No Song Is Unworthy

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

My wife, Kathleen, is singing this song with me here.

No song is unworthy to be sung to the Lord
If God lives within you, making your life sing for Him.
Sing for Him, sing for Him, sing for Him.

No tune is less than beautiful to be sung to the Lord
If your life’s in tune with what God wants your life to be.
Wants you to be, wants you to be, wants you to be.

No rhythm is unsteady to be sung to the Lord
If your life’s in rhythm with God’s heartbeat of love.
Heartbeat of love, heartbeat of love, heartbeat of love.

No words are less than poetry to be sung to the Lord
If your life sings of the Word who is making your life sing.
Making you sing, making you sing, making you sing for Him.

About this Song:
Best Small Trans Headshot lightened
A number of years ago, I was feeling rather down about my singing and songwriting, and I wrote this song to convince myself that what I was doing was important to God, even if it didn’t matter to anyone else.

I wrote a harmony part for it and have done duets with various people on mission trips overseas (everywhere from Wales to Australia) as well as locally with my wife. I’ve also enjoyed doing private duets with such (more professional) singers as Janet Roller, Angela Hunt, and Jane Jenkins Herlong. Incidentally, Jane was so gracious she emailed me to thank me for letting her sing it with me.

Note the logical progression of the lyrics. It goes from “song”–the song as a whole–to the various components: tune, rhythm, and words. I always consider words to be the most important part of a song. Because of that, perhaps the fact that I have a blog like this shouldn’t surprise you.

You can find a free lead sheet of this song in the drop down box found on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page.

Comments are always welcome.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Lyrics, Rhythm, Songs, Tune, Words, Worth, Worthiness | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Because He Is Lord

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

How happy are those who worship the Lord with their songs
And live in the light of His presence!
Because He is Lord, they rejoice always,
And they sing of His everlasting goodness.
Yes, they sing of His everlasting goodness.

How happy are those who trust in the Lord with their hearts
And not in their own understanding!
Because He is Lord, they rejoice always,
And they sing of His ever abundant mercy.
Yes, they sing of His ever abundant mercy.

How happy are those who strive to live within God’s will,
Convinced that His plans all prove perfect!
Because He is Lord, they rejoice always,
And they sing of His never failing kindness.
Yes, they sing of His never failing kindness.

How happy are those who worship You, Lord, with their songs
And live in the light of Your presence!
Because You are Lord, they rejoice always,
And they sing of your everlasting goodness.
Yes, they sing of your everlasting goodness.

About This Song:
“
Because He Is Lord” was inspired by three different Scriptures…

Psalm 89:15-16
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
(NIV)

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
(NIV)

Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
(NIV)

When’s the last time you had a complex plan work out exactly the way you intended? It does happen sometimes, but–more often than not–even the “best-laid plans” encounter little glitches along the way.

God’s plans are perfect, though.

“What?” you ask. “If His plans are so perfect, why isn’t my life perfect?”

To answer that, we need to look back at the Garden of Eden. Life was perfect–until Adam and Eve sinned. God had to expel them from the Garden, and their lives ceased to be perfect. Because they failed to remain in God’s perfect plan.

Throughout the Bible, God promised His people–not just the Jews, but everyone who trusted in Him–that He would take care of them. But if they strayed, they brought imperfection into their lives.

Hmm. We all sin, though. Where’s our hope?

God’s mercy is far beyond my ability to comprehend. When we confess our sins and ask His forgiveness, we place our lives under His control. That won’t necessarily make them perfect from a human perspective, but we can rest assured that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

I don’t know about you, but that’s all the assurance I need. No wonder I love to sing about God’s goodness.

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs, although none is available for this one. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see which songs have lead sheets. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

                

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in God's goodness, Happiness, Light, Perfect Plan, Trust, Worship | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s My Soul Worth to You, Christian?

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

What’s my soul worth to you, Christian?
Is it worth your time of day to speak to me some words of love and faith–
Before I go my way, before you go your way?

What’s my soul worth to you, Christian?
Is it worth some act of love to show me you believe in God above?
Before I go my way, before you go your way?

Is my soul worth the chance that I won’t ridicule you?
Is my soul worth the chance that I will listen to you?
Is my soul worth the chance that God will speak through you?
Before I go my way, before you go your way?

What’s my soul worth to you, Christian?
Is it worth a life that shows in every way the joy of God you know?
Before I go my way, before you go your way?

Is my soul worth the chance that I won’t ridicule you?
Is my soul worth the chance that I will listen to you?
Is my soul worth the chance that God will speak through you?
Before I go my way, before you go your way?

About this Song:
Best Small Trans Headshot lightened
This song, written during the early 1970s, is addressed to the Christian who’s hiding his witness under a basket.

It’s a strong appeal from someone  so hungry for the Gospel that he’s willing to  challenge the Christian who–for whatever reason–fails to share God’s Good News with him. This non-Christian is specific in asking why the Christian won’t share:

  • words of love and faith
  • an act of love
  • a life that shows the joy of knowing God.

I can’t speak for other Christians, but even now, fifty-some years after writing this song, the lyrics still condemn me for my hesitation to “intrude” into the lives of others with the message of hope they might be desperately in need of–and perhaps even hungry to listen to. I’m great at making up excuses for keeping Jesus to myself.

  • I may not stutter like Moses, but I’m much better at expressing myself in writing than I am verbally. While I do share my faith in my novels, my songs, and my other writing,  does that excuse me from speaking when the time is right?
  • I may not have riches to share with those in need, but I have more than I need. What’s my excuse for not giving what I have?
  • And if my life is as full of joy in Christ as I believe it is, what’s my excuse for not living more joyfully? Can’t I at least make my joy obvious in making positive contacts with other people?

After traveling to various parts of the world on short-term mission trips and meeting a variety of people who live in vastly different cultures and circumstances, I believe more strongly than ever that every person on this earth needs salvation–for the assurance of eternal life in heaven and the assurance of a more meaningful life here on earth–through faith in Jesus Christ.

Of all the songs I wish I’d been the one to write,“People Need the Lord” heads my list.

Who’s going to tell those people if we Christians don’t?

I’m not responsible for other Christians, though. I’m only responsible for myself.

What do you think? How about leaving a comment?

~*~

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Good News, Hope, Non-Christians, Salvation, Sharing, Sharing God's Love, Soul, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

His Love Is Eternal

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

An audio home recording of this song may be heard HERE.

Give thanks to God, for He is so good.
His love is eternal.
His are the mightiest works in the world.
His love is eternal.

Give thanks to God, for He is so good.
His are the mightiest works in the world.

He alone made the earth and the sky.
His love is eternal.
His sun rules the day, and His moon rules the night.
His love is eternal.

He alone made the earth and the sky.
His sun rules the day, and His moon rules the night.

He provides food for all living things.
His love is eternal.
God knows we’re weak, but He gives us strength.
His love is eternal.

He provides food for all living things.
God knows we’re weak, but He gives us strength.

Give thanks to God, for He is so good.
His love is eternal.
His love is eternal.
His love is eternal.

About This Song:
Best Small Trans Headshot lightened
This song comes from various portions of Psalm 136. If you want to add more stanzas, there are plenty of ideas left there to choose from.

One thing that interests me about this Psalm is the way it echoes “His love is eternal” (the phrase differs from translation to translation, of course) after each good thing the Psalmist attributes to God.

One thing I often do before I go to sleep is to try to think about some of the things God has created. But His creations are beyond my knowledge and my ability to count. The old hymn says, “Count your many blessings. Name them one by one.” That’s another of those things I can’t begin to do adequately.

I’m just thankful God is Who He is and loves me enough to make me His child through faith in Jesus Christ. I can’t begin to comprehend that, either, but what a wonderful thing to think about and dwell on.

Links you might be interested in:

I’ll be back again next Wednesday.

Best regards,
Roger

Posted in Abundance, Assistance, Blessings, Caring, Creation, Dependence, Generosity, God's love, God's Ownership, God's protection, God's Provision, Love, Praise, Provision, Psalms, Reliance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Words

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

God’s Words are like the rain and snow
That fall on dry, thirsty ground,
So seeds can be planted and crops be grown
To bring forth a bountiful yield.

