A Good Week: The Mennonite Denomination.

For a variety of good reasons I decided to make some adjustments and find a more suitable church for myself this week. I've been needing more. So I went looking and here's what I found.

I have to be careful here because one of my hard and fast rules, only because it's also one of the apostle Paul's hard and fast rules, is to not be yoked together with folks who call themselves after the teachings of particular men, because the teachings of Christ are sufficient. I also don't want to use the term "yoked" in a demeaning way (as yoked together with unbelievers), but it's a raw visceral term that helps express my distaste for all of the meddling with the word that many theologians are prone to, leading people away from the pure milk of the word and the simplicity and sufficiency which Christ accomplished in it's revelation directly to us, for our own use, through His apostles. And for the life of me, I just don't get what's so hard to understand about the Word of God that causes so much disagreement between so many in the theological Christian mainstream.

I'm not going to dilute my own walk in the Spirit though, amongst my brothers, by clothing myself with some other popular theologian's belief's or other theological sloganeering, that most of the time they don't even quite understand themselves, but only in the plain trappings of the bible. Therefore, I will not call myself a follower after the teaching of another man or attend a church on that pretense. That should be obvious since it's prohibited in scripture by Christ through Paul in 1 Corinthians. I don't follow after Paul or anyone else because, well he told me not to and, he said he's just the earthen vessel used for the ministry of the Spirit given to him through revelation of Jesus Christ. We are not partial to Paul, because Paul says that God is not partial to him or anyone; not Apollos', Augustine, the pope, Luther, Calvin or Menno. All of these latter men went to their graves yet needing to make corrections to their teachings. Their faith was true and pure but their teaching was imperfect. In fact, the fruit of part of their their labors was simply unnecessary strife and jealousy among mere men which while at one time had assisted in serving a godly purpose, now, having served boldly but being gone, has left us with many associated problems and farther away than ever from being able to with one accord glorify God the Father with one voice in Christ. The results of any true biblical teaching needs to be inarguably true to Christ's teaching, using the very scripture that is designed for the purpose. I will gladly be taught by anyone, corrected, rebuked, and love it and them for it, as long as they're teaching what Christ's Word has already taught. Don't attach another theologian's name to my church.

Yet, this past Sunday, when I went searching for a new setting to learn and worship, and I wound up at the sign along the highway, which I've been wondering about for the past year or so, that said, "Everyone Welcome"... just beneath the words, Mennonite Community Church. Oh man, what am I doing? Well hear me out.

This morning I attended the Mennonite Community Church of Gleason WI. I was as encouraged as I had hoped to be. I'm going to enjoy studying and growing and learning there on Sunday mornings. They generally caution against using the t.v., radio or the computer, but don't prohibit it. Yes, the women submissively and honorably headtop covering. The men's dress ranges from the mennonite signature dark jacket with the unique collar system on the white shirt. I wear a plain causal pair of dress pants with a casual dress shirt. I see no reason to dress the exact same way I would dress if I were just lounging around the house or in the same style bluejeans I would use to work or play in. I prefer to rachet my church dress up one notch from work/play clothes as just a personal act of respect for the Lord on His day, our day, and in His presence, even though the Lord's Spirit dwells in me all day everyday, and is there during the most disrespecting moments of my average day as well. I've been around people who prefer blue jeans worn to church and just figure that they're doing it as their own conviction - possibly to avoid the empty pretense of showing superficial respect by the way one dresses - for church, unto the Lord. You can't judge a book by it's cover, and so is the way that this congregation of mennonites seem to view others. And all are welcome. Still, we do live in a world where one must call himself something or someone else will name it for you. I won't be calling myself anything but a Christian and I'm hoping I've found some good Christian brothers to be around Sunday mornings.

They do fancy themselves as trying to be separate from the world, as they see it, and I can't fault them for the way they chose to do that. In my mind it's a worthy effort on their part; better than no effort at all ,which is much more common around the professed Christians I've been around. These folks are honoring certain parts of Christ's teaching that there is some ambiguity in (for lack of a better word), and this bunch is willing to extend to others that there is some liberty in Christ to be exercised here as far as dress and tradition. Hopefully.

I'm hoping that they enjoy fellowshiping with folks according to what's in folk's hearts as born out by their words and deeds through Christ. Most of what I heard all morning this morning was that they believe that it's all about Christ. That's all I heard in the preaching. This appears to be a great setting to have as my church. A place to share in the excitement and growth in God's grace through Christ with some earnest folks.

For baptism they tend away from immersion but will do it in any biblical way one prefers. Baptism to them, just as in the bible, is an outword show of devotion and commitment. I'm putting words in their mouth now, but just repeating things I discovered while chatting with a few of the members.

An hour of Sunday School at 10am, kids in the basement and adults in the sanctuary/meeting room, followed by 45 minutes to an hour of preaching. I couldn't have liked the preacher more. A few young teachers-in-training, one by one, lead the bible study and all of us were asked to comment and contribute at every point. I couldn't believe it. Man this is what I was looking for this side of heaven.


We sang three or four hymns in beautiful relaxed a cappella.


The preacher this morning took us through the OT highlighting moments when and how the nation of Israel was told to listen to the Lord, and how in the NT He shows us how it is just as important to Him today. He just stuck to the word and let it do all the talking, always making the distinction between the era's(his word) of the old and new testament and between the befores-and-afters of our Lord's sacrificing Himself to accomplish what is impossible for us. The guy was very light-hearted and spiritedly either reciting scripture or reading scripture most of the time. I loved the way he taught with it.

It was just a good find today friends.

