The Family Prayer Song -- Morris Chapman and Joshua

 

Morris Chapman was thinking of his own family, and probably many other men’s families too when he uttered some words that echoed what an ancient leader of Hebrews said to admonish a people who were at a crossroads. It was in a place called Shechem (see the map-image of Shechem here), where Joshua told the people “As for Me and My House”, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). (The song’s title is alternately “The Family Prayer Song.) It had been a long struggle, and Joshua sensed that the people needed to be challenged – ‘Whom will you serve?’ Morris, some 3,400 years later, was a music leader of Promise Keepers in 1995, and could he have been having similar feelings as his ancient predecessor? It is a question that people of faith should be asking themselves many times along the journey, for there are many crossroads; who is my God, and am I really serving Him?

 

It's not explicitly indicated in the song’s details, nor among the 20^th Century composer’s information that is available in the open, to explain the circumstances of the evolution of ‘The Family Prayer Song’, but certain elements can be reasonably assumed. Morris obviously didn’t just arrive at the key phrase in the song on his own, so there was some situation among Morris’ contemporaries which called to mind what Joshua said to the Israelites so long ago, after they had arrived in the Promised Land and achieved in large measure the objectives that God had set before them. They still had much to do, however, and Joshua was therefore intent on getting their attention to not let up and become complacent; what happened later – as told throughout the book of Judges – was what Joshua must have feared. Much of what Promise Keepers has stood for, from its inception in the early 1990s, has been about men being who God intended them to be – committed to men-women marriage, including in monogamous relationships, strong fatherhood, and racial harmony. One can see why Morris might have written about God-serving with the words that Joshua first used, and then with some of his own too, to counter the drift in American culture that was ongoing in the early and mid-1990s. He must have thought that Joshua was thinking similarly, when Morris lyricized about God ‘filling…homes with your presence’, giving Him ‘reverence’. Being ‘holy’ before Him was also really recalling what Joshua admonished the people to do, by getting rid of the foreign idols among them. And then Morris turned his 20^th Century crowd’s attention on themselves just a bit, by reminding them that by ‘staying’ and ‘praying’ with each other was part of their therapy, because ‘storm(y) weather’ was threatening; family members needed to practice ‘harmony and love’, and especially commit to being in ‘God’s word’. People ‘need each other’, Morris said, and that’s something that has always been true, from Joshua’s days – and indeed from the very beginning, when God made Eve for Adam – until our own time. We don’t live alone here, and we cannot make it without Him either.

 

Morris certainly didn’t say anything new, did he? But, how often do we actually express the thoughts in what’s spelled out in his lyrics? We might go through the motions just a bit too easily – attending church, carrying a bible, singing songs, giving money to charity, clasping our hands and bowing heads, and even in eating a piece of cracker and swallowing a few drops of juice. If that sums up what I do, without more depth, I probably need to do a bit of self-examination. And, as Joshua and Morris would probably say also, I need to make myself accountable to some others in this. They might see something that I don’t, like am I wavering in some of the basics, and allowing God to be pushed aside on occasion. That matters, because that’s how other gods make their inroads, just a little bit at a time. Have I accomplished something that might put me in self-congratulatory mode, like what happened some 3,400 years ago? Is there a crossroads in sight for you, too? Is there a Joshua nearby?      

 

This site indicates the composer’s situation when he wrote the song (music leader of Promise Keepers in 1995):  https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/19/196db2ea-297d-4503-9a12-49043489c907/documents/June_18_-_Family_Prayer_Song.pdf

 

See here some information about the organization in which the composer-author was involved: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promise_Keepers

 

See information on the map image here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechem and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechem#/media/File:Nablus_and_Balata_in_the_Survey_of_Western_Palestine_1880.11_(cropped).jpg …This file is in the public domain because it is a mere mechanical scan or photocopy of a public domain original, or – from the available evidence – is so similar to such a scan or photocopy that no copyright protection can be expected to arise. The original itself is in the public domain for the following reason: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.

Pour Out Your Spirit -- Gary Rhodes

 

Could he have been reading about what transpired in the 1^st Century, about an amazing day when the Christian church was born? Gary Rhodes had the musical gift in the early 1990s, including around the year 1994 when he prayed “Pour Out Your Spirit” in a musical petition, probably a method that was familiar to him from previous experiences. From the Glen Rose, Texas area (in Somervell County, see the map), where Gary and others had produced an inspiring musical story called The Promise (in 1989), Gary had really settled into his life’s passion, to tell stories of God through music. Asking for God to bestow a further measure of the Spirit might have seemed a bit unusual for anyone looking at what Gary was already doing. But, we all feel the need to call out to Him and sense Him more tangibly at times. Jesus’ entry into planet earth was fairly mild compared to what would happen some 33 years later, including after He ascended, when a strong wind inhabited 12 men who’d known God face-to-face. That kind of phenomenon doesn’t happen every day, and sure got the attention of the thousands who were in Jerusalem that day.

 

Did Gary want something amazing, a renewal of sorts as 1994 transpired? Had something in life grown a little stale? We do not know, since this composer has not openly shared any background regarding why asking for the Spirit was important to him in 1994. But, taking a look at what he penned does give us some ideas. He wanted a ‘fresh touch’ (v.1), and more ‘passion’ (v.2). When the apostles felt the Spirit come upon them (Acts 2), it was with great effect so that many who had not known Jesus were drawn to hear what Peter had to say to them about their Messiah. He was someone that many of them had heard about, and yet they had not been moved enough to cling to Him…yet. Could a similar experience have been on Gary’s mind? He’d been intimately involved in producing musicals (he wrote or arranged seven of the 25 songs in The Promise), and had already or would eventually be engaged in many other productions (Jesus, Son of God; Lift Up Your Eyes; He’s Alive; and Experiencing God, all musicals [and maybe others?] that would be attributed to him), but did he still feel that something was missing? Another fellow in history named Apollos and some other Christ-believers (Acts 18:24-19:6) had not received the Spirit, so something was missing until they received Him. Perhaps that was what Gary longed to see happen where he was, to observe people’s lives being changed more clearly and powerfully because of the Spirit’s presence and indwelling influence. One cannot tell stories about God in well-done musical productions without some sense of desire to see His impact on people. Just take note of the titles of the musicals that Gary touched – all of which direct the observer’s attention to God – and it must have energized Gary to keep up these efforts. Once a person gets a taste of God, the appetite only grows. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8a), David once wrote. That sounds something like what Gary might have felt, to have the ‘fire’ (v.1) of His Spirit ‘burn(ed)…deep in (his) heart’ (v.2), so that His ‘glory might be known’(v.2). In short, Gary wanted to be more like one of His disciples about whom he’d probably read many times, and a better good news-spreader.  

   

Are you and I any less capable than Gary Rhodes? I cannot write and produce musicals, but I can do other things. Do you write some (like me), teach classes, preach sermons, help run/repair equipment at a church, help feed others, send cards of encouragement to sick people, or any countless number of other activities that might not be noted as particularly powerful Spirit-filled activities? Gary apparently wanted something ‘fresh’, but that didn’t necessarily mean something in his kit-bag was tossed aside. Injection of new energy – ‘passion’ -- is how Gary characterized it. Jesus got tired, too, so He understands that tedium can invade the human spirit at times. It’s kind of amazing to be reminded that Jesus also experienced the Spirit coming upon Himself at times too, although He was already God. But, He was conceived through the Spirit, had the Spirit alight on Him after being baptized, was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, returned to his home region (Galilee) with the Spirit’s power, and more (try doing a search on ‘Jesus’ and ‘Spirit’ to see these episodes). He’s always there…perhaps Jesus just invited Him in more often than you and I do.  

 

See the link here to a still-running musical (The Promise) for which the composer arranged much of the music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Promise_(musical)

 

See information on the map here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Texas_highlighting_Somervell_County.svg …The following statement is associated with the graphic: I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:
I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

Offering -- Paul Baloche

 

He told them to stop singing. What a thing to say, especially if you’re a minister in charge of the music! Paul Baloche felt like worship should be about an “Offering” in 1997, as he told a group that was gathered in a Tyler, Texas area church (in Lindale; in Smith County – see the map of Texas with Smith County in red, here). Is there something that makes God feel like worship must be suspended, like an emptiness or apathy among the worshippers? Paul just looked out over the assembled crowd, and in that moment felt as if something was missing. Most people when they think of ‘offering’ probably think in $$ signs, especially if the setting is a church where the word is often used when a collection tray is passed. But, that kind of offering can also be offensive to God, if you read very far in your bible, like the following: In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord (Genesis 4:3). What happened in the next several verses is clear – murder. But, what was at the root of Cain’s offering that was not accepted? Only he and God could know that. The Lord will know if something is not ‘right’ (Gen. 4:7) with your offering…or with the heart of the giver.

 

Paul Baloche remembered that as he opened his eyes, he didn’t like what he saw, for the people assembled in the church were sitting and seemingly liking the music that he and the band were making. But he stopped the music and said something that sprung from his spirit. He didn’t want to sound critical or judgmental (as the prophets Amos [5:23] and Ezekiel [26:13] did when they said God was disgusted with the people’s ‘noisy’ music), but he reminded the onlookers that he and the band were not there for a concert, but rather to enable worship. Paul admonished them to come with an ‘offering’ of worship, to be ‘proactive, not passive’ in worship. And as he mentioned this ‘offering’, he began to think that there should be a song that actually says that. Consequently, Paul mulled over that idea for a couple of weeks to write the song, and with another piece of the puzzle that had actually already been present, in the form of a song remnant he’d crafted earlier, he soon completed his own ‘Offering’. The chorus he’d actually conceived on the church’s stage – ‘I bring an offering…’ -- was combined with the other fragment (the first verse of ‘Offering’) to complete the song. And then Paul added still more, in the form of another verse, when Christmas came closer. The three wise men once made their own gift offerings, and Paul evidently wanted to remind believers that Christmas-time should always be a reminder that God’s appearance in the world spawned great wonder, hope, and praise from a people looking for Him, and that offering Him worship today, two millennia later, should be with the same attitude as that of the shepherds and wise men.   

 

‘What’s in a worshipper’s heart is between him and God’. You’ve probably heard that one before. Maybe it’s a way to fend off someone who’s unimpressed with your stoic expression while singing. ‘Focus on your own attitude’, someone says, and correctly so. But, in a family where people can have the power to edify one another, as well as discourage one another, we do take notice of worship that seems lackluster. It’s part of the reasoning capacity that He gave us. He said to love Him completely, with  ‘…heart…soul…strength…and mind’. None of us are immune from boredom at times, but if that affects how I’m addressing the One who made me, I need someone with sharp elbows to nudge me in the side, like what Paul did to a group in 1997. Reconnect with what He’s done, who He is, and how that relates to yourself, and what you and I cannot do for ourselves. Try reading Paul’s lyrics first, and think about whether they’re true for you (they are, unless you aren’t human). Then try singing them.    

 

See/hear the song’s story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNHdsArUO8I

 

Read about the songwriter here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Baloche

 

This query suggests the song was written in 1997, though song released in 2003: https://www.google.com/search?q=baloche+Offering+song+lyrics+year+written&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=17464399d8dea453&ei=8pxhaN3mKYKg5NoP3NztmQw&ved=0ahUKEwjdp9iot5eOAxUCEFkFHVxuO8MQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=baloche+Offering+song+lyrics+year+written&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiKWJhbG9jaGUgT2ZmZXJpbmcgc29uZyBseXJpY3MgeWVhciB3cml0dGVuMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSMU8UNcLWN41cAF4AZABAJgBlwGgAeIMqgEEMjAuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCFqACkQ3CAgoQABiwAxjWBBhHwgIFECEYqwLCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYogQYiQWYAwCIBgGQBgiSBwQyMC4yoAelWLIHBDE5LjK4B4wNwgcGMS4yMC4xyAcc&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

 

See information on the map-graphic here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Texas_highlighting_Smith_County.svg …Public domain…I, the copyright holder (David Benbennick) of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.