The crops are ripe and ready to harvest,
But the workers are few.
Ask the Lord to send out more laborers
So nothing will be lost.

As the Word of God goes around the earth
And drenches dry, thirsty hearts,
It never comes back to Him again
Till it’s done all He wants it to do.

The crops are ripe and ready to harvest,
But the workers are few.
Ask the Lord to send out more laborers
So no one will be lost.

About This Song:

The first stanza of this song is based on Isaiah 55:10:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater… (NIV)

The second stanza, from Isaiah 55:11, completes the simile begun in the first stanza:

…so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (NIV)

The two refrains, which are nearly identical, are based on Luke 10:2.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

The only difference between the two refrains is that the first wants “nothing” to be lost. The second wants “no one” to be lost.

I used to work for a missionary-sending Christian organization whose goal was for “no one to be lost.” But that isn’t just the job of missionaries who leave the United States to evangelize people in various parts of the world; it’s also what each of us as Christians need to be doing, too.

Some of us aren’t that good at sharing God’s Good News verbally, but each of us has gifts God wants us to use to make His presence in our lives stand out in such a way that we’re open to telling others when it’s appropriate.

So I find myself singing this song to myself–over and over and over. And praying for God to use me in whatever way He chooses.

You can find a free PDF lead sheet (chords, melody, & lyrics) for this song on my website. Check here for all available lead sheets. And don’t forget to check the archives for other songs that might be similar in theme to this one.

Please come back again next Wednesday to see what song I’ll feature next. Better yet, subscribe to receive each week’s two posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Farmer, Jesus, Jesus' Second Coming, Patience, Rain | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When You Close Your Eyes in Prayer

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

A home recording of this song is available here.

What do you say when you close your eyes in prayer?
What do you tell God when you call upon His name?
Do you say, “I love You, Lord, for being who you are”?
What do you say when you close your eyes in prayer?

What do you say when God knows just who you are?
What do you tell Him when He sees inside your heart?
Do you say, “I’ve done wrong, Lord, and I want to do right”?
What do you say when God knows just who you are?

What do you say when God knows the words you’ll use?
What do you tell Him? He already knows your needs.
Do you say, “I thank You, Lord, for all you do for me”?
What do you say when God knows the words you’ll use?

What do you say when your thoughts distract your prayers?
What do you tell God when the words refuse to come?
Do you cry, “I need help, Lord. I can’t live on my own!”?
What do you say when your thoughts distract your prayers?

About this song:

Years ago I was introduced to the concept of ACTS, an acronym that represents the four elements of prayer:

  • Adoration: praising God for who He is (and not for what He’s done for us)
  • Confession: admitting our sins to God and asking His forgiveness
  • Thanksgiving: thanking God for His many perfect gifts
  • Supplication: asking God’s help for ourselves and other people as well

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think many Christians concentrate on asking for God’s help and for the things we want rather than necessarily what we need. At times, we’re all probably guilty of that.

In my prayers, I try to focus on adoration. The very fact that God is not only somewhere “out there” but lives inside us listening to us is worthy of adoration–and praise.

I strongly believe that if we were to spend more of our prayer time thanking God for His “every good and perfect gift,” we wouldn’t have time to pray selfishly.

I wrote this song in 1990, basing it loosely on the ACTS principle. It’s very slow and prayerful and–I hope–thought-provoking. You may download the free lead sheet here.

One really nifty thing resulted from this song. Jeff Ferrier, who was the pianist in the Gospel Chickenhouse house band and an amazing musician, took a recording of me singing “When You Close Your Eyes in Prayer” with guitar accompaniment and wrote a beautiful two-voice arrangement with piano accompaniment.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

      

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in ACTS, Adoration, Confession, Gospel Chicken House, Jeff Ferrier, Prayer, Supplication, Thanksgiving | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Such Good News

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

NOTE: You can listen to a home recording of this song HERE.

Tell your family and your friends that God is real.
Tell your neighbors all around that God is real.
Tell each person you encounter God is real.
Yes, He’s real!
Can you keep such good news to yourself?

