New Song: What has God Perpared?

Hey folks, just posted a new song on my website, here.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my new site since I won’t be keeping this one up for much longer.

Thanks to you all!

New Song: We have a Hope

Just posted a new song on my website. Check it out here.

This is my new place where I will be posting any new music so if you want to stay up to date, please take a moment to subscribe or to join the RSS feed.

Thanks to you all!

New Record/New Website/Please Subscribe

Hey Folks, I know it has been over a year now since I have posted new songs but I have been busy creating a new record. Some of the songs you might have heard live versions or demos of here and some will be brand new to you. I recorded them with a band called Jaywalker. I think of us as a sort of southern rock band. Don’t know if that sounds good to you but I hope it does. It was a blast to make and I am excited to share it. It will go on sale on my website HERE this Friday at 7pm EST.

Speaking of my website, I just put together a new website and it is now live. This gives me one place to do everything that I want to do on the web. It will be the place where you can get my new record, see new blog posts and hopefully unifies my wordpress/cdbaby/bandcamp scattered presence. At least it helps my brain if nothing else. I would super appreciate it if you have subscribed here that you would take the time to subscribe there as well. Just click HERE. It will only about 30 seconds and I would love to keep you all up to date with news and new songs, etc. Thank you all for you kind comments and encouragements.

For His Own Sake

There are some songs that you get pregnant with and you can’t help but finally just to let it out. This is one of those songs. Whether through my own life or through the deep suffering of dear friends, I have been working through this aspect of our walk with Jesus. What does it mean to love the almighty God when he allows calamity? What should we expect in this life? After spending much time in the word and prayer, after trying to teach these truths to myself and those around me, this song comes and it sums up one of the largest truths that has emerged during this season. That I do not love God for what he does for me. I love him for who he is alone. That is what it means to really love. He is worthy of my love, my strength, my devotion and honor. And it is not just that I am obliged to give my everything to him. I want to. In fact, there is nothing I want more than to give my all to my God. This song was recorded live in worship on Palm Sunday.

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Vocals: Nathan Partain, Katherine Green, Kyle Ragsdale
Guitar: Nathan Partain
Violin: Wes Lackey
Accordion: Corinn Gove
Bass: Joe Wheeler
Percussion: Brian Allee

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For His Own Sake            (Listen/Download)      (Chord Chart)

I have seen the bright birth of the morning,
I have worked through the sweat of the day.
I have laughed as the summer rains poured down from heaven,
and I’ve harvested oceans of grain.

I have worked and I’ve worked and had nothing,
I have prayed and I’ve prayed but no rain,
I have lost to the fire, storm and locust,
And woke up to find all my land left in shame.

Still each morning and noon and in evening,
I will trust my Lord and bless his name.
Never seeking the gain but the Giver,
So I love him for nothing but for his own sake.

I have made the mistake that my blessing,
Means the favor of God on my ways,
And thought every hardship, his anger against me,
And cried out in darkness for grace.

Now I know that his kindness is steadfast,
He has anchored my soul in his peace,
So that suffering is now just the pangs of my hunger,
to know the embrace of my King.

Still each morning and noon and in evening,
I will trust my Lord and bless his name.
Never seeking the gain but the Giver,
So I love him for nothing but for his own sake.

I have learned that this world is not truest,
There’s a hope held securely beyond,
And since Jesus has suffered through my own destruction,
I entrust my all to my God.

I have seen deepest loss bring rejoicing,
Seen a mother with her stillborn sing praise,
I have seen those abused and those ravaged by sickness,
Through tears and in anguish give thanks.

Still each morning and noon and in evening,
I will trust my Lord and bless his name.
Never seeking the gain but the Giver,
So I love him for nothing but for his own sake.

Your Beloved is Ready

Here is a song I wrote for Advent last month. I wrote it in an effort to depict the church as she really is in Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. I wanted to describe the beauty of her holiness and the intimacy of her love and relationship with her God. It was meant to entice and draw the Lord himself toward the one he died for, as if he needed someone to remind him of his beloved, his delight and joy. It was meant to be a vision for us, to remember who we are as the church and what it looks like to shine like stars in the depraved generation so that we might also yearn to be this beautiful for our Savior. It was also meant to be another sung-prayer added to the thousands of years of prayers that the church has cried out, “Come, Lord Jesus!” It was recorded live during worship on December 8th.

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Vocals: Nathan Partain, Kyle Ragsdale, Andrea Homoya
Guitar: Nathan Partain
Fiddle: Kipp Normand
Mandolin: Shawn Collins
Banjo: Kyle Edgell
Washboard: Elyce Elder
Bass: Rob Meyer
Percussion: Brian Allee

Photograph: Jamie MacGregor

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Your Beloved is Ready     (listen/download)     (chords)

She has saved her whole heart for you Lord,
She has kept her eyes pure for you Lord.
She has waited and waited, while her hungers were raging,
To taste only the love of her Lord.

She has set her delight in you Lord,
She has stayed all her thoughts on you Lord.
She has stilled her desires, all her tossing and straying,
She has put all her hope in you Lord.

You have washed her for the day of her wedding,
Promised yourself, by your Spirit abiding.
In the earthquakes and war, Lord, can you hear her singing,
Her arms are raised high, she is radiant, she is holy,
Your beloved is ready.

She has shut out the greed of her soul,
Scoffs at scarcity, rotting and mold.
She has given so freely, to the mean and unworthy,
She’s so loved that she cannot withhold.

She surrendered her fight for control,
She has waived every right that she holds.
She wiped out all the debts that she’d demanded from others,
Cause she knew that she’d owed so much more.

You have washed her for the day of her wedding,
Promised yourself, by your Spirit abiding.
In the earthquakes and war, Lord, can you hear her singing,
Her arms are raised high, she is radiant, she is holy,
Your beloved is ready.

She has torn up her murderous laws,
Her comparing and searching for flaws.
But you’ve made her so humble, holding others so highly,
That her joy has been filled to the full.

She took off her pretense for you Lord,
She confessed all her shame to you Lord.
She came out of her hiding, to be know so profoundly,
She’s so free she can dance for you Lord.

You have washed her for the day of her wedding,
Promised yourself, by your Spirit abiding.
In the earthquakes and war, Lord, can you hear her singing,
Her arms are raised high, she is holy, she is radiant,
Your beloved is ready.

The Lord will Provide

Here is a John Newton hymn (1775) that I rewrote a while back. While I was writing the tune and especially the refrain, I had a picture in my mind of the people of God going through hard times. I saw them traveling from one place to another on pilgrimage or on the run, weary and in need and I wanted to put a song in their mouths for their encouragement. I also wrote it with a call and response type refrain in mind so that the worshiping community would be repeating to themselves the promise of God’s help rooted in his action of purchasing us through the death of his son.

I recorded it in my office and Rebekah Osborn joined in with harmony.

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The Lord will Provide       (listen/download)     (chord chart)

The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied
Just as long as it’s written, “The Lord will provide.”

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Just one thing secures us, whatever betide,
His Spirit assures us, “The Lord will provide.”

Leader: And this promise remains,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: Through all ages unchanged,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: In all our want, in our pain,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: Faithful through all of our days.

When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
And courage all fails us, we stand but by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart glad’ning gospel, “The Lord will provide.”

We’re told we are weak, and our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek we never shall obtain,
But when such suggestions, our graces have tried,
This answers all questions, “The Lord will provide.”

Leader: And this promise remains,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: Through all ages unchanged,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: In all our want, in our pain,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: Faithful through all of our days.

No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;
Yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great Name,
We run to this strong tow’r and for safety we hide:
For the Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”

When life sinks apace, and death is in view,
The word of His grace shall comfort us through,
Not fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting, “The Lord will provide.”

Leader: And this promise remains,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: Through all ages unchanged,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: In all our want, in our pain,
People: Our Lord has redeemed us, Our Lord will provide
Leader: Faithful through all of our days.

Love is a Gift but It’s not Free

This is a song I wrote for an offertory during worship in late March. It came out of a season where, as a community, we were dwelling on the immense cost of real relationship, what the overused-misunderstood word “love” means and what was spent for God to “love” us through his son. Most of our relationships are surface. Unfortunately, even some of our relationships that are supposed to be our closest, relationships we think are deep, can remain somewhat surface for our whole life. To really know someone, to see their true beauty and their irreparably deep brokennes, to accept them even when they cannot love you well in return or even when to love them is to endure pain, this is completely amazing. It is almost nonexistent among humanity (although we get glimpses of it from time to time) but this is what the word “love” means. This kind of love can never be earned, it must only be received but it is never free. It comes at immense cost to the giver.

I recorded this in my office last month.

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Love is a Gift but It’s not Free       (listen/download)      (chord chart)

Love is a gift, but it’s not free.
Love gives and gives until it bleeds.
Love doesn’t try to even keep it’s dignity,
Love is a gift, but it’s not free.

Love is so simple, but it’s not easy.
Love is forgiveness before apology.
Love, bruised and beaten, moves toward its enemy.
Love is so simple, but it’s not easy.

Love, I need you.
Love, desperately.
Love, I cannot reach you.
Love, come for me.

Love is so gentle but its not weak,
Love crushed the head of Depravity.
Love marches steadfast in the flood of entropy.
Love is so gentle but its not weak.

Love, I need you.
Love, desperately.
Love, I cannot reach you.
Love, come for me.

Love is a savior, Christ Jesus my King.
Love took my judgment on the tree.
Love traded splendor for my vulgarity.
Love is a savior, Jesus my King

Love, I need you.
Love, desperately.
Love, I cannot reach you.
Love, come for me.