I
Desire Mercy
Jesus
said this phrase at 2 different places in scripture. I'm pretty sure
it's important.
Seated at dinner with sinners and seen with the unclean
Would I be eating or meeting with anyone outside the "in"
scene?
"go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy'"
Those who are well have no need, but diseased the physician sees
Our sickness is sin and we're in it way down to our knees
"go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy'"
he offered the blood of His Son out of mercy
he seeks no more sacrifice
and though we may never be counted as worthy of His Holy Sacrifice
he showed us mercy, he wants us to show mercy, "I desire"
Those who are well have no need, but diseased the physician sees
Our sickness is sin and I'm in it way down to my knees
"go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy'"
Lead Guitar: Scott Goudeau
Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Drum Programming, Vocals: Joe
Hand
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Everything
and Nothing
For all those affected by the events
of 9/11/2001.
In the days of sand and prophets, they wouldn't dare speak your name
But you knew mine even then
In the hours your son did suffer, for my sins the price he paid
He knew mine, even then
yet from dust I come, and to dust I will return again
Everything and Nothing, that's what I am to you
In the days before my mother, before her mother knew her name
You knew mine, even then
In the years I walked in darkness, I didn't't even know my shame
But you knew mine, even then
yet from dust I come, and to dust I will return again
Everything and Nothing, that's's what I am to you
In the times of war and sickness, thousands fall in minutes,
My hairs are counted even then
yet from dust I come, and to dust I will return again
Everything and Nothing, that's what I am to you
Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming, Vocals: Joe Hand
Drums: Rick Lonow
Wurlitzer piano: Carl Herggesell
Percussion: Cathy Chalmers
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Prince
of Broken Pieces
Written about 5 years
ago, this song is certainly appropriate for our world right now. Jesus
has many titles, but I don’t think this one has been used before.
Now
we stand before You, imperfected pottery
Remnants of the creatures you created us to be
And our hearts are heavy laden
And our Spirit near the end
But You the Prince of Broken Pieces can make us whole again
Make
us whole again, O Lord!
Make us whole again, O Lord!
Lord, your Spirit send, our lives to mend
And make us whole again.
We bring to You our failings, all out darkness brought to Light
We ask for your forgiveness and to make our darkness right
Though we fall and fall without you
On your grace we do depend
And you the Prince of Broken Pieces can make us whole again
Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Synth, Organ, Percussion, Vocals: Joe Hand
Electric Guitar: Scott Goudeau
Drums: Rick Lonow
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Be Thou My Vision
One of my favorite personal
prayers goes like this: "Lord, you can take care of the restaurant,
I'll just try and finish what's on my plate."
Be thou my vision, O Lord, Be thou my vision, O Lord
Let me not see all that you see, but only one step ahead
Be my direction, O Lord, Be my protection, O Lord
Keep me in line, my will inclined to your Holy Will instead
And let your Spirit flow over me!
Let your mighty presence come over me!
Let my being proclaim your mighty name
The power and the presence of You
The awesome power and the presence of You flow over me.
Be my decision, O Lord, all my decisions, O Lord
Let me not stray too far from your way, help me to choose you this
day
Be thou my vision, O Lord, cast out my vision, O Lord
Let me not seek what worldly men seek, but rather Your heart Lord
I pray
And let your Spirit flow over me!
Let your mighty presence come over me!
Let my being proclaim your mighty name
The power and the presence of You
The awesome power and the presence of You flow over me.
Be thou my vision, O Lord, Be thou my vision, O Lord
Let me not see all that you see, but only one step ahead
Drums: Paul Leim
Piano: Matt Rollings
FX Bass: Michael Rhodes
Electric Guitar: Jerry McPhereson
Pedal Steel: Michael Stanton
Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals: Joe
Hand
Percussion: Cathy Chalmers
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Ballad
of the Well Worn Jacket
This is a true story, and a life changing experience for me.
He didn't have a name, I knew him just the same
The poor faceless with us always, barefoot in the pouring rain
On a street outside Atlanta, cars passing colder than the air
That was beating on uncovered, damp and lonely skin
Could I ignore him?
Could I ignore him?
I didn't know the danger of coming to a stranger
It hurt worse than any pain I felt in the thirty years I know
I couldn't speak his language, but I could read his eyes
And they were startled as I held the coat for him to try
I prayed it was his size
I prayed it was his size
He didn't need a sermon, he didn't need a lesson in theology (it didn't
seem to me)
He didn't need a bible, or a council of the elders in society
He needed clothes
He needed clothes
He couldn't make his right arm stay, there wasn't much that he did
say
As he clutched the flannel jacket in an awkward way
I asked if he was hungry, he answered me with only a half-gesture
toward a bag of things
From God knows where
He was ok there
He was ok there
He didn't need a sermon, he didn't need a lesson in theology (it didn't
seem to me)
He didn't need a bible, or a council of the elders in society
He needed clothes
He needed clothes
And that's the only thing he knows.
With a nod I left him, back to the world I live in
But my thoughts will not allow me to forget that day
The angels started singin'. I couldn't help but grinnin'
As I watched my well worn jacket walk away
Yes I cried with joy as I watched my well-worn jacket walk away.
He didn't need a sermon
he didn't need no lessons in theology (or my poor attempt at poetry)
He didn't need a bible, or a council of the elders in society
He needed clothes
He needed clothes
And that's the only thing he knows.