Tell your family and your friends that God is great.*
Tell your neighbors all around that God is great.*
Tell each person you encounter God is great.*
Yes, He’s great!*
Can you keep such good news to yourself?

Tell your family and your friends that God is love.
Tell your neighbors all around that God is love.
Tell each person you encounter God is love.
Yes, He’s love!
Can you keep such good news to yourself?

God loves us so much He sent His Son
To conquer sin and death; the victory’s won.
He gave us that good news to share.
Let’s tell the world how much we really care.

Tell your family and your friends that Jesus lives.
Tell your neighbors all around that Jesus lives.
Tell each person you encounter Jesus lives.
Yes, He lives!
Can you keep such good news to yourself?

Tell your family and your friends that Jesus saves.
Tell your neighbors all around that Jesus saves.
Tell each person you encounter Jesus saves.
Yes, He saves!
Can you keep such good news to yourself?

God loves us so much He sent His Son
To conquer sin and death; the victory’s won.
He gave us that good news to share.
Let’s tell the world how much we really care.
Let’s show the world how much we really care.

*replaced “good” with “great” to avoid having “good news” and “God is good”

About This Song:
In the early 2000s I went on a two-week mission trip to Jibou, Romania. The folks at the Baptist church there were so nice.

As we went around to minister at other churches in that vicinity, I learned that the Jibou church had planted most–if not all–of the other churches. That’s what I call spreading the Word.

At the end of our trip, I recall sitting in the back of the van as we drove to Budapest, Hungary (nearest airport). I was thinking about how evangelistic the members of the Jibou church were, and the idea for this song started to form.

I’d like to believe that singing this song and sharing it on this blog are two ways to share the truths of the Gospel with my family and friends, my neighbors, and everyone I encounter.

This is a good song to teach other people to sing, and you can add verses almost endlessly.

You can find a free PDF lead sheet (chords, melody, & lyrics) for this song on the drop down box at the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

      

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Family, Friend, Good News, Jibou, Neighbor, Romania, Sharing, Sharing God's Love, Telling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eternal Life

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

NOTE: You may listen to this song HERE.

God loved the world so much
That He gave His only Son,
So everyone who believes in Him will not die,
But have eternal life.

Christ lived a sinless life;
Yet He died a sinner’s death.
His Father reached into the tomb
And brought Him outside alive again.

I know Christ Jesus lives;
He’s given me new life:
A life of hope and joy and peace
And the promise of eternal life with Him.

God loved the world so much
That He gave His only Son.
Won’t you believe Jesus live and died and rose again
To give you eternal life?
Won’t you believe Jesus live and died and rose again
To give you eternal life?

About This Song:


16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (NKJV)

The official Easter season may be several weeks behind us now, but for Christians the Easter season lasts all year long.

One of the first songs I ever wrote was John 3:16-17. Then a couple of years ago I felt led to write this one, which focuses only on John 3:16. Musically, it’s pretty simple, but it turned out to be more thought-provoking than I’d originally thought.

I’d never expected it to have four different emphases,. The first stanza refers to John 3:16. The second is the Easter story in a very small nutshell. The third is what I consider my own personal testimony about what being a Christian means. And the fourth is an invitation to non-believers to consider the truth about Jesus and become believers, too.

Any comments? I’d love to hear them.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Crucifixion, Easter, Eternal Life, Eternity, God's love, Invitation, John 3:16, Lostness, Missions, Palm Sunday, Searching, Testimony | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not My Will, But Yours, Lord

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

NOTE: You may listen to it HERE.

I don’t always pray, Lord,
I don’t always pray
Till I find the door closed.
Then I cry to You.
Help me pray like Jesus
In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord,
Not my will, but Yours.

Sometimes when I pray, Lord,
Sometimes when I pray,
I want things I shouldn’t have
And You answer, “No.”
Help me pray like Jesus
In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord,
Not my will, but Yours.

Often when I pray, Lord,
Often when I pray,
I seek quick solutions,
But you tell me, “Wait.”
Help me pray like Jesus
In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord,
Not my will, but Yours.

