Playlist

The newsy posts will begin soon - I just want to devote these first few posts to explaining my philosophy of mission, being sent, what it means to pursue justice, and why I'm going to kenya.

I'm a little short on time right now, but I did want to post a playlist I use a lot. I have it titled "Global Health" and it's a bunch of songs that I find really helpful when I'm thinking about the issues of justice affiliated, for me at least, with Global Health and the larger problem of evil that I find so difficult to come to terms with. I'm very sorry that this blog is so "christianized" but my faith really and truly is the bedrock of all that I am and it (and it alone) is what gives me the strength to take on the problems facing our world. My God is a great God who makes me laugh and cry and sing and weep. On that note - the playlist (and reasons for each song)

***** DISCLAIMER***** This thing turned into a whale of a post. Essentially, I ended up boiling a lot of my "creed" into paragraphs themed to certain songs. And if you make it to the end, you're my new hero.

Serve Hymn/Holy is the Lord - Andrew Peterson

This song works through why we serve God and why he is worth the serving. It's a typical Peterson song, and I included in this playlist because it not only calls us to serve it calls us to serve because we have been saved from our sin. To quote the old hymn "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."

The Silence of God - Andrew Peterson

Perhaps the most gut wrenching song I've heard in a long time. This guy makes me weep. When I look at the suffering of the ones whom I love, when I see brokenness and disease and hurt and God seems to have left the building, this song doesn't offer easy answers or quick solutions. It simply reminds me of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene and that "the man of all sorrows, he never forgot, what sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought."

After the Last Tear Falls - Andrew Peterson

I remember watching my mom listen to this song, standing in our cabin by the cd player, and crying big crocodile tears. I can relate since I've cried listening to it too. This song has only answer I can give to the question of suffering - All will be made new. The promise that all will be set right is one on which I can hang my hope. The song lists terrible things that happen saying that"after the last ____ there is love" for awhile and then repeats "a valley green and a river wide, valley deep and a mountain high"over and over stating the promise of heaven and true deep restoration. I believe very strongly in the old idea that we can bring heaven or hell to earth and my goal is to bring a little more heaven, a little more restoration, to parts of the world that tend to be ignored. I rest in the fact that I can never do that perfectly and that the God who loves the kids so much more than I do will set all things to right.

Rita - Bebo Norman

The Problem of Evil was never something that bugged me, until last summer. All of a sudden, it hit me in all of its awfulness and I couldn't come up with anything that made sense. This song was what helped me out of the rut I was stuck in. It's essentially a serenade to a girl (Rita) dying of some terminal illness. Two truths resounded for me. "A fallen world, it took your life" - that is, sin is the ultimate enemy here, not God. "And the God, that sometimes can't be found, will wrap himself around you" which, I think, is rather self explanatory. I still struggle with the problem of evil - there are no easy answers to it, but there are truths and promises I cling to, simple statements that have become my hiding places.

Let me Sing - Andrew Peterson

I want my life to embody the goals put forth in this song. That deep, desperate ache to do mission is nothing compared to my desire to do what my Abba wants. I can honestly say that my goal is simply to live in the will of the One who loves me and who loves the whole world. Here's the chorus.

Let me Sing for the Love

Let me love for the lost

Let me lose all I am for what I've found on the Cross

Let me trust you with my life

Let me live to give you praise

Let me praise you, for the grace by which I'm saved

Let me sing

Prepare Ye the Way - Caedmon's Call

This really and truly, is what we are called to do: to prepare the way for Christ in his coming again. It calls us to repent of all the stuff in our faith that is of ourselves and simply prepare for the coming of the bridegroom. Luke 10:2 "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." May we be workers willing to do the will of him who loved us and who has brought us to himself.

Share the Well - Caedmon's Call

This is the titular song on a really fun album by Caedmon's call. It's more fun than anything, and for me, at least, acts more of a call to arms than a strength for the journey song. I tend to need the latter more, but it's such a great concept - using lots of international instruments to call people to "Share the Well" that I had to include it!

