Doubt (Speak It Plain) – A Follow-Up To “No Answer”
The song “Doubt (Speak It Plain)” by Sandra McCracken, alludes to a novel written by C.S. Lewis. Her words, “Until we come to set things right I have no words and I have no face” are a direct reference to the words of Orual in the book Till We Have Faces,1 in which Queen Orual first…
Continue readingLuka
“Luka” is a song by the artist Suzanne Vega who recorded it in 1986. It was number three on the Billboard charts in 1987. It is a haunting song that speaks of a young person caught in the cycle of domestic violence. It is about love, hate, secrets, distrust, loyalty, and fear. The song and…
Continue readingWhat Is It That Makes Music Good?
My friend, Malcolm McMillan, who is also a worship pastor at our church, sent me this message on Facebook. Hey everyone, I am giving a guest lecture to a Bible College class in February about art and the nature of beauty, and I could use your help. My talk is supposed to focus on music…
Continue readingInland
I discovered a great new album last night: Inland by Jars of Clay. Released in August of 2013, this collection of songs sounds as good as previous albums like Who We Are Instead (2003) or Much Afraid (1997). The lyrics are mysterious, poetic, and haunting. They speak to the condition of every human soul. They…
Continue readingLove, Emotions, and Fidelity
Inspiration for blog entries comes from personal experiences, community or world events, and emotional responses to all of the above. A muse may be uplifting or discouraging but the writer is responsible for the wisdom and encouragement that the experience creates. This entry has a number of influences contributing to the lessons learned. Love, in…
Continue readingApophatic Theology
I happened upon an article at BioLogos which directed me to an article at www.respectfulconversation.net which caused me to reflect on theology, poetry, and Children of God. By the time my brain had come in for a landing it had gone on quite a merry chase. The theme that runs through these perambulations is one…
Continue readingThe Second Coming
In 1919 William Butler Yeats wrote a rather dark poem that matched the mood of the time subsequent to the end of World War I. Yes, there was celebration of the end of the war but there was also a sense that something had changed. A darkness had crept into the world. The Second Coming…
Continue readingWide Eyed
I have often been intrigued by the words of the song “Wide Eyed” sung by Nicole Nordeman. The lyrics and the melody are beautiful; yet I have often found it difficult to understand what the song writers are trying to say. The lyrics are written below and there is a link you can click to…
Continue readingFollow-up to Gifts For A King
I have shared these lyrics on this site before. They are still a suitable follow-up to yesterday’s topic. How Many Kings (Written by Marc Martel and Jason Germain; 2006 Centricity Music Publishing/Germain and Martel Music Publishing/ASCAP) (Listen here while reading the lyrics.) Follow the star to a place unexpected Would you believe after all we’ve…
Continue readingTennessee
Sandra McCracken and Derek Webb released a short collection of songs (EP) called TN & EP. On that EP is a marvelous song called “Tennessee” (listen to it here). I could not find the lyrics anywhere on the web so I transcribed them myself and checked with McCracken’s staff to confirm a line or two.…
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