1. |
No Stranger
05:49
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Death by a thousand cuts, but I feel them. I feel them all... Time doesn’t heal all wounds, that’s just a big lie. And it just makes a bigger ball of pain... / Hold me when my day turns to dusk, and the wind threatens to blow my soul away. Hold me when I’m nothing but dust, and I’m cold, cold in the ground. Hold me when my lips cannot praise you, because they’re still as stones, and carry me home. / When you’ve run through your supply of joy, well what are you left with? Just wasted time... / When life just seems too long, what am I good for? Why should I be strong?... / Hold me when my day turns to dusk, and the wind threatens to blow my soul away. Hold me when I’m nothing but dust, and I’m cold in the ground. Hold me when my lips cannot praise you, because they’re still as stones, and carry me home. / I don’t believe, but I choose to trust you will raise me up on the last day. Sin and hell and death for me hold no danger. In my flesh I will see my God, he will kiss my tears away. And he will be a friend, and no stranger.
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2. |
Don't Want to Know
03:14
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Don’t Want to Know (by John Martyn) I don’t want to know about evil, I only want to know about love. I don’t want to know about evil, I only want to know about love. / Sometimes it gets so hard to listen, and hard for me to use my eyes. And all around the cold is glistening, making sure it keeps me down to size. / And I don’t want to know about evil, I only want to know about love... / I’m waiting for the planes to tumble, I’m waiting for the towns to fall, I’m waiting for the cities to crumble, I’m waiting ’til I see you crawl. / Yes it’s getting hard to listen, and hard for us to use our eyes, ’cause all around that gold is glistening, making sure it keeps us hypnotized. / And I don’t want to know about evil, I only want to know about love...
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3. |
Love Loves You
06:00
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It doesn’t matter what you say, love loves you anyway. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, love loves you as much as anyone. It doesn’t matter what you do, love loves you, yeah, I mean, love loves you. It doesn’t matter what faith you claim, love answers to almost any name. / And I know what it’s like when you don’t feel good enough. And I know what it’s like when you don’t like who you’ve become. And I know just how easy it can be to feel small, like you don’t matter much at all. / It doesn’t matter who you love, love loves you, and love approves of love. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been, love loves you, and love followed you in. It doesn’t matter if you’re stoned, love loves you, and love will drive you home. It doesn’t matter how you feel, love loves you, and that love is real. / It doesn’t matter how you act, love loves you, and love has got your back. And even if you hurt someone, love loves you no matter what you’ve done. It doesn’t matter how scared you are, love will hold you and steady your arm. It doesn’t matter if you believe, love loves you, and that love will never leave. / And I know what it’s like when you don’t feel good enough...
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4. |
With These Eyes
04:02
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These ears are gonna hear a shouting. This mind knows what that means. And this voice, you know it can’t keep still, gotta sing. This heart has grown weak with waiting, and look it’s leaping as I hear the cry. / I’m going to see a new heaven with these eyes. / These days have grown dark with doubting, never pretended that it wasn’t so. And what I feel is wrestling against what I know. In this life I’ve had a glimpse of glory that I hold highly prized. / I’m going to see a new heaven with these eyes. / I’ve hid when you lay uncovered, walked toward you backwards with a coat of tears. You chase, you pounce, you consume and then you fly, mad career. These hands are to dust returning, breath, “surrender,” sighs. All this suffering must be worth something or life turns into lies. And all my life into ash is burning as the world bursts open wide. / I’m going to see a new heaven with these eyes.
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5. |
I Can't Get It Out
06:43
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There’s an aching well of sadness inside me, and I can’t get it out... There’s a darkness threatening to undermine me, and I can’t get it out... / There’s a fear that shakes the ground underneath me, and I can’t get it out... There’s a hunger so fierce that I think it might eat me, and I can’t get it out... / Oh, and you wrap me in honey. Oh, and you wash me in tears. Oh, and you tell me you love me, and you’re glad that I’m here. You’re so glad that I’m here. / There’s a tenderness that just might undo me, and I can’t get it out... There’s a love that wants so bad to come through me, and I can’t get it out... / There’s a truth so true that I tremble before it, and I can’t get it out... There’s a healing that needs my “yes” to restore me, and I can’t get it out... / Oh, and you wrap me in honey...
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6. |
Standing On Diamonds
04:34
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A forest green, yeah a carpet at God’s feet, and looking greener than it had any right to be. I was wrestling a ghost of doubt, yeah, a black cloud, hanging over me. And then the wind in the trees blew right down and spoke these words to me: / Stand strong, and don’t take another step ’til you know what you’re standing on. Stop your crying, and take off your shoes, ‘cause you’re standing on diamonds. / A concrete world, yeah a forest made of stone, and in the middle of a million people, you can feel so alone. I was glancing around nervously, appalled and frightened by the misery. And then the gods set in stone closed their ears when a tired landscape moaned: / Stand strong... / Sometimes, the darkness of a man’s own heart can tear his wonder and his world apart. The things he loves becomes the things he forgets until he’s changed love into something he regrets. And all the power in earth and space can’t change the past and hurt it can’t erase. / Stand strong...
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7. |
If Jesus Was Like Me
04:04
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If Jesus Was Like Me (by Pat Terry) If Jesus was like me, he’d seem like an all right guy ’til the first time he healed someone, or turned some water into wine. Well then he’d talk too much, and act way too proud. They’d say, “There goes that Jesus again, just a-running off his mouth.” How sad would that be, if Jesus was like me? / If Jesus was like me, he’d be all merciful and meek until the first time you made like Judas and kissed him on the cheek. Then he’d act all hurt, and point out all your sins. And when you ask if he’d forgive you, he’d say, “Well that all depends.” How hopeless would we all be, if Jesus was like me? / If Jesus was like me, he’d mean well but he might not follow through (when you needed him to). If Jesus was like me, love might be the one thing he’d try but couldn’t do. / If Jesus was like me, he’d be your closest friend ’til the first time you nailed him to the cross for all your sins. Then he’d pull the shades, and take your number off his phone, and let you pound all night on heaven’s gate while he pretends he isn’t home. How lost would we all be, without one prayer or hope for anything? Imagine where you’d be, if Jesus was like me. You might as well just get up off your knees, if Jesus was like me.
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8. |
Fooling Myself
05:37
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From high on your perch on the cross, you look down upon me in my ditch. You call me to either delusion or glory and I, I can’t tell which. For a moment we pause beneath your gaze, and then we all stumble on in our asinine ways. I like to think that I’m doing some good, but deep down I suspect I don’t do what I should, and I... / Am I fooling myself...again? ‘Cause I know what I’m good at, I know what I’m bad at and I...I can tell that I fool myself well. / And I know what you’re saying: I’m being too hard on myself, or else I’m just playing. But I know what I know, and I do what I do, and if you can’t accept that, then I’ve got you fooled too. / If there’s laughter and singing, I’ll just move away and curl up in a ball. I might be a worm, an armadillo, a pill bug but I’m, I’m not human at all. I’m loyal as a labrador in my dreams, but in truth I’m not worthy of any esteem, ‘cause when you need me I won’t be there. I’ll be huddling down at the back of the stairs. And when you reach out I’ll be still as a ghost, so you won’t know I’m there when you needed me most. And I... / I’m just fooling myself...
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9. |
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I clothe his limbs and hang from them, I hang from his limbs. He loves me... How would I know how to love the Lord, if he didn’t love me? / And who can tell us ‘bout love? Only one who is loved can know... / I love the beloved and my soul loves him. I am wherever he lays himself down. He is not petty, he will be no stranger. He is my high and merciful lord. / And who can tell us ‘bout love? ... / I have gone to merge in him. The lover has found his beloved. And to love the Son I become the Son, I become the Son... / Who joins the eternal? The eternal. And who delights in the living one, lives. / And who can tell us ‘bout love? Such is the Spirit, she does not lie. And who can tell us ‘bout love? She teaches us ways to be wise, and to keep our eyes always open.
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10. |
Stay With Us
08:30
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I hear you’re looking for the perfect place, where everyone thinks like you do, and no one rubs you the wrong way, or asks you to do what you don’t want to. / And how many years will you be looking? And how many years will you go it alone? How many years will you be looking? How many years without a home for your soul? / Stay with us. Speak plain with us. Pray with us, and let yourself be helped. Stay with us. Praise with us. Put your roots down in imperfect soil, let go of your toil, and let yourself be held... / We call ourselves “sinners,” but that just means we’re messy. And that means you can be messy, too, ‘cause we’re no better than you. / So how many years... / Stay with us. Confess your shame with us. Embrace your pain with us, and let yourself be helped. Stay with us. Pray with us. Put your roots down in imperfect ground with trouble all around and let yourself be found... / Will you let me carry your burden, because I can and want to? It won’t be heavy, ‘cause it isn’t mine. We do it for each other all the time. / So how many years... / Lean on us. Be seen by us. Dream with us, and let yourself be helped. Stay with us. Share his name with us. Put your roots down in a less than perfect home, solid as a stone, where you’ll never be alone...never alone. / We’ll love you, if you let us love you...
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11. |
No Stranger (reprise)
01:08
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And I hear there’s a shining city, descending from the clouds. No more tears, no more pity, no more death, no more shroud. The Tree of Life has leaves in plenty, enough to go around. And yeah I know just how that sounds.
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John R. Mabry Hannacroix, New York
John R. Mabry lives with his wife and dogs in Hannacroix, NY. He is a writer, spiritual director, and director of the Interfaith spiritual direction certificate program at the Chaplaincy Institute.
www.johnrmabry.com
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