I don’t always pray, Lord,
I don’t always pray
Till I find the door closed.
Then I cry to You.
Help me pray like Jesus
In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord,
Not my will, but Yours.

Lead, I’ll follow You, Lord,
Lead, I’ll follow You.
I can’t see in darkness,
But the dark is light to You.
Help me pray like Jesus
In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord,
Not my will, but Yours.

 

About This Song

Best Small Trans Headshot lightened
Some years back my wife was telling me about Jan Karon’s Mitford novels, and she mentioned that Father Tim always said that “Not my will, but Yours” was one prayer God would always answer. That idea stuck in both my head and my spirit.

 

You probably recall the biblical account of Jesus going to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and taking His disciples with Him. But not even His closest friends could stay awake while He agonized about the unspeakable physical, emotional, and spiritual torture he knew he was going to endure during the next twenty-four hours.

The human part of Jesus wanted to be spared that suffering–who could blame him?–but the divine part of Him knew how important following and obeying His Heavenly Father’s will was. If He didn’t die, the sin that had been part of the human condition from the time of Adam and Eve on would still go on without being forgiven.

And if He didn’t die He couldn’t be raised from the dead to conquer death and provide eternal life in Heaven for all who believe in Him.

So Jesus spoke those simple but unforgettable words as the climax of His prayer, knowing that God His Heavenly Father would answer it, “Not my will, but Yours.”

That’s how we need to pray, too. Wouldn’t you agree?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Audio recordings and videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As Jesus Loves

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Roger E. Bruner

Who is blind, one who cannot see,
Yet seeks to care for those in need?
Or one who claims to see,
But never looks beyond himself?

Who is deaf, one who cannot hear,
Yet heeds the cries of those in pain?
Or one who claims to hear,
But listens only to himself?

Who is lame, one who cannot walk,
Yet takes the hands of those who’re lost?
Or one who claims to walk,
But never goes outside himself?

Refrain:
How blind are those who will not see
The needs that Jesus sees!
How deaf are those who will not hear
The cries that Jesus hears!
How lame are those who will not take
The hands that Jesus takes!
But how blessed are those
Who love as Jesus loves.

About this Song:

The three stanzas are quiet and reflective. The refrain comes only at the end, and it’s much livelier.

And here’s a secret about how I kept the stanzas straight while memorizing this song. The three conditions–blindness, deafness, and lameness–come in alphabetical order. To keep the lines straight within each stanza, each second line has a word that begins with the same letter as the condition mentioned in the line before: see, seeks; hear, heeds; lame, lost. And the supposedly sighted person fails to look “beyond himself” while the person supposedly able to get around fails to go “outside himself”–another intentional alphabetical choice.

Not accidents, I can assure you. I’m too well aware of the limitations of my memory.

I’m aware of my other limitations, too.

Joyce Richards, my former mother-in-law, suffered for years with what was first diagnosed as ALS: Lou Gehrig’s disease. When her condition quit deteriorating–and she continued to live–the doctors said maybe this was the slow-developing kind.

But they really didn’t know.

Even though they had ruled out other degenerative diseases, they still couldn’t be sure. She ended up having to use a motorized chair and a specially equipped van, but she didn’t act like a handicapped person. At least not during the time she was part of my life.

She was a giving and caring person–and she didn’t hide her faith, not even from her favorite Jewish physician.

I’m not sure what sparked this song, but I’ll always think of it as Joyce Richards’ song. For she was physically lame, yet always taking the hands of those around her in the most giving and unselfish ways.

Yet how many Christians think of themselves as righteous–while failing to see or respond to the needs of others; while failing to hear and answer the cries of others; while failing to reach out and assist those who need their help?

I’m guilty–too often–of failing to “love as Jesus loves.” I may care enough to pray, and that’s important. I may cry over the needs of others, and that’s good.

But how often am I willing to get a little dirt on me through hands-on assistance? Not often enough.

So whenever I sing this song, I’m preaching to myself. But I’m also setting up a goal: to gain the blessing that comes from loving as Jesus loves.

Your comments are always welcome.

You can find a free lead sheet of this song in the drop down box found on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Blindness, Deafness, Helping, Lameness, Love | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment