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

Soon we’ll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

If you know his song, you most likely know it’s title as “Shall We Gather at the River?” or simply “At the River.” These titles are the popular names for the traditional Christian hymn that is actually titled “Hanson Place,” written by American poet and gospel music composer Robert Lowry (1826–1899). Robert Lowry (1826-1899) was a professor of literature, a Baptist pastor of several large churches and a music editor at Biglow Publishing Company. He wrote close to 500 hymns, including “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “Low in the Grave He Lay.” “Shall We Gather at the River?” was written in 1864. The title “Hanson Place” is a reference to the original Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, where Lowry, as a Baptist minister, sometimes served.

The song’s lyrics refer to the Christian concept of the anticipation of restoration and reward, and reference the motifs found at Revelation 22:1-2 – a crystal clear river with water of life, issuing from the throne of heaven, all presented by an angel of God. One hot afternoon in July 1864, as Lowry was resting on his sofa, visions of heaven pervaded his senses. He saw the bright golden throne room and a multitude of saints gathered around the beautiful, cool, crystal, river of life. He was filled with a sense of great joy. He began to wonder why there seemed to be many hymns that referenced the river of death, but very few that mentioned the river of life. As he mused, the words and music to “Shall We Gather at the River” came to his heart and mind.
P.S. This song has a very special meaning for myself and someone very special in my life. When I was thinking of a song to post, I came across this one (one of my all-time favorites), and I knew immediately that this was the perfect song to post about for today.

P.S.S. I know that I have a few mothers who read my blog, and I wanted to say HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY to some truly remarkable women. May all mothers be celebrated on this day!

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May 5, 2015

Good Ole Boys Like Me

By Joe

Good Ole Boys Like Me
Lyrics by Bob McDill
Performed by Don Williams

When I was a kid Uncle Remus he put me to bed
With a picture of Stonewall Jackson above my head
Then Daddy came in to kiss his little man
With gin on his breath and a Bible in his hand
He talked about honor and things I should know
Then he’d stagger a little as he went out the door

Chorus:

I can still hear the soft southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we’re all gonna be what we’re gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me

When I was in school I ran with a kid down the street
But I watched him burn himself up on Bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o’clock news
When I was eighteen Lord I hit the road
But it really doesn’t matter how far I go

YestNothing makes a sound in the night like the wind does
But you ain’t afraid if you’re washed in the blood like I was
The smell of cape jasmine thru the window screen
John R and the Wolfman kept me company
By the light of the radio by my bed
With Thomas Wolfe whispering in my head

When I was in school I ran with a kid down the street
But I watched him burn himself up on Bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o’clock news
When I was eighteen Lord I hit the road
But it really doesn’t matter how far I go

Yesterday, Michael mentioned in his comment “On another topic entirely, I was thinking of the Don Williams song from 1980, “Good Ole Boys Like Me” and you came to mind. Are you familiar with it? If not, check it out on Youtube.” I’m terrible with putting names to songs, so I took Michael’s advice and looked up “Good Ole Boys Like Me” on YouTube. After listening to the song, it was familiar to me, and I can understand why it would remind Michael of me. One thing about don Williams is that nearly every song of his reminds me of someone.

Much of it does describe me, but there are a few differences. Stonewall Jackson did not hang above my head instead it was the painting of a local lake. Daddy’s breath never smelled like gin (he hates gin), but it did often smell of beer. It wasn’t the smell of cape jasmine that wafted in the windows, but the sweet smell of honeysuckle. I remember Wolfman Jack (his heyday, though, was a bit before my time), but what I fell asleep listening to was Oldies 98, and it seems like every night as I was going to bed I heard Elton John singing “Crocodile Rock.” Oldies 98 played that song all the time. My best friend growing up didn’t burn herself out on bourbon and speed, but she did on men and sex. As soon as I was eighteen though, I left for college and for fourteen years, I was free, but now I’m back home in Alabama, so it didn’t matter how far I went.

The chorus though is the best past and the most like me:

I can still hear the soft southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we’re all gonna be what we’re gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me

With the exception of “soft southern winds in the live oak trees,” because here we had pecan trees and pines, the chorus could have been written about me. Hank Williams grew up not far away and was a good friend of my grandmama who used to be his favorite dance partner. I’ve always loved Tennessee Williams, whose plays always seemed to speak to me in a special way. As much as I tried not to be gay growing up, “we’re all gonna be what we’re gonna be,” and in my case that would be gay. “So what do you do with good ole boys like me?” Well, you need to get to know us and when you do, I think you’ll love us.

