How Happy Are Those

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Roger E. Bruner

How happy are those,
Yes, how happy are those,
So happy are those
Who belong to the Family of God.

So happy they’ll be,
Yes, how happy they’ll be,
So happy they’ll be
When they meet their Father in heaven.

For they will inherit
All the things He has promised.
Yes, theirs is the Kingdom,
And they are His children.
How happy are those,
And how happy they’ll be.

About This Song:
Definitely one of my oldest songs. I can tell because I didn’t put a completion date on the original copy. But that doesn’t lessen the importance of its message.

Christians often focus so much on heaven that they miss the joy of living on earth. I’ve been guilty of that at times. How about you?

And who can blame us? As God’s children, we stand to inherit more good things than we can possibly imagine–once we get to heaven.

But what about the here and now?

Jesus saved us not just for eternity in heaven, but for a more meaningful life here on earth. One that will make us happy. Not because our circumstances will always be good, but because being God’s children–Jesus’ siblings–is a constant source of joy.

When I look at my problems in light of that, I quit complaining. God wants what’s best for me, but also what’s best for his Kingdom on earth. I’m not just His tool. I’m part of His family business–spreading His Good News to others.

Being part of that plan is special. How happy I am.

Do you have that kind of happiness, too? How about sharing 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. 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

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Posted in Earthly Lives, God's Family, Happiness, Heritance, Satisfaction | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Adding Up Fractions

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Roger E. Bruner

Adding up fractions to total their sum
Requires finding their common denominator.
So growing a whole church from people like us
Takes our faith and our love and our common vision.

If you want to add two-fourths and five-tenths,
You cannot do it directly.
But if you look at both numbers as halves,
Their sum can be easily figured.

Adding up fractions to total their sum
Requires finding their common denominator.
So growing a whole church from people like us
Takes our faith and our love and our common vision.

The Lord wants to bond the “us-es” and “thems”
To form one sound church body,
By overlooking our differences
And using what we have in common.

Adding up fractions to total their sum
Requires finding their common denominator.
So growing a whole church from people like us
Takes our faith and our love and our common vision.

 

About This Song: Some years ago I belonged to a church that was experiencing a severe lack of unity. The members were not of one accord, and I wasn’t sure God was very fond of how either side was acting.

The spirit was fractured, and its ministries ineffective because of each side’s insistence on being “right.” I wrote this song to encourage the members to seek those things we had in common: to find our lowest common denominator so God could add our mutual strengths together to form a perfect One. A unity He could use us for His purposes–whatever way He wanted to.

While my song may not have inspired the desired changes, the church eventually began to pull together. Better than before, anyhow.

But can you imagine how much more effective this church might have become if the members had overlooked their fractiousness and put themselves fully into God’s hands to be made perfectly whole?

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. 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

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Posted in Church, Fractions, God's plan, God's Will, Good Intentions, Unity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Too Used to the Dark

Posted on August 7, 2019 by Roger E. Bruner

We’re getting too used to the dark;
We have been learning to live in the night.
We have forgotten how the world looks in the light.

We are getting too used to the surface;
Forgetting that there’s an underneath.
We have been drowning ourselves in the well of our unbelief.

We have forgotten the meaning of goodness.
We have forgotten what is meant by right.
We have given up believing that believing in God
Will carry us out of the dark world of our night.

About This Song:
I wrote this song in the late 1960s and included it in a musical drama I’d composed–to be sung by members of a band who were doing their best to resist Christianity. So these lyrics are not coming from a Christian perspective.

M. Brent Coleman, my pastor during my first few post-college years, gave a great sermon illustration one Sunday. An illustration that jumped out, grabbed my attention, and refused to let go. A song waiting to be written.

He talked about walking into an oppressively dark restaurant. He could tell how dark it was because of his inability to see well when he first went inside. That was because of the contrast; he had just been outside enjoying the daylight. So the difference between outside and inside was as unmistakable as, uh, day and night.

The longer he stayed inside, though, the less conscious he was of the darkness. Of its being so objectionable. He grew used to it. More accepting of it. More comfortable about being there, no matter how uneasy he’d felt at first.

