New Wine

This song has echoed through my soul for several years.  It comes out of the desire I think we all have to find a place we can call home.  I found myself (and continue to find myself) in a season of longing for comfort and a place to feel the most myself.  When I look to places that are seen I have come up short to feel at home.  That is until I found identity, love, belonging in Jesus.  In no other presence have I ever felt the acceptance of the fullness of who I am.  In the presence of the Holy Spirit, when I can slow down and open my heart to the spirit that drives my own breath I realize that in Christ I am home.  The homecoming we can find in Jesus is not a judgemental homecoming. It is an emotional homecoming to a father and brother who have been waiting, searching for us to help us rest in who we truly are.   We have found a home.

Coming from the study of the Psalms of Ascent - this song came about during the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a reflection of where we had found ourselves and the realities we were facing. In a time of isolation it was important to reflect and name where we were. Alone, apart, confused, desperate, and scared. In this time, reading the Psalms of ascent was a comfort. Psalms 120-134 focus on the hope that is provided as the community of Israel returns to worship in the temple together. They provide a hopeful chorus of verses that show the hopeful, supportive, ever present nature of God. In the time of isolation God spoke through these Psalms and this song was born.   When we feel the most vulnerable, alone and hopeless we try to find the first thing to comfort us or numb us. For some of us it’s a flickering screen, for some of us it’s a substance. God calls out to us through the ancient songs of David to remind us that even though these idols are ever present ...

  It seems like everywhere we look we see folks using the word "Christian" to further their agenda.  It is used to legitimize arguments throughout many spectrums of belief and many arenas of influence.  Politics, businesses, social norms, governments, ideological debates, music, books, TV, charities all use the label Christian as a sort of flag to further their cause.  I don't choose the flag metaphor lightly. When we use the Christian label and/or Jesus name to further our personal causes or beliefs we are buying into the idea of Jesus as a political messiah.  This of course is not much different than the 1st century Jews idea of the Messiah.  A militaristic savior to conquer the oppressors (or opponents) for their own good and prosperity.  If you are on the side of the messiah in this scenario this sounds really good.  There is just one problem; Jesus never came to be this type of messiah.   When we read in the Gospels about who Jesus ...

  This song was written during my time with 10000 Fathers and Mothers worship school.  It was a season of transformation for me and this is one of the songs that came out of that.  I wanted to write an Easter song.  I felt like there needed to be more Easter songs that we sing all year round because we are resurrection people!  I wanted the song to be upbeat and joyful to capture the joy of the fact that Jesus is alive still today and not just on Easter when we are focused on it.  The juxtaposition of the lyrics, of the "shadow of fear and death" sung in a locked in up beat groove was intentional.  We should reflect back on sin, fear death and our former selves...but always in the light of the promise and reality of the resurrection.  Always. He is Risen! was the greeting of the original church.  We worship on Sunday's because that is the day that Jesus was raised yet we sing more about Good Friday than Easter Sunday.  We are new creatio...