And here’s an extra “good ole boy” just for fun and eye candy. The preppy boys at the top of the post are more like me, but the one below is what we all dream of when we dream of “good ole boys.”

1 Comment | posted in Music, Poetry

April 19, 2015

Heavenly Sunlight

By Joe

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Jesus also used “the light of the world” to refer to his disciples in Matthew 5:14:

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

This application of “light compared with darkness” also appears in 1 John 1:5 which applies it to God and states: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” The thought of Jesus as “the light of the world” and the disciples as “a city on a hill” reminds me of one of my favorite songs to sing in church, “Heavenly Sunlight.”

Heavenly Sunlight
By Henry J. Zelley

Walking in sunlight all of my journey;
Over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,”
Promise divine that never can fail.

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine:
Hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the Light, in Him is no darkness;
Ever I’m walking close to His side.

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine:
Hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

In the bright sunlight, ever rejoicing,
Pressing my way to mansions above;
Singing His praises gladly I’m walking,
Walking in sunlight, sunlight of love.

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine:
Hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

If you live in the Southeastern United States, you are probably wondering if I have lost my mind because I am thinking of this song this week. We have barely seen the sun all week, and it seems like the rain will never stop. Constant rain. Flooded creeks and streams. Everything seems to be drenched and, if the weatherman is right, we might see sunlight again on Monday, but this last week sunlight has been few and far between. This time of the year is probably my favorite time of the year. Spring is beginning, flowers are blooming, and it is still a little cool and not yet too hot.

Even with little sunlight this week, the words of this song, written in 1899, remind me that there is a Heavenly Sunlight. A constant light. A light that illuminates my heart and my walk with the Lord. I can have, as another old song says, sunshine in my soul today, because I know Jesus is the light. He said “I am the light of the world.” The Bible says that His Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. His Heavenly sunlight can shine bright in our lives, even in the midst of dark clouds and constant rain.

I believe that the line “Walking in sunlight all of my journey” shows a clear distinction between truth and feeling. Between faith and doubt. Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He promised to be with us always, even until the end of the age. We know His words are true. Yet, even though we know theologically that we can walk in the light all of our journey, I will be the first to admit, it doesn’t always feel sunny. In the Christian life, there are times of doubt, times of confusion, and even times of despair. As a gay Christian, these feelings are often magnified, but I love the faith that the author displays when he writes that he can walk in sunlight over the mountains and through the deep vale. Jesus is with us. He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He is with us in the good times, and yes, He is with us in the dark, rainy, dreary times.

Have you ever been around someone that sang all the time yet was down in the dumps? In some strange way, singing seems to be God’s cure for depression, and in the line “Singing His praises, gladly I’m walking” we see that we can walk gladly with God and he can alleviate our pain. Songs that remind us of His goodness can lift our spirits. “When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!” Songs that help us to reflect on His grace “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!” Old hymns whose words remind us of God’s faithfulness to the generations. God can bring a song to your mind that will encourage you as you praise Him through words offered through singing. Struggling with doubt today? “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.” Having trouble knowing what the next step is for you in your walk? “In shady green pastures so rich and so sweet, God leads His dear children along.” Can I encourage you today to “put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness and to lift up your voice to God?” He can turn your weeping into rejoicing.

I am praying today that God’s Heavenly Sunlight will flood your soul. That He would so shine upon you that you have an overwhelming sense of His closeness and warmth in your heart. That He would shine upon every area of your life with sunlight of love, and that we could see the power of the Holy Spirit flood our souls with glory divine..

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March 8, 2015

Love Lifted Me

By Joe

Love Lifted Me

By James Rowe

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling,

In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,

Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,

Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,

He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.

He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,

He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

“Love Lifted Me” is one of those great songs that not only has memorable words, but has a great melody too. For many of you, I know you are already humming these words in your head. I can also hear you holding out the last “Love Lifted Me” in the chorus. I always love when the music leader takes this upbeat song, and then slows it down and emphasizes those last three words of the chorus. Can you close your eyes and picture it with me?

“Love……” – It was love, not obligation, that caused God to send His only Son (John 3:16).

“Lifted……” – It was from a state of helplessness that the Father reached down, put His arms around us, and lifted us from the miry clay (Psalm 40:2).

“Me…..” – It was me that He died for. It was me that sinned against Him (Psalm 51:4). But I am thankful today that Love Lifted Me and I know you are too.

Written in the early 1900’s, the author of this hymn, James Rowe, is believed to have written over 20,000 hymns. Born in Wales, he came to America in the late 1800’s and worked in a variety of jobs – teacher, government worker, railroad worker, and as an inspector at the Hudson River Humane Society. His real passion, however, was writing. It is said that Mr. Rowe wrote over 20,000 hymns and poems in his lifetime. Some other hymns written by Mr. Rowe that might be familiar to you are “God Holds the Future in His Hands, I Walk With the King, If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again.” What may surprise you is that Mr. Rowe was a prolific writer in spite of dealing with arthritis. His daughter remembered the times where he would battle through the pains of arthritis to put on paper the words of a poem or a melody to a hymn. I have the mental picture of someone in awful pain writing about a love that lifted his spirit out of that place of pain. A picture of a man who had a physical pain that was overshadowed by the feeling of love and mercy he felt from the Savior. That is truly an up-lifting image for me, and I hope it is for you.

In I Corinthians 13, Paul describes the importance of Love and he tells us some of the things that Love does. In verse 4-8, Paul tell us “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” Paul pretty much had love covered here in these verses.

But this hymn reminds me that love also lifts. I did a search for “love” and “lift” in the Bible, and came across a great Scripture in Hosea. It is a beautiful image of what God has done for us, and I hope that it reminds you of His great love for you today. Hosea 11:4 reads “I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.” I hope you can picture God stooping down, and lifting you up like a child and pulling you to His cheek. What a beautiful picture of uplifting love!!!

Source: Hymn of the Week by Jeff Mowery, http://hymnoftheweek.net/?p=685

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February 5, 2015

Take Me To Church

By Joe

In September, Irish songwriter Hozier released the video for his gospel-inspired epic, “Take Me to Church,” a cavernous song that uses love and ecstasy as a religious metaphor. The video depicts two men’s gentle intimacy, followed by brutal gay-bashing at the hands of masked vigilantes against lyrics like, “I was born sick, but I love it / command me to be well / Amen. Amen. Amen.”

The song serves simultaneously as a message about human rights, a commentary about Hozier’s upbringing in what he calls a “cultural landscape that is blatantly homophobic,” and a strong statement about the institutional homophobia in Putin’s Russia. In the months since its release, the video has gone viral (and we’ve been playing it over and over) — bringing the 23-year-old artist into sharp focus.

Lyrically the song is one large metaphor comparing a lover to religion. The idea for “Take Me to Church” had been building in Hozier-Byrne’s mind for a while before he sat down at his piano in early 2013. “I had a chorus, then all the verse ideas I had been working on or had lying around for a year, they all just fell into place,” says the Irish singer-songwriter, who uses the stage name Hozier.

The song grew out of his frustration with the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings on human sexuality. “It would preach gender inequality or discrimination based on sexual orientation,” he says. “There’s a lot more you could take issue with, but the song is about asserting yourself away from that and finding a new thing to devote yourself to.”

The song’s “loose collection of visual ideas” set the worship of sensuality against what Hozier perceives as the church’s shrine of lies. The line “I was born sick, but I love it/Command me to be well” paraphrases 17th-century British poet Baron Brooke Fulke Greville’s Chorus Sacerdotum, a poem Hozier discovered after hearing philosopher Christopher Hitchens quote it during a debate. The song uses the Hitchens’ quote “I was born sick; command me to be well”.

Having penned such a potentially controversial song, Hozier says, “I imagined it’d go to a small audience for a large part of my career. So the way it took off was totally unexpected.”

In an interview with The Irish Times, Hozier stated, “I found the experience of falling in love or being in love was a death, a death of everything. You kind of watch yourself die in a wonderful way, and you experience for the briefest moment–if you see yourself for a moment through their eyes–everything you believed about yourself gone. In a death-and-rebirth sense.”

In an interview with New York magazine, he elaborated: “Sexuality, and sexual orientation – regardless of orientation – is just natural. An act of sex is one of the most human things. But an organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation – that it is sinful, or that it offends God. The song is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love.”

The Grammy-nominated Irish singer-songwriter says people assume he is gay because of his anti-Roman Catholic church anthem “Take Me To Church” and the anti-homophobia video which accompanies it. The song was written following a break-up with a girlfriend. The “Take Me To Church” video, which has attracted nearly 100 million YouTube views, depicts two men kissing before they are attacked by a homophobic mob.

The music video for “Take Me to Church” was directed by Brendan Canty and was released on September 25, 2013. The video, shot in grayscale on location at Inniscarra Dam in Cork, Ireland, follows the relationship between two men in a same-sex relationship and the violently homophobic backlash that ensues when the community learns of one of the men’s sexuality. Hozier himself does not appear in this video.

Hozier stated, “The song was always about humanity at its most natural, and how that is undermined ceaselessly by religious [organizations] and those who would have us believe they act in its interests. What has been seen growing in Russia is no less than nightmarish, I proposed bringing these themes into the story and Brendan liked the idea.”

“Yes, people do make that assumption (that I am gay), which is fine, but for me I don’t think it’s the point, you know what I mean. It doesn’t come into it what my sexual orientation is,” Hozier told Reuters.

“Regardless of the sexual orientation behind a relationship, it is still a relationship and still love… So people are free to make any assumption they want, it’s grand,” he laughed.

1 Comment | posted in Music

November 16, 2014

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

By Joe

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace: “But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, 10b ESV)

This song is one of my all time favorite hymns. Though I was raised in the church of Christ, my mother was raised a Baptist. She and her sister played the piano and the organ at their church growing up. Mama always loved to sit and play hymns at the piano in our living room. More frequently than any other song, mama would play “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.”

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October 26, 2014

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

By Joe

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Deuteronomy 33:27

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had died. When writing letters of consolation, Showalter was inspired by the phrase in the Book of Deuteronomy 33:27.

Isn’t it a great thought to think that God is supporting us, and that His arms are strong enough to hold us during difficult times? That truth should provide a refuge for us. In times when relationships disappoint us or finances fail us, it is encouraging to know that there is one who is everlasting and whose arms are there for us to lean on.

The Apostle Paul tells us about a weakness he had in 2 Corinthians 12. He referred to it as a thorn in the flesh. (I have heard of some scholars that speculate that it was homosexuality, since Paul was Greek and his relation to Timothy was thought to be pederastic. However, this is pure speculation and remains a 2,000 year old mystery.) Paul prayed that this weakness would be taken away. He prayed 3 different times, and God chose not to remove the “thorn.” He then tells us about an important spiritual truth. If the “thorn” was Paul’s homosexual urges, then I would speculate that God did not remove the thorn because God did not see it as a thorn or a weakness.

Whatever The perceived weakness was, the truth is that God uses our weaknesses, our flaws, and our personal challenges, and does something extraordinary. He takes His strength and our weaknesses, and He does something awesome with that combination. He allows us, in weakness, to share in His glory and power. Paul then makes the following statement “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” What an amazing statement! Delight in weaknesses? insults? hardships? persecutions? and difficulties? To be honest, I struggle with having that kind of mindset, even though I know it is truth.

Sources:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_on_the_Everlasting_Arms
http://hymnoftheweek.net/?p=432

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October 7, 2014

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

By Joe

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
By Robbie Robertson

Virgil Kane is the name
And I served on the Danville train
‘Till Stoneman’s cavalry came
And tore up the tracks again

In the winter of ’65
We were hungry, just barely alive
By May the 10th, Richmond had fell
It’s a time I remember, oh so well

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

Back with my wife in Tennessee
When one day she called to me
“Virgil, quick, come see,
There goes Robert E. Lee!”

Now, I don’t mind chopping wood
And I don’t care if the money’s no good
You take what you need
And you leave the rest
But they should never
Have taken the very best

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

Like my father before me
I will work the land
And like my brother above me
Who took a rebel stand

He was just 18, proud and brave
But a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can’t raise a Kane back up
When he’s in defeat

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

Robbie Robertson wrote this song, which is about the American Civil War – “Dixie” is a term indicating the old American South, and was defeated by the Union army. Robertson came up with the music for this song, and then got the idea for the lyrics when he thought about the saying “The South will rise again,” which he heard the first time he visited the South. This led him to research the Civil War.

The song’s lyric refers to conditions in the Southern states in the winter of early 1865 (“We were hungry / Just barely alive”); the Confederate states are starving and defeated. Reference is made to the date May 10, 1865, by which time the Confederate capital of Richmond had long since fallen (in April); May 10 marked the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and the definitive end of the Confederacy.

I decided to choose this song because of the Supreme Court turned away appeals Monday from five states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages, paving the way for an immediate expansion of gay and lesbian unions. By refusing to hear the appeals, the Supreme Court is driving Old Dixie down. Yesterday’s decision only effects the southern state of Virginia, plus four northern states (though Oklahoma can be considered either).

The justices on Monday did not comment in rejecting the appeals from Wisconsin, Indiana (both Seventh Circuit), Oklahoma, Utah (both Tenth Circuit), and Virginia (Fourth Circuit). The First, Second, and Third Circuits are made up of states with marriage equality already in force.

The court’s order immediately ends delays on marriage in those states. Couples in six other states — Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming — should be able to get married in short order. Those states would be bound by the same appellate rulings that were put on hold pending the Supreme Court’s review.

That would make same-sex marriage legal in 30 states and the District of Columbia. No other state cases were currently pending with the high court, but the justices stopped short of resolving for now the question of same-sex marriage nationwide.

Two other appeals courts, in Cincinnati and San Francisco, could issue decisions any time in same-sex marriage cases. Judges in the Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit who are weighing pro-gay marriage rulings in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, appeared more likely to rule in favor of state bans than did the Ninth Circuit judges in San Francisco, who are considering Idaho and Nevada restrictions on marriage. This would leave only the Fifth, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits without rulings on marriage equality, though cases are making their way through the courts in these Circuits.

Experts and advocates on both sides of the issue believed the justices would step in and decide gay marriage cases this term. However, the justices sidestepped the issue for now. Advocates believe that the justices have an obligation to settle an issue of such national importance, not abdicate that responsibility to lower court judges. Opting out of hearing the cases leaves those lower court rulings in place, but it leaves twenty states in a state of limbo.

It takes just four of the nine justices to vote to hear a case, but it takes a majority of at least five for an eventual ruling. Monday’s opaque order did not indicate how the justices voted on whether to hear the appeals. Of there is a dispute with the Sixth Circuit ruling against marriage equality, then the Supreme Court will likely be forced to hear the case and make a nationwide decision. Only time will tell, but the Fifth, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits will likely eventually rule along the lines of what is expected of the Sixth Circuit, which will be further reason for the Court to take the case since their will be conflict in the lower courts. The Fifth and Eleventh Circuits are comprised of the Old Confederacy, a section of the country that is staunchly anti-LGBT rights. Virginia may have been brought down but the fight is not over.

Leave a comment | posted in Music, Poetry, Politics

September 30, 2014

Every Day

By Joe

Every Day
Written by Jeffrey Steele and Alissa Moreno
Recorded by Rascal Flatts

You could’ve bowed out gracefully
But you didn’t
You knew enough to know
To leave well enough alone
But you wouldn’t
I drive myself crazy
Tryin’ to stay out of my own way
The messes that I make
But my secrets are so safe
The only one who gets me
Yeah, you get me
It’s amazing to me

How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life

I come around all broken down and
Crowded out
And you’re comfort
Sometimes the place I go
Is so deep and dark and desperate
I don’t know, I don’t know

How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life

Sometimes I swear, I don’t know if
I’m comin’ or goin’
But you always say something
Without even knowin’
That I’m hangin’ on to your words
With all of my might and it’s alright
Yeah, I’m alright for one more night-
Every day
Every day, every day, every day
Every day, every day
You save me, you save me, oh, oh, oh
Every day
Every, every, every day-

Every day you save my life

Jeffrey Steele, one of the song’s co-writers, was inspired to write down the title after meeting singer Sarah Buxton at a restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. Buxton told Steele about her roommate, saying “Every day, she saves my life”. Steele then went home thinking about a lyric. Later on, while at a songwriting seminar in Colorado, Steele met songwriter Alissa Moreno, who was playing a melody on the piano. Steele then sang the title that he had written alongside Moreno’s melody, they worked on the lyric and melody, and the song was completed. He then sent the song to record producer Dann Huff, who recommended the song to Rascal Flatts. The group then recorded it for their Still Feels Good album, giving Moreno her second outside cut as a songwriter.

A friend sent me the lyrics to this song in a very sweet card. In the card, he wrote about all the reasons he thought this song described me. The thing is, it really describes him from my perspective. He’s always been there for me when I was down. He’s always been their encouraging me to be a better person, and I really do try. I value our friendship and though my friend may say that every day, I save his life, he’s the one that saves mine everyday by being my friend. Through thick and thin, he’s a true friend. I love you, my friend.

Leave a comment | posted in Music, Poetry