Oh, just as within any group of folks, it is sure to have it's disappoinments. But I'll try to encourage and to strengthen as well as to be encouraged and to be strengthened. They seem to have a Pastor who is able to lead in that. That appears to be a strong part of their mission statement. His adult kids seem to represent him as a father well. I've seen them in their bulk food store for years now.

My options for a church have been very limited. Turning to the phone book under "churches" I almost found myself finally turning to the local Methodist church. Seeing a church called, Mary Queen of the Universe, was a real revolting wake-up call that this was serious business, finding another church family, even though I love my old one. And there was just about every fractured denomination under the sun there in the phonebook. There was another local bible church which I was somewhat familiar with and I could already begin to count the ways in which I'd be disappointed if I had to call that church my home. I was actually becoming a little dispondent, not for me but for my daughter, when I remembered the sign in front of the new mennonite community church built a couple of years ago about 25 minute south of here, which sort of surprised me when it ended with, "All Are Welcome". After visiting there this morning my hopes were confirmed that my need for an edifying church group of believers may become a reality there. The Pastor invites all guests each Sunday to have lunch with his family. What an excellent way that was to kick things off. I had called down and was informed of that ahead of time.

I'm expecting that they'll allow me to worship and study with them without enforcing a dress code on me, although I'm sure they'll expect some respect for their own Christian lifestyle convictions, and on those terms I'm willing to show them plenty of it. My daughter came away with the suggestion that they would appreciate it if she had her hair in braids. I'm more than willing to do that. I'll try and keep from asking them to stumble from their God honoring convictions toward the Lord as long as in return I'm allowed to carefully exercise my liberty to dress the way I see as equally befitting faithfulness to the Lord. In fact, I will have no trouble wearing a shirt and tie like the rest if some of them would feel more comfortable.

There is absolutely no place for my piano playing at the place and I couldn't care less. They want me to sing then I'll sing. Bass though, just to keep the peace. Their layered a cappella singing was very rich and sweet.

I recall 12 years ago when I was trying to find the Lord I'd heard about in my youth, and how I had intentionally worn a jacket, shirt and tie, just because everyone else was dressing down. Just to show you some of my independent tendencies. Then this gal I was seeing made fun of me for overdressing and I quickly conformed to the fashion of the time.

They seemed about as excited to see a new brother in the Lord as I was to see them today.

The men greet each other with a holy kiss. An optional thing with them that I can't foresee participating in.

My daughter made two new friends today, now her new sisters in the Lord, and is just flat excited about growing in the knowledge of God through Christ with them. She put her faith in dad to find us a good church and dad might just have pulled it off. We spent almost the entire twenty-five minute drive down talking about the Big Book.

I know my mind, and my new Pastor knows his, and both being very different I think may, if we do as we should and are tolerant of one another as Paul prescribes, then be of one joyful accord with one another and see, as well as allow others to see, the glory of God, together in Christ.

I'm excited, and I could see his genuine excitement in talking and preaching about the Lord's teaching as well. What a great week.

They Look at Jesus and Put Their Faith in Demons.

That's the conclusion I came to this morning anyway while hearing some of the things regarding the funeral of the mormon president.

The demons would be the made-up prophets of the mormon faith and their made-up and falsified doctrines. Everythings made-up. The prophet Moroni and so on. It's heartbreaking and so I just had to comment about it. The mormon has looked at Jesus and then turned to hear and obey demons who were disquised as servants of righteousness.

It's almost the perfect religion, patterned after Christianity and all. The only thing they fall short of when compared to Christianity is God's counsel, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. They follow after men who follow after destructive spirits. What a shame. The demons of Joseph Smith and his conspirators snatched the truth of the gospel of God from their followers hearts before it could take hold.

Hymn - Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness

Here's another good all around hymn that came to my notice because of the adoration by a good brother in Christ in his blog; good lyrics and beautiful melody.

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Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness

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Words: Nikolaus L. von Zin­zen­dorf, 1739 (Christi Blut und Ge­rech­tig­keit); first pub­lished in the eighth ap­pen­dix to his Das Ge­sang-Buch der Ge­meine in Herrn-Huth.; trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by
bio("John Wes­ley","w/e/s/wesley_j")

Music: Will­iam Gar­din­er, 1815

Cyberhymnal(MI­DI, score).

Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness

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Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness

My beauty are, my glorious dress;

’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,

With joy shall I lift up my head.
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Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;

For who aught to my charge shall lay?

Fully absolved through these I am

From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
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The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,

Who from the Father’s bosom came,

Who died for me, e’en me to atone,

Now for my Lord and God I own.
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Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,

Which, at the mercy seat of God,

Forever doth for sinners plead,

For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
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Lord, I believe were sinners more

Than sands upon the ocean shore,

Thou hast for all a ransom paid,

For all a full atonement made.
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When from the dust of death I rise

To claim my mansion in the skies,

Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,

Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.
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This spotless robe the same appears,

When ruined nature sinks in years;

No age can change its glorious hue,

The robe of Christ is ever new.
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Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,

Whose boundless mercy hath for me—

For me a full atonement made,

An everlasting ransom paid.
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O let the dead now hear Thy voice;

Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;

Their beauty this, their glorious dress,

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.

Hymn - In the Hour of Trial

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In the Hour of Trial

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Here's one I ran across the other week when given the option of picking a hymn concerning Jesus' arrest and betrayal. It doesn't really, but it does mention Gethsemane. I decided to experiment with it. I'm not nearly done but ran out of time so this will have to suffice for now. Gotta move on to another. This is barely roughed out, I haven't figured out yet how to mix and master these things, but as you'll see it's a great hymn. And as you will see I still can't sing. But there is great neglected potential in every corner of God's creation to fellowship with the Lord, and my vocal cords are no exception.

And I just had to see how this hymn would sound playing it in this style. It sounds like I'm hopelessly Scotch-Irish. And I found out that it sounds very rough.

I'm sort of on my way here to covering My Jesus I Love Thee in this same style, so I'll be trying to go there next.

In the Hour of Trial


Words: James Mont­gom­e­ry, 1834; first ap­peared in his Orig­in­al Hymns for Pub­lic, Pri­vate and So­cial De­vo­tion, 1853.
Music: Spen­cer Lane, 1874

MI­DI, score.

In the Hour of Trial

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In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,

Lest by base denial I depart from Thee.

When Thou seest me waver, with a look recall,

Nor for fear or favor suffer me to fall.

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With forbidden pleasures would this vain world charm,

Or its sordid treasures spread to work me harm,

Bring to my remembrance sad Gethsemane,

Or, in darker semblance, cross-crowned Calvary.

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Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil and woe,

Or should pain attend me on my path below,

Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see;

Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee.

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When my last hour cometh, fraught with strife and pain,

When my dust returneth to the dust again,

On Thy truth relying, through that mortal strife,

Jesus, take me, dying, to eternal life.

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To Do List...

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Things I need to do today:


1. Have as my ambition to be pleasing to Him. (2Cor. 5:9)


2. Be controlled by the love of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:14)


3. Grab some cod liver oil from the natural food store.


4. Commend myself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (2Cor.4:2)


5. Give no cause for offense in anything so that the ministry will not be discredited. (2Cor. 6:3)



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A Song of Mine.

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Song: Reborn of the Spirit

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A few years ago, let's say 3, I pulled a phone number off of the bulletin board of a local music store. It was a woman advertising her own organizing of a Christian coffee shop band up in Conover, WI. Quite the middle of nowhere. She had some huge goals she claimed God had purposed for her. Well I thought I would give her a try, after all, I was getting closer and closer to becoming proficient on the piano and perhaps in the meantime I could just fake it and slide by. I had a nice toy piano that I though made some pretty convincing sounds. Well she interviewed me over the phone, but not knowing that was the last I was going to hear from her, and being a little nervous with my still novice skills, I thought I'd better work out a little on some contemporary sounding chord progressions and be ready.

About an hour later I had sort of gotten to like this little ditty I was doodling with and just kept going with it. I played it an hour or two here and there through the years, just never yet being able to play what I had in mind. Until about two weeks ago when I finally decided to take a good run at it and see where I was at with it. After all I can't really go on putting it off and putting it off. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was making some solid progress in my playing and then got it down on a recording, which is a whole nother thing. If I ever get the time and the resources to formally record it I will have someone else do the final mix. But in the meantime, I was able to get alot of ideas down on this rough recording of mine here. And it is rough. This one has got a long way to go yet.

Of course, everything on it needs work. Including the way it's arranged. But it's getting closer. I couldn't play nearly like this a year ago so I'm excited to see next year what another year's practice will bring; especially another year working on the voice.

Now that I can sit back and listen to it, I see all the things wrong with it, and the lyrics and much of the rest of it is still subject to change.

There are about four other songs I've made that I'm hoping I can get up to speed yet this winter and put here on public display.

For the lack of liking any other name I'm going to call it, Reborn of the Spirit.

I don't want to quit on it right now. I would love to have another couple of days to sink into it, work out some errors and develope some more ideas. But this is where it's going to have to stay for now. There're a couple of awkward spots I don't know what to do with yet, but hang in there. I'll definately get to them. Plus, I'm in about the middle of growing a whole new set of vocal cords. Takes time. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Again, here's the link.

Barring any sore throats, one of my goals next week is to re-sing Whiter Than Snow. Which is not sung so bad right now except for the timing and the two different voices I have. Have you noticed that? I redid The Love of God, but I still can't sing it any better so I still have the old one up. It's a hard key for me or something. Sounds atrocious. But it'll come.

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Reborn of the Spirit

There was a time, it’s written to see

The Maker of all, made our hearts to be free

Made them much like His own, in His image He’d sown.

And He fashioned a temple out of flesh and bone.

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He told it one day, His word to obey.

But He already knew, that heart was drifting away.

So He sent forth His Spirit, Who to make the way clear,

The path of redemption, down which our hearts He would steer.

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To believe in His Son. For behold He has come.

To be placed on the altar, that His justice be done.

To turn the hearts of His children, from their own earthly ways,

To the things of the promise, for whom the Son he obeys.

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(Chorus)

The wind it does blow, right where it wishes, we’re told.

And you may hear the sound, but know not wherefrom it goes.

Such is the one, who’s been reborn of the Spirit,

And just as the wind, unto the Kingdom,

you’ll draw near it.

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Then His beautiful son, said He just could not stay.

Said the world that we live in, is just passing away.

But let your heart be not troubled, when I’m gone from here,

Cause the gift from the Father, of the Spirit will be here.

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Because the Spirit will come, and dwell in each one,

Who asks of the Father, for His will to be done.

He’ll be a Light to your pathway, and teach you to see,

That My Word is Truth, and My Truth sets you free.

____What the eye has not seen, nor the ear not yet heard.

What’s been shielded in mystery, within God’s holy word.

What has never before, to the heart entered in,

Has now been prepared, for all of those who love Him.

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Chorus

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(3rd part-choral)

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In through the eyes of your heart you will see,
The Light of the world who wants all men to recieve,
The Spirit of Truth Whom the Father did say
Will know the way home, and will help show you the way.
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Website out of order.

Well nuts. I messed up my personal website. That includes all music links to it. But I should have it rebuilt by the end of this coming week.

Actually that doesn't include all music links to it. I just checked and they are all still there after completely uninstalling and reinstalling my Yahoo Sitebuilder. All the better. But I can't co-mingle with the old site because I messed up the operating folders so badly. I learned what I needed to learn in the process though to make it more functional in the long run, so all is not lost. I do like the Yahoo Sitebuilder a lot and things will reconstruct very quickly; except...I did have other things to do. Oh well.

Hymn - Whiter Than Snow

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Whiter Than Snow

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Here's a hymn I found last week that I really liked and made a rough recording of this afternoon. I had to do a voice track in order to see what the instrumentation should sound like. And just to see where to go with it next. The voice is coming along although it's going to be at least another year before it's going to start to sound like anything. Everything needs work. You have to start somewhere. It is in A Flat, which is a new singing key for me. Seems a little more in my range but has too many flats.

Whiter Than Snow

Words:
James L. Ni­chol­son
Will­iam G. Fisch­er (MI­DI, score).

Whiter Than Snow

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe; now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain:
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow. Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain, apply Thine own blood and extract ev’ry stain;
To get this blest cleansing, I all things forego—Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies, and help me to make a complete sacrifice.
I give up myself, and whatever I know, now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat, I wait, blessèd Lord, at Thy crucified feet.
By faith, for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow,Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait, come now, and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst “No,” now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

The blessing by faith, I receive from above; o glory! my soul is made perfect in love;
my prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know,The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.

Refrain

Time

Using left-over egg nog on raisin bran is something you may not want to try. Although it did get my feet to warm up this morning.

I will not be installing satellite dish's for Directv this winter. It's a field directed toward folks who want to marry a 6-7 day workweek plus holidays and I'm not on this planet to get rich but rather to raise my kid and it's very hard for me to do both. Although being solvent would be nice and I'll continue to work toward that goal. In the meantime, it's a spiritual windfall for me during the winter when I can let the fruit of the Spirit grow within me, being fed by spending time consuming the Lord's word, and bring my life to a greater understanding about the riches which the Lord has prepared and revealed for us. Invaluable stuff. Well worth the 27% interest it's costing me for letting my credit card get out of control; a price one has to pay sometimes for not having a savings; and truly a costly and foolish way to subsidize one's life.

But there's better income in farriering than there is in dish installing.

So enough off-season supplemental job hunting and back to redeeming that elusive thing which I now have, which we refer to as... "extra time". Time to go after things everlasting in value which are unsurpassed by anything else here on earth. Things that money can't buy; but that only "time" can. Although, it's just a shame, once you've wasted a lot of "time", how much money it takes to get any more of it.

Or perhaps the whole process opens the door up for the gradual aquiring of God's wisdom and the spiritual strength and growth that will follow.

Eph 5:16
"making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

1Ti 5:13
"At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention."

Ga 6:9
"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

O the useful gift of time.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

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O Come, All Ye Faithful

Stocking Up on Christmas Fruit Cake.

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No, I'm not necessarily talking about your lower intestinal tract. What a glorious day here in the pending kingdom; with a little help from a big piece of home-made fruitcake. There's almost nothing better. The fruit and spices and the tangy rinds and things, wow. I got a reprieve from riding along with an installer today because he's not working. It's a Tuesday and the guy's not working, and I heard a very small child in the background. These are good signs. This guy may have a life going on beyond marriage to his job. Maybe I too can have one. I have to admit, I panicked when I saw "mandatory 6 days a week" on the satellite dish installer job description. That's what you would call a family eliminator.

Making Christmas Fruitcake is one of my traditions. Listening to much contemporary and traditional celtic Christmas music is another.

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Holiday Tip:Don't leave your camera in the car overnight in freezing weather because the lithium batteries will freeze and be ruined.

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Not just one batch but two!

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This is good medication for the hurry and stress of the busy holiday season! It's the recipe from Betty Crocker's Encyclodepia of Cooking. Didn't your mom give you one of those? There is no bad recipe from there.

Gals: Look for a man to marry who has his own chef's table in the kitchen.

Those who have been to my house, if they look closely will see that the piano is no longer in the kitchen.

Let's pray the holiday season quickly passes after leaving a few fond rememberances of celebrating the Lord's birth together.

Times Up.

My winter is now going to look completely different than it did a week ago.

I'm going to add 'satellite dish' installer to my resume. Directv. I have to. For the past year or so I've been racking my mind trying to figure out what else I would do if I weren't doing farrier/horse dentistry work. On top of that I've spent too much money in the last seveal years on upgrading broken down large appliances, washer, dryer, refrigerator, and buying digital musical and recording equipment to take my passion for hymns and playing music a step or two further. But for the two reasons stated above, I need to temporarily take steps now to get caught up financially.

There is great money in satellite intalling. For this company anyway. They want you to work 6 days a week, which is a family killer, but they agreed with me on five. So I'll go into work mode, knock out this debt I have accumulated, and then get back to these long luxurious off-season winter days of studying the bible and crafting around with the piano playing. Actually trying to work my way into doing it full-time one day. I think it would be neat to work into a full-time preaching/teaching stage gig. Earnest study and inspirational song writing. There are five tunes of mine I am hoping to run past the general public a.s.a.p. The digital age has made these things much more possible. When all is said and done, just to grow in the Lord will suffice.

I love shoeing horses, and will continue indefinately, but this is the wrong time of year to add customers and so I need a back-up. Both farriering and satellite installing are very well-paying specialties and that's how a guy, a single father with full custody of the daughter, homemaker, etc. finds 2-6 hours a day to study the bible and improve on the piano(ohhhh...what I could do with 8 hours everyday). You go out and hustle your butt off and come home and get very efficient.

I was a little bit leary, in my compromised financial condition, what I was going to do in the case of a medical emergency or other surprise. I didn't like the idea of waiting to find out. So this supplementary means of employment is a gift from God. One of many continuously.

So one week from today I drive down 2 1/2 hours to Chippewa Falls WI and do two five-day weeks of training. I applied three weeks ago and they just called back last Friday and said my background check cleared and were wondering if I was still interested.

So that leaves me 6 days to wrap up all my commitments, and reschedule everything I can't wrap up. Everything I reschedule is going to have to be scheduled into my precious weekend time that I owe my daughter and so everything now becomes completely scheduled in.

I can continue to study taped scripture as I do the considerable driving I'll be doing between satellite installations. And thankfully, I'll be able to work on and continue to train my voice while driving. I just sort of obscure my mouth with my hand to passing motorists and train the voice. Very rural up here too, with fewer cars to worry about than most places.

So on the one hand I'm fortunate to be blessed with gainful employment, and on the other, I'm faced with having to organize more than ever in my growth and progress toward spiritual goals.

Hey, I'm only 48 years old---phfffllahhhhh*%+#!!%# yiye yiye. Other than that, I'm really not that phased.

So farewell for now to those long luxurious 2-3 winter days a week of study and practice when the daughter's in school; only rest assured, I will return to them. Stronger-let's just never mind older.

So I took a few spare moments today and added some effects and some other ideas to the hymn The Love of God. Just to generate and begin to develope some more ideas toward a final recording of it. I would liked to have given it a few more hours today but can't. Still very rough. Plus I ramped it up to the highest possible stereo setting (320 kbps stereo, 148 MB) just to see how accessible it is at that level. So it will be a for an extra high speed connection but probably not sound much better than the low-speed connection. It would truly be gratifying to have the time to learn how to use this recording equipment to it's fuller potential, but that too, is still to happen sometime in the future. One of these days, there will be a Christian music producer, and he/she and I, are going to have some fun. At least soon I will be better able to afford one.

Tomorrow I start my ten required ride-alongs, even before I start the training next week, to qualify to do the job solo, a.s.a.p. So my time is awegone.

Love in the faith!

Hymn: The Love of God is Greater Far.

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The Love of God

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Well... here's a rough draft.

It sounds much better on my computer than it does on a piece of high-fidelity digital equipment. I think eventually, with all the work I've been putting in on my voice, and the work I will continue to do, I may eventually be able to fool people into thinking I can sing. But as of right now, the verdict is still out.


The Love of God


To be honest, I wish I didn't have to sing it. But without the words it wouldn't be complete. I think if I knew I was wanting to be singing hymns for other people at this point in my life that I would have started working on the voice sooner.

I was directed to this hymn by ~Rose Cole, listened to it here at this website, and then tried to do an honorable job reproducing it above. In the process I really came to like it. Here's a beginning.

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child he reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.
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When hoary time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;

When men who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hill and mountains call;

God's love, so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam's race

The saints' and angels' song.
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Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made;

Were ev'ry stalk on earth a quill,

And ev'ry man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Tho' stretched from sky to sky.

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Chorus:
O, love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints and angels song.

Milestone.

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O Love that wilt Not Let Me Go

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I came across a post at Brian's site on Saturday that included a hymn with some outstanding lyrics in it. It's called, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go. The words got to me. That's what hymns are supposed to be about. Making a joyful noise to the Lord with words filled with praise and gratitude and the understanding of what He's done for us. Not necessarily "praise", "praise", "praise", but words and ideas that evoke praise and that remind Him we've been in His book and understand who He is and what He's done for us. Those are the kind of words that are in this hymn. And it's beautiful musically as well. Hope I haven't wrecked it for ya.

So I thought, well shoot, I can't sing, but I play around with this thing and turn the congregation lose with it some Sunday Morning. On top of that, I can't keep from singing, so I have to just dive into it and make the most of it.

Here's where the milestone comes in. I got the tune all memorized and sort of crafted around with and roughly drafted and recorded all in mostly one day. I played it a couple times Saturday night and a couple times on Sunday but it quickly came to life today. And, wait a minute, just like most days, today I had to go do a few horses, get a bucket full of beets I had cut up pickled. Even now, it was just 8:45 and I realized I had about 10 scheduling calls to make that I had intended to but neglected to make. And it really looks like the dog blew up all over the floor of our house because I still haven't run the vacumn cleaner like I've been needing to. That will have to wait for another day.

But yikes, did I play the music today. The reason it's a musical milestone for me today is because I got this tune all arranged today and then finally played through once for the recorder all in one take. Yes, that's the good part----one time through. One time near the end I had to redo one part, but that was it. That's good news. I've been needing to get to this point musically. And this is a new style progression for me too. I'm finally coming to know this instrument better as well as coming to know how to manage my mind and my memory more effectively.

So give it a listen. It's very raw and rough but the general idea is there now for me to listen to and develope. By the end of the winter this should be one that I can make a finished recording of.

The voice needs so much work. I'm starting to gain control over the thing. It never dawned on me until it was too late that I was going to have to sing these things myself. I did have a scratchy voice week this week for some reason if that's any consolation. My voice is saying "you gotta be kidding", but I'm not taking no for an answer. It's been in emergency training now for about a year so I'm going to try and stay optimistic. All your complaints are surely justified.

So this is a milestone moment. Well, It's a rushed, rough milestone moment, but I had to tell someone.

Listen and hope. Thanks!

-Here's a link to the tune.-

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

O Love that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,

I yield my flickering torch to thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain,

That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from thee;

I lay in dust life’s glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be.

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I'll try to update this version in month or two. It's pretty rough.

The "communion" in Communion.

The last supper of Jesus with His disciples was a moment when Jesus chose to hand down a tradition. A ceremony of sorts. A memorial service to Him proclaiming His death until returns. The question as to 'how often' seems to be answered in the instruction 'as often as you do it'. And 'with whom' seems to range from the choice of doing it alone at home by oneself, to doing it with care and respect at any time or with any gathering of believers.

Paul says we are proclaming the Lord's death until He comes. Paul stressed that there is a worthy manner in which to eat and drink to Christ and that each man examine himself to that end. I believe Paul warns against coming together to eat and drink and to socialize to the Lord without the perspective of having your complete heart, mind, and soul set in the Spirit and on the memory of Jesus here on earth and everything His presence entailed.

And lastly Paul seems to say that when folks come together to eat and drink to the Lord, then wait for one another, and do it together.

Here are a few side notes before I go on:

Christ doesn't open the door to examining each other. Only Christ can do the examining. We all will stand individually before the judgement seat of Christ..."so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body". There's no way we can truly know one another's hearts. A man's heart can only truly be known by God.

If you don't judge the body rightly then you'll bring judgement upon yourself. If you are not in Christ proclaiming His death in remembrance when you eat and drink then you'll be judged-or condemned, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged;"
At the last supper Jesus gave thanks, gave us bread and vinefruitjuice(so not to have to call it wine or juice, or fruit of the vine) representing His body and His blood of the covenant poured out for many, and told us to eat and drink of it in remembrance of Him until He comes back, when we will drink it with Him again.

So going on then...I struggle with the lack of meaning that there has been in the many so-named communion experiences I've had during church and am now trying to consider ways of having Communion with other believers in ways that would give it more of the meaning and the spirit for which it was intended. Afterall, Christian Communion is one of the greatest opportunities there is for sharing in the memory and instruction of our Lord from the last supper together with other believers, and we should make the most of it. Least of all, when necessary, we could perhaps spare it from becoming a dry ritual that no longer pleases us or God.

I like the phrase Lord's Supper, but does how we celebrate it resemble what is prescribed as we watch the last supper with the Lord here on earth in scripture? Probably close enough for most Christians. In letter yes, certainly close enough, but in spirit, or intent, I think we may tend to short-change it some of the time.

Most Communion ceremonies I've experienced, that is, the sharing of bread and vinefruitjuice in the remembrance of Jesus, have seemed lackluster and mechanical. A repetitious and dry ritual by our design most of the time.

Well of course, compared to when it was first turned into a sacrament by some of the early church, it's doing pretty well now. But in its popular present day form, isn't it just terribly dumbed down, almost to the point of having most of its biblical value taken out of it. Don't most of us just sit their to ourselves, staring straight ahead, usually the same mechanical prayers recited for us, even the same predictable cup holders passed around. Usually music to preoccupy us or even to manufacture cheap emotion. Or, for effect, no music. It sure is a stark contrast to the dynamic fellowship of the first Lord's Supper.

The account given in Matthew tells of how Jesus, while they were eating, said to take the drink, the fruit of the vine, not blood, but grape juice or wine, most likely wine, and drink it, for it represents His 'blood of the covenant' being pured out for many, and He'll not drink with us again until He drinks it with us anew in the kingdom someday. A truly joyful promise. And He says, as recorded in 1 Corinthians, to do it often and each time in remembrance of Him. The bread and the drink. Afterall, He had been teaching them that He was the Bread of God, the Bread of Life, the true Bread coming down out of heaven and He was now instituting a symbolic ceremony of memorial. Symbolic presumably because He could have easily given everyone there an actual piece of His body, or even called down little Spiritual pieces of His body just as He did at the Christian meeting during Pentecost just following His being sacrificed on the cross. The Bread of Life gave thanks, gave us a token of his new covenant with us of forgiveness, and told us we'll be with Him in the Kingdom one day. He gave us a lot to remember.

He introduced a memorial ceremony that evening encouraging us to partake in the representing of His blood and His body in the object of the juice and the bread, to honor His memory and service to us and His Father in being sacrificed at the altar of the cross in place of us. And then they sang a hymn.

So how did the communion memorial of breaking bread together at a special mealtime become a time of staring straight ahead together, each alone, and nibbling quietly, drinking out of a phony little glass, remembering? I'm sure the answer is: structure, formalization, predictability. Striving for a display during which very few people are offended and which no one can be accused of being like what the Corinthians were convicted of which was gluttony, insincerity, or of missing the point of the remembrance. All of these reasons for restraint and efforts to formalize the service of Communion would be honorable if they included other equally honorable elements included in the first model of the Lord's supper which are left out. And in such a fashion most types of communion services which I've been a part of have taken an exciting and honorable service prescribed in the bible toward the remembrance of Jesus having been here among us in the flesh and blood, and turned it into a mechanical and sterile dissappointment which barely meats or sometimes even misses it's rich provision.

We do remember Him at times other than during a food based communion. Afterall, we remember Him in one sense every day as we read and prosper spiritually from the counsel of His word in the bible. We're left with peace and joy, and above all, thanksgiving. For the end of His mortal life for us meant that He rose from the dead and turned our grief to joy. That is the best of all possible outcomes for us. He's left us with joy. And now he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. He is a light on our dark soul everyday and tells us we may rejoice in that. No one can take away the fact that we will see Him again one day and that in fact is one of our most immediate and intense sources of joy.

Of course everything is not joy. There is still sin in us and around us. But the sin no longer has any power over us because His death robbed sin of it's power and left us with a great hope.

But still all is not joy. God's wrath, once directed at our own souls outside of the Body of Christ, continues to be directed at many good people we care about. Their peril tends to evoke sorrow on one hand, yet for us, gives God's love real meaning. God's love is the main power player with His justice. "Behold the kindness and severity of God". We see that the only and true God who's revealed Himself to mankind, our God, who revealed Himself in His Son Jesus, is both a God of love and a God of judgement. Our God of love can't be just a one dimensional God of love only or His love would mean nothing. It would have a very flat dynamic. But, having shown us in His word how He has now satisfied His just hatred and punishment of sin by sacrificing His Son in our place, for those who would obey His gospel, then ours, who would look upon and obey the gospel, is a relationship with God of great joy and thanksgiving. He's shown us what godly love is. And in the end, therefore, sin gets the destruction it deserves and God proves His love through His justice. No one can deprive us believers of that assurance and the attending joy except our own pride. That assurance of grace through our faith in Jesus' sacrifice is the undescribable gift of God. Communion is the time to remember God was here, in Jesus, walking among us, doing His work of grace for our benefit. His sacrifice was symbolic yet real. Most of all it's purpose is virtually incomprehensible, yet true, and therefore, worth remembering, together, the body and the blood of God that was here on this earth for us. A memory faithfully passed on to us by His apostles and prophets.

The time of remembering together is not when we go in our closets. There is a time for going in your closet, being alone with God, honoring God in your own personal way, having..."The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves", being careful not to cause others to stumble, believing things unto our Lord on your own accord, that bring you comfort, things that, while others are not required to believe, cannot be regarded with contempt by anyone else as they are done as your own conviction before the Lord. That is not to say, in my opinion, that you cannot hold the last supper remembrance alone by yourself. But Paul seems to express his understanding of how it was meant to be indulged in when together in his address to the Corinthians(as included at the bottom of this page).

It seems to me remembering Jesus' would be one of joy and awe. I think guilt would be an inappropriate intruder. Guilt may be a necessary thing for some to keep their flesh in line but Jesus teaches Spiritual things. We're to be lead by the Spirit not by the flesh. It would have to be important for feelings of guilt and then shame to resolve themselves into feelings of joyful thanksgiving in accordance with Christ having paid for our guilt, atoned, made amends for our guilt. Guilt is of sin and not faith. Not a fruit of the Spirit but of sin. I suppose for some guilt is hard to resolve into gratitude but I don't see where scripture encourages guilt. Scripture does indicate we are capable of having a good conscience before the Lord. The remembrance of Jesus Christ is one of the Lamb of sacrifice that finally reconciled us with the kindness and blessings of God. In a sense, guilt and sadness by themselves, indeed may deny the true memory of the finished work of Jesus here on earth. Perhaps grieving is appropriate and indeed natural at times, but not as others do who have no hope. We've entered into the joy of our Master. Isn't the only meaningful response one of thanksgiving. I have seen guilt encouraged to it's own end during communion and think that it's misguided emotional indulgence to do so.

Shouldn't we be dipping our hands in the bowl together, so to speak, at Communion time, together, pouring each other's drinks of the fruit of the vine, and remembering His visit as well as the meaning to us of His temporary absence? And then remembering some more, and then more, knowing that we've been invited to do so by God when He was on earth, and remembering that He said we'll do it again with Him one day. And then they even sang a hymn. Do it with a flute and a cymbal for a change? Not really, just kidding. But it's the last supper memorial celebration, give it the uniqueness that befits it.

They ate while reclined at the table. They talked as they ate(perhaps even with mouth's partly full).

When Jesus said, "to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man", he did not say it's proper physical hygeine to not wash your hands before eating. He did say that eating with dirty hands will not defile a man's heart but what comes out of a man's mouth will. So we would naturally need to wash our hands before Communion, and we surely wouldn't want to touch each others bread. But do we already?

Frankly, at last communion I could not help but to touch at least two or three of the other pieces of cracker while dipping for mine. It was physically impossible not to. So we already dip our hands into the bowl together-well, those of us who don't cut our wonderbread into neat little squares. Now if we could just recline and partake together(instead of staring straight ahead alone in silence), remembering, feeling the sorrow of our flesh surpassed and pushed aside by the joy of our spirit having been joined with His, and the joy of our Spirits from Him knit together with each others. That would be communion. Communing together in close rapport, remembering, thinking, pondering, while we ate, talking...like the model itself. Acting like one Body.

If we run out of things to remember then we could also remember those things He told us He will leave here with us until He returns. Remembering His words "let not your heart be troubled", "Peace I leave with you", "My peace I give you".
Remembering the Comforter He sent.

"...how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
If we are going to pretend to commune together during Communion, remembering the body and blood of His new covenant of life with us, His absence, and then, while not being unmindful of His living presence inside of each of us, remembering that He will finally return for us when we will enjoy, anew, another drink, or toast with Him, in honor of the covenant of His blood and the reign of His grace over those of us who act in faith towards Him according to His visit to earth.

I think it would be nice that if we are going to manufacture a name like Communion for the Lord's last supper, then we should somehow, where it's lacking that is, get the communing together into Communion.

And then secondly, if we are going to go through the motions of following the scriptural invitation to partake and remember together then why not give it the opportunity to be a befitting Spiritual exercise of the church body that reflects the memory of Christ's life past, present and future as was so graciously expressed during that last supper.

Matthew 26:26-30
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Mark 14:12-31
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?" And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, `The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' "And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there." The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening He came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me--one who is eating with Me." They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?" And He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. "For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. "Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

1 Corinthians 11:23-34
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

Bloom

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Done.

Glorying In Our Divisions?

That's it. It's happened in my own bible study group and again, almost ad nauseum, I find myself discussing one of the most cancerous problems in the body of Christ; that is, following men instead of Christ. Whether it be the pope, Mennon, Arminius, Calvin, Luther or on and on and on. Paul warns against that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and most of christendom is instead happily and proudly mired in the very error.

1 Corinthians 1:10-25 (New American Standard Bible)

"Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."

Preach the cross like Paul, not the man-made doctrine that the brightest christian minds in the world can't even nearly agree on.

Jesus Christ became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. What else matters? Hundreds in the bible who witnessed Christs birth, death, resurrection and ascension, and the hundreds of thousands who testify of them, simply point to the cross. Anything that ushers in division or quarreling about doctrine is not from God but from the flesh. Paul says anything of that sort can ultimately make the cross void. And today we see christians and their clever speech not only being unable to hold their own and know scripture as well as their athiest adversaries in public forum but even amongst themselves as they wrangle together over highly coveted doctrine. We've made a public sport of it.

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh."

Does he say that he whom men deem to be the wisest theologian is really the power of God? Or that, therefore, that theologian and his adherents may then boast before God? No, he says the opposite. And secondly, men can't agree on who they would deem the wisest theologian to be anyway.

The power of God and the wisdom of God is Christ. "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. "
So where do all of the numerous, quarrelsome, man-made doctrines which men untenably lord over one another as being the real truth fit into all of this wise counsel from Christ through Paul; apart from giving the destroyer satan the advantage in dividing God's (self-satisfied) household?
I'd like to suggest that it's out of a disrespectful disregard to plain scripture.

"Has Christ been divided?"

Yes, Christ has been divided.

But as members of the Body of Christ we could be mindful of Paul's words and begin to correct this damage.

"until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. " "Built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

Or simply ignore Pauls exhortations as most of our church fathers have grievously chosen to on their watch.

Nicodemus/"Reborn of the Spirit"

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Reborn of the Spirit

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A remarkable christian brother of mine prompted me to think about, among many other things, how many of the most learned and esteemed theologians of our time simply cannot get the rest of the body of Christ to buy into their personal proclamations of the true meaning of Christ's own words. On and on some of them persist even to the point of effectually wrangling, quarreling, showing a "morbid interest in controversial questions". Luckily, to help understand this, I thought of Nicodemus.

Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, who could not even accept Christ's own testimony at first due to it seems his own eyes being clogged with poorly rendered Jewish theology, finally had the reluctant wisdom to come by night and ask Jesus some awkwardly simple questions, and had them answered fully with what was to be an offer to himself as well, through Jesus, to enter into the kingdom of God. Hopefully Nicodemus left satisfied, went back and studied his scriptures further, and then did not let any man tell him differently.

We see Nicodemus again further on in the storyline, not denying Jesus, and soon to recieve the news of His resurrection, His ascension, and amazingly even recieve his own rebirth, with his new heart and mind now beholding the revealed King and Kingdom.

What an lesson in taking Christ's words for what they say.

Moreover, Nicodemus' recorded encounter with Christ is a passage from which, about a year and a half ago, I was moved through the love from God contained in that passage to try and form a lyric that would fit with a tune I had recently made up, wherby the rich passage could dwell in me also now in song form, and continue to instruct me as well as allow me to sing with thanksgiving to the Lord. Oh...it needs a little fine tuning, but give it a try.

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Reborn of the Spirit

There was a time, it’s written to see
The Maker of all, made our hearts to be free
Made them much like His own, in His image He’d sown.
And He fashioned a temple out of flesh and bone.

He told it one day, His word to obey.
But He already knew, that heart was drifting away.
So He sent forth His Spirit, Who to make the way clear,
The path of redemption, down which our hearts He would steer.

To believe in His Son. For behold He has come.
To be placed on the altar, that His justice be done.
To turn the hearts of His children, from their own earthly ways,
To the things of the promise, for whom the Son he obeys.

(Chorus)
The wind it does blow, right where it wishes, we’re told.
And you may hear the sound, but know not wherefrom it goes.
Such is the one, who’s been reborn of the Spirit,
And just as the wind, unto the Kingdom, you’ll draw near it.

Then His beautiful son, said He just could not stay.
Said the world that we live in, is just passing away.
But let your heart be not troubled, when I’m gone from here,
Cause the gift from the Father, of the Spirit will be here.

Because the Spirit will come, and dwell in each one,
Who asks of the Father, for His will to be done.
He’ll be a Light to your pathway, and teach you to see,
That My Word is Truth, and My Truth sets you free.

(Chorus)

What the eye has not seen, nor the ear not yet heard.
What’s been shielded in mystery, within God’s holy word.
What has never before, to the heart entered in,
Has now been prepared, for all of those who love Him.

(3rd part-choral)

In through the eyes of your heart you will see,
The Light of the world who wants all men to recieve,
The Spirit of Truth Whom the Father did say
Will know the way home, and will help show you the way.

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The music I cannot play yet. It's done, I simply can't get through it respectably yet. It's a little complicated and a little bigger musically than I am right now. Thankfully, the Lord provides for us to grow up in all aspects into Him. So I should have a completed rough version of it late this Fall.

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2-4-2008

I've since learned it and updated with a link to the playing of the song here.