Martin the Poop thrower???

So I was reading about an awesome new revolutionary. A man so insane he had to be crazy, if that makes any sense. The name might ring a bell as Martin Luther. No not Jr. from the civil rights movement. I am talking about the man who stood up to the Catholic Church. I was reading about this guy and found out that he not only wrote much literature but also many songs. When he branched off from the church and started his own sector (the Lutheran church). He created a new set of songs. I have to confess I have read over them and they do not tend to be that good. I would even go as far as to say that they seem to be a bit dull and repetitive.

This is in no sense disrespect to the man. I mean he started a whole new movement with his charisma. He opened new minds to new ideas outside those of the Catholic Church. In the beginning of this post I mentioned the word insane, please let me elaborate on this a little bit… when Luther would get depressed he would throw his feces against the wall in the confession room. Now would you let me be a little blunter…when this crazy cat would get angry he would throw his poop against the wall. Yes, good friend this was the father of Protestantism. Hmmm???

I know How the Story Goes (I'll Come Back Again)

I Know How the Story Goes (I’ll Come Back Again)

Verse 1

The blur of the road seems to cover ground quicker

Than what I thought it would

These tears fill this cup to the brim to tell

How these feelings are held to with…stand

Bridge

So much to lose in a small town but I

Can’t help but wonder what we can…be

Chorus

Shades of grey cover my vision

A loss of depth perception

We seek we find another heart stays in mind

But a spring of color tells a story

Of hope inside two hearts we find alive tonight.

Verse 2

This reflection of love laughs at me misery knows my pain well

Hands down this covers our lies tonight

And I find it hard to breathe when worked up with this feeling

Will you take your eyes and calm this storm inside

Ending

And I know the story started off sad but that doesn’t mean it has to end that way

A new sun will rise to the east I’ll come back again

Commentary: This is actually a love song I wrote when I was in high school. I was only a sophomore and quite confused about what love really was, as I am still today. The time period of the song was during a pivotal and transitional moment in my life. I was moving away to West Virginia and I was going to have to leave my girlfriend behind. We told each other we would try to make it work and so I wrote a song about how time passes us by. It really is a sad song. I think there is also a lot of confusion in the song. I really didn’t know what to feel about the girl. So many different emotions worked me up inside so in the song when I say “will you take your eyes and calm this storm inside” I was trying to look to her for comfort. But in the midst of all this depression I put a sense of hope in the ending. I wanted there to be some happiness in the song that would motivate both parties.

Needless to say I never had the guts to sing the song to the girl before I left. Two weeks passes after moving when I finally returned to make a visit. We broke up the last night I was there. The girl never heard the song. But sometimes when I see her picture in old memories and yearbooks I still think about making a quick visit and singing the song to her…..but I never do. Time moves on I guess.

I Say We Stand

I Say We Stand.

Verse 1

How can the sunrise fly? When all else has failed

Every abstract painting tells its own story

I once stood proud and proud to stand

But time has well let that pass

Chorus

But I say we stand for something different

Take our own pen and write the fates away

So turn to face the crowd and shout it out loud

Sot turn to face the crowd and shout it shout it out loud

Verse 2

A brother to a man seems so useless

A standard of wealth captures the intentions

The hate prospers for what benefit of glory

We screen our lies turn up our eyes but…

(Repeat Chorus)

Bridge

So many desires of this life

Proven to be false

But God asks us to rise above

Deny yourself pick up your cross and…

Commentary: I wrote this song back when I was a sophomore in high school. My brother was youth pastor at a church and had kind of talked with me a little bit about what he was talking to his youth group about.

He was talking about how Jesus preached that God’s kingdom was sort of an upside down kingdom in the world’s eyes. I soon began to question my brother on his motives and quickly tagged him as a heretic but was soon changed when he began to explain to me why he suggested such a thing. He began to talk about how when Jesus came to earth he humbled and lowered himself to the point where he was willing to die for everyone here on earth. This was quite contrary to the way people wanted Jesus to be. The Jews wanted a military general with super natural powers that would free them from the bondage of the Roman emperor. But instead Jesus came as a meek and humble man who called us to love our enemies, think nothing of yourself, and to pick up our cross and follow him, where ever that may be. It really struck me deep and I soon after began to write a song about this new concept on life.

The first verse was actually something God said to me I believe. I had woken to go to school that day and was taking out the garbage on the back porch (yes, God can speak to you anytime even when you take out the garbage). I was having a bad week at school and God came down and encouraged me by saying to me “Josiah how can the sunrise fly when all else has failed”. It struck a chord deep within me and that is how the song was begun. I soon implied the concept my brother Caleb had taught me.

The second verse I considered all the things in life we are a slave to. How family values which Christ preached about had diminished greatly in our society. How a dream of wealth and prosperity is what we like to call the “American Dream”. Yet Jesus had come down and said “blessed are the poor” (Matthew 5:3). The ending comes from the verse Matthew 16:24-28. God calls us to deny our self, pick up our cross and follow him. This is so much easier said then done. So often I find myself pre-occupied with the things that sparkle on this world but I must remember to have an eternal perspective and keep in a relationship with God.

The chorus is calling to set ourselves apart from the world. Please come and accept the calling and may we change the world with God on our side.