A maj
B min
A maj
B min or D maj
E maj

and back down

(this song was also inspired by the book “a grief observed” by c.s. lewis, and the songs “amazing grace” and “no depression in heaven”)

http://www.morningdove.net/songs/AGriefObserved.mp3

“a grief observed”

when you come ’round haunting these parts
i’m cemeteries away
ashen-faced and pulling teeth
i’m reduced to clay

gravity and tragedy
all these formulas are wrong
nobody can tell me why
you can’t play on this song

and i hear that there’s no depression
in heaven
so i wish that i could join you
when i’m selfish now and then
got a feeling that there’s something wrong
in heaven
when a brother falls at his own sister’s wedding

’twas grace that taught my heart to fear
and grace my fears relieved
how precious did that grace appear
the hour i first believed

and i hear that there’s no depression in heaven
so i wish that i could join you
when i’m selfish now and then
got a feeling that there’s something wrong
in heaven
’cause our miracle was here
and now it’s gone again

Bless you!!!!!!!!!!

A strong tree I stood
Confident of my vigor and green
Clustered leaves covered proud limbs
My shade gave comfort to many souls
You should have seen me then

The beauty of the strength of my gifting
To birds of the air
And children who climbed
To lovers lost in gaze and poets who wept
Their tears inspired by my towering strength

A song I was
Each day I radiated life
I, the strong tree, mattered.

Then came the cold winter winds
Slowly my leaves fell from my limbs
Leaves of pride and dignity
My strength, identity
They fell

There I stood
Stripped
Naked
Vulnerable

In grief I looked at my beautiful leaves
Like fallen laundry on the earth below
I watched them turn to dust

No more poets cry beneath me
Where are the lovers who loved in my shadow?

Stripped of my strength, of my beautiful gifting

My limbs stand bare
No longer masked by pride
I am bare as hope

The winds blow some more
I feel them and shake
Trembling with fear as
I stand helpless under the sky
Of the Great Creator God

Why does he ravage me?

The lovers are gone
No poets sing my verse
Alone I have become with my dust

But I can smell the rains
I can see the sun far away
Her light breaking
Like the lovers I miss
The rain weeps as did the poets I have known

My bare limbs hunger for sun and soaking
By fire and rain

In nakedness I discover the beauty of humility and weakness.

A strong tree I stand

I am a fumbling, yet hopeful song writer and thought I would pass along some lyrics to a song I wrote awhile back. I too dig Mr Mclaren and am inspired by those pushing us to greater and deeper understandings of our world, our neighbors and our God. Am currently reading “Why Everything Must Change” and awaiting patiently his conference at my community of faith “The Meeting House” up here in Canada.

I was moved by your words, and hope that you are moved by this song.

Grace and Peace,
Elle

Hopeful Vibration
© Elle Pyke 2008

V1.
I was standing so straight I was bound to fall
No accustom to life’s random upheaval call
You see my hands waving like it’s holy surrender
But really I’m trying just not to go under

Chorus:
Oh Great Mystery, bound to eternity
I am now blind, but once I could see
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Because life has become my own heart’s deprivation
Give me a glimpse of my coming creation
So I can so dance with a different vibration
Oh just let me feel one more hopeful vibration

V2.
I wasn’t prepared for battle, but now it’s an inner war
And hope’s disappearing on life’s cutting room floor
I could ask for rainbows, but oh what’s the use
‘Cause mercy’s gone running and grace’s on a fuse

Pre Chours:
Make a space for me, to hurt until I am free
Make a space for me, to cast my broken plea

Chorus:
Oh Great Mystery, bound to eternity
I am now blind, but once I could see
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Because life has become my own heart’s deprivation
Give me a glimpse of my coming creation
So I can so dance with a different vibration
Oh just let me feel one more hopeful vibration

V3.
Oh now the dawn is nearing with it’s tireless plea
To turn my swords into plowshares and dance in the streets
I am a wandering mess, I am hopeful but am torn
I see Jesus on the horizon and He’s nearing my shore

Pre Chorus:
Make a space for me, to hurt until I am free
Make a space for me, to cast my broken plea

Chorus:
Oh Great Mystery, bound to eternity
We are now blind, but once we could see
Restore to us the joy of our salvation
Because life has become our own heart’s deprivation
Give us a glimpse of our coming creation
So we can all dance with a different vibration
Oh just us all feel one more hopeful vibration
Any who are broken feel your hopeful vibration
Let all of creation dance in your hopeful vibration

Reading that there are two songs that pop into my mind that I would totally like to send you. I too tend to find the answers, well maybe not answers, but a particular sort of comfort in music and lyrics that can’t be found anywhere else.

One song is called “The Water I Breathe” by a musician friend of mine named Andrew Smith. He walked through a period of life where his eight year old son was expected to die of cancer, and from that experience, among other struggles, came this song. He used to talk of a feeling that he had just come “down to the river to pray” and now it felt as is God himself was trying to drown him. Anyway, it’s one of the best “grappling with the hard questions” songs that I know. I will post the lyrics here, but it’s not online anywhere that I know of, so if you send me an email address, I will mail it to you.

The other song was one I wrote at a time where nothing made sense, and it felt like things would soon be over, both in my marriage and faith life. It’s basically just a prayer for something, somehow, to get better. It’s called Hope, and it’s on band’s Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/fatblueman .

Hope these songs connect for you the way they did for me.

The Water I Breathe
Smith, Funk, and Strauss

Thought I came to wet my lips
Maybe cool my feet
But you pushed me from behind
Thought I came to find a safe place
On the riverside
Now I’m swimming

For a moment feels so good
I am floating free
But the current and these clothes are against me
Body weakens, mind races, I am far at sea
Nobody hears me

Now I fight to find the surface
Will my lungs explode
Heavy water pushing into me
Your hand reaches in rescue
Then melts away
Now I’m drowning

Now I am weightless
Now I’m breathless
Now you have you way
Feel the water flowing through my veins
This liquid embrace
This consummation
You are the water I breathe

The day of freedom is here
And beauty is rising from the ashes
For the year of the Lord’s favor is upon us

Rebuild the ancient ruins
Restore the places long devastated
Renew the broken cities

Delight in the Lord
Rejoice in our God
He is the giver of our salvation
Salvation

Alleluia, Alleluia Alleluia

Thanks so much for sending this. I’m speechless.

-Brian

Thanks for the note. I’m really excited to spend some time with you guys at the end of September. If there is interest in a songwriting workshop, tell Rick and Jay…I’d love to do that with you guys!