When we’re walking with God in His Way, we walk in His light. A light like no other. We’re “outdoors” in a special kind of way. There’s no stumbling when we’re walking close behind Him.

But when something tempts us enough that we go off on our own sinful way, we move from the safety of His light to the dangers of darkness. At first we realize we’ve strayed–our consciences are apt to bother us–but the longer we remain in the darkness of that “restaurant of sin,” the more comfortable we feel. And the less we worry about the pitfalls we may encounter.

A Child of God must be constantly on the alert. We can’t avoid temptations–even Jesus was tempted–but we can and must resist them. And remain in the safety of God’s Light.

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. 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:

 

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Wedding Song

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Roger E. Bruner

What God joins together,
Man cannot separate.
What God’s love creates,
This world cannot harm.

When God gives light,
Where can there be darkness?
When God smiles in love upon us,
What can we do but love?

About This Song:
Of the two hundred-plus song lyrics I’ve posted on this blog, this one is the hardest to talk about. That’s why I’m hesitant to post it now.

When I wrote “Wedding Song”  for my first wife, I meant those words. Just as I meant every word of our wedding vows.

Jesus had some tough things to say about divorce. He considered it a sin except in the case of adultery. That was certainly not the case in my divorce.

It’s easy for Christians who are still married to their original spouses to speak harshly of those of us who are divorced.

But God forgives all kinds of sin. The cleansing that comes from His forgiveness is complete. Perfect. Eternal.

You may not be divorced, but  you may be guilty of other things you know God considers sinful. Sins that feel huge. Bigger than the everyday kind of sins we’re all guilty of. Sins that are too big for God to forgive.

No sin is that big, however. All we have to do is repent and ask God’s forgiveness. For that I’m truly thankful.

Your comments are welcome.

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. 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 Divorce, Forgiveness, Marriage, Sin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paddlefoot

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Roger E. Bruner

As I got into the car on a Saturday morning,
I chanced to turn the CB radio on,
When I heard a female voice asking local information
About how to find a particular place in town.
When no one answered her, I knew that I must try;
Though in a hurry, I somehow couldn’t count the cost,
For I realized I’d been there once myself;
I know how it feels to be lost.

I know how it feels to be lost,
I know how it feels to be lost,
I know how it feels to be lost,
I know how it feels to be lost.

So I spoke into the mic and I asked her location,
And I told her to stay where she was for a while,
And I started off on my mission of mercy
With a hurried and worried smile.
But I’m so bad at giving directions,
I had her head just spinnin’ around;
So instead I led her to her destination.
I know how it feels to be found.

I know how it feels to be found,
I know how it feels to be found,
I know how it feels to be found,
I know how it feels to be found.

About this Song:
Many of you–maybe most–are too young to remember the Citizens Band radio craze that was popular during the early seventies, but it seemed like everyone had a CB radio in the car; many people also had a base station at home. Not only did these radios provide a great means of communication during those days before cell phones, they also provided a wonderful social outlet for many of its users.

My wife of the time and I were among the CB crazies, and we took it seriously. So it’s not surprising that I would have turned the car CB on when we started out to breakfast one Saturday morning. We were living in Easton, Maryland, at the time.

A lady trucker who identified herself by the handle Paddlefoot was on her way from Atlanta–or at least she was from Atlanta–to Waverly Press there in Easton. I knew where it was, but I couldn’t think to tell her over the air, so I found out where she was and asked her to stay there since we were just a couple of minutes away.

I’m a whole lot better at putting things in writing than I am using spoken words, and my attempts to tell Paddlefoot how to reach Waverly Press in an eighteen-wheeler were getting worse and worse. I finally just told her to follow me. We led her there without any problems.

My wife had a pamphlet of Scriptures from Christian Women’s Club in her purse, which she gave to Paddlefoot in an effort to explain why we had gone out of our way to help her.

This song was a lot of fun to do way back then, but with CB radio being so passe, it would be almost meaningless now–even with all the explanation I’m giving you. Nonetheless, I thought I’d share it today because it tells a good story and teaches a good lesson.