Guitar: Scott Goudeau
Pedal Steel: Michael Stanton
Bass, Vocals: Joe Hand
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He
Must Increase
I love John the Baptist. He's one whacky dude. Filled with the
Holy Spirit in his mother's womb, He was a wild man out of the gate.
The only thing that mattered to him was bringing people to the Lord.
I love all that is written about him in the Bible, but his words "He
must increase, I must decrease" are one of scripture's most awesome
and powerful statements. The rest of the tune is an amalgam of scriptures
from Jesus, letters from Paul, and my own prayers.
He must increase, I must decrease,
All I knew now counted as loss, I walk His way
He must increase, I must decrease
Now the Lord is Lord of my life, and with him I'll stay
Take my words, Lord, I have no use for them
For my lips can lead me astray, soon as they part
Take my breath, Lord, I have no use for it
If it fuels the careless and selfish desires of my heart.
He must increase, I must decrease,
Take my hands Lord, I have no use for them
If they cling to all I possess, it holds me too
Take my eyes Lord, I have no use for them
If they seek a moment of vanity rather than You.
He must increase, I must decrease,
Hear my prayer Lord, though I'm not worthy.
Say the word my soul will be healed, my joy complete!
Guitar, Fretless Bass, Keyboard, shaker, vocals: Joe Hand
Udu (that you do so well) and other percussion: Cathy Chalmers
Drums: Rick Lonow
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Roadful of Blessings
(is Roadful a word?)
This amusing tune is dedicated to my old Mercury Mini-Van
that finally gave up the ghost at over 200,000 miles. It was the best
vehicle I've ever owned.
A decade down and counting on the interstate of right
Feels like only the beginning and there is no end in sight
It's driven out the darkness while driving through the night
A quarter million miles closer to the Lord of Light
Ch On the roadful of blessings
On the roadful of blessings
On the roadful of blessings
The roadful of blessings
Though it looks a little weary from the journey it has seen
It was rarely any trouble and it wasn't ever clean
But it was glad to bear the burden of a ministry in flight
Carried me my wife and others and the Lord of Light
Ch On the roadful of blessings
On the roadful of blessings
On the roadful of blessings
The roadful of blessings
Rolling out of memory it's service now complete
I bring it here to Jesus and I place it at His feet
But the journey will continue, another van, another night
Another decade down and counting on the Lord of Light
Wurlitzer Keyboard: Carl Hergessel
Electric guitar: Scott Goudeau
Guitar, Bass, Organ, Drum Programming, Vocals: Joe Hand
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I Want to Worship You
I guess I have heard too many sermons from people who love their
power and their positions way more than they love Jesus. Hopefully,
my works will be more abundant than my words.
I have studied my craft and learned all I care to learn
All the nights keeping watch, I have no more oil to burn
I'm so weary of knowledge gained by the light of my day after day
What worth is my learnin' when soon it will all pass away
I want to worship you
I want to worship you
Let the noise from my lips, the strings on my fingertips cry "Glory
Lord!"
All I want I want to worship you.
I can't listen any more to the proud and the mighty of men
They are blind leading other blind, their fall is not "if"
only "when"
They study their speeches, and put on their robes and their face
Shield my eyes from the moment when you put them all in their place
Chorus
If our tongues could be silent, our sad world could only improve
Judge me not by my words, Lord, but only the works that I do.
Chorus
Drums: Rick Lonow
Electric Guitar: Scott Goudeau
Piano, Bass, Drum programming, acoustic guitars, Organ, vocals: Joe
Hand
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Empty
In my opinion, there is nothing uglier than Christians wanting
worldly power. Maybe this song can make a small dent in that but more
important, I hope it brings comfort to those who feel truly powerless
against sickness, oppression, addiction, loneliness, and despair.
You ask if He is listening, demanding for a sign
You raise your voice less cautiously with passing of more time
Commanding Him to answer you and prove that He is there
Your faith is running empty and your God seems not to care.
Chorus But you must be empty before He can fill
You must abandon yourself to be in His Will
And when you're empty and broken by pain
His Spirit will fill your soul where He will remain
You wonder why He's waiting and waiting for so long
To lift your heavy burden so that you could be strong
Your will is not receding, it rises as the tide
And keeps on crashing at the shore but never gets inside
Chorus
There's little time for patience in waiting for His hand
To raise you up to Heaven, where beside the Lord you'll stand
But to be first in His kingdom, you first must learn to serve
As His Son became a servant so that Heaven we'd deserve.
Chorus
Guitar: Scott Goudeau
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Rise
Again
For families and friends of the Shuttle Columbia Crew, and for
anyone that has suffered a seemingly insurmountable loss. May the
Lord grant you His comfort, and the strength to carry on.
Not by our power, but yours do we see the dawning sun
Not by our wishes, but yours can the darkness be undone
But I pray, yes I pray, for the morning came too early today
And though I'm caught up in the current of my sorrow
From the ruins I will rise again
Though the pace is swift and steady I won't follow
I will rise, I will rise again
Not by our power, but yours do we see the setting sun
Not by our wishes, but yours draw us to you when life is done
But I pray, yes Lord, I pray, for the darkness came too early today
And though I'm caught up in the current of my sorrow
From the ruins I will rise again
Though the pace is swift and steady I won't follow
I will rise, I will rise again
Who are we to fear the calling of the stars up in the sky
When not a sparrow even falls without consent from God on High?
For now I'm caught up in the current of my sorrow
From the ruins I will rise again
And as sure as sun will shine and darkness follow
I will rise, I will rise again.
Programming: Joe Hand and Dennis Patton
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