Table for Two - Caedmon's Call

I've very much come to terms with the fact that I could end up never marrying because of where I'm going with my life. I may end up living in "wedded bliss." I may not. I really don't know. Whatever happens, though, I know and believe that I can trust in the God who has made me and who loves me. But anyway, this song is a song about being single, and I like it for that. It has a wonderful promise that I like to hang onto "And you know the plans you have for me, and you can't plan the ends and not plan the means. And now I suppose I just need some peace"

Blessed Redeemer - Casting Crowns

Essentially, a reminder that Jesus bled and died for me and for the whole world. Good news!

All in the Serve - Michael W Smith

This song is a part of the soundtrack to the truly excellent movie "The Second Chance" about inner city/suburban relationships in the church. It really hit home for me as I have been a part of both communities and it would probably be a good idea for you to watch it. It may be a bit oversimplified, but oh well. Again, I'll just post the chorus

Hold my feet to the fire

Til I break in a sweat

Til I never forget...

Here it's all in the Serve

This is your Time - Michael W Smith

When I was a little girl in Kids Choir at church we sang this song, or someone did a dance to it, or something. Can't quite place it. But I've loved it ever since. It is a call to live and to die well. "Death died a long time ago, swallowed in life so that life carries on."

No Greater Love - Steven Curtis Chapman

I've been captivated by the story of Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and their wives, for a long time. If you don't know the story of "Operation Auca" you should look it up immediately. The documentary "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" is available for free on hulu and it's totally worth the hour and a half. The film "The End of the Spear" is also available on hulu. I'm more of a fan of the documentary, but that's probably just me. Anyway, this song was written to commemorate the five men who died in an effort to make friendly contact with the Waodani tribe in Ecuador. I'll post the full story later and talk about it's significance to me. Until then, do some research on your own, folks!

The Long Defeat - Sara Groves

If we've talked much about these issues, I've probably brought up the concept of the "Long Defeat" at least once. It's honestly one of my favorites. It's found in Tolkein's elves and in the ideals of a guy named Paul Farmer. Essentially the idea is that you don't fight to win, you fight because justice demands that you fight, and outcomes aren't the goal. The goal is giving everything you've got in pursuit of justice. So live or die, succeed or fail, let us fight the long defeat!

I Saw What I Saw - Sara Groves

How can I, in light of all that I have seen, do anything but what I am doing? "I saw what I saw, and I can't forget it."

Compelled - Sara Groves

"I am compelled" is the resounding ending of this song and it sums up my feelings about my "calling." I'm compelled. It's like there's a string tied to me and there's nothing I can do but go! It's an ache, a, well, compulsion. :) Also, the song goes on to talk about who I am as a person and as a daughter of the king, which is awesome!

When the Saints - Sara Groves

Here's part of the song. Couldn't say it much better than this. I love the fact that we're a part of a great cloud of witnesses - that we're not alone.

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard

I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharoh's court

I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

I see the Long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad

I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary and the angry spear

I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta night

I see the sister standing by the dying man's side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor

I see the man with a passion come and kicking down that door

I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road

I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the saints go marching in, I want to be one of them

It Might be Hope - Sara Groves

It's so easy to feel hopeless when working in any social project. The problems feel so overwhelming, there's so much red tape to wade through, and the amount of grief is just unimaginable. Aslan tells Digory in The Magician's Nephew that "grief is great" and it certainly is - it is deeper and more awful that we can imagine. But there is hope! And it has a way of catching me by surprise, which is what this song is about.

Love is Still a Worthy Cause - Sara Groves

Do I need to say more? Love is a worthy cause.

Mighty To Save - Hillsong

My God is mighty to save. And do you know what - he already saved it! Now we're just living in light of his saving it and fighting to bring about restoration! Can we have a party about that? Why do we only get one day for Easter?

Grace and Peace,

Joanna