Roots of Faith

Write up by Ross Nichols

This is a new song written and performed by John Carlson. It is quite powerful.

John wrote this song to point out the meaning behind the idea of being a servant of God. The Hebrew Bible talks of a servant and clearly identifies that servant as the nation of Israel, and yet within the servant nation there seems to be yet another servant.

Christian teachers have claimed that this suffering servant within the servant nation is Yeshua.

In the words of this song, John takes this even further and describes the ultimate purpose and identity of the Servant.

You should find these words and the music to be quite inspirational.

Shalom

The Servant Song by John Carlson Play in Popup | Download

Offering of Love

by Glenn Chatterton 

I struggled long and hard with what the Scripture instructs as opposed to what the church teaches about tithing. This song reflects my understanding of the issue – all I have is His, to use as He sees fit. It is my responsibility to lay it all down at His feet, and then distribute it as He directs. In that sense, the song is roughly based around Deuteronomy 18:4.

I wanted the song to have a ‘traditional’ Hebrew flavor, hence the time signature and chord structure. As for the minimalist lyrics, I found that once the message was delivered, there was nothing more to add. To do so would have served only to belabor the point.

Lyrics

Give unto the LORD your substance
The firstfruit of all your increase
Offer it up unto the LORD
On the altar of sacrifice
 
All you have, all you are
Comes from God above
Give to Him all your heart
In an offering of love.

Offering of Love by Glenn Chatterton Play in Popup | Download

This song grew out of the very painful failure of a close friendship.  Having said that I think the words speak for themselves so I will say no more on that.  The point is that no matter how much pain we put each other through, however unintentional it may be, the One who created us all is always there to heal us if we stand on our faith and seek Him out.  Interestingly enough, even though it grew out of separation, this song eventually became a wedding song for another couple whom I have become close friends with.  That is how I have learned to recognize God’s hand in things, just when you think He has refilled your cup, he makes it overflow just a little.

The Lyrics 

With our imperfect hearts so easily torn apart
We reach out for each other’s love from within these shells of dust
We see through fear clouded eyes and others hearts pay the price
It shakes us to our very souls foundations rocked to the core
 (chorus)

We dance with each others souls as if we were in control
But each step has a price we pay with each others lives
Erecting walls against the pain our hearts grow darker every day
Only one can tear them down in whom the lost will be found
(chorus)

So in loneliness we dare to love with kindness and care
Imperfect hearts are all we have to judge the closeness we should share
Yet in His perfect hands the scars of foolishness mend
The careless hurt the we inflict my foundation will fix

Chorus

My Foundation is the one
Who spoke to creation and all was done
None can move Him and
None can shake me and
From His hand
None can take me away

Foundation by John Carlson Play in Popup | Download

I have always loved the King James Version for its poetic lilt, and especially
the Book of Psalms. Since they were meant to be song in their original tongue, I
wanted to so render them in my native tongue as well. There is such a wealth of
insight and depth of emotion contained therein.

This is actually the second Psalm I put to music. It holds special significance
for me in that it provides a unique vocal picture of the Way. It also contrasts
clearly the walk of those who seek God and those who do not.

The melody and chords for this version came to me in a relatively complete
package in a very short period of time. It reminds me of how God gave the 10
Commandments to Moses on Sinai, as a unified whole written by His own hand. In
that way I feel unable to take credit for the song, other than having the
distinct honor of being the messenger by whom it was delivered.

Glenn

Psalm 1 Perfomed by Glenn Chatterton Play in Popup | Download

Yours

I can’t claim any specific scriptural reference for this song although I believe the idea behind the words is certainly scriptural. The melody for this song had been knocking around in my head for several years but I could never come up with any ideas for the lyrics that I liked. I happened to be reading an article in a scientific magazine that I subscribe to one day and the thought occurred to me that we (modern mankind) work so very hard to prove that the universe that we live in just sort of happened. How absurd. It’s like looking at the sky and insisting its green then spending your whole life trying to prove it. If men did not praise Him, the rocks themselves would cry out.

Yours
By John Carlson

By Your hand the worlds were cast
Stars stretch out beyond our grasp
Echo’s ring from distant suns
And all of this is Yours
We strain our lives to touch it all
Set our eyes for distant shores
All the while deny the call
That we ourselves are Yours

Your song set forth the laws of life
Sparked the sounds that gave us light
Set to move the spinning orbs
And all of this is Yours
Yet still we seek the answers born
Where risks of faith can be ignored
Refuse to hear the silent truth
That we ourselves are yours

(INSTRUMENTAL)

The stuff of stars we cannot see
Only you hold the key
We bend our thought to find the source
And all of this is yours
Our thoughts rebound, conviction calls
It’s time we learned our purpose born
Turn our ears to hear the call
That we ourselves are yours

Yours by John Carlson Play in Popup | Download