What we see and live and experience in this life now is just a fraction of what God intends for this world. One day we will see it's restoration in full, but for now, we can call, pray and sing that into the brokenness of today.
Starting out from thinking about the fake halo angels and tea-towel clothed shepherds in school nativity plays, this song focuses on receiving in the true gift of God at Christmas - the child foretold by the prophets who grew to be our saviour.
Yes - It's a Christmas song..!. This sprang out of of a reflection on Christmas being a time when many families gather. We come together for all kind of valid reasons, but it's good to be reminded that the primary reason is that we are gathering in the name of Jesus. All the celebration, feasting and gift giving is great, but he is "the reason for the season", and our true home is in Him. We can enjoy fellowship in His Church and peace with Him whatever our earthy family background is.
A lyric video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5ITIuOqD4I&ab_channel=CarpetFactoryworship
Written for the Resound Worship 12 Song Challenge in January 2024, this is a song which aims to make everyone feel welcome and part of a family of faith, as well as declare why we have gathered.
The chords in the chord chart have been simplified, the recording has a few “crunchy” chords in based around a descending bassline.
At the end of a creative writing session, I took a moment to reflect on the experiences I'd had in the weeks previously, the big headlines [and the not so popular ones] that had caught my attention in the news, the conversations where ongoing questions and disappointment, the weeping and struggle with illness, were being expressed by friends and family. It wasn't long before the prayer 'Lord have mercy' began to form in my prayers and in my initial improvisations around the song.