A few years ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a spiritual discussion group that included people of several different faiths.  Sometimes, we studied the Bible.  These times turned out to be the best Bible studies I’ve ever participated in!  The group consisted of graduate students in science, which meant that nobody was afraid to ask difficult questions.  It forced the Christian participants to carefully consider what it means to follow Jesus.  My personal reflection and our group’s discussions inspired much of this music.

I believe that many churches and the religious right political movement have obscured the true meaning of Christianity.  It is not simply about attaining salvation and living with personal piety.  It is about wholeheartedly loving God and our neighbors.  It is about loving not only those who love us, and not only those who are suffering, but even those who despise us.  It is love for the homeless man, the illegal immigrant, and the fanatical terrorist.  The standard is high.

Christ’s message is not about earthly wealth, health, and prosperity.  It is about putting God first in everything, including time and money.  It is the widow who gives God her last coin.  It is about standing for truth even in the risk of persecution.  It is the Chinese Christian imprisoned for distributing Bibles, the Indian pastor attacked by an unruly mob.  They follow Jesus’ example of sacrificial love.

This is a tall order, and I cannot claim to live up to it.  All I can do is try my best and rely on God’s grace for the rest.  I continue to strive because my conviction is that if everybody were to live according to Christ’s standard of love, the world would be a perfect place.  Indeed, the message of Jesus is my reason for hope in this world and beyond.

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There are 13 songs in this album, each with its own post below.  Every post contains the lyrics and a link to an mp3 file.  If you are musically inclined, you may be interested in the chords (pdf).  For further convenience, all the songs, lyrics, and guitar chords are available as a single 48 MB file (zip).

True Religion

When I see my image in the mirror, will I forget it?
When it’s your commandment that I hear, won’t I follow?

Jesus, plant your teaching in my soul
I’ll obey and be made whole
It’s my prayer from within
Cleanse my soul to follow true religion

What is faith without deeds?
It’s a body without life
It’s a soul lacking Christ
You say that there is one God
Don’t demons say the same?
They shudder at his name

How then can my faith be made perfect to Him?
Justice to the poor, love for widows and orphans
Keeping my life pure, that is true religion

Scripture:
James

Humble me
I fall to my knees in submission to you
Humble me
I sit at your feet to listen to you

I’ll break my jar of alabaster
I’ll let go of my own desires
I’ll pour on your feet a precious perfume
Worshipping you will be the goal that consumes my soul
Yes, it will consume my soul
It will consume my soul

Humble me
I offer my life in submission to you
Humble me
I offer my feet to share your good news

Scripture:
Mark 14:1-10

Don’t just take my words, because they’re not enough
Don’t just take my song, it’s just a finishing touch
My sacrifice is not what you require
I’ll give thanks, keep my word, trust in You

I will worship You, in spirit and truth
I will worship You, will all of myself
You are my desire and I will love You
With all my heart, all my mind, strength, and soul

It matters not the place or the day of the week
Worship is a state that the Father seeks
Living water flows, my cup overruns
From my heart, to my life, to the world

Scripture:
Psalm 50
John 4
Psalm 23

My name is Love
I send perfect gifts from above
They come down from the Father of Lights
In which there is no shadow
I want to give
To restore you and help you live
To pour my blessing upon you for eternity

I will keep you, my heart remains faithful, beloved
Turn from your ways and trust in me
Give me your heart as I’ve given you mine
I’ll pour out my Spirit and give you new wine

My name is Love
I send perfect gifts from above
Ask and it will be given unto you
Seek and you will find
I want to give
To restore you and help you live
To pour my blessing upon you for eternity

Scripture:
James 1:17
Matthew 7:8

Your love is redemptive
Your grace is on my soul
Forgiveness makes me whole
And I will praise You

Your love is excessive
Not because of what I’ve done
But only through Your Son
That I can face You

Oh Lord, You teach me to be… just like You
To love my enemies… just like You loved on me
You tell me to turn the other cheek
To walk the extra mile
To pray for those who curse my being

Your love’s my example
It’s David loving Saul
It’s Jesus on the cross
Bringing forgiveness

Your love is life-changing
It’s Stephen loving Saul
It’s Jesus meeting Paul
True restoration

Scripture:
Matthew 5:43-27
Luke 6:27-36
Romans 5:10

Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels
Without love I’m no more than a clanging cymbal
Though my lips speak prophecy, though I grasp all mystery
Though my faith can throw mountains into the sea
Without love I am nothing

Love is patient, love is kind
It does not envy, it does not boast
It never is rude, it isn’t conceited
It does not think evil, but rejoices in truth (2x)
Bearing, believing, hoping, enduring…
Love never fails (2x)
Prophecies fall short, tongues will cease to be,
Knowledge will vanish away (2x)
But love never fails

Now we see in part, in a mirror, dimly
At the end, we will see face to face and clearly
Greater love has none than this:
That a man gives up his life
For his friends as Jesus Christ
Without love we are nothing

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 13
John 15:13

Jesus didn’t save us so we’d move on with our lives,
living like we never met Him
Jesus didn’t die for us so we’d say a couple ‘o prayers
And claim our tickets to heaven
No no no no no no

We are a new creation
In a ministry of reconciliation
Died and born again for Christ
We will come after Jesus
Deny ourselves, take up our crosses
Lose our lives to find our souls

Jesus didn’t rescue us just so we’d become good men,
Overcoming ‘lives of sin’
What Jesus wants for us is that we’d give him all our hearts,
Follow Him and fish for men

Scripture:
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Matthew 16:24-27

My sin weighs upon me
Am I no different because I know you?
My sin weighs upon me
It’s a burden upon my soul

Please don’t cast my from your presence
And I will seek your heart again
You will always be my refuge
My shelter through darkness and shame

You are my only redeemer
You gave me life when I was dead
You will always be my refuge
My shelter for eternity

The iniquity of Sodom was more than sex and flesh
She had pride, food, rest, and apathy in excess
As her needy neighbors suffered she looked the other way
Selfishness lurked within her every single day

Sodom was God’s warning of the scale with which he weighs nations
As long as we do evil our rituals are abominations

Cease to do evil, learn to do what’s good
Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor
Defend the fatherless and plead for the widow

Come let us reason together says the Lord
Our scarlet sins will be as snow
Our crimson sins will be as wool

Scripture:
Ezekiel 16, Isaiah 1