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. 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 Atlanta, CB Radio, Lady Trucker, Paddlefoot | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Koala Song

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Roger E. Bruner

A koala eats certain gum tree leaves,
And it always eats the kind it knows it needs.
A Believer feeds on the Word of God
And knows no other bread will do.

About This Song:
I’ve been to Australia seven or eight times now and consider it my second home. On each of those trips I visited one or more animal parks where I could pet a koala and have my picture taken doing it.

Fascinating creatures.

No matter how lethargic they normally look, I actually once took video footage of a koala running on the ground and of another jumping from branch to branch. I still don’t believe it. They must be pretty healthy animals.

I may be wrong about this fact–the one I based “The Koala Song” on–but my understanding is that koalas are very picky about what they eat. Not only do they just eat gum tree (eucalyptus) leaves, but only certain kinds. They seem to have an instinct for knowing which ones are right for them–which ones are healthful.

As children of God, we know we should restrict our diets to certain kinds of influences. Some movies, TV shows, and books and periodicals are unhealthy for us as Christians. Better that we steer clear of them and feed on the Bible, the Bread of Life. That’s even healthier than feeding on books about the Bible.

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

Links you might be interested in:

 

 

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Not Just Some Miracle Worker

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Roger E. Bruner

Christ was not just some miracle worker
Whose magic died with him,
For Christ is still alive and he changes the lives
Of those who believe that he came here
To die for their sins,
Came to die for their sins.

But this world is far too ready when it
Comes to accepting Christ as man and nothing more.
But this world is quite unsteady when it
Comes to accepting Christ as God in human form.

Christ was not just some man out of history
Who changed B.C. to A.D.,
For Christ stepped out of time to make room in eternity
For the world if the world would only believe,
If the world would believe.

But this world is far too ready when it
Comes to accepting Christ as man and nothing more.
But this world is quite unsteady when it
Comes to accepting Christ as God in human form.

Christ was not just some radical peasant
Who was crowned with thorns King for a Day,
For Christ has a kingdom that is not of this world.
I don’t know where it is,
But I know that I’ll see it some day,
I’ll live there some day.
Some day.

About This Song:

You may have seen me mention that I wrote a rock opera–The Identity of Divinity–many years ago to “straighten out” the theology expressed by Jesus Christ Superstar at the peak of its popularity.

My work, which was presented by a dedicated team of friends, students, fellow church members, members of local bands, plus a few people I hadn’t even known before (more than fifty people were involved), played to several hundred approving members of the community.

I can’t recall whether I wrote “Not Just Some Miracle Worker” for that rock opera or whether I’d written it previously and decided to use it in The Identity of Divinity.

Nonetheless, this song really emphasizes the fact that Jesus isn’t someone who existed at one point in time but not now. And the fact that–even though He was fully human–He was also fully God.

That’s why Christianity differs from the other so-called world religions. Christianity isn’t a religion at all. Our salvation doesn’t depend on pleasing God or trying to appease Him. None of us is good enough to do that.

Christianity is a relationship. Christ is the mediator between us and God Himself. If God the Father is the Judge, then Jesus serves as our lawyer. Not to claim that we’re innocent, but to remind His Father that He (Jesus) had already endured a horribly unjust death sentence just so we wouldn’t have to.

Do you have that kind of relationship with God through faith in Jesus? I hope so.

How about leaving a comment?

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

Best regards,
Roger

        

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Posted in Belief, Christianity, Miracle Worker, Miracles, Relationship, Religion, The Identity of Divinity, World Religions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Crucifixion Now Is Past

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Roger E. Bruner

The crucifixion now is past,
And Christ is in His tomb at last,
And at the door the stone is fast.

The tumult and the shouting’s done.
His friends have left Him one by one;
To them He seemed a setting sun.

Despair-black is this evening’s light.
There is no star at Heaven’s height
As on an earlier holy night.

There are no angels in the sky.
There are no shepherds standing nigh.
There is no babe in crib to lie.

Just a body killed and torn
From some fishers now forlorn–
A Savior killed who once was born.

Once the Savior’s life was spent,
The temple veil in two was rent.
Darkness on the earth was sent.

About this Song:

Although I can only be sure I’d written the lyrics for this song sometime prior to 1972, when I used it in my rock opera, The Identity of Divinity, I can trace the tune back to the  fall of 1966. I had started taking a college course in 20th Century Poetry, and our first assignment was either to practice reading a particular poem aloud or, if we desired, to set it to music.

I opted for the second choice. I have no idea what the poem was, but fortunately I didn’t forget my tune and chord progression.

You can tell my lyrics are not recent by the way they rhyme. Although I rarely rhyme anymore, I also don’t use words like “nigh” and “forlorn.” Furthermore, since we know baby Jesus lay in a manger, I would’ve driven myself crazy trying to find a one-syllable synonym for manger. Although “trough” would be an accurate substitute, the very sound of that word would have destroyed the effectiveness of the two preceding lines.

The important thing is that this is a very slow and somber view of the situation following Jesus’s crucifixion and how different things were from the joy surrounding His birth. It’s also quite a contrast from the Palm Sunday song I shared last week: “Our King, Triumphant.”

Next week will feature an appropriate Easter song. Look for it next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

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A Lamb Out of Every Crisis (w/Monologue Three)

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Roger E. Bruner

Monologue Three:
GIRL (continuing letter). . .

As she talked, I felt the excitement in me growing. Mom and Dad, a fleeting thought of you and home ran through my mind. But I quickly grew nervous. . .restless. Things weren’t right in me, and I knew it.

It must have shown. I don’t know how or why, but this new friend–oh! did she know me already–said, ‘Nothing but the love of Jesus can give you the peace you seek.’

Song:
God makes a lamb out of every crisis in your life
When you let Him become the keeper of your heart.
It is God who puts to pasture every care and worry.

God makes a lamb out of every crisis in your life
When you let Him become the keeper of your heart.

About this Song:
Although the lyrics for “A Lamb Out of Every Crisis” are barely longer than the song title, it’s one of my favorites. It gives me a calming effect similar to Jesus’ calming the storm at sea with “Peace! Be still.” Somehow, it also makes me imagine God as a lion tamer who converts a ferocious beast into a cat tame enough to make into a house pet.

At some point in the early 1970s, a close in-law left home unexpectedly, and no one knew where she had gone. Because she was at least eighteen, it wasn’t legally a matter of running away from home. Yet that’s what she’d done.

She ended up going from the Midwest to New York City and staying a few days before returning home. I don’t remember any of the specifics, and I wouldn’t want to embarrass her about something that happened more than forty years ago, but her search for. . .whatever was the inspiration for this song.

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

Best regards,
Roger

                 

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Psalm 40 (Part Three)

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Roger E. Bruner

What can I offer You, Lord,
That You don’t already have?
What can I bring to You, Lord,
That’s not already Yours?

What would please You more
Than for me to read Your Word
And to listen for Your voice
And to answer, “Lord, I’m Yours”?

Your Word is all I need, Lord,
To teach me how to live.
Help me to understand what it means,
So I can obey.

What would please You more
Than for me to read Your Word
And to listen for Your voice
And to answer, “Lord, I’m Yours”?

What can I give to You, Lord?
Here I am; I’m Yours.

About this Song:
Part Three of my songs from Psalm 40 is based on verses 6-8, probably from the Good News Version of the Bible, which I used most often during that period of time:

6 You do not want sacrifices and offerings;
      you do not ask for animals burned whole on the altar
      or for sacrifices to take away sins.
   Instead, you have given me ears to hear you,
    7 and so I answered,
         Here I am;
      your instructions for me are in the book of the Law.
 8 How I love to do your will, my God!
      I keep your teaching in my heart.

Verse 6 reminds me of another Scripture, Hosea 6:6.

I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me.

Verse 7 reminds me of Isaiah’s response to God’s call in Isaiah 6:8.

8 Then I heard the Lord say,
         Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?

   I answered,
         I will go! Send me!

Next Wednesday will bring this series of songs from Psalm 40 to a close.

Comments are always welcome.

 

     

Links you might be interested in:

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

Best regards,
Roger

 

Posted in God's Word(s), Obedience, Offering, Pleasing God, Psalm Forty, Psalms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment