Glory to God in the Highest

This song was a gift of God to me. I had written about eight mediocre ideas during the month of December and was not excited about any of them. Then one afternoon in the midst of writing I had the beginning of a concept that I thought could actually go somewhere. I thought I wrote it down or recorded it before I had to move to the next thing but apparently i did not because the next day when I went back to work on it, I couldn’t find it…anywhere. It took a while but I finally let it go and tried to keep writing. However, I still didn’t like anything I was doing. Finally, under the pressures of my work at the church, Christmas services and my own downward spiraling I found myself on my face before the Lord in frustration and failure. God was gracious with me and took all of my thrashing. When I had prayed all that I had left I felt like he had heard and that it was time to lay down my wrestling and go home. Then the next morning while I was making my lunch the concept that I had lost started coming back to me. The song began to just fall into place in my head as I was getting ready for work. Before long I found myself in the shower weeping with joy and thanksgiving in the way that the Lord was providing for me, tending to my heart and helping me tell of his beauties. Anyway, this song is a reminder to me of how God blesses me so that I can proclaim the glories of his Name.

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vocals: Nathan Partain, Rebekah Osborn, Kyle Ragsdale
guitar: Nathan Partain
fiddle: Kipp Normand
viola: Ashley Overley
upright bass: Joel Chodakowski
percussion: Brian Allee
djembe: Wes Homoya

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Glory to God in the Highest      (listen)     (chords)

There was a boy, went for a walk, down by the stream, picked out some rocks, and stepped out on, the battle field, no shield or sword, for him to wield. The giant jeered, and boasted loud, the little boy, just held his ground, and pulled a stone, out of his pouch, and raised his sling, and slung it round singing…

“Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God! Glory to God!”

A coward man, was hiding low, an angel called, told him to go, and lead his kin, to overthrow, the burdens of their wicked foes.
His troop was small, three hundred men. The foe too vast, to count, like sand. Still they around, the foe that night, raised up their horns, and jars of light singing…

“Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God! Glory to God!”

A pilgrim folk, in desert sun, were told to take, a fortress town. No siege ramps built, no batter ram, the word of God, would be their plan.
Six days they marched, around its sides, the seventh day, the seventh time, the trumpets made, a victor’s sound. The people raised, a mighty shout singing…

“Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God! Glory to God!”

A virgin aches, in labor pains.  She’s giving birth, to “Him who Saves”. There in the barn, the humble means, the filthy rags, the trough unclean.
The rock now strikes, the giants face. The jars now break, the light dismays. Jerricho’s walls, are tumbling down, for Christ is born! Angels are singing…

“Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God! Glory to God!”

The Hour of the Christ

I had the privilege of playing a benefit last weekend with some friends and this song off of the 11:43am record was in the set. Afterward, I was encouraged by Adam Nevins, who put on the benefit, to post this on my blog. So here it is with a little background.

As a recovering church cynic, I have always struggled to get something out of the traditional Christmas carols (and the Christmas season in general). They seem to be built more around the sentimental fictional nativity scene and not so much set in the reality of what the gospels hold (although, there are certainly some exceptions and I have been introduced in recent years to quite a few that have greater depth).

In fact,  the point of the gospel accounts is not to paint a quaint rural scene but to confirm prophecies like Isaiah 53, that from the very beginning, the Savior of the world would suffer. The birth of Jesus takes place in a context of real poverty (giving birth in a dirty animal shelter) and oppressive captivity (being forced by the occupying government to travel out of town to file a census). On top of that, the only people that get the immensity of who this child is, are some Gentile seers and Herod. Of course the angels do appear to some shepherds (read: truck drivers) who end up being the only eye witnesses to the baby in the food trough.

The interesting thing is that Herod does get it. He doesn’t get the whole picture but when the travelers from the east show up and talk about the star, he understands that something big is happening. So much so, that he kills every baby two years old and under in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas trying to keep himself safe from the threat of this newborn king.

So why am I writing all of this? When we see Jesus in the manger we need to see him as a revolutionary, an antagonist, someone who is dangerous and will totally turn upside down every system of this world. That baby in the manger is the one who will say, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” 

So…there you are…Merry Christmas! Jesus is Lord!

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The Hour of the Christ      (listen)      (chords)

There’s a rumor on the breeze,
Midnight cold upon the grass,
Above the tents of darkened kings,
A star appears of golden glass.
What it is and what it means,
Sends a chill among their camp,
Like chariots at the opening sea,
It’s a message from the great “I AM”

Herod cannot sleep tonight,
Terror sings outside his door,
He can hear the angels tell,
“The Christ is born who is the Lord!”
Who he is and what he brings,
Is justice to the weak and poor,
Those who wait their Light will see,
And He himself will end the war

Kingdom’s coming like a storm,
Kingdom’s coming like a storm,
Kingdom’s coming like a storm.
Can you hear the Lord?  Can you hear him call?

Burst the gates and shout for joy!
The Savior mighty sets you free!
Run to him and don’t look back,
For in Him you have all good things.
Jesus after all was done,
Took his seat at God’s right hand,
Said he soon would come again,
And put his sword within our hand!

New Compilation: Songs for the Supper

I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. — Jesus [John 6:53]

I got the privilege to get a couple of songs (Gathered Round your Table / Lord Jesus Christ be Present Now) on a new compilation by Cardiphonia called Songs for the Supper. It is one of the many projects instigated by Bruce Benedict who runs Cardiphonia and who himself is a great song writer, pastor and worship leader. There are a number of other great song writers involved from around the country. The compilation includes 30 new songs built around helping us understand, with greater depth, what the Lord Supper means to us as children of God. Check it out, name your price and enjoy!

Our Lover

This is a song I wrote back in 2000. It actually came after having a very shameful dream. I woke up and found myself before the Lord needing to be covered and in the intimacy, vulnerability and safety of that moment with him this song flowed out. It has been a while since I have sung it at church but recently Jason Dorsey has been preaching on what Godly sexuality is and it felt appropriate to sing it again. I wanted to bring a slightly different musical mood to the song so I so that I might own it freshly so I remixed it a little and put it in a different key to force the melody into a slightly different space.

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Vocals: Nathan Partain, Rebekah Osborn
Guitar: Nathan Partain
Banjo: Kyle Edgell
Harmonica: Jeremy Grimmer
Viola: Ashley Overley
Bass: Joel Chodakowski
Percussion: Brian Allee

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Our Lover      (listen)    (chords)

O my God, lead me to a rainbow,
O my God, your sunlight through dark rains,
O my God, tell me of your promise,
O my God, I will not be afraid.

For you O God, rescued us from danger,
     For you O God, let us your sweetness taste,
     For you O God, have led us like a lover,
     And O my God, I will seek your face

O my God, lead me to the river,
O my God, wash away the stains,
O my God, fill my heart with music,
O my God, before you I will play.

 For you O God, I will sing with trembling,
     For you O God, close to your fearful strength,
     For you O God, have called me to your presence,
     And O my God, I will know your Name.

O my God, you lift me like a bridegroom,
O my God, hide me in your train,
O my God, hold me close forever,
O my God, cover up my shame

For you O God, took off all your glory,
     For you O God, to clothe me in your grace,
     For you O God, with tender hands you heal me,
     And O my God, I on your beauty gaze

O Worship the King

I rewrote this Robert Grant/William Kethe hymn (1833/1562) back in 2002, but last Sunday we played a bit mellower and I rewrote the turn around portion to fit. We really enjoyed it so I thought I would share it.

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Vocals: Nathan Partain, Rebekah Osborn
Electric guitar: Nathan Partain
Acoustic guitar: Rebekah Osborn
Bass: Rob Meyer
Drums: Joe Lamusga

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O Worship the King       (listen)          (chords)

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing his pow’r and his love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

O tell of his might, O sing of his grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
Dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

O measureless might!  Ineffable love!
While angels delight to hymn thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing thy praise.

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing his pow’r and his love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

I have Found a Hidden Fountain

I wrote this song a couple of weeks ago. I actually originally wrote the music to “O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus”. I have always liked the tune of that hymn but I have also felt that those lyrics could be heard differently and maybe even some of the lyrical imagery blossom more if put to something a little less like a Russian submarine song. However, after practicing Thursday night for Sunday morning it became apparent that I could not mess with this classic hymn without being a complete distraction for most of the people that heard it. So, after being encouraged by my friends Elyce and Kipp, I went back and wrote new lyrics to go with the music that I had written. I was actually glad that I had to go back to the drawing board because it led me to spend time with the Lord and thinking of the way that he works in my life.

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Vocals: Nathan Partain, Kyle Ragsdale
Banjo: Kyle Edgell
Washboard: Elyce Elder
Fiddle: Kipp Normand
Harmonica: Jeremy Grimmer
Bass: Joel Chodakowski
Bass Drum/Percussion: Brian Allee

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I have Found a Hidden Fountain       (listen)     (chords) 

I have found a hidden fountain, that is running o’er with peace,
And it satisfies my thirsting, and it brings me to my knees.
Now at last, I’ve known refreshing; now I’ve drunk my fill of Truth.
He is sweet and good and loving, and He makes me all brand new.

I have found a flooding river, it has cut a path so deep.
It has washed out all my boundaries, and uprooted all my trees.
No, I cannot fight its current, it never fails and never yields
He keeps pushing, bending, breaking until all my soul is healed.

I have found a fearsome mountain, will not move and cannot fall,
In its strength I am so fragile, in its shadow I’m so small.
I have laid in cracks and caverns, touched his hands and felt his side.
All that power, rent to save me, Oh, I give him all my life.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

I rewrote this William Walford hymn (1845) last month. I have been working on this hymn for a while and have a number of mediocre versions of it. Something keeps drawing me back to these lyrics. When I first turned my whole heart to Jesus in 1997, my relationship with God was defined by constant intimate prayer. Lying face down on my bed in prayer to talk to my Lord was like coming home to the only place I wanted to be in the whole world….at the feet of Jesus. This hymn reminds me of the sweetness that I have known and that I still taste each day as I walk in relationship with God.

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Vocals: Nathan Partain, Rebekah Osborn
Cello: Chad Davis
Viola: Ashley Overley
Violin: Laura Davis

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Sweet Hour of Prayer       (listen)     (chords)

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me out from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne,
To make all of my wants and my wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return!

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
All the joys I feel, O the bliss I share,
Those anxious hearts whose spirits burn,
With the strongest desires for thy return!
With such I would, run to the place,
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there, and wait for thee
Oh how I long to be with you where you are.
Oh how I long to be with you…

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
How thy wings shall all my petition bear
Unto Him whose truth and whose faithfulness,
Shall engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He has bid me seek His face,
Believe His Word and to trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee
Oh how I long to be with you where you are.
Oh how I long to be with you where….

You are always listening so intently,
You are always calling out, in deep of deep
You are always whispering so gently,
You are always tending to all I need.
You are always offering your love for me,
You are always intricately governing.
You are always closer than I’d dare to dream,
You are always there waiting.

 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! How I long to remain and be with you where you are.