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Crosswind Music

PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC

SINGER / SONGWRITER

What Does Our God Require Of Us?

updated: 14 years ago

Compassion

"Compassion"

Set me free from the numbness
Let me be completely awake
Call me out of this culture of apathy
Give me a heart that's willing to break

Chorus:  Compassion, Compassion, yeah
            I want to feel the things that cause you pain
            Compassion, yeah

I want to hear your story
I want your tears to fall on me
I want to know the reasons why you cry
I want to be moved by your history

Chorus:

Bridge:  God break my heart with the things that break your heart (repeat)
            I want to weep with those who weep
            Rejoice with those who rejoice
            I want to suffer with those who suffer
            I want to suffer with, suffer with

Chorus:

I want to be more like Jesus
Someone moved by other's pain
I want to do whatever I can do
To give this world the Savior's embrace of...

Chorus:


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread!

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Be Yourself Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Bugs For Lunch Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

As God Sees You Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

As God Sees You

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Bugs For Lunch!

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread!

updated: 15 years ago

Be Yourself

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening

updated: 15 years ago

Bugs for Lunch

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening

updated: 15 years ago

Follow Me (87 Times)

updated: 15 years ago

Follow Me (87 Times)

updated: 15 years ago

Who Is He To You?

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee!

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah

updated: 15 years ago

Worms In The Bread!

updated: 15 years ago

Youth Ministry Research Report

 

An abridged version of a rather lengthy report Bryan put together for the Wisconsin Conference UCC is available here.  If you would like a copy of the full version, please contact Bryan directly and request it.  He'll be glad to print out the full report (about 50 pages) and send it to you, as long as you're willing to pay for the printing and postage costs.  You can reach Bryan by calling  1-608-294-8716, or e-mail him at: info@sirchio.com --

Ten Key Marks of Thriving Youth Ministries


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The following report was presented verbally by Bryan Sirchio at the 1999 annual meeting of the Wisconsin Conference of The United Church of Christ. The 20 minute report represents an overview of Bryan’s year long research project on behalf of the conference.


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  1. Mark 1: Thriving Youth Ministries (TYM) are "Team Building"

There is a paradigm shift going on in youth ministry these days. The old paradigm was that youth ministries are built around the personality of one charismatic, extroverted leader--the "young guy with the beard and the guitar." To sum it up, that model is now being seriously critiqued for a number of different reasons;

A). Statistically, these leaders either burn out or move on after an average of 18 months--so there is a constant crisis of continuity in these ministries.

B). More importantly, this model has proven to be ineffective in helping youth enter deeply into the Christian faith. While teens may be drawn deeply to the Pied Piper (which can be a dangerous thing in and of itself), the Pied Piper is rarely able to transfer the allegiance from him or herself to the God of Jesus Christ.

The new paradigm is developing youth ministry teams of diverse adult lay leaders with no charismatic stars. Just teams of down-to-earth adults who love kids and are alive in their faith. The primary focus of professional leadership in these ministries is to nurture and train and equip the lay leaders.


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  1. Mark 2: TYM are "Purpose Driven"

We’ve all probably heard the cliche-- "if you go nowhere on purpose, you’re sure to get there." One of the greatest areas of weakness in youth work in much of mainline Protestantism is that we are often not clear about what we’re really trying to do in youth ministry and why. In light of this, one of the two most helpful books I discovered this past year was a book called Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields, director of Youth ministries of Saddleback Community Church in southern California (the other "most helpful book" I found is The Godbearing Life by Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster). Saddleback’s denominational roots are Southern Baptist, and it is a "mega-church." I must confess, because of my own prejudice and narrow-mindedness and arrogance, a big part of me did not want to like this book! To my surprise, its one of the most helpful books I’ve ever read. It was like getting a crash course masters in youth ministry. It provides a very sound and sophisticated model for helping congregations clarify what God is calling them to do, and then to create programs that are "driven" by their purpose. If we could get 2 churches in each Association to really work with this, it could radically alter the vitality of youth ministry in our conference altogether.


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  1. Mark 3: TYM are "Relational"

This is very simple, but its extremely important. All the research underscores the fact that most often, the Christian faith is "transmitted" or "picked up" in the context of relationships. Think about your own experience. If you’re here today and you love God and you know that what your life is about is trying to respond to God’s amazing Grace and Love for you--chances are you can think of a person or two who, when the time was right in your life-- was there for you, helping you to catch a glimpse of what the Christian faith might mean for you if you really said "yes" to God from the depths of your being.

That’s how it happens. God uses people to reach people. And that’s why author Kenda Creasy Dean, director of the Institute For Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary writes;

"Who I am with youth, and not what I do with them, is what they will remember

20 years from now. Who I am with youth ultimately determines whether my

ministry points to Jesus Christ or something else. All those Sunday night meetings,

service projects, white water rafting trips, and spaghetti dinners matter only to the

extent that they serve as occasions to live my faith in the presence of youth and to

remind youth that they have a faith to live too." (The Godbearing Life, p. 41-42 )


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  1. Mark 4: TYM are "Telling the Story"

We do a lot of relational work in most of our youth ministries. We’re pretty good at creating safe places for youth to go, develop relationships with trustworthy adults, have fun, and do good things. What we tend to not do as well, however, is help our teenagers enter deeply into a transforming relationship with the God of Jesus Christ.

Now there’s just too much under this mark for me to get into adequately now. But TYM create opportunities for youth to hear clear Gospel messages, expressed in ways that youth can clearly understand, and clearly respond to.

Research suggests that the majority of teens in mainline churches simply don’t know the basic Story of the Christian Faith. They are functionally illiterate when it comes to the Bible. I hope the kids in your church are an exception--but I doubt it.

So what does this mean? It means that if we want our youth to enter more deeply into the Faith, we need to clarify, for ourselves first, what the essential truths of the Gospel are--what’s the "good news?"--and we need to develop our ability to communicate spiritual content in ways that teenagers can truly hear and connect with and respond to.

When I asked Kenda Creasy Dean, Ph.D. in youth ministry--and no intellectual or theological slouch, believe me-- O.K.--so what’s the Good News? She paused for about 5 seconds and then said, "God loves you so much that God was willing to die for you. And God wants you to love others so much that you’ll do the same for them." Now that simple statement is anything but simplistic. It begs lengthy discussion regarding atonement theories and all kinds of other stuff--but its a statement that a 13 year old can understand and enter into.


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  1. Mark 5: TYM are "Sensitive to the Processes of Personal Development and Spiritual Growth"

If we’re going to tell the Story and create clear opportunities for youth to say a deep "Yes" to Christ--we need to also give youth the space they sometimes need to be able to say "No"--or "Not yet"--or "I need time"--without making them feel like they’ve failed a test or let us down.

We need to deepen our understanding of why kids sometimes need to say no--or why they sometimes just "don’t get it" or "couldn’t seem to care less." Sometimes it has more to do with where they are in terms of stages of cognitive development than it does with our ability to communicate or their shallowness of character.

According to developmental psychologist Erik Erickson, one of the last things that happens during adolescence is the ability to embrace what he calls a "governing ideology." By "ideology" he means a conceptual framework or world view that helps a person make sense of life. For us, our Christian Faith is our governing ideology. Follow Jesus. "Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."

But if most teens are not truly ready, developmentally, to embrace a governing ideology until the end of adolescence, then perhaps we should rethink what kinds of responses we are programming kids to make at the end of 7th or 8th grade--or whenever your confirmation program ends.

The kid who seems clueless at age 15 may respond is some dramatic way at age 17 to the same story you know you used at the same campfire at the same retreat 2 years ago for no other reason than that he or she was finally "ready" to hear what you had to say. So what does ministry mean while kids are in the process of "getting ready" to hear the Word?


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  1. Mark 6: TYM are "Training Disciples For the Long Haul"

Doug Fields writes about a key moment in his own ministry. He ran into a former youth group member named Jake at the mall. Jake had been one of the most active, reliable, committed members of Doug’s Youth Ministry program until he went away to college. Jake was now a recent college graduate, and he confessed to Doug that he’d pretty much let go of the whole church thing after high-school.

Doug said God used that encounter to cause him to do some serious soul searching as to why so many of the kids who seemed so spiritually alive in high-school had lost their faith once the youth group experience was over. He realized that what had really happened was that most of these kids had been socialized into a particular group experience, and that he and his team had failed to equip youth with the spiritual disciplines that they would need to keep growing as Christians for a lifetime.

What are the spiritual disciplines he felt were important? The classical traditions of spiritual formation;
--prayer
--scripture study and reflection on the text
--involvement in the church community
--accountability to other believers
--tithing or some kind of discipline of soulful giving with regard to money and resources
--solitude
--compassion
--mission

And Fields offers a wonderful model for how to train youth in spiritual disciplines in ways that youth can understand and even have fun with.


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  1. Mark 7: TYM are the "Present of (and in) the Church"

Quite simply, virtually everyone in the field these days is saying that while its fine and good for youth to do things on their own--even developing unique models of worship that appeal directly to their own age group, ultimately, the Body needs to be together. The youth need the Church; every adult member of every congregation has an opportunity to "do youth ministry" simply by the way they treat the teenagers who are with them in worship on Sunday morning.

How do teens feel when they come to church? Are our services, including our music and our sermons and our liturgies, as much for teens as for adults? How would the teens in your congregation answer these questions? Do we really care? And for a number of reasons which I don’t have time to get into, the Church needs youth to be present and participating in the whole life of the congregation.

In an interview with Kenda Dean, she made a few statements that underscore why the presence of youth in the full life of the church can be such a gift to the congregation. I have woven these statements into one paragraph;

"Part of the human condition is that we all long for something that is worth dying for. But this longing is particularly acute during adolescence because teens don’t have the screens or defenses of adult society developed yet. The acute presence of this longing and searching for meaning calls us back to the real problems of being human, not just adolescent. We shouldn’t just be talking about youth ministry. We should be talking about what really addresses young people, and how young people really address us. Youth, who have not yet succumbed to a society which pressures us to ‘sell out’ to some degree, and who have not yet embraced a ‘governing ideology’ which may actually be in tension with the Gospel, can teach us about being vulnerable to the ‘gods’ in our life."


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  1. Mark 8: TYM are "Evoking Gifts and Calling Youth into Mission"

Again, this is pretty simple, but crucial for us to take seriously. TYM help young people to discover and develop and use the gifts God has entrusted to them. These ministries train youth to be ministers and missionaries.

Again, Doug Fields offers a wonderful model for helping youth to go through the process of discerning what their gifts are, and then developing creative new ministries in which these gifts are used to serve others.

And every vital youth ministry I’ve looked at is big on the power of work projects and short term mission projects. We’ve been doing this well in our churches for a long time. All the research suggests we should do as much of it as we can, and in my report I’ve tried to share some reflections on why retreats and work camps are so spiritually transformational.

The more we can deepen our understanding of the dynamics of what tends to happen spiritually when people get away from their normal routines, and experience what Foster & Dean refer to as "dehabituation"--the more we can fine-tune our retreats and mission trips so that we are intentionally opening ourselves to the Presence and Movement of the Holy Spirit.


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  1.  Mark 9: TYM are "Serious About Research and Development"

There’s no way I can get into this in any real depth. I’ve probably spent more time and effort on this component of the research than on anything else, and yet as I shared with the conference board of directors in a recent meeting, the more I get into the whole "Gen X," "Gen Y," "Buster, Blaster, Boomer" stuff--the less impressed I am with it. Not that its insignificant or unimportant. I think its implications are crucial for us to wrestle with if we want to work effectively with youth and young adults. But cultural research is an extremely fluid and inexact social science. The organizations that put the most money and time into it are the advertising agencies, most of whom define generations in terms of 4 year segments. By the time any of the research these organizations sell at a very high price is available to folks like us, the research is often outdated.

Kenda Creasy Dean helped me put it into a new conceptual framework though. Rather than thinking in terms of generational shifts, she contends that all this research basically applies to anyone who has grown up in the world of "postmodernity." Tim Celek and Defter Zanier, who are the directors of ministries to the Buster generation at Willow Creek, offer this definition of postmodernity in their excellent book, Inside The Soul of a New Generation. (P.46)

"...If you had to break it down to two words, try these: Anything goes.

The Busters were the first generation to grow up in the postmodern era, and it’s had a tremendous impact on them. They were the first generation to work their way through a completely secular public school system, where they learned that truth was an entirely subjective matter: There are no absolutes; everything’s relative.

Therefore, a postmodern person’s attitude might be, "Let’s respect each other’s truths. You have your truth; I have my truth. That’s fine for you.’"

In addition to the influence of postmodernity, the second greatest "shaping force" of the Gen X and Y crowd is the brokenness of the family. We all know this, but according to the research, the loss of stability in the family is even more consequential than we’ve tended to realize.

One of the results of it all is that kids are longing--though it may be hard for them to admit or trust it--more than ever--for adults who will love them and "be there for them." And this brings us back to the power of relational ministry.

One final thing. Surprisingly it is folks like Dieter and Zander in churches like Willow Creek who are downplaying the importance of needing high tech media in order to minister with youth. They insist that what’s really needed is not "high tech glitz"--but "low-tech, high touch" ministry. In other words, kids want to be loved even more than entertained.


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  1.  Mark 10: TYM are "Humble, Prayerful, and Willing to Risk Failure"

Note: My allotted 20 minutes for the presentation of my research during the annual meeting actually ran out at this point. All I said was something like,

"We need to encourage youth ministers to feel free to try new things and not worry about failing. The research indicates that its time to radically rethink a lot of things, and those who are willing to do this need to be encouraged and supported to risk what may look like failure in their attempts to learn better ways to minister to and with youth. I could tell you some great stories about people who have tried things that didn’t "work," but which wound up being extremely important and fruitful in terms of what God was actually trying to accomplish--but I don’t have time to tell those stories now. One thing I want to just note in closing though is that the people I spoke with in the course of this research who impressed me the most in terms of the sophistication of their theology and purpose and programs-- also tended to be the most humble. They were the first ones to say something like, ‘Well, this is what we’re doing now, but we really don’t know what we’re doing a lot of the time. We keep trying new things, evaluating them, fine-tuning them, praying over them, and trusting that God will do something good despite all our weaknesses and inadequacies!’"

© 1998-2001 Crosswind Music Ministries
All Rights Reserved - Legal



updated: 15 years ago

Dream God's Dream

"Dream God's Dream"

(Chorus)
Dream God's dream
Holy Spirit, help us dream...
Of a world where there is justice, and where everyone is free
To build and grow and love
And to simply have enough
The world will change when we dream God's dream

I'm dreaming of a world where the color of one's skin
Will mean less than what's within the person's heart
A world where water's clean, and where air is safe to breathe
And every child born has enough to eat.

(Chorus)

I'm dreaming of the call God is offering to me
How to use my energy and my best gifts
To do the work of Christ -- to say, God please use my life
To spread Your healing love -- and to live your Truth

(Chorus)

I'm dreaming of the way that I want my life to go
I've got hopes and I've got goals I'd like to meet
I'm reaching for the stars, but I won't forget the scars
Of Christ who died to show that the Dream's for all...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1991.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Worms In the Bread!

"Worms In The Bread!"

We find that manna bread story
In Exodus 16
God gave the people that special bread
And they all had enough to eat

But Moses gave them a warning
Gather only what you need for just one day
Don’t keep any manna for the morning
But some of them disobeyed

And when they did not do what Moses said
And they kept too much for the future instead
When they looked at the bread in the morning they found
Something in the bread was wiggling around!

(Chorus)
They found worms in the bread!
Wiggly, squiggly worms in the bread!
Wiggly, squiggly worms in the bread!
Wiggly, squiggly worms in the manna bread!

But Moses gave them a warning
Gather only what you need for just one day
Don’t keep any manna for the morning
But some of them disobeyed

And when they did not do what Moses said
And they kept too much for the future instead
When they looked at the bread in the morning they found
Something in the bread was wiggling around!

(Double Chorus)
They found worms in the bread!
Wiggly, squiggly worms in the bread!
Wiggly, squiggly worms in the bread!
Wiggly, squiggly worms in the manna bread!



Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

It's Good To Know Ya!

Chorus:
It's good to know ya'
It's good to know ya'
Just goes to show ya'
We've got some common ground
It's good to know ya'
It's good to know ya'
I think I know ya'
Much better now

If you love lima beans raise your hand
If you've got a messed up knee raise your hand
If you've traveled overseas raise your hand
I think I know you better now
(Chorus)

If you love watching football raise your hand
If you're a couch potato raise your hand
If you just love to argue raise your hand
I think I know you better now
(Chorus)

If you are always late raise your hand
If you were born in this state raise your hand
If someone's here you'd like to date raise your hand
I think I know you better now
(Chorus)

If you've got smelly feet raise your hand
If long sermons make you sleep raise your hand
If squeaky chalk gives you the creeps raise your hand
I think I know you better now
(Chorus)

If you're a morning person raise your hand
If you're a late night type for certain raise your hand
If you think this song is hurtin' raise your hand
I think I know you better now
(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Bugs For Lunch!

Jesus said John the Baptist was great
The greatest man who ever lived
And if old John was with us today
he'd tell us something like this

(Chorus)
If you're on the wrong road
Go the other way!
If you've got two coats give one away!
When Jesus comes
Prepare the way!
And don't forget your bugs!

(2nd Chorus)
He ate bugs for lunch! Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! (repeat 3 times)
John the Baptist ate bugs for lunch!



Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Strands In The Web


Strands In The Web

Praise the Creator for the sun in the sky
Gift to all peoples and nations
Praise for the cycles and seasons of life
Brother and sister creation
Praise for the trees and the sap and the seeds
Praise for the good food we eat

(Chorus)
And the Mother will always provide
For a people who treat her with care
Every being and thing will survive
When we're strands in the web of all life

Praise for the waters which fill up our wells
Praise for the balance of nature
Praise for the person who loves more than self
Praise for the gift of a neighbor
Praise for the elders who teach us to share
Praise for the will to be fair

(Chorus)

Praise for the truth which can set captives free
From prisons of misunderstanding
Praise for the people now able to see
The embers of hate they were fanning
Praise for the rights of all peoples on earth
Praise for respect they deserve

(Chorus)

(Tag)
The gift of creation will flourish and thrive
When we're strands in the web of all life



 

 

Credits:

Music & Lyrics by Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990, all rights reserved

updated: 16 years ago

Ohio Sunset

Ohio Sunset

Words & Music By Bryan Sirhcio

I was driving down this highway in Ohio

In my spirit you could say I was on the run

I was feeling kind of down and kind of lonely

And pretty bad about some stupid stuff I’d done

I was questioning if God even existed

Or if religion’s all some psychological trip

But then I looked across the rolling Midwest farm fields

And in the colors of the sunset God told me this (something like this)

I want you to know I’ve been thinking of you

And I don’t like this distance between us

And I don’t want to let this sunset today

Without somehow letting you know

That I will always love you

And that won’t change, whatever you do

So wherever you go… I just want you to know

It’s been years since that sunset in Ohio

But still I feel the impact of that day

The day I realized I’m loved with no conditions

And that’s been changing me in ways I can’t explain

All I know is that the more that Love gets in me

The less I want to just let time slip by

Whenever I get feeling far away from

Someone I care about, and that is why (that’s why my friend)

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

In the Bleak Midwinter

updated: 8 years ago

As God Sees You Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Bugs For Lunch Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Who Is He To You?

You've heard a lot about Jesus ever since you were a kid
All those things he said and did so long ago
But now that you've gotten older--old enough to understand
Why they crucified that man, what does it all mean?
And that's a question worth asking
Who is Jesus to you?
Who is he to you?

Sometimes it's so familiar--you're in church most every week
And you say that you believe, but what's the big deal?
But stop minute and wonder--hey what if all those stories are true?
If Jesus died for you, how will you respond?
And when you listen deep inside you
Is someone knocking at the door?
The door of your heart (listen closely...'cause)

(Chorus)
It's one thing to hear it and another to believe
And there are some who just get near it (Matt.7:21; Lk.6:46ff)
And there are others who receive
And in a world full of questions let this be one you pursue
Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Who is he to you?

Everybody's got questions; I've got plenty of my own
Some have answers and some don't and some take time...
But I don't need all the answers to say yes to Jesus Christ
And I plan to spend my life just following him
'cause in my heart I know that Jesus
Holds the keys to life in his hands
My life's in his hands (yes it is)

(Chorus)

(Tag)
Jesus is standing, knocking at the door (Rev.3.20)
Let the Lord of Love come in
(a question that's worth asking--who is Jesus Christ to you?)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.

updated: 14 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening

"Lisa, If You're Listening"

It seems we're all born thirsty for the cup of happiness
Its almost like we're homesick for a place we've not seen yet
Could it be that longing is a gift from the Spirit's hand
A thirst that's meant to lead us -- to look for a Promised Land
Well maybe you've been thirsty
But you're not really sure what for
You've looked for satisfaction
Everywhere except in the Lord

Lisa started drinking -- she steals her daddy's gin
She says that when she's wasted she feels like she fits in
Her parents give her money
So she buys lots of stuff at the mall
Her closet's full but Lisa feels so empty with it all
But Lisa if you're listening, there's something that I need to say
Girl it's not your fault you feel emptied out this way, because

(Chorus)
Somebody sold us the Brooklyn Bridge
I'm telling you that's how it is
The things they said would satisfy
Can never touch that thirst inside
And I believe that what we're all longing for is Christ

Some folks try to quench that thirst with things that they can buy
Some run from one lover to the next but they don't know why
Some just hide the hunger by living way too fast
And some just give up hoping that any good thing lasts
But Lisa if you're listening, don't pretend that your life's just fine
'Cause Jesus might be trying to reach way down inside (and show you)

(Chorus)

There's a Fountain flowing with what you're longing for
And people find that water, when they know they need the Lord
So if you know you're thirsty, well there's a cup that we all can share
And there's a special table with a place set for you there

So sit down Lisa... Welcome home Lisa...

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Follow Me (87 Times)

Bryan Sirchio
Justice and Love


I met this preacher from Australia
He read the Bible searching for its dominant themes
And he counted 87 times when Jesus said... "Follow me."
Well you know that got me thinking
Maybe that's the bottom line of what "Christian" means
'Cause "I follow Jesus" is deeper than "I believe"
'Cause it don't take much to mentally agree
With a set of beliefs written down in some creed
Now don't get me wrong,
we need to know what we believe
But lately I've been wondering...

(Chorus)
Am I following Jesus, or just believing in Christ
'Cause I can believe and not change a thing
But following will change my whole life
He never said, come, acknowledge my existence
Or believe in me I'm the 2nd person of the Trinity
But 87 time he said... Follow me

But if I'm a follower of Jesus,
Then why am I such a good life insurance risk?
And why, when I do my giving,
do I still keep so much when so much hunger exists?
And if I follow Jesus, then why do I have so many friends
among the affluent, and so few among the poor?
And if I follow Jesus,
why do missiles and guns make me feel more secure?
And it don't take much to mentally assent
To a statement of faith we can confirm and forget
But following will change our lifestyle if we get it and
more and more I'm wondering...

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Yes, we need to know what we believe,
to follow the Jesus who's real
God save us from the Christ's we create in our image
(you know what I mean...)
The Jesus who's as left wing or right wing as we
The one who baptizes our cherished ideologies
The one who always seems to favor our side
against some enemy

Now I don't mean to sound self-righteous
God knows I've got more questions than answers to proclaim
But its been over 20 years now since Jesus called my name
So forgive me if I'm mistaken
But there's something wrong with a lot of churches
in America these days
And I think the Spirit's trying to tell us
There's a question that the churches need to raise...

(Chorus)
Are we following Jesus?  Or just believing in Christ?
'Cause we can believe, and not change a thing
But following will change our whole life
He never said, come, acknowledge my existence
Or believe in me, I'm your first class ticket to eternity...
But 87 times he said... Follow me...

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

What Does Our God Require of Us?

What does our God require of us?
What does our God require of us?
What does our God require of us?
Do justice
Love kindness
Walk humbly in God's love
Do justice
Love kindness
Walk humbly in God's love

updated: 14 years ago

May How We Live Give Praise To You

updated: 14 years ago

May How We Live Give Praise To You

updated: 14 years ago

Mystery

"Mystery"

Color of my skin, color of my eyes
Color of my hair, this is the disguise
Hiding who I am

Mystery of life, mystery of love
Mystery of God, this is the glove
My hand fits in

Color of the land, color of the sky
Color of the night, this is the world
I live in

Meaning of it all, meaning of the Christ
Meaning beyond death, these are the questions
That never end

Chorus:  I think I'm going back
            Back to where it all began
            What will I find there?
            Mystery

Color of my room, color of my car
Color of my house, these are the boxes
I live in

Is this who I am, I this all I know
Can anyone tell me the reason
Why I was born?

Chorus:  I think I'm going back
            Back to where it all began
            What will I find there?
            Cosmic chance and a nameless cause
            Or love's design and the hand of God
            What best explains this Mystery?  Mystery

Meaning of it all, meaning of the Christ
Meaning beyond death, these are the questions
That never end
Mystery

..

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Who Is He To You? Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

If God's Alive Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Holy Spirit Fruit Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Born Of Blood And Love Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Born Of Blood And Love

updated: 15 years ago

If God's Alive Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Holy Spirit Fruit

updated: 15 years ago

Abraham And Sarah

updated: 15 years ago

Who is He To You?

updated: 15 years ago

If God's Alive

updated: 15 years ago

If God's Alive

updated: 15 years ago

Follow Me (87 Times)

updated: 15 years ago

Women Walked With Jesus Too

updated: 15 years ago

Women Walked With Jesus Too

updated: 15 years ago

All Things Together

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob

updated: 15 years ago

Follow Me (87 Times)

"Follow Me" (87 Times)

I met this preacher from Australia
He read the Bible searching for its dominant themes
And he counted 87 times when Jesus said... "Follow me."
Well you know that got me thinking
Maybe that's the bottom line of what "Christian" means
'Cause "I follow Jesus" is deeper than "I believe"
'Cause it don't take much to mentally agree
With a set of beliefs written down in some creed
Now don't get me wrong,
we need to know what we believe
But lately I've been wondering...

(Chorus)
Am I following Jesus, or just believing in Christ
'Cause I can believe and not change a thing
But following will change my whole life
He never said, come, acknowledge my existence
Or believe in me I'm the 2nd person of the Trinity
But 87 time he said... Follow me

But if I'm a follower of Jesus,
Then why am I such a good life insurance risk?
And why, when I do my giving,
do I still keep so much when so much hunger exists?
And if I follow Jesus, then why do I have so many friends
among the affluent, and so few among the poor?
And if I follow Jesus,
why do missiles and guns make me feel more secure?
And it don't take much to mentally assent
To a statement of faith we can confirm and forget
But following will change our lifestyle if we get it and
more and more I'm wondering...

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Yes, we need to know what we believe,
to follow the Jesus who's real
God save us from the Christ's we create in our image
(you know what I mean...)
The Jesus who's as left wing or right wing as we
The one who baptizes our cherished ideologies
The one who always seems to favor our side
against some enemy

Now I don't mean to sound self-righteous
God knows I've got more questions than answers to proclaim
But its been over 20 years now since Jesus called my name
So forgive me if I'm mistaken
But there's something wrong with a lot of churches
in America these days
And I think the Spirit's trying to tell us
There's a question that the churches need to raise...

(Chorus)
Are we following Jesus?  Or just believing in Christ?
'Cause we can believe, and not change a thing
But following will change our whole life
He never said, come, acknowledge my existence
Or believe in me, I'm your first class ticket to eternity...
But 87 times he said... Follow me...

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Abraham And Sarah

"Abraham And Sarah"

Abraham and Sarah were very old and gray
And angel of the LORD showed up and said to them one day
We know you’re very old and that you’ve never had a kid
But God says, “better find a baby crib!”
And they said…

(Chorus)
Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!
You can’t have a baby when you get this old
Abraham and Sarah had to laugh
O boy that’s a knee slapper!
Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!
But now Abraham and Sarah know
That nothing is too hard for God

(Repeat verse and chorus 3 times)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Holy Spirit Fruit

Do you know that you and I are sort of like a Tree?
There's a very special fruit that grows from you and me!
Its not the kind of fruit that you can buy in grocery stores
But once you've had a taste of it you're bound to want some more!

(Chorus)
Goodness, Kindness, Patience, Faithfulness and Self-control
Love, Joy, Peace and Gentleness with roots down in your soul!
If you want to be real happy and make God happy too
You need to plant the Love of Jesus and grow Holy Spirit Fruit!

If you know someone who looks like he or she is sad
Tell 'em you've discovered what will make a person glad!
Just tell 'em all they've got to do is be a Spirit Tree
Grow the Love of God and they will live more happily!

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

All Things Together

Janie's mom and dad were separated last year
Now she's always caught in between
Seems everyone she knows who gets married only ends up divorced
But Janie said she's never gonna marry no one
'cause marriage only ends up in pain
But Janie go close to Jesus and everything changed (2 Cor.5:17)
And now she prays God help me learn from those mistakes my parents made
So that I can keep that promise I make on my wedding day

(Chorus)
God is working all things together
God's working all things together
God's working all things together
Together for good

Stevie says his father's always flying somewhere
Says his dad's a big business man
He says his father's always got money but he's never got time
And Stevie said he's never gonna have any kids
'cause fathers only let children down
But Stevie became a Christian, and he's different now (Phil.3 13-16)
Now he prays, God I know what it's like when a father's never home
So if you bless me with my own kids I'll be there to watch them grow

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
I don't believe God pulls the strings
That cause the painful times
But God will use even the bad times
To bring good things to our lives (Phil.1:12-18)

(Double Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Nobody For Jesus

People say you've got to be tough if you're gonna get somewhere
Show 'em they can't take you for a fool
Gotta learn to push and to shove if you're gonna get your share
Make 'em think about it before they mess with you
But Jesus as I look at you I see a different way
And it feels so good for me to lift my voice and say

(Chorus)
Because of you
I can let my guard down
Because of you
I've got no games to play and nothing to prove
So help me be
More the way you are
Strong enough to be gentle as a dove

People say you've got to be cold in a world of you or me
But I do believe there's a better way
There's a man who lived out a love even death could not defeat
And he taught a new way of understanding strength (Matthew 20:25-27)
And Jesus I am praying for the grace to live your way
Gentle as a dove and strong enough to face the pain

(Chorus)

(Bridge) Jesus you embodied God's own strength (Col. 1:15-16)
Strong enough to give your life away (John 10:15-18)
Strong enough to live for others' sake (Phil. 2:1-11)
Strong enough to cry (John 11:35) (Luke 19:41-42)
Strong enough to die (Luke 9:22;51)

(Chorus Twice)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Speech That God Martin Luther King Jr. Killed

The Speech That Got Martin Luther King Jr. Killed

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

There’s a time when silence is a form of betrayal

So began Martin Luther King Jr. at Riverside Church

1967 was the year. He spoke truth about the war then so clear

That less than one year later Martin Luther King Jr. was gone, and that’s why some people say that…

This is the speech that got Martin Luther King Jr. killed

Prophets who challenge the powers are silenced still

Just think of Jesus in the temple, when he overturned the tables

How the powers got together, and said we’ve got to stop him while we’re able and…

This is the speech that got Martin Luther King Jr. killed

He said every war waged is fought most and paid for by the poor

Poor folks of color are on the front lines of this war disproportionately

War drains human skills and money like a huge demonic suction tube

Money spent on war instead of raising up the poor is unjust and cruelly misused

He said, how can I tell angry black folks to march peacefully

When power trying to change things through violence is all their eyes see?

How can I make the cause for non-violent action, which I believe is how real social change will happen

Without speaking first to the greatest purveyor of violence in our world today—my own government—

The USA—I can’t be silent

This is the speech that got Martin Luther King Jr. killed

He said I speak to you today as a winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace

The prize commissioned me to work for wholeness for the entire human family

This is a calling that takes me beyond all national allegiances

As does the meaning of my commitment as a Christian and to the Christian ministry

He said, sometimes I marvel at those who ask why I speak against the war

Could it be that they don’t know the good news of God’s Love is for everyone?

That means communist and capitalist, all races and all tribes

Revolutionaries and conservatives alike

It means I speak in the name of the One who loved his enemies so much he died for them

This is our burden and our privilege when we’re bound by loyalties deeper than nationalism

We’re called to speak out for victims of our nation and those it labels “enemy.”

And when I try to understand their point of view, and all the terror and injustice they’ve been through

It seems to me in this case America’s on the wrong side of history

This is the speech that got Martin Luther King Jr. killed

He said, this war has got to stop now—yes this madness must cease

He said, I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of our enemy

He said, I speak as a citizen of the world for the world stands aghast at the path we’ve taken

He said I speak as one who loves America, and who cares deeply for our troops

He said its time for us to undergo a true revolution of our values

And say that war itself as a way of settling differences must come to an end

For a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on the military

Than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

updated: 8 years ago

Born Of Blood And Love Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Holy Spirit Fruit Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

May How We Live Give Praise To You

Come let's give praise O people of God
Let's count the ways we've been blessed by Love
The Love that makes all
The Love that makes all things new again
For all that's real, for all that is true
For grace that heals and opens us to
Forgiveness beyond
Forgiveness beyond imagining
 
 
Holy One
What can we give back to you?
Holy One
May how we live give praise to you
 
 
Come let us sing of justice Divine
Let freedom ring for all humankind
And when we sing praise
And when we sing praise God strengthens us
Strength to have hearts more loving and free
Strength for new starts and strength to believe
Despite all the odds
Despite all the odds stones roll away
 
 
Holy One
What can we give back to you?
Holy One
May how we live give praise to you
 

updated: 14 years ago

Branches On The Vine Intro

updated: 14 years ago

If God's Alive

"If God's Alive"

Debbie's worried about her best friend Beth
Lately man she's been so depressed
Its like nothing's right, she hates her life
And she might just end it all
But Debbie says Beth I care about you
Let's get some help and work this through
'Cause though its bad right now
That's not how this story needs to end ...because

(Chorus)
If God's Alive, If God's Alive
If God's Alive, the future's open wide
If the God of Christ exists
No matter how messed up it is
If God's alive the future's open wide

Bobbie's daddy used to pound those beers
Bobbie's family lived in constant fear
'cause when dad got drunk, he'd start to punch
Bobbie hated going home
But Bobbie's daddy doesn't drink these days
He's found the Lord, and he's found AA
And its gonna take time, but they're all gonna try
To build a brand new life ...because

(Chorus)

I was looking at the TV screen
Saw hungry babies in a third world scene
And it made me cry, I mean who am I, to have more than I need?
Homeless people living on the street
But I thank God this stuff gets to me
And I won't lose heart -- I'll do my part
Even when it feels like a drop in the bucket

(Chorus)

Mary thought everything was lost
Saw him die on a Roman cross
And her hopes were crushed,
She guessed he just wasn't who he said he was
But Sunday morning everything was changed
What she saw took her breath away
'cause the angel said -- he is not dead!
Go and tell this wounded world ...that your

(Chorus)

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Women Walked With Jesus Too

"Women Walked With Jesus Too"

Well almost everyone has heard of the apostles
The twelve men who walked by Jesus' side
But not so many seem to know the women of the Gospels
For lots of reasons they've not been historically recognized
So its time to celebrate some female disciples
Women who walked with Him
when the savior walked the earth

Mary Jesus' Mother, and Mary Magdalene (repeat)
Mary and Martha of Bethany (repeat)
Susanna, Joanna, and the women Jesus healed (repeat)
Salome and Mary, mother of James (repeat)
The Syrophenician woman, and the woman at the well (repeat)
And "certain other women" in Luke 8 (repeat)
They were the last to leave the cross,
and the first to reach the tomb
Women walked with Jesus too
They were the last to leave the cross,
and the first to reach the tomb
Women walked with Jesus too

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Spirit Come

updated: 14 years ago

Spirit Come

updated: 14 years ago

Truth

"Truth"

Search for what is real
Search for what will stand the test of time
Truth will be revealed
Everyone who seeks will find

Chorus:  God honors the honest search for Truth
            God honors the honest search
            God honors the honest search for Truth
            God honors the honest search for the
            Truth is, every honest search
            Somehow leads to a long look. . .at Jesus

God loves honest doubts
And lessons learned through honest mistakes
Truth is often found
In the least expected place

Chorus:

Bridge:  If you're honestly
            Searching for the Truth
             I believe you'll see
            Truth when you look at Jesus

Chorus:

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee!

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

All Things Together Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee! Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

I Thank God For My Family Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

I Thank God For My Family

updated: 15 years ago

Jubilee!

updated: 15 years ago

All Things Together

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment

updated: 15 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment

updated: 15 years ago

I See You

updated: 15 years ago

I'd Just Like To Know

updated: 15 years ago

I'd Just Like To Know

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song

updated: 15 years ago

I See You

"I See You"

On the last night of a trip I took to Haiti
I was driving down this crowded city street
I can still see the diesel fumes lingering in the headlights
I can still see that little girl's bare feet
She was wearing a tattered yellow dress
She was 4 or 5 years old I would guess
Another orphaned street kid, working hard to just survive
To be honest, I was hoping to drive right by

But the traffic was grid-locked to a standstill
And when she noticed my white skin, she came real quick
She leaned up against my window and then with one little hand
She pointed back and forth from her belly to her lips
At first she seemed a little bit too practiced
At pulling strings of guilt and sympathy
And then, I'm not sure why -- but I looked right into her eyes
And as I did these words washed over me

(Chorus)
I see you. I see you.
Hey little girl, I won't pretend that you're not there
I see you. I see you.
Little girl Christ, I see you.

People tell me please, don't give these street kids money
It just perpetuates their cruel dependency
And to be honest, I didn't like the thought of pulling out my wallet
You never know who else is working these crowded streets
Compassion sure was feeling complicated
Mother Teresa called these kids Christ in disguise
But there was nothing that seemed right to try to do for her that night
Except to try to tell her with my eyes...

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And how often I have quoted that familiar cold statistic
32,000 children starve to death each day
A few more years, some high-heel shoes and lip stick
And little girls will do what they must do just to still those hunger pains
One more day

I could see the traffic up ahead was moving
But she and I kept looking eye to eye
And when the moment finally came to take my foot off of the brake
She shrugged her shoulders, and then she cracked this little smile
And as I drove away I made a promise
Little girl, I never will forget your face
And I'll do what's mine to do to change the world for kids like you
And when I hear 32,000, I'll remember you and say...

(Chorus)


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2004.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Jubilee!

"Jubilee!"

(Chorus)
Jubilee! Jubilee! Blow that trumpet of Liberty
Every 7 years, give the land a year long rest
Jubilee! Jubilee! Every 49 years
Cancel debts, set slaves free
Jubilee!

In the book of Leviticus, chapter 25
Yahweh spoke to Moses on the top of Mt. Sinai
God said tell all Israel, sometimes even earth
Needs a break from working
Or we might wear out the dirt!

Chorus

In the days of Leviticus, some folks were so poor
They were just not able to pay bills anymore
So the rich folks got all the property
And the poor folks became slaves
But the Jubilee was given
So it wouldn’t stay that way!

Chorus

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

I Thank God For My Family

Every night before I seep I pray the Lord my soul to keep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
Thank you God for the beautiful day
For helping me to find my way
And while I am on my knees
I always thank God for my family!

(Chorus)
Well I thank God for my family
My mother and my father watch over me
My sisters and my brothers and my father and my mother
Altogether are a family to me

God bless Gramma and Grampa too
My cousins, aunts, and uncles too
Keep them healthy and warm and fed
And give them all their daily bread
Even when I don't pray on my knees
I still thank God for my family

(Chorus)
Well I thank God for my family
My mother and my father watch over me
My sisters and my brothers and my father and my mother
And my Gramma and my Grampa and my cousins, aunts, and uncles
Altogether are a family to me

God bless all the people I meet
And even those I never ever see!
Give them houses and clothes to wear
And teach the rest of us to share!
Every one's God's child you see
So that means we're all a family

(Bridge)
Well families come in different shapes
It might be you and mom
But that's great!
You know you're still a family
As long as you've got lots of love
Then you've got just the perfect stuff
To have a family you can be proud of! (but there's more...)

(Chorus)
Well I thank God for my family
My mother and my father watch over me
My sisters and my brothers and my father and my mother
And my Gramma's and my Grandpa's and my cousins, aunts, and uncles
And every one I meet and even those I never see
Altogether they are a family to me!

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Slow Me Down

When I wake up in the morning
And already I'm behind
When I set aside my praying
'cause I'm worried about time
When the coffee burns my lips
I'm too rushed to let it cool
When my mind is just too scattered
To read my list of things to do

(Chorus)
Slow me down
Too many irons in the fire
I'm always pushin' to the wire
'Til there's nothing left of me
Slow me down
Separate wheat from chaff in me
Jesus that's what I really need
Slow me down

When my kids wake in the morning
And I'm miles on the road
When they hear me say sweet dreams
From some distant telephone
When my wife seems more like someone
I might say I used to know
When I tell a friend I'll call you
But we both know that I won't

(Chorus)

(Bridge) When the work I want to see as an opportunity
Feels just like an expectation placed on me
When I'm doing all these things but with less than half of me
Jesus slow me down before I burn this candle out

(Chorus)



Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Perfect Church

The Perfect Church

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

Intro: Another Sunday morning, I guess I’ll go to church

But God I don’t mind saying, “I’m tired of always searching for a fellowship

That’s everything it’s supposed to be

I’m sure you know exactly what I mean…

Well worship at the perfect church is always well attended

Every Sunday looks like Christmas Eve

They never mess with pledge drives and the babies never cry

And the preacher keeps the sermons short and sweet

And no one ever minds giving a new idea a try

And everybody lives that “Golden Rule”

The older members smile when the youth group makes a mess

And the teenagers think singing hymns is cool!

The perfect church, that’s all I’m looking for

I’ve shopped around but haven’t found what I’ve been searching for

All I’m asking for’s a little “heaven on earth”

Show me a perfect church

The perfect church won’t be embroiled in controversial issues

Yet stands for social justice loud and clear

It uses all its money to fund missions to the poor

And buys a brand new organ every year

And at the perfect church there won’t be any hypocrites

No gossip, and no petty arguments

All committee meetings will be organized and brief

And church lasts 60 minutes or less

Chorus

Bridge: I want a church where sermons touch my heart and stir my intellect

Where everything they say or sing’s theologically correct

Where members live their faith with such extreme integrity

They even give God thanks when strangers take their favorite seat

Well some folks say that there will never be a perfect church

As long as human beings are involved

But God I do believe I’ll find that perfect church someday

‘til then I’ll spend my Sundays playing golf!

The perfect church, that’s all I’m looking for

I’ve shopped around but haven’t found what I’ve been searching for

I’d like a nice historic building with cutting edge technology

How ‘bout Augustine on a 10 ft. screen online liturgically?

The perfect church, I’ll bring my friends

I’ll moderate I’ll pass the plate I’ll tithe 25 percent!

All I’m asking for’s a little “heaven on earth”

Show me a perfect, show me a perfect

Show us a perfect Church

updated: 8 years ago

We Three Kings

updated: 8 years ago

I Thank God For My Family Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Branches On The Vine

Spirit come and find us and fill us up
Flow anew inside us, oh source of love
See us busy scurrying a constant race with time
Lost in all this hurrying our lives get so dry

Breezes of the spirit, we need your wind
Teach us how to hear it, your voice within
Call us when you find us trying to make it on our own
Branches on the vine must stay connected to grow

(Chorus)
And when that something deep inside isn't right
When you're feeling disconnected in your life
Well remember Jesus Christ is the source of our life
For we, we're only branches on the vine

Dresser of the vine, come and prune our hearts
Nurture back to life every wounded heart
Craft us with your love, till we're firmly in the vine
Your grace is enough to give a withered branch a new life

Help us as we try to share your roots
We don't need to strive to bear your fruit
No, ours is not to worry what we produce
Ours is to abide and leave the growing up to you

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Live The Ten

Now I know you've all heard of the 10 commandments, but have you
taken time to understand them? They're more than a list of rules
to memorize, they're the Holy Torah--a way of life. Now I've laid
down a rhythm and it's bumpin', burnin'--move your body while you
do some learnin'. First I'm gonna give 'em to you right out straight
and then I'm gonna take time to elaborate. You gotta...

(Chorus)
Live the 10 -- intend to live!
Live the 10 -- intend to live!
(gonna live the 10 commandments--give my spirit to the God of Grace)

In the 20th chapter of Exodus, it's plain what God expects of us
It says 1--no other gods; 2--no graven image; 3--don't take God's name in vain
4--honor the Sabbath; 5--honor your parents; 6--thou shalt not kill;
7--no adultery; 8--thou shalt not steal; 9--don't bear false witness;
10--thou shalt not covet

(Chorus)

Now check this out...now remember right off there's only one Lord,
And I didn't say two and I didn't say four and whatever you do you
don't bow down before anything you make with your hands. And when
you smack your thumb hard with a hammer someday don't get all mad
and shout out God's name, 'cause God's not to blame for your lousy
aim and that's right--that's right! And remember the Sabbath, or
whatever you call it, that means pray and rest--don't be a
playaholic--and you love mom and dad even when they're not wise
and don't ever kill (does that go for flies? Hey that's a good
question man.) And when you marry someday don't you be a cheat, and
don't you ever steal, and don't lie through your teeth, and don't
want the things that your friend's got so bad you'd take it if you
could. And there you have it my friend, if you count 'em there are
10, and might I suggest that you rap it again, but if you have a
little trouble getting all 10 down, Jesus took 10 and made
'em into two somehow, he said
Love God the most, and your neighbor as yourself.
That's right, Love God the most, and your neighbor as yourself

Come on now,

(Chorus)

(Repeat 1,2,3, etc.)

I think you got it...

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Cold Shower Treatment

"Cold Shower Treatment"

I remember Junior High back in northern New Jersey
There was this kid named Corie McCuff
Corie was always causing trouble for somebody -- nobody liked Corie much
Nobody knew what made Corie so angry, but
He was a time bomb wired to blow
Some say it started when his dad left his mom--
I guess we've heard that story before
And Corie's mom did not know what to do
She'd get these phone calls from teachers at school
He's causing problems again Ms. McCuff
So Corie's mother would go pick him up (And she'd say)

(Chorus)
Corie why'd you do it?  All these feelings inside you
Are gonna cause you pain if you don't let somebody help
And Corie something's got to change
And Corie, what's it going to take
For you to see how much you hurt yourself this way?

In the summertime the year before we started high school
A church in town took this youth camping trip
They had a pastor named Kevin and Kevin knew ho to get through to the kids

Kevin said hey why don't we see if Corie can
Join us this year for our youth camping trip?
Not even Kevin knew just how much trouble would be caused by that Corie kid

'Cause Corie wised off and kept picking fights
But Kevin knew Corie hurt deep inside
And then one night while the other kids slept
Kevin heard Corie crying in bed
(and Corie kept saying to himself)

(Chorus)
Corie, why'd you do it?  There must be something wrong with you
Its just like mom keeps trying to tell you -- you better get some help
And everyone says I should change, but no one knows what it will take
And they don't see how much it hurts to live this way...

At the camp the group was at they had this way of dealing with
Campers like Corie who'd break all the rules
They called it getting the cold shower treatment
And here's what the camp staff would do

They'd let the cold shower run until that mountain water was almost like ice
Then the offender would strip to a bathing suit and take a cold shower
While all the other campers would
Watch you and tease you and laugh
It was the most talked about thing at camp
It was done in a spirit of fun
They never meant it to hurt anyone

Well Corie was constantly breaking the rules
"Let's give Corie the shower!" said the rest of the group
So they turned on the water and they gathered around
"Make him freeze!" screamed the merciless crowd

Like some death row prisoner Corie marched into the room
Showing no emotion as he listened to the group
They were laughing, mocking, shouting,
"To the shower with McCuff!"
And then that locker room fell silent
And as Corie looked up

There was pastor Kevin in this silly bathing suit
Taking Corie's shower, and shouting,
"Corie! God loves you!"
And Corie started crying as the other kids all left
Kevin got out of the shower and he said,
"Corie... God knows why you do it,
And man there's nothing wrong with you
That God can't help you learn to deal with, if you want God to
And Corie, everything can change
'Cause Jesus knew what it would take
For you to see how much you hurt yourself this way"

I remember senior high back in northern New Jersey
I had a friend named Corie McCuff
Corie was some kind of beautiful person
So full of forgiveness and love

Sometimes a person would ask him hey Corie
How come you're always so thoughtful and kind?
Corie would smile and say its hard to explain
Then he'd throw them his favorite line

He'd say, I started to live differently
When a good friend once helped me see,
That this carpenter -- took a shower once for me!

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.

updated: 14 years ago

I'd Just Like To Know

"I'd Just Like To Know"

I don't mind you trying to maximize your profits
I'm not trying to take a dime from your pocket
I don't want to see anyone lose a job
And I've no intention to stage a boycott

(Chorus)
I'd just like to know where my money goes
I'd just like to know if there's a sweat stain
hidden in the clothes I buy
Tell me why, if you've got nothing to hide, you don't
Disclose the names of the factories that you use
Open up their doors to an independent human rights group
If there's a reason why you won't
I'd just like to know

Wal-Mart, Disney, Nike, Guess, and J.C. Penney
I can't name them all-there's just too many
And I know these markets are competitive by nature
I am not saying you shouldn't use third-world labor

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Tell me please, what's with these off-shore factories
With barbed wire fences and guns at the gates
Tell us please, we need to know exactly
How our clothes are made
And what kind of wage those workers get paid
Let's bring it all to the light of day

(Repeat verse one and Chorus)

(Tag)
It's a small world after all,
you can't do business in the shadows (repeat)

What 'ya doing in Nicaragua, Indonesia and Saipan?
Bangladesh and Guatemala, Malaysia and Viet Nam
Maquillas in Honduras, in China and Salvador
In Thailand and Burma - what's going on behind those factory doors
In New York City, in Haiti and L.A.
The Dominican Republic - let's bring it all into the light of day
I'd like to know what you're doing in Mexico
Liz Claiborne, and K-Mart and Reebok and J Crew
I hear Victoria's got a secret
Eddie Bauer and the Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch
All I'd like are the facts; all I'm asking is this...
Let's bring it all into the light of day

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Spirit Come

Spirit come,
Fall on us anew,
Open up our hearts
As we worship you

 God of Love, everyday your mercy falls like rain
We give thanks for your everflowing streams of grace
Spirit come,
Fall on us anew,
Open up our hearts
As we worship you
As we worship you
As we worship you

updated: 14 years ago

Isaiah 55 Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Isaiah 55 Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Redemption

"Redemption"

Some fall short of expectations
Some fall flat on their backs
Some fall into some kind of trouble
Some just fall through the cracks

Some fall off and get right back on
But some just never do get up
Some fall out of favor with someone
Some fall in and out and in and out of love (but)

Chorus:  You cannot fall so far away
            That God will stop reaching
            You cannot fall so far away
            That God will stop reaching for you

Some fall back and some fall forward
Some fall in and some fall out
Some keep falling for some kind of con job
And some fall deep into doubt

But if you feel like you've fallen
Somehow forever out of place
If you've hit the bottom so hard
It feels like you must have fallen from grace

Chorus:

Bridge:  It just might help to look at the cross
            And see how far love will reach
            To lift you up and set you back on your feet

Chorus: (3 times)

Tag: . . . reaching for you; God is reaching for you

.

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Live The Ten Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Bumper Sticker Witness Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Disciples Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Dan Stood Here Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Dan Stood Here Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Dan Stood Here

updated: 15 years ago

Bumper Sticker Witness Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Disciples

updated: 15 years ago

The Twelve Sons Of Jacob

updated: 15 years ago

Live The Ten

updated: 15 years ago

Bumper Sticker Witness

updated: 15 years ago

Bumper Sticker Witness

updated: 15 years ago

The Greatest Enemy

updated: 15 years ago

The Greatest Enemy

updated: 15 years ago

Faith History

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth

updated: 15 years ago

Calling At The Crossroads

"Calling At The Crossroads"

What 'cha gonna do when its time to choose?
What 'cha gonna do with your life?
How you gonna use what's been given to you?
How you gonna know what is right?

There are many voices that call to you
And God's voice won't always be loud
But if you want to do what Christ wants you to
Here's a truth to think about

(Chorus)
Where your greatest source of joy
Intersects with the needs of the world
Go and find that place
And hear the Spirit calling you (calling you)
Where your greatest source of joy
Intersects with the needs of the world
Go and find that place
And hear your calling at the Crossroads

Some are gonna tell you that you must ask first
Where's the biggest money to be made?
But I will tell you there's no check that's worth
Pushing what you love away
And some are gonna tell you that growing up
Means saying no to your dreams
But I believe the Spirit wants to cross your dreams
With a wounded person's needs

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
You might be a wonderful artist
Your gift flows from deep in your soul
But someone has said there's no market
For what you do, so let it go
But I say give praise to the God who creates
And ask God to show you how
Your artistry can somehow be used
To raise up in a world that puts down

(Chorus)

Note: The idea for this song came from a statement by author Frederick Buechner: "Your calling is where your own greatest  joy intersects with the needs of the world."

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Twelve Sons of Jacob

"The Twelve Sons Of Jacob"

Ruben, Simeon, Levi (repeat)
Judah, Issachar, Dan (repeat)
Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali (repeat)
Asher, Zebulun, Gad (repeat)

(Chorus)
Jacob had 12 sons
You and I can name each one
They became 12 tribes
The 12 tribes of Israel

(Repeat First Verse)

( Chorus)

(Repeat First Verse 2 times without the repetitions of each line)

Chorus




Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Twelve Disciples

Matthew, Thomas, John,
and James the first of two!
Philip, Peter, Andrew, and Bartholomew
The other James, Zealous Simon, fickle Judas
And nothing rhymes with Thaddaeus!



Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Wise As Serpents

See the man on the T.V. screen
Telling us his hands are clean
Truth's a wartime casualty
Say's the lie can make us free (John 8:32)

(Chorus)
Spirit open up our eyes
Help us see through the disguise
When the wrong's dressed up like right (2 Cor. 11:12 - 15)
Lord we've got to be wise
Wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16)

Hear the "new right" preacher preach
Build the bombs and pray for peace
On the cross there's a flag that's draped
Gospel of the nation state

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And the serpent's a master at twisting words around (Genesis 3:1 - 5)
And the serpent just loves the truth
As long as it's well watered down

Take a look inside myself (Matthew 7:1 - 5)
Serpent gets to me as well (1 John 1:8)
Spirit says stand up, speak out (Luke 12:8 - 9)
Serpent says now aren't you proud?

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

I Am Welcome

I Am Welcome

Words and Music By Bryan Sirchio

It’s kind of complicated, but sometimes it’s easier to love another

than to love myself

It’s not that I feel worthless, or that I’ve no self-esteem

It’s that I know my own shortcomings all too well

It’s funny, ‘cause if someone told me what I just told you

I’d quickly tell them, man there’s nothing you could ever say or do

That could take away God’s crazy, relentless love for you

And even though my head believes that that’s the truth…

My heart sometimes won’t listen to my best theology

It’s like the grace I love to sing about is meant for everyone but me

So Spirit, come and find me—I think I’m needing to relearn

That my place at your Table is not something I must earn (‘cause…)

Chorus: I am welcome

I am welcome

I am loved just as I am (repeat)

When I think about Jesus I’m amazed by all the ways

Jesus welcomed those folks thought were lost or wrong

You’d have to know his culture to catch all the subtle ways

Jesus told those who’d been excluded that they belonged

I wonder what it felt like to look into Jesus’ eyes

And to feel completely naked, yet to have no need to hide

Oh Christ I know you know me, and so I’m looking now at you

Let me see into your eyes and know its true (that…)


Chorus

Bridge: Some of us have skeletons in closets that often haunt us

And some have been put down so much we’re convinced

even God couldn’t want us

But here’s the bottom line—the deepest truth about our lives

Is revealed as we embrace these simple words…

Chorus I am welcome, I am welcome, I am loved just as I amI am welcome, you are welcom
We are loved just as we are. O Spirit burn this Truth into our hearts.

updated: 8 years ago

O Little Town of Bethlehem

updated: 8 years ago

The Twelve Disciples Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Staring At My Overflowing Plate Intro

updated: 14 years ago

Faith History

Jesus in the line of David, Holy One the Jews awaited
But some couldn't recognize a different kind of Christ
Pharisees and Pontius Pilate got together, crucified him
Blood shed, sacrifice, God's love paid the price
Friday was a bummer, Saturday grave
then early Sunday morning, everything changed
(yeah that's when everything changed)

50 days from the cross, Holy Spirit, Pentecost
Strong Wind tongues of flame, Church was born that day
Early Church met in homes, goods were shared and bread was broken
Priests mad, so was Rome, Peter jailed, Steven stoned
Saul was using force, he thought that he was right
God knocked him off his horse -- and then he saw the Light

(Chorus)
My faith has a history
There's a line that leads to me
Standing in the legacy of faith
Faith history

Word is spreading wider, wider Paul becomes a letter writer
Roman persecution time, Church is underground
Constantine in 313, Church becomes a legal thing
Pope strong, organize, scripture getting canonized
Council of Nicea -- the Trinity's in place
380 Theodosius -- the Church is now the state
(yeah that's a dangerous thing!)

Docetism, gnosticism, threaten to create a schism
"Fully God and fully mad" bishops writing creeds
Ambrose taking care of business, emperors still need forgiveness
Augustine of Hippo, Attila Hun and Leo
Mohammed's now a prophet -- he takes the Middle East
Crusader's fighting back -- a bloody, bloody scene

(Chorus)

8-0-0 and Charlemagne, crowned by Pope on Christmas day
Makes his conquered people choose--baptism or death
Schism's 'great' in '54; East and West are friends no more
Aquinas writes theology -- he does it systematically
By end of Middle Ages the Church has grown corrupt
It might have been the money -- or just a power lust
(yeah, sounds familiar...)

Renaissance and education, scientific exploration
People get to questioning the Church authority
Wycliffe in the British Isles, said we all should read the Bible
John Huss -- Word's enough -- Truth can come to anyone
Then there's Martin Luther -- he nailed it on the head
Salvation through believing -- that's what the Bible says
(yeah--that's what the Bible says)

(Bridge)
Reformation, confrontation, through the European nations
Read the Bible, keep it simple, sing a new song
Zwigli fights in Switzerland, Calvin's Presbyterian
See the Anabaptists saying no to taxes
Purify the institution, Separatists in Massachusetts
George Fox, inner light, Friends meet, equal rights
Wesley and the Methodists, Whitefield the evangelist
Missionaries to the tribes -- alcohol and genocide
And blacks on the plantations see through the masters' lies
They're worshipping God who hears the people cry (Ex.3:7-8)

(Chorus)

(Tag)
Faith history, her-story (repeat)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Bumper Sticker Witness

"Bumper Sticker Witness"

I was driving down the interstate just minding my own business
When moving slow in the left hand lane was a 57 Plymouth
I flashed my lights to get her over to the right
But she would not move and then I knew
That this was no run of the mill mobile

As I pulled up close I saw that entire car was covered
With umpteen million bumper stickers, one next to the other
And every single sticker was a message for a sinner
And then I realized I'd pulled up behind

Chorus:
A bumper sticker witness
She's a bumper sticker witness
And she drives it to the limit for the Lord
She's got a holy rollin' Plymouth
And that woman's zeal is driven
She's a bumper sticker witness for the Lord

(I started reading) Jesus saves; His pain your gain;
I found it, Praise the Lord!;
The God I worship is not dead, I'm sorry to hear about yours;
Jesus Christ is tough as nails and he was dyin' for you to meet him
May your words be sweet and tender, 'cause tomorrow you might just eat 'em

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
If I did not know the Lord I would not get caught dead
Have a little patience, God's not through with me yet
One life to live, will soon be past
Only what we do in Christ will last
And warning, in case of rapture this car will crash!

When it seems there's no way out then let the Saviour in
Make the Lord your captain and your team will always win
She's got her foot on the rock and her name on the roll
And she tunes her AM radio to the DJ of her dreams--
Paul Harvey... good day!

(Chorus)

Well I must admit these bumper stickers used to make me snicker
But these cranking Christianese machines just might be saving sinners
And maybe when we reach those pearly gates we'll be surprised
To find that heaven's filled with folks who once pulled up behind...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

The Greatest Enemy

"The Greatest Enemy"

Every day my list is long
So many things to do
Calls to return and letters to write
Most of them long overdue
God knows I can't stand to let people down
Or maybe I'm addicted to always trying to please
But lately I find myself thinking about
These words I heard recently

(Chorus)
The greatest enemy of God's will for your life
Is all the good things others want you to do
You keep saying yes, 'til there's no time left
To do what you're most deeply called to do
You know, "yes" doesn't mean much if you never say no
Are you doing what you're meant to do?
Don't let the good things take what's best from you

Choices would be much easier
If they were always between
The essential things and the expendable
But its rarely that way it seems
They're between good and best
instead of right and wrong
What good thing will I say no to?
I'll probably disappoint a friend

Should I write that letter, or should I write this song?
How do those words go again...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Isaiah 55 Chorus

Come everyone who's thirsty
Come to the waters and drink
And you who have no money
Here we can all buy and eat
 Come buy all you need
Without money and without price
O why do we work and spend so much
 For that which won't satisfy
Beloved, incline your ear to me
Delight in what's good and come to me
Listen now, and I will give you rest

updated: 14 years ago

To Be Loved This Way

updated: 14 years ago

To Be Loved This Way

updated: 14 years ago

Justice

"Justice"

I pray for justice; O God use me
To work for fairness; And for dignity
Jesus chose to start his public ministry
By reading from Isaiah's prophecy
(he read these words)

Chorus:  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
             I've come to set the prisoners free
             The oppressed will be released from their captivity
             And there's good news for those in poverty
             Justice and Jubilee

Justice means asking , who's been done wrong
What are the reasons, what can be done
Justice means analyzing systems
Who they serve and why
Whose rights are constantly being denied

Chorus:

Bridge:  Justice, Jesus we long for justice (repeat)
             Justice is determining what belongs to whom and returing it; returning it
             God help us be the voice of the voiceless (2 times)

We pray for justice; O God use us
To stand for fairness; for respect and love
Jesus chose to start his public ministry
By reading from Isaiah's prophecy

Chorus:

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Faith History Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Place Of Surrender Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Beatitudes Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Deeper Than The Valley Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Deeper Than The Valley Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Deeper Than The Valley

updated: 15 years ago

Place Of Surrender Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Beatitudes

updated: 15 years ago

Dinah's Song

updated: 15 years ago

Faith History

updated: 15 years ago

Place Of Surrender

updated: 15 years ago

Place Of Surrender

updated: 15 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

updated: 15 years ago

If You Eat Each Day

updated: 15 years ago

If You Eat Each Day

updated: 15 years ago

Stephanie Jones

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song

updated: 15 years ago

Staring At My Overflowing Plate

It's so easy not to see you
Close you out like a shade in the window
Your condition seems so foreign
Are you lazy? Why are you poor?
someone said you and I are connected
That your hunger is linked to my fatness
But how can that be--I never met you
I don't know your name

I've go problems of my own
I'm so busy -- I do good things
And I don't know if I can make room
In my life for your misery
Someone said that the whole world is changing
For you no longer will stand to be used
But talk like that--it makes me frightened
Scared what I might lose

(Chorus)
Jesus is that you in the window
With your nose pressed against the pane
Staring at my overflowing plate?

I've got question of my own
I'm not sure who to trust or believe
Politicians seem so sure you
Pose a threat to my liberty
I go to church and I listen to my pastor
Speak of justice beyond charity
Says the gospel is good news to poor folks (Luke 4:18-19)
But where does that leave me?

(Chorus)
...help me not to pull the window shade

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor
Who know they need the Lord
God's Kingdom belongs to them
Blessed are those who know they need to mourn
God's Spirit will comfort them
Blessed are the meek
God will give them the earth
Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for right
They will be fully satisfied!
Blessed are those whose ways are merciful
For they will find mercy too
Blessed are those whose hearts are clean and pure
For God will be in their view
Blessed are the peacemakers
They are God's kids!
Blessed are those who've been wounded for good things they did
The things they knew Jesus told them to
And blessed are you when people laugh and call you bad names
Because you love Jesus
Rejoice and be glad!
God is giving Heaven to you!
Come on and sing the Beatitudes

(Chorus)
These are the Beatitudes!
Sing...
la la la la  la  la  la  la la! (repeat)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Stephanie Jones

Stephanie Jones, she was a friend of mine a long, long time ago
Stephanie Jones, she was the kind of girl the boys all tried to know
They used to say she was so easy, 'cause she never would say no
Maybe you know, Stephanie Jones

Stephanie Jones, sometimes the walls would tumble down and she'd need to cry
Stephanie Jones, somehow she'd find her way to my home in those times
She'd say, be a friend and just hold me-and please don't ask for more
And I'd just say sure, Stephanie Jones

And the bathroom walls said, give S. Jones a call for a good time
And in the locker room they'd play that kiss and tell game
And Stephanie Jones was rarely alone on a Friday or Saturday night
But I always got this feeling that she was lonely deep inside

Stephanie Jones, one night she came to me and said, I don't need to cry
Stephanie Jones, she put her arms around me and pressed her lips to mine
And I said, Stephanie I'm tempted-but there's no way this could be right,
And I won't be holding you tonight

Stephanie Jones, at first she got angry, then this sadness came to her eyes
Stephanie Jones, she said, don't you want to use me like the other guys?
And I said, Stephanie I want you - to meet this friend of mine -
Who loves you so much he gave you his life

But she said the bathroom walls say give S. Jones a call for a good time
And if your friend knew that there's no way he'd love me still
I said Stephanie Jones, He already knows about everything you've ever done
And all he wants is to somehow show you-
Stephanie Jones is worth being loved

Stephanie Jones, sometimes I think of her and when I do I pray
Stephanie Jones, I pray she's found the One who died to heal the pain
They used to say she was so easy, but it was harder than they know
Maybe you know, Stephanie Jones

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Yesterday I Saw Jesus

Yesterday I saw Jesus
And he was living in San Salvador
I saw the one who frees us
And he was homeless and landless and poor
I almost did not recognize him
You'd never know he was King of Kings
His wife and his children beside him
And he was begging for bread of all things

Yesterday I saw Jesus
And he was living in a shanty town
I saw the one who frees us
And in the streets they were shooting him down
The government sent in the soldiers
Declared a state of emergency
They ripped through the town with their dozers
And the press was forbidden to speak

(Chorus)
When did we take you in Lord?
When did we give you a drink?
When did we see you naked?
When did we watch you bleed?
When did we see you in prison?
When did we give you something to eat?
Well whatever you did to the least of these
You did it unto me

Yesterday I saw Jesus
And she had nowhere she could lay her head (Matthew 8:20)
I saw the one who frees us
And she had fallen through the safety net
The father of her children had left her
The monthly check she received was too thin
She knocked on the door of the shelter
But there was no room left in the inn (Luke 2:7)

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Yesterday I saw Jesus Christ
Child of war running for his life
God of love give us hands to reach
Out to Jesus Christ the refugee

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

100 People In A Room

100 People In One Room

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio (Based on a study by Dr. Lucille Pearson of Clemson University)


If the world were 100 people gathered in one room

An awfully blurry picture would snap right into view

It’s easier to see the direction things must move

When the world’s 100 people in one room

If there world were 100 people in one room…

57 would be Asian

21 would come from European nations

Just 14 from the entire Western Hemisphere

The other 8 would be from Africa

70 would be what we call people of color

30 would be what we call white

And of the 100 in the room at least 75

Would have no place to sleep tonight

No home of their own to sleep in tonight

Chorus

70 would not know how to read

30 at most will ever have the chance to learn to write

33 would call themselves Christian

67 embrace another way to seek the Light

80 of the 100 are severely malnourished

Suffering from hunger and disease

Of the 100 in the room there would only be 1

Who has a college degree

Only 1 with a college degree

Chorus

Bridge: Half of all the wealth in the world

Would be in the hands of 6 people

And all 6 of these would live in the USA

If the world were 100 people gathered in 1 room

Would we quickly see the disparity and do what’s ours to do

To help the dream of God become a dream that’s real and true

For every single person in the room

If the world were 100 people in one room

Blessing and Light for every person in the room

If the world were 100 people in one room

updated: 8 years ago

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

updated: 8 years ago

The Beatitudes Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Dinah's Song

"Dinah's Song"

Jacob had one daughter named Dinah
Its good to remember her name
God loves to see women respected
God loves men and women the same
I wish we knew more about Bible time women
But I'm glad God's changing this world
I'm glad now-a-days moms and dads give God praise
When they're blessed with the gift of a girl

(Repeat)

Yes I'm glad now-a-days moms and dads give God praise
Hip hip! Hurray!!!
When they're blessed with the gift of a girl




Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Place of Surrender

"Place of Surrender"

He said I've been to church most of my life
But to be honest, I've never felt too much inside
To me the church is kind of like a glorified Kiwanis club
He said I know that sounds flip, but for me that's where it's at
But I can tell you believe there's more than that
And actually I'd like to listen, if you would try to explain
So we talked about the God who became a peasant child
Who lived a love so hot that blood was shed
He said I wonder why you feel your faith almost like a lover's touch
While for me its like some lukewarm proposition in my head
And I said, if you really want to know, I think...

(Chorus)
It all comes down to the place of surrender
Where you gladly say, God, I lay down my will
I'm giving up control, 'cause you died for me
Its the place where your hunger, and your deepest thirst
Is to know the Creator of the universe
And where you think of the price God paid for your sin
And everything is worthless by comparison
Somehow it all begins, at the place of surrender

I could tell that my words hit him like a brick
He said you mean your willing to bow down and submit your whole life to God?
Man that sounds odd ...not to mention dehumanizing and potentially dangerous
I said, I guess I'll take my chances, in calling someone Lord
Who owned this world, yet for my sake became poor
I'm not afraid to serve a deity who died for me
He said so you're telling me the passion comes from looking at the cross
And then placing all that's yours in God's hands
I said yeah, I guess that's it, but why some do it and some don't
Is a crazy mystery I guess I'll never understand
But I'm more and more convinced, that...

(Chorus)
It all comes down to the place of surrender
Where you gladly say, God, I lay down my will
I'm giving up control, 'cause you died for me
Its the place of no bargains, and no half way
Where his prayer in the garden is the prayer we pray
Lord, not my will, but yours be done
Nothing's really mine -- 'cause you bought it with your blood
That's when the freedom comes at the place of surrender

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.

updated: 14 years ago

If You Eat Each Day

"If You Eat Each Day"

Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere
I go there now and then to get my vision clear
Sometimes it gets so hazy in this land of
I consume therefore I am

I was working in this clinic for the dying & diseased
Living skeletons with AIDS and TB
Organized and run by Mother Teresa and her sisters of Charity
I asked the nun in charge, Sister, what should I do?
She smiled and said I've got a job for you
Then she gave me a pair of scissors, and said,
See that man right there
He'd like for you to cut his hair
I said, oh, Sister are you sure?...

I mean its not like I have given
many haircuts in my day
But I was there to help, so I just smiled and said, OK
So there I was, this natural born Vidal Sassoon
just snipping that hair away

We struck up conversation as best we could
His English was broken, my Creole's not too good
But we managed to communicate enough for him to say
Something I never will forget

You see I asked him, do you think I'm rich?
And this was his response to me
He said, well how many times a week do you eat?
Well his question took my voice away
And then he said, you mean you eat every day?
And I said, yeah, and he just said this
Well if you eat each day, you're rich

Somehow that moment felt to me like Holy Ground
I finished his haircut and when I turned around
There was a whole line of customers
who kinda like the way I cut that one man's hair!

So I gave them haircuts but they gave me so much more
They gave me the perspective of the poorest of the poor
And I know I'll spend the rest of my life
trying to somehow respond

'Cause if its true as we often say that wealth is relative
It just might take the dying poor in a place like Port au Prince
To help us see this relativity from God's point of view
To cut through our first world denial with gospel Truth
And as for me, I know I need to receive this paradigm shift
That in a hungry world, if we eat each day...
We're rich

Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere
I go there now and then to get my vision clear
Sometimes it gets so hazy in this land of
I consume therefore I am

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

Know this one thing above all else

We are loved, loved by God

Let this be how we see ourselves

As people loved, loved by God

And once we know the love of Christ

Feel God's healing in our lives

Loving service is how we give our love back to God

Today let us do something beautiful for God

Do something small, but do it with great love

Do what we can, where we are, with what we've got

Today let us do something beautiful for God

 

Everyone who we meet today

Is God's child, God's own child

May our lives help them hear God say

You are my child, God's own child

A smile can radiate God's love

Let them see the Christ in us

Let our lives be the cheerfulness of God in this world

 

  Chorus

 


 
Jesus will visit us today

In disguise, in disguise

Poor and weak, Christ will come our way

Jesus Christ, in disguise

The lonely, poor, the victimized

Love for them is love for Christ

Love is water to quench the thirst of Christ on the cross

 

  Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

To Be Loved This Way

If its true you love me as I am
And not as I think I should be
Then I'm free to face the parts of me I'm tempted to deny
God you know all my laughter and all of my tears
You know where I've been and you know why I'm here
And you know it heals my deepest wounds to be loved this way

If its true you love us as we are
And not as we think we should be
Then we're free to trust the Mystery and love beyond all fear
God you know all our laughter and all of our tears
You know where we've been and you know why we're here
And you know it heals our deepest wounds to be loved this way

updated: 14 years ago

God Is Still Speaking...Summoned To Serve

updated: 14 years ago

God Is Still Speaking...Summoned To Serve

updated: 14 years ago

Mercy

"Mercy"

Everyone needs a little mercy sometimes
Everyone needs to have their failures forgotten
To be understood from the inside
To have someone see the reasons why

Chorus: Mercy

We all need to show a little mercy sometimes
We all need to walk a while in someone else's shoes
To understand another from the inside
To try to see through someone else's eyes

Chorus:

Bridge:  I have found a place of Mercy
             In the arms of God
             All that could be held against me
             Was washed away by Love

Chorus:

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Stephanie Jones Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Artist's Hand Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

One For You And One For Me Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Have You Prayed About It Yet Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Have You Prayed About It Yet Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Artist's Hand Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

One For You And One For Me

updated: 15 years ago

God's Green Earth

updated: 15 years ago

Stephanie Jones

updated: 15 years ago

Artist's Hand

updated: 15 years ago

Artist's Hand

updated: 15 years ago

Green World

updated: 15 years ago

There Really Is A God (The Daycare Song)

updated: 15 years ago

There Really Is A God (The Daycare Song)

updated: 15 years ago

Be Yourself!

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego

updated: 15 years ago

Green World

"Green World"

Sometimes the earth and its beauty
Hits me so hard that it almost hurts
God you are some kind of artist
And I'm a big fan of your handiwork
When I see a pastel sunset
Its like God is signing God's name
Another magnificent one of a kind worth more
than this whole world could pay

(Chorus)
God made this green world green
Air and water clean
We come from the earth, and to earth we shall return
Let's go back to Genesis 2 and relearn
Humans are here in the garden to serve
And service is the purpose of God-given power
We are more the earth's than earth is ours
We are more the earth's than earth is ours

When God gave dominion to humans
You know I don't think that God ever had in mind
A license to take the earth prisoner
And lock her in chains made of dollar signs
The earth and its fullness is Yahweh's
Stamp that verse on our property rights
That means that the land is not ours to exploit --
Its just ours to take care of for a while

(Chorus)

There's a demon named 'corporate pollution'
And its minions reach deep in the government
And some folks just mimic Rush Limbaugh,
Saying, "There's no crisis in the environment"
But God knows we're wounding this planet
One Styrofoam cup, one acid rain drop, one toxic waste dump,
one oil tank spill, one SUV war, one trip to the store at a time…
And maybe its time we disciples of Christ work harder to live greener lives…



Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2004.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

There Really Is A God (The Daycare Song)

"There Really Is A God" (The Daycare Song)

Michelle and her husband ran a daycare
They did it for love, and not much money
Word got around, they turned no children down
Even when their parents couldn't pay
And sometimes their friends would tell them
You know you can't do business this way
Michelle and her husband would gently respond
We're just trying to live as though
There really is a God

A mother of two kids, her name was Suzanne
She dropped off her children every morning
She never once paid, and at first that was O.K.
But after a while, Michelle felt used
And then one day Suzanne and her kids just disappeared
Michelle and the daycare got ripped off
Fine thanks for living as though
There really is a God

But not long after that, Michelle was praying one night
And this picture of Suzanne just flashed into her mind
And then this thought came out of nowhere, that said
"Find out where Suzanne lives,
and take a bag of groceries to her kids"

Well at first Michelle thought "no way"
"She ripped me off - why should I be kind/"
But every time she prayed, Suzanne came to her mind
So she finally said "all right!"
And she took those groceries by
There was no one at the door
She left the groceries on the porch

A year or so later, Michelle was driving
A couple of towns away one day
When to her surprise, some children caught her eye
And sure enough, it was Suzanne's kids
Well at first Michelle was tempted
To just keep driving on
But something deep inside said, "Stop"
Things like this happen when
There really is a God

Well the kids were glad to see Michelle
They gave her great big hugs
They said, "Michelle, come see where we live now"
Suzanne was at the door, and said
Michelle I'm glad you've come
Can I get you some coffee?
Please sit down

Then she said, Michelle, I'm sorry -
I never paid your bill
And you prob'ly won't believe me,
but I promise you I will
And I'd really like to tell you why things
happened as they did
Michelle said, there's no need
But Suzanne said, let me, please

You see I was married to a very angry man
He took all I had, I took his abuse
Then he just took off;
I was evicted with two hungry kids
I had no one that I could turn to
And I'm not proud of what I'm going to tell you now
But I was so hopeless and desperate
That I pawned my wedding ring,
and I bought myself a gun
And I planned to take my life,
and the lives of both my sons

But driving back home from the pawn shop
I cried out "Hey God, if you're really there!"
I need to know now! And God, I'm not messing around
And as I pulled into the drive
There were two huge bags of groceries on my porch
And Michelle, I know you prob'ly think I'm odd
But those groceries proved to me that
There really is a God

And believing God was with her, Suzanne was not alone
She grabbed the yellow pages,
and called a church up on the phone
And she says, from that day forward,
its like I've had a brand new life
And Michelle, well,
she never mentioned who brought those groceries by

Michelle and her husband run a daycare
They do it for love and not much money
And sometimes their friends still tell them
You know, you can't do business this way
But they just smile and gently respond
We're just trying to live as though
There really is a God

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

One For You and One For Me

One for you and one for me
Sharing is God's way you see
When we all have what we need
God will be so happy!
God will be so happy!

Sometimes its hard to share
When I'm the one who has to give
But that's the way of God
And that's the way I want to live!

So, one for you and one for me
Sharing is God's way you see
When we all have what we need
God will be so happy!
God will be so happy!
God will be so happy!
La  la la  la la la
Sharing is the way of God!

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

If My Soul Should Be Required Tonight

Once there was a farmer
Whose land produced so well
his barns could not contain the excess grain
He built the barns up larger
And then said to himself
I've all I need for years now laid away
But God said to him,
Fool! This night your soul shall be required
And all this wealth of yours
Whose will it be?

(Chorus)
And if my soul should be required tonight
What would Jesus say to me?
If my soul should be required tonight
Would my treasure stay with me?
Would he find me rich in things
Or find me rich in Christ
If my soul should be required tonight

There is always someone
Who's urging me to buy
Who's making luxury look like a need
Investments in convenience
In comfort and in style
With all my satisfaction guaranteed
And its bigger, better, newer, faster
Buy now pay tomorrow
Seduced with credit cards and toll free lines

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And its so easy to justify
The way I live, and all these things I buy
But this world's so hungry, Lord I've seen the need
Can I truly love, and keep the piles for me? (1 John 3:17-18; James 2:15-17)

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

No Success Worth Failing You

Tucked him in just an hour ago
Said our prayers, good night
Sighed that sigh every parent knows
Another day gone by
Picked up his toys
Back on the shelf
Upstairs a boy softly sings to himself
That little toddler's got this daddy beat
A comfortable chair
Have a seat

For a while I let time just slip by
No one's needs to meet
Then I smile as this thought comes to mind
Think I'll watch him sleep
Creep up the stairs
Don't make a peep
He's lying there like an angle asleep
I stand and stare as my eyes fill with tears
Whispering words I know only God hears

(Chorus)
Nothing of mine
No dream of success
Means more to me than just being with you
And I've got my call
And my work to do
But my child there's no success worth failing you

Sometimes Jesus I feel torn apart
I've got my own dreams
Help me keep first things first in my heart
Give me eyes to see
That there's no work
No ministry
Worth more to you than my own family
And all of the good that I do makes no sense
If it is done at my children's expense

(Chorus twice)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Inside The Whale

Inside the Whale

Words and Music by Bryan Sirchio

Jonah heard God call and tried to run away

Confronting Ninevah was not Jonah’s plan A

Amazing what a couple days inside a whale can change

Whales are where we hear the call and stop drifting away

And could it be, grace is so amazing

That in the end it’s impossible to fail

Could grace mean, nothing’s ever wasted

Including time we spend inside the whale

There have been some times when God has called my name

And just as Jonah did, I’ve tried to sail away

Been swallowed by some whales until my running was complete

Truth is there are things I’ve needed whales to help me see

Chorus

Bridge: And sometimes God it’s not that I am trying to run away

It’s just that I’m not sure it’s you I hear

So thank you for the time you knew I needed to believe the Voice was yours

Sometimes it’s taken me years

Jonah finally did what Yahweh called him to

Even though he took the less efficient root

But maybe that’s why this whale of a tale still speaks to me

‘Cause I have not reached where I am today too easily

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

Away in a Manger

updated: 8 years ago

One For You And One For Me Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

God's Green Earth

"God's Green Earth"

The Bible says that God made the world
The earth and the air and the water
And God gave people the special task
Of helping to care for creation
So let's be good to the earth and to all things that grow
Let's help keep air and water clean
Let's be kind to all creatures and as humans find
Our place in God's balance of things
Let's live as though we know our place on earth
Our place on God's green earth
Let's live as though we know our place on earth
Our place on God's green earth

(Repeat)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Be Yourself!

Some people are good with a baseball
And some spend every game on the bench (repeat)
Some are into athletics, some think sports are pathetic
God loves you the way you are

Some people look good in the mirror
And some, well, we don't look all that hot (repeat)
Some are born looking cute, some take longer to bloom
God loves you the way you are (so)

(Chorus)
Be Yourself! God loves you the way you are
Just Be Yourself! God loves you the way you are

Some people are good with their school books
And some do all they can to get by (repeat)
Some get A's on the test, some like weekends the best
God loves you the way you are

Some people wear plenty of makeup
And some go for that "ivory soap" look (repeat)
Some say natural's the way, some prefer Tammy Faye
God loves you the way you are

(Chorus)

Some people get so much attention
And some feel like they're not even seen (repeat)
Some are rowdy and loud, some blend in with the crowd
God loves you the way you are

Some people are searching for meaning
And some, they want to just cruise along (repeat)
Some think Jesus is weird, some have ears that can hear (Matthew 13:43)
God loves you the way you are

(Chorus)


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Artist's Hand

"Artist's Hand"

Sometimes nothing seems to make much sense
And all my prayers don't seem to help
When things I thought were straightened out seem all messed up again
That's when I remind myself

(Chorus)
That though the backside of a tapestry
Is a bunch of tangled threads
The other side's the work of an artist's hand
So when tangled threads are all that I can see from where I stand
I still believe in the Artist's Hand

Famines, wars, and so-called "acts of God"
I've got questions in my mind
Sometimes all that's clear to me is that this world's not fair
But I remember in those times

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music @ Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

God Is Still Speaking...Summoned To Serve

Like the prophets of old we are still being called
The Divine is still speaking
Like the prophets of old we are often afraid to accept what we hear
Time has come to be bold and to set fear aside
So we pray now for courage
To respond to the call
Gladly risking it all
Trusting God will provide
 
                   God is stil speaking fresh words of life
                   O Spirit, help us to clearly discern
                   Your words of justice and loving kindness
                   Which summon us to serve
 

 
Like disciples of old we are still being sent
Into fields of God's Harvest
Harvest time is upon us but there are too few who are willing to work
And as Jesus once told his disciples this world
Will not always receive us
Still we labor in love
Love that's transforming us
As its changing this world
Chorus
 
 
When we're called to the purpose of God we can trust
God will guide and sustain us
 There's a promise that tells us that all things are working together for good
As we serve may we also be humble enough
To admit when we falter
May we struggle to be
Open and listening
As we dare to proclaim…
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Don't Wait

updated: 14 years ago

Don't Wait

updated: 14 years ago

Integrity

"Integrity"

When the poetry of your highest ideals
Coincides with the prose of your life
When the poetry of your highest ideals
Coincides with the prose of your life

Chorus: That's integrity, integrity

When there's no hidden agenda, and nothing up your sleeve
When the deeds match the words, and the words match the deed
When life is free from hypocrisy, false dichotomy, and duplicity --
When you're who you truly are -- consistently

Chorus:

Bridge:  Look at Jesus, see a man
             Whose every thought, every word, every deed
              Flowed from the very source of love, the heart of God
              Love was his purpose, Love was his aim
              Love was his platform, love his campaign
              Love was the very reason he came

(Repeat Verse One)

Chorus:

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Piano And Chords)

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Piano And Chords)

updated: 15 years ago

Help In Troubled Times Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Best Stuff Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Piano and Chords)

updated: 15 years ago

The Day That Paul Fell Off His Horse Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Help In Troubled Times Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Help In Troubled Times Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Help In Troubled Times

updated: 15 years ago

Best Stuff Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Piano & Chords)

updated: 15 years ago

The Day That Paul Fell Off His Horse

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Piano & Chords)

updated: 15 years ago

Help In Troubled Times

updated: 15 years ago

Best Stuff

updated: 15 years ago

Best Stuff

updated: 15 years ago

If You Eat Each Day

updated: 15 years ago

Westbound On I-80 (The Sneaker Song)

updated: 15 years ago

Westbound On I-80 (The Sneaker Song)

updated: 15 years ago

Help In Troubled Times

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song

updated: 15 years ago

If You Eat Each Day

"If You Eat Each Day"

Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere
I go there now and then to get my vision clear
Sometimes it gets so hazy in this land of
I consume therefore I am

I was working in this clinic for the dying & diseased
Living skeletons with AIDS and TB
Organized and run by Mother Teresa and her sisters of Charity
I asked the nun in charge, Sister, what should I do?
She smiled and said I've got a job for you
Then she gave me a pair of scissors, and said,
See that man right there
He'd like for you to cut his hair
I said, oh, Sister are you sure?...

I mean its not like I have given
many haircuts in my day
But I was there to help, so I just smiled and said, OK
So there I was, this natural born Vidal Sassoon
just snipping that hair away

We struck up conversation as best we could
His English was broken, my Creole's not too good
But we managed to communicate enough for him to say
Something I never will forget

You see I asked him, do you think I'm rich?
And this was his response to me
He said, well how many times a week do you eat?
Well his question took my voice away
And then he said, you mean you eat every day?
And I said, yeah, and he just said this
Well if you eat each day, you're rich

Somehow that moment felt to me like Holy Ground
I finished his haircut and when I turned around
There was a whole line of customers
who kinda like the way I cut that one man's hair!

So I gave them haircuts but they gave me so much more
They gave me the perspective of the poorest of the poor
And I know I'll spend the rest of my life
trying to somehow respond

'Cause if its true as we often say that wealth is relative
It just might take the dying poor in a place like Port au Prince
To help us see this relativity from God's point of view
To cut through our first world denial with gospel Truth
And as for me, I know I need to receive this paradigm shift
That in a hungry world, if we eat each day...
We're rich

Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere
I go there now and then to get my vision clear
Sometimes it gets so hazy in this land of
I consume therefore I am

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Rainbow Song

"The Rainbow Song"

Sometimes I sit and watch the rain
I love that moment when the sun breaks through again
That’s when I look across the sky
And I’d be glad to tell you why (‘cause…)

(Chorus)
The rainbow reminds me that storms don’t last forever
And the rainbow reminds me of the promise God once made
That clouds will disappear
And rainy skies will clear
And if things get all muddy, God will wash them clean again
The rainbow is a sign that God and all creation are friends
And Noah’s ark will not be needed again

Sometimes I know I make mistakes
Sometimes it seems like things will never be OK
But that’s when I just close my eyes
And I imagine rainbow skies

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Day That Paul Fell Off His Horse

Paul used to be the Church's enemy
He thought the Church was wrong about what it believed
He did not think that Jesus was sent from God above
So he arrested Christians and even beat some up (ugh!)
Paul's life was changed while on the road one day
He saw a flash of light that took his sight away
He fell right off his horse and said
Who are you anyway?
And when Lord Jesus answered
Paul knew he had to change!

(Chorus)
He saw the Light on the road to Damascus!
First there was a flash!
Then he took a crash!
That was the day Paul's life took a different course
The day that  Paul fell off his horse! (horse whinny)

Ever since that day when Paul's life was changed
He started telling people that Jesus is the Way
And many folks believed because of what Paul said
And you can read his letters in the New Testament!

Paul fell off his horse!
The day that Paul fell off his horse!
The day that Paul fell off his horse!

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Gentle As A Dove



People say you've got to be tough if you're gonna get somewhere
Show 'em they can't take you for a fool
Gotta learn to push and to shove if you're gonna get your share
Make 'em think about it before they mess with you
But Jesus as I look at you I see a different way
And it feels so good for me to lift my voice and say

(Chorus) Because of you I can let my guard down
Because of you I've got no games to play and nothin to prove
So help me be more the way you are
Strong enought to be gentle as a dove

People say you've got to be cold in a world of you or me
But I do believe there's a better way
There's a man who lived out a love even death could not defeat
And he taught a new way of understanding strength
So Jesus I am praying for the grace to live your way
Gentle as a dove but strong enough to risk the pain

Chorus

Bridge: Jesus you embodied God's own strength
Strong enough to give your life away
Strong enough to live for others' sake
Strong enough to cry, strong enough to die

Chorus

updated: 6 years ago

Jesus Was Not An American

Jesus Was Not An American

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

Let me start with an overdue apology

To some veterans of foreign wars I’ve known

In my attempts to be a man who stands for peace

I regret some of the arrogance I’ve shown

Looking back sometimes I wish I’d kept my mouth shut

And met you in some human place, beyond who’s right or wrong

And listened to you speak of what can still bring you to tears

And honored what you’ve lived with all these years

And maybe then you could also listen

To why I sometimes say the things I say

As a man who’s trying to walk with one we call the Prince of Peace

Sometimes I’m called to cut against the grain

And I know this is hard for some to hear
But Jesus was not an American
And when the nations rage
And the gears of warfare grind
Jesus weeps for the victims on every side

There’s a tale Hasidic rabbis sometimes tell

About that day when Moses parted the Red Sea

The day that thousands of Egyptian soldiers drowned

As the Hebrews all escaped from slavery

And they say that all the angels in the heavens

Broke out in celebration, they danced and laughed and cheered

But then one of the angels stopped and asked Arch Angel Michael

Why is God not celebrating with us here?

Then Michael said, “God is not here with us…

God’s in way too much grief to celebrate

In fact God’s heart is broken, and God’s alone now weeping tears

‘Cause thousands of God’s Egyptian children drowned today

Chorus (…is not American)

Bridge And I’ll gladly pray for God to bless our troops

But the love of Christ crosses all borders and boundary lines

So I’ll pray for troops of every land and I’ll pray most fervently

For the innocent defenseless whose lives are torn apart

When policies are reckless and so-called smart bombs

Are not so smart…and I know…

Chorus (…is not North American)

updated: 8 years ago

What Child Is This

updated: 8 years ago

The Day That Paul Fell Off His Horse Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Musician Introduction

updated: 14 years ago

Help In Troubled Times

There are times when human help can never be enough
Times when our best efforts feel so small
When words have all been spoken
And still the pain remains
There's only one thing more a friend can say

(Chorus)
Jesus is your help in troubled times
He's the one who feels the things you're feeling deep inside
And he' the one who'll give you strength
To make it through this day
He's the one who'll stay with you throughout the night
Jesus is your help in troubled times

It doesn't matter if its been a long time since you've prayed"
Maybe you've left God up on some shelf
But God knows where you are now, God will find your wounded heart
All that matters now is that you know

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And Jesus will hold you when you can't hold your own
He'll help you take that one step at a time
And in his gentle, tender way
he'll speak of a Reunion Day
When God will wipe all human tears away (Isaiah 25:8)
All away...

(Chorus)


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Best Stuff

"Best Stuff"

Jim & Jodie been going out steady
Since they both were sophomores
All alone the passion gets heavy
Jimmy always wants more
Jodie says, I know how you feel,
And I believe our love is real
But there's a part of me that I'm keeping for my wedding day
Jimmy says, come on -- its the 90's
No one waits these days
Jodie says the man who weds me is
Gonna find I was worth the wait ('cause)

(Chorus)
The best stuff, the real stuff
The set you free stuff -- you know it don't come cheap
The best stuff, I mean the real stuff,
The set you free stuff -- it never does come easy
And that's how it is with me

Jimmy said Jodie I'm going crazy!
If you loved me you'd do it--
Jodie said Jim I told you I'm waiting
Don't try to push me into it
Jimmy said hey if you won't give in
Maybe we should just call it quits
Jodie said Jimmy I really love you
But I don't like you much right now
Jimmy said well then let's just break up
I've waited long enough
Jodie said don't you see -- this is why
I'm glad that we didn't make love!
(and Jimmy...)

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Later on that night, Jodie got on her knees & prayed
She said Lord -- I felt close to you today
'Cause as Jimmy was breaking my heart
I thought of you up on that cross
And its like I saw what you did in a brand new way
And I thought, its true...
The best stuff... the real stuff... the set you fee stuff... it never does come easy

Jodie hasn't dated for a while now
She's still not over Jimmy
When someone says I love you then you find out
That all he meant was "gimme"
Its kind of like it shakes your heart up
You really don't know who to trust
But Jodie smiles and says I'll be all right
I know I'll heal with time
And she believes that someday she'll find
When every piece is in place
A guy who'll say Jodie you turn me on, but
I really think we should wait, 'cause Jodie...

(Chorus - last line) ...and that's how I want us to be

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.

updated: 14 years ago

Westbound On Interstate 80 (The Sneaker Song)

"Westbound On Interstate 80"

Westbound on Interstate 80, driving with my family
Little kids, little bladders, you know how it is
"Dad, can we stop soon please?"
Saw one of those blue signs, "Rest Area 2 Miles"
We got there just in time

While I was waiting for my children,
I saw this homeless man
Dirty hair, dirty clothes, you know how it is
Looking like a street man can
Something in my heart said, how can I help this man?
And then these words popped right into my head that said...

How does the love of God abide in you
If you have this world's goods
and yet refuse to help someone in need?

How does the love of God abide in you
If you have this world's goods
and yet refuse to help someone in need?
And then I saw his shoes

You see, both of his shoes were worn out
Most of his toes were bare
And then I heard this voice,
and I think it was the voice of God
It said, "Give the man your extra pair."
And I thought, oh God - that's a crazy thing to do
Besides, how am I supposed to know
If these thoughts are sent to me from you?
And anyway, my only extra pair's my favorite
New Balance running shoes
And then that same voice said something like, "Those will do."

How does the love of God abide in you
If you have this world's goods
and yet refuse to help someone in need?

So as my kids got in the car I laughed and thought, "This is insane."
So I turned the motor over and began to drive away
I got almost to the highway when my heart stepped on the brakes
I said, "There's something I forgot you guys - just wait."
And so I found that man and said,

"Excuse me sir, but you look down on your luck"
And he said, "Yeah, I guess I am. You got an extra buck?"
And I said, "Yeah, but try these shoes." And they fit just like a glove
And he said, "God bless you." And I thought, "God sure does."

West bound on Interstate 80, feeling kind of strange but free
Could it be God's gift to me - a gift to me
Just to see that homeless man

"Dad!" - you guessed it..., "Can we stop soon please?"


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Don't Wait

There's a time for hesitation and weighing pros and cons
There's a time to move with caution and with care
There's a time to look both ways, take it easy, play it safe
But there's one time when there's no time to waste

 Don't wait when you know that God is calling
 
Don't wait when you feel it deep inside
Don't wait to respond, give your deepest yes to God
And know the joy of Jesus all your life
 
 
There's a time to say tomorrow, or maybe someday soon
There's a time to put things off and say not yet
There's a time to be excused, there's so much that's asked of you
But there's one time when only now will do!
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

updated: 14 years ago

Community

"Community"

In this culture of individualism
Autonomy, property, you or me
I am choosing to live an alternate vision
Common good, neighborhood, where it is understood that

Chorus:  We were made to live inside the circle
            God's embrace, the arms around us all
             In this place, we receive each other
             For who we are and who we're meant to be
             Community

In this culture of constant competition
Private wealth, out for self, trophy shelf
I am choosing to live an alternate vision
Sharing gifts, working with, building partnership

Chorus:

Bridge:  We are all connected; we're interdependent
             The autonomous individual is an illusion
             The truth of who we are is wrapped up in the scars
             Of the One who lived and died the way of communion

Chorus:

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Guitar Tab)

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Guitar Tab)

updated: 15 years ago

Amos I Hear Your Voice Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Table Of Friendship And Love Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Guitar Tab)

updated: 15 years ago

Put It In The Hands Of Jesus Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Lisa, If You're Listening

updated: 15 years ago

Table Of Friendship & Love Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Guitar Tab)

updated: 15 years ago

Put It In The Hands Of Jesus

updated: 15 years ago

The Rainbow Song (Guitar Tab)

updated: 15 years ago

Amos I Hear Your Voice

updated: 15 years ago

Table Of Friendship & Love

updated: 15 years ago

Table Of Friendship And Love

updated: 15 years ago

Staring At My Overflowing Plate

updated: 15 years ago

Amos I Hear Your Voice

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved

updated: 15 years ago

Staring At My Overflowing Plate

"Staring At My Overflowing Plate"

It's so easy not to see you
Close you out like a shade in the window
Your condition seems so foreign
Are you lazy? Why are you poor?
Someone said you and I are connected
That your hunger is linked to my fatness
But how can that be -- I never met you
I don't know your name

I've go problems of my own
I'm so busy -- I do good things
And I don't know if I can make room
In my life for your misery
Someone said that the whole world is changing
For you no longer will stand to be used
But talk like that -- it makes me frightened
Scared what I might lose

(Chorus)
Jesus is that you in the window
With your nose pressed against the pane
Staring at my overflowing plate?

I've got questions of my own
I'm not sure who to trust or believe
Politicians seem so sure you
Pose a threat to my liberty
I go to church and I listen to my pastor
Speak of justice beyond charity
Says the gospel is good news to poor folks
But where does that leave me?

(Chorus)
...help me not to pull the window shade

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Who Is This Host Arrayed In White?

updated: 16 years ago

Put It In The Hands Of Jesus

(John 6:1-14)

A long time ago back in Bible time the One we call the Son of God was on a mountainside, and he talked about God, he talked about love, and the people who listened couldn't get enough.  The day rolled along and it began to get dark, and the people back then didn't drive any cars; it was time to go home but their homes were too far; the Master said people you stay where you are, and

(Chorus)
Whatever you got, a little or a lot
You gotta put it in the hands of Jesus (repeat)

Now the 12 said Jesus what are we gonna do?  There's over 5,000 people and we got no food.  You better send them away before we have a bad scene, but the Master said well you can give them what they need.  The Bible doesn't tell us what went on in their heads, but they were learning to do whatever Jesus said, particularly when he seemed to make no sense, so they found a little boy with some fish and bread, and

(Chorus)

Well now they probably thought well this will never go around -- I mean what are 2 fish among such a crowd?  But whatever they thought they didn't think it too loud, the Master said go and make the people sit down.  And he took the bread and fish and he began to pray -- gave thanks to the one who feeds us every day, then he gave the bread and fish to the people there, and they were more than satisfied with the meal they shared...

(Chorus)

Now if you're looking for a message in the words I say, some kind of moral to the story you can take away, well there's no end to meaning in a story so rich, but I'll give you one and it goes like this.  Whoever you are, you may be big or small, you may be living in a shack or in the Taj Mahal, you take whatever you got and in the Savior's hands, it's more than enough to carry out the plan, because a little in the hands of the God of all is bigger than big, and taller than tall, so whenever you find yourself against the odds, you got to give the situation to the Son of God...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.

updated: 16 years ago

Amos I Hear Your Voice

Lord I've got an ego I want people to like me (Luke 6:26)
I love to sing the songs that make them laugh and feel good
But Lord I know you've called me
To stand up for the gospel
To preach the truth in love and carry my own cross (Mark 8:34-38)

(Chorus)
Amos I hear your voice
Saying let justice roll, and righteousness flow
Amos I hear your voice
Saying my music is noise, unless I cry for justice

Right now there are people dying of starvation
And we all know there's food enough to feed this planet
Let's beat some swords to plowshares (Isaiah 2:1-4)
Or turn some tanks to tractors
I mean feed the people before we oil the war machine

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Well there's more to being human than a big piece of the pie (Deut 8:3;Mk. 8:36; Mk.10:17-22; Lk.12:13-21)
And there's more to being Christian than a home up in the sky (Luke 17:21)
I want to live that prayer we pray every week in every church
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, right here on earth (Mark 6:10)

Well it don't take calculators to know that something's wrong
When 6 percent of the world consume a third of its resources
And the scriptures say it clearly
God will judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-46)
And justice for the poor will be the plumb line (Is. 28:17; Amos 7:7-8)

(Double Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Have You Prayed About It Yet?

He stopped by
Told me that I'd
Been on his mind
How's your life?
Are things alright?
I said I'm fine
I thought all my pain was hidden well
Until my friend said

(Chorus)
Have you prayed about it yet?
Have you taken it to the Lord?
I don't mean to pry my friend
But don't let Jesus be your last resort
I'm not saying that prayer will take the pain away
But somehow when we pray Jesus shares the weight
All I'm asking you (my) friend, is
Have you prayed about it yet?

At first I
Kept trying to hide
I said I'm fine
Then like ice
Melting inside
Tears filled my eyes
My friend saw me trying to fight the tears
He said don't hold back, and

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
So many times when I'm hurt inside
I slug it out on my own
O God I don't know why I struggle alone
When my coming to you
Could be the first thing I do

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Diamond

The Diamond

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

My son asked me if he could use the diamond from the ring

I’d given to his mom when I asked her if she would marry me

The diamond that my grandpa gave my grandma

That she had worn for over 50 years

At first I was surprised that my son wanted that same gem

His mama gave it back to me when she and I came to an end

Our marriage lasted for 23 years, in case you’re wondering

I’d say the blame was mostly mine

But she and I are friends now, although that took some time

And she and I agreed how it would be so good and right

If our beloved son could give that family gem its luster back again

And all I know, after all these years

Is Grace is so amazing it can make an old stone shine

And stories we thought always would be sad

Love can still reclaim and rearrange the end

The jeweler who appraised the diamond said, “I’ve got bad news…

This diamond has been damaged; it’s been chipped 2 times, here, I’ll show you

And as I looked I smiled and thought to myself,

How perfect—I mean metaphorically

One chip for his mama’s heart and one for my heart too

Symbols of our less than perfect lives and all that we’ve been through

God knows how much it hurt but I’m amazed now

How the Spirit used it all to grow our hearts

And it makes me think about a line that Leonard Cohen wrote

A verse I find myself returning to, here’s how it goes

“There’s a crack in everything…that’s how the Light gets in”

Chorus

Bridge: So son of mine this gem is yours to give to your bride now

Don’t worry if you add a chip or two

Thanks for all the ways your love brings healing to us all

And thanks for making this diamond brand new

Chorus

My son asked me if he could use the diamond from the ring

I’d given to his mom when I asked her if she would marry me

The diamond he will soon give to his love

I hope she wears it for over 50 years

I pray she wears it for over 50 years

updated: 8 years ago

Joy to the World!

updated: 8 years ago

Put It In The Hands Of Jesus Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego

"Shadrach, Meshack, And Abednego"

I'm gonna tell you a little story 'bout 3 young men
Who would not do what a bad law said
The bad law said that they could not pray
But the 3 young men prayed anyway

Well those 3 guys sure had lots of faith
But they also had some funny names
One was named "Shadrach" (Shadrach)
"Meshack" (Meshack)
"Abednego" (Abednego)
You know I knew a little girl a few years ago
Who called them "Shadrach, Meshack, and To Bed We Go"

(Chorus)
Oh Shadrach, Meshack, Abednego
Would not worship the god of gold
Shadrach, Meshack, Abednego
The king said, well then you're gonna get thrown
Into the fire -- Hot! Hot! Hot!
But you don't get burned when you trust in God
The God who took good care of Shadrach, Meshack, Abednego

(Repeat Chorus)

(Bridge)
Well those soldiers who threw those men in the fire
Said, "Holy Smokes! Something's going haywire!
We know we only threw 3 men in the furnace
But there's 4 now there, and not one of them's burning!"

(Chorus)


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Table Of Friendship And Love

"Table of Friendship & Love"

I met this teenage heavy metal freak
He blew my mind away
When I found out what he did in his school one day
He said I've never gotten into all these "clique-y" groups at school
I mean someone's always left out -- not everybody's cool
But then he went on this church retreat
And he heard how Jesus talked about a table where everyone belongs

He said I got this wild idea -- at first I had to think it through
You see you can't be too direct these days with religious stuff at school
He said I even said a prayer that God would show me what to do
And then he told me exactly what he did (he said)

(Chorus)
I found an empty table in the cafeteria
I put a sign in the middle that said
Friendship and Love
No one needs a clique here
There's a place for everyone
At the table of Friendship and Love

He said I sat there all alone at first
Feeling kind of like a jerk
He started thinking maybe this idea's not gonna work
But it was like a sign from Heaven
When this freshman nerd walked up
And said, is this for real?
And the metal head kid said, yup

So they ate their lunch together -- the thrasher and the nerd
And it was like they sent a message -- that was way too deep for words
And it didn't take too long before everybody heard
About this radical new thing going on (at that)

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And he said you won't believe it man, but at our school each day
We've got jocks and heads and nerds and freaks
And every social class and race
Breaking bread together -- and though we're not allowed to pray
When the walls come down like that--
How can God be far away ...from a

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Dear Mr. Eisner

"Dear Mr. Eisner"

Mr. Michael D. Eisner CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-0752

Dear Mr. Eisner,

I've recently heard about
your workforce in developing nations
I've also just learned the rather staggering terms
Of your own CEO compensation
But first let me thank you - you see I grew up
With Mickey Mouse and Goofy and the rest of the club
I've always seen Disney as a positive force
But that's why I was shocked and appalled all the more
To find out that your workers in third world sweatshops
Are working for starvation wages
Don't get me wrong-I mean they really need the jobs
And I commend you for the work you've created
But the 2 to 3 bucks that you pay them each day
Is not enough to keep food on their plates
I hear 97 thousand dollars is your hourly wage
Are you 346,000 times worth more than they?

(Chorus)
Well I wish we could talk face to face
I'd like to listen and explain to you why
If Disney won't pay a real living wage
You won't get a dollar of mine
I won't go to your theme parks, your movies or stores
I'll tell folks that Mickey Mouse rips off the poor
If Disney won't pay a real living wage
You won't get a dollar of mine

Dear Mr. Eisner, I do understand
The business of subcontract labor
But you and I know, the power's in your hands
To change subcontractor's behavior
So I appeal to you now on the firm basis of
The biblical ethics of justice and love
Its clear that your margins are healthy enough
To afford a wage increase that's modest but just

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Mr. Eisner, I mean you no disrespect
I know your stockholders demand dividends
So I want you to know that I'd gladly pay more
For clothes that aren't made by exploiting the poor
Mr. Eisner, I don't mean to single you out
But you're a symbol of what this whole system's about
And I pray you'll find courage to do what is right
But until you do let me say one more time

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

Know this one thing above all else
We are loved, loved by God
Let this be how we see ourselves
As people loved, loved by God
And once we know the love of Christ
Feel God's healing in our lives
Loving service is how we give our love back to God
Today let us do something beautiful for God
Do something small, but do it with great love
Do what we can, where we are, with what we've got
Today let us do something beautiful for God
 
 
Everyone who we meet today
Is God's child, God's own child
May our lives help them hear God say
You are my child, God's own child
A smile can radiate God's love
Let them see the Christ in us
Let our lives be the cheerfulness of God in this world
 
 Chorus
 

 
Jesus will visit us today
In disguise, in disguise
Poor and weak, Christ will come our way
Jesus Christ, in disguise
The lonely, poor, the victimized
Love for them is love for Christ
Love is water to quench the thirst of Christ on the cross
 
 Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

updated: 14 years ago

Change

"Change"

Feeling immobilized
Stuck without an option left to take
Trapped in something negative
No easy way to make a break
You've tried to turn this thing around,
But you can't seem to find a way

Chorus:  God is the power to change
            God is the power to change
            Change your life, change the world (repeat)

A world of so much suffering
At times it seems there's not much we can do
They say its human nature to be selfish
But I wonder, is that true?
Do we have to live this way
Or could our nature be renewed?

Chorus:

Bridge: God can change this world through us

We are not in checkmate
We have always got this move
To say, God we're doing all we can,
But we need strength that comes from you
Christ of transformation
Come and help us make this new

Chorus:

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Truth And The Life Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Calling At The Crossroads Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Easter Story Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

No Success Worth Failing You Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

No Success Worth Failing You Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

No Success Worth Failing You

updated: 15 years ago

Calling At The Crossroads Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Easter Story

updated: 15 years ago

Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego

updated: 15 years ago

The Truth And The Life

updated: 15 years ago

Calling At The Crossroads

updated: 15 years ago

Calling At The Crossroads

updated: 15 years ago

I'd Just Like To Know

updated: 15 years ago

Friends Like You

updated: 15 years ago

Friends Like You

updated: 15 years ago

The Truth And The Life

updated: 15 years ago

I'd Just Like To Know

"I'd Just Like To Know"

I don't mind you trying to maximize your profits
I'm not trying to take a dime from your pocket
I don't want to see anyone lose a job
And I've no intention to stage a boycott

(Chorus)
I'd just like to know where my money goes
I'd just like to know if there's a sweat stain
hidden in the clothes I buy
Tell me why, if you've got nothing to hide, you don't
Disclose the names of the factories that you use
Open up their doors to an independent human rights group
If there's a reason why you won't
I'd just like to know

Wal-Mart, Disney, Nike, Guess, and J.C. Penney
I can't name them all-there's just too many
And I know these markets are competitive by nature
I am not saying you shouldn't use third-world labor

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Tell me please, what's with these off-shore factories
With barbed wire fences and guns at the gates
Tell us please, we need to know exactly
How our clothes are made
And what kind of wage those workers get paid
Let's bring it all to the light of day

(Repeat verse one and Chorus)

(Tag)
It's a small world after all,
you can't do business in the shadows (repeat)

What 'ya doing in Nicaragua, Indonesia and Saipan?
Bangladesh and Guatemala, Malaysia and Viet Nam
Maquillas in Honduras, in China and Salvador
In Thailand and Burma - what's going on behind those factory doors
In New York City, in Haiti and L.A.
The Dominican Republic - let's bring it all into the light of day
I'd like to know what you're doing in Mexico
Liz Claiborne, and K-Mart and Reebok and J Crew
I hear Victoria's got a secret
Eddie Bauer and the Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch
All I'd like are the facts; all I'm asking is this...
Let's bring it all into the light of day

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Easter Story

I went to Jerusalem, I followed Jesus there
I loved him 'cause he loved me first, and showed me how to care
He said that in Jerusalem, that we would say good-bye
You know, it never crossed my mind that he meant the he would die
But the high priests and the Romans, they said that he was bad
Maybe they were jealous of the love that Jesus had
So they took him and they hurt him and they nailed him to a cross
and when I saw that he was dead, I thought that we were lost
So those of us who followed him, we figured we'd go home
We did not know just what to do and we felt so all alone
Mary who was with us then, she said, before we go
I would like to find the Lord, and touch him just once more
But we said, Mary don't you know they've laid him in a tomb
And sealed it with a rock so big that it cannot be moved
But she said, don't you see, I've got to go now  to his side
And if I can't get in that tomb I'll just stand outside and cry!
So, early Sunday morning she woke without a word
And Mary and a friend of hers went to find the Lord
And when they finally reached the tomb they did not know what to say
The stone they thought could not be moved had been rolled out of the way
So Mary slowly walked up to the tomb and looked inside
And She just stood there speechless - she could not believe her eyes!
Inside was an angel!  All Mary could do was stare

Then all at once she noticed, that Jesus was not there!
And the angel said, Mary he has risen, as he said he would
Go and tell the world that he's alive! He's alive!
Well at first Mary was frightened, then she turned to run outside
Then all at once she stopped, and said, Oh God - He's still alive!
He's alive!  He's alive!  He's still alive! (shouted)
He's still alive, alive today
Jesus is risen from the grave! He's alive, let's spread the news!
There's nothing here but an empty tomb!
He's alive!  He's still alive!

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Truth And The Life

There's so many things in this world that compete
To be that which is most important to me
They say I'll be happy if I'll give my all to them
I'm talking about all these cultural gods
Like do anything for a high paying job
I mean, we all need money
But there are some things I won't do
Like walking on you ('cause)

(Chorus)
I believe in God, I believe in Love (what do you believe in?)
I believe in Jesus Christ
I believe in God, I believe in Love
And that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life

O God I need help to see through all the lies
Of those who can't back up what they advertise
Don't let me chase after this world's empty promises
They say no one's too rich and no one's too thin
But truth is our goods and our things can't begin
To give us what our souls were created to be longing for (Psalm 42:1-2)
The love of the Lord

(Chorus)

There's so many things in this world that compete
To have my devotion and best energy
They say I'll be happy if I'll spend it all on them
I'm talking about all these slogans they sell
Like who says you can't have it all for yourself
They may make good commercials
But don't let them make up your mind
You won't buy those lines (when you)

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

A Miracle I Need

Lord I know forgiving is your way to be
But I can't seem to find the love this time
The anger and the hurt that's locked away in me
Feels like all that's really mine sometimes
And I know getting even never solves a thing (Matthew 5:38-48)
But sometimes I'd like to make somebody pay

(Chorus)
Lord I'm not as holy as you are
There's anger like a cancer in this heart
This time I just can't find the love in me
And forgiveness is a miracle I need

Lately I've been looking at the cross a lot
Thinking of the love you've given me (Romans 5:6-11)
Thinking of the wrong done to the son of God
That everybody's slate could be wiped clean (John 3:16; 1 John 1:7)
And I know that you've taken all my debts away
And I've no right to make another pay (Matthew 18:21-35)

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
A miracle I need
Take this bitterness from me
Fill my heart Lord with your love
I know your grace is enough (2Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:13)

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Nightingale And The Rose

The Nightingale and The Rose

(Based on a short story by Oscar Wild)

Words & Music by Bryan Sirchio

Once there was a young student who loved a young woman so much

He asked her if she would accompany him to the ball

She told him, well, yes, he could take her—if he’d bring her a deep red rose

To match the new gown she just bought at the fashion mall

So the young man went out to the garden, but every last rose was white

He sat down and started to cry

And then a nightingale flew by

What’s wrong said the nightingale?

He said, “I can’t take my love to the ball”

‘Cause I need a red rose and all of these roses are white

So the nightingale talked to the bushes, and said, “My friend here needs a red rose”

And then one bush said, “Well, I do know of one way—a red rose could grow”

What’s that said the nightingale? And then the bush said this…

If you press against my sharpest thorn, and sing your sweetest song

And let your life’s blood flow into my vine

Then you’ll change my very nature

And my flower will instead, of being a white rose—it will turn to red

So the nightingale pressed against the thorn, and sang its most beautiful song

And as it sand out the flower began to change

But the redder that flower became, the soften the nightingale’s song

And in just a few moments the nightingale’s life was gone

In the morning the student returned to the garden and found the red rose

Then he cried out with joy and took the rose to his love and said come on

Let’s go dance at the ball!

But she said, “Oh—didn’t you know?

Another man’s asked me to go. And he brought me expensive jewels—

And everyone knows that jewels cost more than a rose

Then she tossed the rose in the road, where it was crushed by a passing coach

Then the student went back to his room, and said, I think I’ll take up philosophy

‘Cause it seems to me, philosophy is safer than love…

I offer no interpretations—my words would just get in the way

But if you don’t mind, I just need to say…

Precious Nightingale, your song is sweet to me

And I stand amazed at how you pressed against that thorn

And the rose you give this world is what I treasure most of all

And yes, I will go with you, to the ball

updated: 8 years ago

Silent Night

updated: 8 years ago

Grace Chose You

updated: 14 years ago

Grace Chose You

updated: 14 years ago

The Easter Story Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Dan Stood Here Intro

updated: 14 years ago

The Manna Song

"The Manna Song"

When the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness
God made sure that they had food
By giving them manna bread
And just like the morning dew, manna was a daily gift
So God fed all of Israel with a lesson that goes like this…

(Chorus)
When we take more than we need
Manna gets spoiled by greed
But when nobody keeps too much
Everybody has enough

(Repeat entire song two more times)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Calling At The Crossroads

"Calling At The Crossroads"

What 'cha gonna do when its time to choose?
What 'cha gonna do with your life?
How you gonna use what's been given to you?
How you gonna know what is right?

There are many voices that call to you
And God's voice won't always be loud
But if you want to do what Christ wants you to
Here's a truth to think about

(Chorus)
Where your greatest source of joy
Intersects with the needs of the world
Go and find that place
And hear the Spirit calling you (calling you)
Where your greatest source of joy
Intersects with the needs of the world
Go and find that place
And hear your calling at the Crossroads

Some are gonna tell you that you must ask first
Where's the biggest money to be made?
But I will tell you there's no check that's worth
Pushing what you love away
And some are gonna tell you that growing up
Means saying no to your dreams
But I believe the Spirit wants to cross your dreams
With a wounded person's needs

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
You might be a wonderful artist
Your gift flows from deep in your soul
But someone has said there's no market
For what you do, so let it go
But I say give praise to the God who creates
And ask God to show you how
Your artistry can somehow be used
To raise up in a world that puts down

(Chorus)

Note: The idea for this song came from a statement by author Frederick Buechner: "Your calling is where your own greatest  joy intersects with the needs of the world."

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Friends Like You

"Friends Like You"

Sometimes I get feeling down
And I keep it to myself
But then you call or come around
And somehow your friendship helps
And you might not know how much it means
So I want you to hear me say, that...

(Chorus)
Its friends like you
Who keep the candle burning
When the flame gets weak and the night is long
And its friends like you
Whose simple acts of kindness
Reflect for me the love of God
And if I've learned anything its this
There's nothing I can't go through
As long as God's with me
And I've got friends like you

Sometimes I get wondering
Whether things I say and do
Really matter much to anyone
Or if the deeper things get through
But then you call and tell me how
God's been touching someone through my life, and you know...

(Chorus)

Sometimes we are distanced by
The miles in between
But in the Love of Jesus Christ
You're always close to me
Just knowing you are who you are
Helps me be who I'm trying to be

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Grace Chose You

You were loved long before you were able
To know for yourself what love is
You were bathed in the Light of the Savior
Before you believed God exists
Your baptism was a sign and a symbol
of Grace God has lavished on you
You were fully received long before you believed
Before you were able to choose
Grace chose you
You won't remember what happened today
So we'll remember it for you
We'll tell you all about the promises made
On your behalf to support you
Someday you'll make decisions on your own
We pray somehow this day will help you know... that
Grace Chose Me
Grace Chose You
Before we could choose
Grace chose me and you
 
 
The Church received you and promised to be
With you to nurture your learning
Touched you with water of Christ's Mystery
Blessed you with grace for your journey
Someday where you begin to think things through
We pray the day you were baptized...
Will be a sign to you… that
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Come, Holy Spirit, Come (Fast Version)

updated: 14 years ago

Come, Holy Spirit, Come (Fast Version)

updated: 14 years ago

Freedom

"Freedom"

When I'm still inside, I hear the cries for freedom
I feel the longing for release from a thousand kinds of prison
Prisons of iron bars, prisons inside the human heart

Chorus:  All I know is that walking with Christ
             Is the way to freedom (2 times)
             All I know is that walking with Christ
             Sets the prisoners free

I can see the chains, systems of selfishness and greed
Generations bound; vice grips of grinding poverty
Sweatshops and crack house streets, 21st century slavery

Chorus:

Bridge:  I've seen prisoners locked in chains of addiction
             Longing for freedom; for the strength to let go and walk away
             And there've been times when I've longed for the freedom of forgiveness
             To be loved with a love so big that all my guilt would just wash away,
             wash away, wash away

Chorus:

Tag: Verse 1 - first 2 lines

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio & Joe Steinke
Crosswind Music, 2002.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

All I Needed Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Can't Talk Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

New Testament Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Empty Chair Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Empty Chair Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Empty Chair

updated: 15 years ago

Can't Talk Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

New Testament

updated: 15 years ago

The Manna Song

updated: 15 years ago

All I Needed

updated: 15 years ago

Can't Talk

updated: 15 years ago

Can't Talk

updated: 15 years ago

Empty Chair

updated: 15 years ago

All I Needed

updated: 15 years ago

Something Small

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved

"When We Know We're Loved"

Sometimes its hard to trust
Sometimes I’m scared its just not safe enough
But when God’s Love fills me up
I feel safe and I can trust
That’s when I am free

(Chorus)
When we know we’re really loved
In the way that God loves us
That’s when we are free to trust
When we know we’re loved


Sometimes its hard to share
What if I give, then there’s not enough there
But when I’m safe in God’s care
That’s when I feel free to share
That’s when I feel free

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Dan Stood Here

The boys and girls in Sunday school remember Mr. Dan
The nice old man who stood next to the door
Every Sunday morning, Dan would smile at the kids
As they entered class to learn about the Lord
I heard the news the other day that Mr. Dan had died
A service had been scheduled to remember Daniel's life

The church was packed with years and years of kids from Sunday school
And many now have children of their own
The pastor said, "I think we all know where Dan used to stand
As he'd greet our kids with smiles and hellos."
And then the pastor read a plaque in memory of Dan
Which now hangs on the wall where Mr. Dan would always stand

(Chorus)
And the plaque says, "Dan stood here
Forty years of Sunday mornings
A ministry of smiling at the children of the church
Dan stood here
Gently calling to us to ask,
Where do we stand in our service to the Lord?"

I couldn't help but sense that God was speaking to us all
As we looked at how old Mr. Dan had lived
You know, some folks come to church to see what they can take away
But a man like Dan just came to church to give
And Mr. Dan did not have much by standards of this world
But God knows all that Dan gave to the church's boys and girls

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And I left that church service
Thanking God for showing me
That nothing done in Jesus' love is small
A smile, a hug, a warm hello
Might mean more than we see
A gift from Mr. Dan's life to us all

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

New Testament

Good morning class!  
Today we're going to memorize the 27 books of the New Testament.  
Eyes forward, backs straight, repeat after me, Hah!
(you forgot the Hah! ...oh well)

Matthew, Mark, Luke John, Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians (repeat)

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (repeat)

1, 2, Thessalonians, 2 Timothy's and a Titus (repeat)

And 3 from John, and 1 from Jude and Revelation ends it dude! (repeat)

New Testament, I'm gonna memorize it cold! (repeat)

(Repeat the entire song a second time as above. Repeat the song a third time - all the way through - without repeating each line.)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

All I Needed

A couple years ago if someone had said to me
You will soon be going to church and singing songs like these
I'd have said you're crazy -- you see religion's not for me
I don't need a money hungry church preaching hypocrisy

You see I'd never seen a Christian who was any different from me
Except for these do's and don'ts that they could never keep
They'd go to church on Sunday, but their lives stayed just the same
No better off on Monday - it seemed just like some foolish game (but)

(Chorus)
All I needed was to see God's love in another
To be loved just like a brother
With the love only God can give
To sense God loving me through another's life
Was really quite enough
God fills a heart with love
And love's on thing I can't deny

Well I'd heard about how Jesus came to die for all my sins
But saw no reason why I should let him in
You see God seemed like this concept, too for removed from me
I wouldn't acknowledge anything I couldn't first touch and see

But then I met this Christian, and she really knew the Lord
And when I saw God's love in her, it wasn't long before
I bowed down before God with tears rolling from my eyes
Asking God to give me love-to come and live inside me (Rev. 3:20)

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Press On

You did what you did
You said what you said
Now you're feeling crippled in your guilt and regret
Advice and consolation can come across cheap
You're hard on yourself when your faith falls asleep
Do what you can to get it right
But once you have then put it out of sight

(Chorus)
Forget what's behind and press on, press on
The Lord's on y;our side, press on, press on
Forget what's behind and press on, press on, press on

You tried to do right
But something went wrong
Now you've got to face what you have known all along
You're not all the together, you're no "supersaint"
You stumble and fall and you procrastinate
Learn What you can from your mistakes
But then remember the free gift off grace (Rom. 3:21-24)

(Chorus)

(Bridge) Whatever you've done, whatever you do
Jesus keeps on loving you
No matter how far you've drifted away
Jesus wants you back today (Luke 15:11-32)

(Chorus)

(Tag) Forget what's behind and press on, press on
To the mark of your calling in Jesus
(Repeat)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Empty Chair

Empty Chair

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

Back when he was 8 years old, he fell while climbing a tree

The doctor said this broken are will need some surgery

The little boy was frightened, and so his mother said a prayer

He said mom, sometimes I try to pray, but I can’t when I get scared

And then he mother just said this…

When you’re not sure how to pray, just find an empty chair, and think of Jesus there

And talk to him just like a friend who’s always there

In the empty chair

The little boy became a man, and had his own family

His daughter once fell off her bike, and was rushed to emergency

In the hospital waiting room, feeling lost and anxious and scared

He closed his eyes and tried to pray, but there words were just not there

And then he remembered what his mother had said…

Chorus

Bridge:  Well his daughter pulled through fine, and the years kept rolling by

           And his mother’s eyes grew dim, and then her mind began to fail

           It got to where she didn’t even know her own son’s name

           But he always stopped to visit, and before he’d leave he’d say (now remember mom)

Chorus

The doctor called one morning, and he said, you’re mom’s gone home

She passed away while sleeping;  it was a peaceful way to go

One thing kind of strange though;  the nurse who found her said

That your mother’s head was resting on this chair next to the bed

Chorus

Tag:  What a friend we have in Jesus;  all our sins and griefs to bear

           What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer

updated: 6 years ago

To All Sacred Truth

To All Sacred Truth

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

I had a dream that a whole lot of holy ones that we’ve heard about in history

Were gathered ‘round One Table and they were sharing Sacred Truth

They were swapping favorite verses from teachings they’d be given

And there was not a single trace of an argument over anything about religion

And they were breaking bread and they were passing a Cup

And they were talking ‘bout the justice and the peace and the love

That runs through every vision that flows from the wisdom of the One

The first one to speak was Mohammed

And he was quoting from Hadith 32

He said, “There shall be no doing harm nor reciprocating harm” –he said it again,

He said, “There should be no doing harm nor reciprocating harm”

And then the holy ones spoke with one voice, they said Amen! Amen!

To all Sacred Truth we say, Amen!

Next up was Hebrew King David

Quoting Psalm 34, verse 17

He said, “The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its might it cannot save”

“The was horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its might it cannot save”

Chorus

Round and round these holy ones all shared their sacred wisdom

There were animists, and indigenous, and there were men and there were women

There were some I could not recognize and some I could not hear

But the Truth and Love that unified them all was crystal clear

And they were breaking bread and they were passing a Cup

And they were talking ‘bout the mercy and the grace and the love

That runs through every vision that flows from the wisdom of the One

And just before I woke I saw Jesus

He was deep conversation with two Sufis

Then all at once the three stood up and there by Jesus’ side

Were the Sufis poets Hafiz and Rumi

Then the three started dancing, perfect step, perfect time

And got that whole table singing Matthew 5, verse 9

“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they’ll be called the children of God”

“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they’ll be called the children of God

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

New Testament Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Can't Talk

"Can't Talk"

I can't talk to my dad, I don't know why
We've got nothing in common
There's nothing to say
I say what I'm thinking, and he just gets mad
So I just keep it to myself
I can't talk to my dad

I can't talk to my mom, I sure wish I could
Can't say what I'm thinking though, 'cause she still thinks I'm good
She'd just start crying, and I'd just feel dumb
So let her think that I'm O.K.
I can't talk  to my mom

(Bridge)
But there's a whole world of friends who understand me
They look at this world and see what I see
And its O.K. if mom and dad and I don't agree
I just wish we could say it openly
But we don't talk about religion; we don't talk about love
Don't talk about decisions
That I make just growing up
And I don't want a sermon, and they don't understand
Why I don't try to talk to them
I just talk to my friends

Please Note: This song was written by Jim Weber of Touchstone Youth Resources. As a matter of courtesy, please contact Jim for permission before copying or using this song in any way.

P.O. Box 159231
Nashville, TN, 37215
800-951-0124
jim-weber@juno.com
www.jimweber.com

Written by Jim Weber
� 1985 Meadowgreen Music Co.
(ASCAP) All Rights Reserved.

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Jim Weber
1985 Meadowgreen Music Co.

updated: 14 years ago

The Empty Chair

"The Empty Chair"

Back when he was 8 years old
He fell while climbing a tree
The doctor said this broken arm will need some surgery
The little boy was frightened, so his mother said a prayer
And he said, "Mom, sometimes I try to pray
But I can't when I get scared"
(Then his mother said, "Well, then try this")

(Chorus)
If you're not sure how to pray
Just find an empty chair
And think of Jesus sitting there
And talk to him just like a friend
Who'll stay with you right there
In the empty chair

The little boy became a man
And had his own family
His daughter once fell off her bike
And was rushed to emergency
In the hospital waiting room
Feeling lost and anxious and scared
He closed his eyes and tried to pray
But the words were just not there
(But then he remembered what his mother said)

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Well his daughter pulled through fine
And the years kept rolling by
And his mother's eyes grew dim,
and then her mind began to fail
It got to where she didn't even know her own son's name
But he always stopped to visit,
and before he'd leave he's say,
"Now remember mom..."

(Chorus)

The doctor called one morning
And said, your mom's gone home
She passed away while sleeping
It was a peaceful way to go
One thing kind of strange though
The nurse who found her said
That your mother's head was resting
On this chair next to the bed

(Chorus)

(Tag)
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry everything to God in Prayer

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Come, Holy Spirit, Come (Fast Version)

Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Come as the Fire and burn
Come as the Light and reveal
Come as the Wind and cleanse
Convict us, show us your way
Convert us, day after day
Consecrate us, until we're wholly thine
(to end): In Christ's precious name we pray

updated: 14 years ago

Ask, Seek, Knock

updated: 14 years ago

Ask, Seek, Knock

updated: 14 years ago

ABC's For the HB

"ABC's For The H.B."

Now if you want to learn the books of the Hebrew Bible
Well I figured out a way to make it easy for you, easy for me
Kind of like the way we once had to learn those “A,B,C,D,E,F,G’s…”
I’m gonna commit to my memory these…

(Chorus )
ABC’s for the H.B. (repeat)
You can learn the Hebrew Bible books with these
ABC’s for the H.B. (repeat)

Genesis, Exodus, Levitcus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, that’s the 5 books of Moses (repeat)


Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 2 Sam’s, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles (repeat)


Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, sing a little Psalm and get wise with a Proverb (repeat)


Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (repeat)


‘Zeke and Dan, Hosea and Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah (repeat)


Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and last is Malachi (repeat)

(Repeat twice; 3rd time through, sing it without the repeats)


Note the following abbreviations:
2 Sam's = 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel
2Kings = 1 Kings and 2 Kings
2 Chronicles = 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles
Zeke = Ezekiel
Dan = Daniel

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The H.B.

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Put It In The Hands Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

The Other Side Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Wherever Love Is Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Wooden Bell Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Wooden Bell Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

The Wooden Bell

updated: 15 years ago

The Other Side Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Wherever Love Is

updated: 15 years ago

When We Know We're Loved

updated: 15 years ago

Put It In The Hands

updated: 15 years ago

The Other Side

updated: 15 years ago

The Other Side

updated: 15 years ago

Yesterday I Saw Jesus

updated: 15 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

updated: 15 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

updated: 15 years ago

Put It In The Hands

updated: 15 years ago

Always With Us

updated: 15 years ago

Yesterday I Saw Jesus

"Yesterday I Saw Jesus"

Yesterday I saw Jesus
And he was living in San Salvador
I saw the one who frees us
And he was homeless and landless and poor
I almost did not recognize him
You'd never know he was King of Kings
His wife and his children beside him
And he was begging for bread of all things

Yesterday I saw Jesus
And he was living in a shanty town
I saw the one who frees us
And in the streets they were shooting him down
The government sent in the soldiers
Declared a state of emergency
They ripped through the town with their dozers
And the press was forbidden to speak

(Chorus)
When did we take you in Lord?
When did we give you a drink?
When did we see you naked?
When did we watch you bleed?
When did we see you in prison?
When did we give you something to eat?
Well whatever you did to the least of these
You did it unto me

Yesterday I saw Jesus
And she had nowhere she could lay her head
I saw the one who frees us
And she had fallen through the safety net
The father of her children had left her
The monthly check she received was too thin
She knocked on the door of the shelter
But there was no room left in the inn

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Yesterday I saw Jesus Christ
Child of war running for his life
God of Love give us hands to reach
Out to Jesus Christ the refugee

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1987.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Wherever Love Is

Wherever Love is, God is there too
God is in me 'cause I love you!
Wherever Love is, God is there too
God is wherever Love is!

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1992, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Put It In The Hands

A long time ago back in Bible time the one we call the Son of God
was on a mountainside, and he talked about God, he talked about
love, and the people who listened couldn't get enough.  The day
rolled along and it began to get dark, and the people back then
didn't drive any cars; it was time to go home but their homes
were too far, the master said people you stay where you are, and

(Chorus)
Whatever you got, a little or a lot
You gotta put it in the hands of Jesus (repeat)

Now the 12 said Jesus what are we gonna do?  There's over 5000
people and we got no food.  You better send them away before we
have a bad scene, but the master said well you can give them what
they need.  The Bible doesn't tell us what went on in their heads,
but they were learning to do whatever Jesus said, particularly
when he seemed to make no sense, so they found a little boy with
some fish and bread, and...

(Chorus)

Well now they prob'ly thought well this will never go around - I
mean what are 2 fish among such a crowd?  But whatever they
thought they didn't think it too loud, the master said go and make
the people sit down.  And he took the bread and fish and he began to
pray - gave thanks to the one who feeds us every day, then he
gave the bread and fish to the people there, and they were more
than satisfied with the meal they shared...

(Chorus)

Now if you're looking for a message in the words I say, some kind
of moral to the story you can take away, well there's no end to
meaning in a story so rich, but I'll give you one and it goes like
this.  Whoever you are, you may be big or small, you may be living
in a shack or in the Taj Mahal, you take whatever you got and in
the Savior's hands, its more than enough to carry out the plan,
because a little in the hands of the God of all is bigger than
big, and taller than tall, so whenever you find yourself against
the odds, you got to give the situation to the Son of God...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Perfect Pastor

O Lord we're gathered here tonight
To find a pastor for our church
We pray that you will guide
his here committee as we search
And if its all the same to you
We've written down a thought or two
About the kind of pastor we'd appreciate from you

(Chorus)
O Lord we're only asking for a perfect pastor
We know for you no order is too tall
If you can make the universe in less than a week
You can make a perfect pastor in no time at all
O Lord we're only asking for a perfect pastor
A little less than an angel will be fine
But we'll settle for no less than a perfect pastor
We're tired of the plain old human kind

Now Lord we're open minded here
We'll take a woman or a man
'cause gender never does affect our choice
Yes we'll look at any she
Who's got the qualities
Of being at least six foot tall
With a deep down preacher voice

And Lord we'd like an older man
Someone polished and mature
But young enough to still be looking great
We'd like someone to wow us
With administrative prowess
How 'bout forty years experience
At age thirty eight?

(Chorus)

(Bridge) And the perfect pastor visits all the needy
And he's in his office every single day
And when it comes to salary he's not greedy
He'll take just what you give him
And then give it all away

O we don't' believe that we
Are hard to satisfy
But after all our standards should be high
So when you find the time
Simply zap on down a guy
Who's mastered being everything to everyone all the time

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

All Shall Be Well

All Shall Be Well

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

The mystic Julian

Heard words centuries ago

That’ve stood the test of time

And that are good to know

Jesus appeared to her

In the midst of a long dark night

And spoke these words to her

And they changed her life

All shall be well, and all shall be well

And all manner of thing shall be well

Talking heads sell the news

By staying in the minor key

Scandal and tragedy

If it bleeds it leads

Yet there’s a Storyline

That’s always gonna be good news

So good it almost seems

That it can’t be true

Chorus

When life feels tangled up

And everything's one big mess

When you’re all tossed around

In the brokenness

There is a deeper Truth

Much deeper than the pain and fear

When all is said and done

One thing’ll be clear

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

Wherever Love Is Sheet Music

updated: 14 years ago

Perfect Pastor Intro

updated: 14 years ago

The Other Side

"The Other Side"

Well I know you think I don't understand you
Maybe sometimes that's true
And lately all we do is fight
When I try to talk to you
You've got your thoughts and I've got mine
And we both think we're right
You know some folks say we fight this way
'Cause we're so much alike

(Chorus)
I used to love this Cat Stevens song,
"Father and Son" on Tea For The Tillerman
I'd always sing from the child's point of view
(yeah...) I'd tell myself that when I had kids,
We'd be real close, yeah, we'd talk all the time
And it feels real strange to find myself on the other side
The other side

Well I know sometimes I'm too quick to tell you
What you must learn your own way
But man its hard to see you make
The same mistakes I made
And someday we'll both turn around
And you'll be on your own
Well I pray that we can work this out
While you're still here at home

(Chorus)

Have you heard that Cat Stevens song,
"Father and Son" on Tea For The Tillerman
You'd probably like that child's point of view (yeah...)
I think they sell it on CD now
Let's pick up a copy and check it out
Maybe you and I could learn to hear each other's side
The other side

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Something Beautiful For God

"Something Beautiful For God"

Know this one thing above all else
We are loved, loved by God
Let this be how we see ourselves
As people loved, loved by God

And once we know the love of Christ
Feel God's healing in our lives
Loving service is how we give our love back to God

(Chorus)
Today let us do something beautiful for God
Do something small, but do it with great love
Do what we can, where we are, with what we've got
Today let us do something beautiful for God

Everyone who we meet today
Is God's child, God's own child
May our lives help them hear God say
You are my child, God's own child
A smile can radiate God's love
Let them see the Christ in us
let our lives be the cheerfulness of God in this world

(Chorus)

Jesus will visit us today
In disguise, in disguise
Poor and weak, Christ will come our way
Jesus Christ, in disguise
The lonely, poor, the victimized
Love for them is love for Christ
Love is water to quench the thirst of Christ on the cross

(Chorus)

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 14 years ago

Ask, Seek, Knock

Sometimes its hard to believe
In Someone my eyes can't see
Sometimes I question and doubt the way Thomas did
But God's not the kind who says don't use your mind
So when questions trouble my soul
I trust in the promise that Jesus made to us all
When we ask, seek, knock we will receive from God
When we ask, seek, knock surely we'll find
When we ask, seek, knock doors will swing open wide
So let us ask, seek, knock all of our lives
 
 
Sometimes when I'm feeling strong
I promise things I can't keep
Sometimes I let Jesus down the way Peter did
But God gives me grace to learn from my mistakes
And to pick up the pieces again
And trust that the Savior is working good through it all
Chorus
 
 
(optional 3rd verse): Lydia listened to Paul
With ears that were eager to hear
She needed no time at all to answer God's call
So God give to us the faith we need to trust
And the grace to be like Lydia
Seeking and finding and gladly inviting you in
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

God Says It's Time

updated: 14 years ago

God Says It's Time

updated: 14 years ago

Something Small

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The H.B. Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The H.B. Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

As God Sees You Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The O.T. Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The H.B. Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

U-Turns Allowed Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

U-Turns Allowed Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

U-Turns Allowed

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The O.T. Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The H.B. Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The H.B.

updated: 15 years ago

As God Sees You

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The O.T.

updated: 15 years ago

ABC's For The O.T.

updated: 15 years ago

Strands In The Web

updated: 15 years ago

As God Sees You

updated: 15 years ago

Strands In The Web

"Strands In The Web"

Praise the Creator for the sun in the sky
Gift to all peoples and nations
Praise for the cycles and seasons of life
Brother and sister creation
Praise for the trees and the sap and the seeds
Praise for the good food we eat

(Chorus)
And the Mother will always provide
For a people who treat her with care
Every being and thing will survive
When we're strands in the web of all life

Praise for the waters which fill up our wells
Praise for the balance of nature
Praise for the person who loves more than self
Praise for the gift of a neighbor
Praise for the elders who teach us to share
Praise for the will to be fair

(Chorus)

Praise for the truth which can set captives free
From prisons of misunderstanding
Praise for the people now able to see
The embers of hate they were fanning
Praise for the rights of all peoples on earth
Praise for respect they deserve

(Chorus)

(Tag)
The gift of creation will flourish and thrive
When we're strands in the web of all life

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio.
Crosswind Music, 1989.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Something Small

"Something Small "

(Chorus:)
Sometimes God works best through something small
Ordinary things that don’t seem like much at all
Remember this when your back’s against the wall
Sometimes God works best through something small

Nathan told a story to help David understand
Moses dried the Red Sea with a big stick called a staff
Noah used his tool box, and Rahab used a scarf
Miriam sang and danced, and David played his harp

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Moses’ mother saved him with a basket in the reeds
Jonathan shot arrows on the ground
Samson told a riddle, and Gideon cast a fleece
King Josiah read some words out loud


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Perfect Pastor

O Lord we're gathered here tonight
To find a pastor for our church
We pray that you will guide
his here committee as we search
And if its all the same to you
We've written down a thought or two
About the kind of pastor we'd appreciate from you

(Chorus)
O Lord we're only asking for a perfect pastor
We know for you no order is too tall
If you can make the universe in less than a week
You can make a perfect pastor in no time at all
O Lord we're only asking for a perfect pastor
A little less than an angel will be fine
But we'll settle for no less than a perfect pastor
We're tired of the plain old human kind

Now Lord we're open minded here
We'll take a woman or a man
'cause gender never does affect our choice
Yes we'll look at any she
Who's got the qualities
Of being at least six foot tall
With a deep down preacher voice

And Lord we'd like an older man
Someone polished and mature
But young enough to still be looking great
We'd like someone to wow us
With administrative prowess
How 'bout forty years experience
At age thirty eight?

(Chorus)

(Bridge) And the perfect pastor visits all the needy
And he's in his office every single day
And when it comes to salary he's not greedy
He'll take just what you give him
And then give it all away

O we don't' believe that we
Are hard to satisfy
But after all our standards should be high
So when you find the time
Simply zap on down a guy
Who's mastered being everything to everyone all the time

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

As God Sees You

You say you really need to lose some weight
Being heavy isn't in these days
Lose the pounds and everyone will notice you
You're gonna perm your hair
Change the styles you wear
Gonna show this world a brand new you
But you're more than just some package that must be wrapped upright
And you're more than you can see with your own eyes

(Chorus)
When God sees you, God doesn't see the person you see in the mirror
God sees much clearer
God sees the meaning in your life
And all the beauty deep inside
And Jesus died to make a way for you
To see yourself as God sees you

We're living in a world of magazines
Vogue, and Vanity, and Seventeen
And life is hard for those who haven't got "the look"
You try to do your best
Though you don't feel blessed
With the kind of face that opens doors
But you're more than just on image some camera lens can catch
And you're more than you reflection in the glass

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Let the gospel set you free from a world of vanity
Let the Savior set your standards, not a vain society
There's a beauty that will last
When the world is long since passed
All eternity - that's what God sees...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Straight And Narrow Road

Got a call on the telephone
From a woman I used to know
She said you know I think of you so much
She said she never should've married
When the one she wanted was me
She said sometimes I dream about your touch
And she said she's tired of trying to live up
to what somebody tells her is right
Her husband's gone on business and she'd like
to see me tonight
And I said...

(Chorus)
You see I'm driving down this straight and narrow road
And I really don't want to turn to the left or the right
Someone gets hurt every time I take an exit sign
I'll be keepin' my eyes on this straight and narrow road

Got a friend on Wall Street
He said hey listen to me
I've heard some news that's got but you've gotta move quick
So don't be asking your questions
All you need to know is this
An inside friend of mine gave me a gift
This is your chance to make it all now and then you're free
the rest of your life
Are you thinking what you'll do for the kids
come college time?
And I said...

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Sometimes I'm tempted by that free way
It's always just an easy turn away
And it's nice to feel those curves
Until you crash and burn
And find that that free way's got tolls to pay (Rom. 6:21-23)
I say...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

No Planet, No Problem

No Planet, No Problem

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio


I was watching Morning Joe one day on MSNBC

October 28, 2014

I caught a great interview with rocker Graham Nash

He’d written a book about his rock n’ roll past

He talked about his music with Crosby and Stills

He mentioned Neal Young and his awfully strong will

He spoke of Joni Mitchell and the romance they had

And how he loves her still

Someone asked him what his music’s going to focus on now

He said he’d just composed a song about Michael Brown

They talked about Ferguson and when they were done

They said “Of all the social issues what is your number 1?”

He said, “It’s global warming, and saving the earth

We’ve got to deal with climate change for all that we’re worth

Then Mika said, “Of course that issue’s got many sides”

But Graham just smiled and replied…

No planet, no problem

No planet, no problem

There’re other issues and it’s urgent that we solve them but

No planet, no problem

Well you can find that interview and watch it for yourself

He talked about the Kock brothers using their wealth

To purchase politicians and scientists too

Just to make some more money, “How much can they use?”

He said, “We’ve got to get the money out of our politics

I’m sure the Koch brothers also love their grandkids

Well over 90 percent of scientists now agree

Our grandkids will pay for our short-sighted greed and…

Chorus

Bridge: Then Morning Joe and Graham played guitars

And Graham sang “Teach Your Children well

Their fathers’ hell will slowly go by

Don’t you ever ask them why

If they told you you would cry

So just look at them and sigh”…

Well sometimes it’s hard to get my head around climate change

It’s easy just to push the conversation away

And I’m weary of the way the issue often gets framed

In polarizing, special interest, close-minded games

It’s time for us to find another way to sit down

And have the conversations we need to have now

To even have a chance of slowing this runaway train down

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

ABC's For The O.T.

"ABC's For The O.T."
Now if you want to memorize the books of the O.T.
Well I've figured out a way to make it easy for you, easy for me

Kind of like the way you once had to learn those A, B, C, D, E, F, G's
I'm gonna commit to my memory these ABC's for the O.T.-- (ABC's for the O.T.)
You can memorize the Old Testament with these ABC's for the O.T.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, that's the Pentateuch of Moses (repeat)

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 2 Sam's, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles (repeat)

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, sing a little Psalm, and get wise with a Proverb (repeat)

Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (repeat)

Zeke and Dan, Hosea and Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah (repeat)

Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and last is Malachi (repeat)

(Chorus)
Memorize the Old Testament with these ABC's for the O.T.
You can ...memorize the Old Testament with these ABC's for the O.T.

Note the following abbreviations:
2 Sam's = 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel
2Kings = 1 Kings and 2 Kings
2 Chronicles = 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles
Zeke = Ezekiel
Dan = Daniel

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1995.

updated: 14 years ago

God Says It's Time

It's time to celebrate the Love of God, it's time for us to get busy
Get busy with the things that matter most like justice and compassion
It's time for us to take action, as we listen for the voice of the Holy One 'cause
God is still speaking, and God says it's time, yeah
God is still speaking, and God says it's time
 
 
It's time to put first things first
To set all distractions aside
It's time to get down to work
The work of the body of Christ
There's healing and loving and reaching out
That God wants to do, in and through
The lives that we live and the love we give
So let's roll our sleeves up now (because…)
Chorus
 
 
If God is still speaking now
Then what is God saying to us?
The chances are good somehow
The message involves showing love
There's justice, forgiveness and welcoming
That God wants to do, in and through
The choices we make and the risks we take
So let's live that message now (because…)
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Dream God's Dream

updated: 14 years ago

Dream God's Dream

updated: 14 years ago

Always With Us

updated: 15 years ago

Something Small Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Something Small Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

New Testament Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Dream God's Dream Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Something Small Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Dream God's Dream Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Something Small Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Something Small

updated: 15 years ago

New Testament

updated: 15 years ago

Dream God's Dream

updated: 15 years ago

Dream God's Dream

updated: 15 years ago

Sarah's Song

updated: 15 years ago

New Testament

updated: 15 years ago

Sarah's Song

"Sarah's Song"

I took a bunch of teenage pilgrims
A couple of worlds away
To get their first-world adolescent hearts broken open
By the so-called third-world's pain
We played around and laughed a lot
As the Spirit broke open our lives
We ate wine soaked bread
And became a little Body of Christ

There was one young woman, her name was Sarah
She was ready to hear the Spirit speak
From the moment she walked through that orphanage door
She had tears running down her cheeks
They were tears that come from reaching the summit
Of some personal mountain top
Tears that come from being free to feel
What must break the heart of God

About 8 months later
I was doing my wandering troubadour thing
Another church teenage retreat
This one was called a "Youth Happening"
That same girl Sarah was one of the youth leaders
And she was given the task to preach
And in the course of her well crafted message
She said, "I'd like to tell you what happened to me."

She said, Last summer, I volunteered in a Haitian orphanage
For the better part of a week
And my heart got just stolen away
By this little boy who wouldn't let go of me
So I spent most of the week just holding him
And on the last day when I had to leave,
He called me 'mama.' He called me 'mama.' And…

(Chorus)
When that orphan called me mama
It was like God was calling my name
And ever since that day
Everything's changed

She said, You know I used to think I'd probably be a chemist
I mean, I had my life all figured out
But ever since I went to Haiti
It's like God turned me upside down
And I think I might do something different now
Like maybe some kind of ministry
Its kind of hard to explain to my parents
'Cause all I know is something happened to me…

Chorus


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio.
Crosswind Music, 2004.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Always With Us

"Always With Us"

(Chorus)
God is always with us
That’s a promise we can trust
Step by step, ‘til the journey’s through
God is always with us


The Bible never tells us God will make life trouble free
It doesn’t say we’ll never be sad
Or that we won’t have hard times
But what the Bible does say, is that God’s with us always
Loving us and giving us strength
Whatever comes our way

(Chorus)


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 2003.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

New Testament

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, first and second Corinthians (repeat)
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (repeat)
1, 2 Thessalonians, 2 Timothies, and a Titus (repeat)
Philemon and Hebrews and James and Peter, 1 and 2 (repeat)
3 from John, 1 from Jude, and Revelation ends it dude! (repeat)

New Testment... gonna memorize it cold!...

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Things The Lord Requires

Wake up in the morning
See what the anchorwoman's got to say
A coup d'etat down south somewhere
And bundle up it's cold outside today
And there's meltdowns and machine guns
Right in my living room
These satellites have shrunk the world
What am I supposed to do?

(Chorus)
I'll try to be a doer of justice
I'll try to be a person who's kind
I'll try to be somebody whose humble
'Cause these are the things the Lord requires

I'm trying to change my coffee brand
Some companies exploit the third world poor
But I feel like I should laugh of cry
I've tried to change so many things before
But I gave up legalism
'Cause it only left me judged
I'll do the best that I can do
Though it never seems enough

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Justice, kindness, humbleness
Let these be my desire
Justice, kindness, humbleness
Show that the Spirit's alive

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Your Happiness

Your Happiness

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio


If I tried to count the things I love about you

I don’t believe I’d ever quite complete the list

And if there comes a day when I must live without you

When I remember you, I know I’ll think of this

It’s not your kindness, though I love how kind you are

It’s not your thoughtfulness although I sure do love how far

You tend to go, to make sure your loved ones know

The special way you hold us in your heart

But of all the things I love about you baby

I think there’s one thing I have learned to love the most

It’s your almost always constant happiness

The way you fill each day with smiles and playfulness

In this world of so much sadness and brokenness and pain

Just to be around your gladness reminds me of the countless ways

I’ve been blessed, and one of the best

Is your happiness

Mother Teresa used to say as each day started

The last thing people who are down and troubled need

Is for us to walk around all heavy-hearted

The poor don’t need us to confirm their misery

A smiling face or two might be the thing God needs

To enact some kind of miracle that sets someone free

And all I know, is that wherever you go

Your joyful spirit brings a healing Light

Chorus

Bridge: And baby I know you’re human too

We all have our own shades of blue

But I’ve never seen you stay down for long…

If I tried to count the things I love about you

I don’t believe I’d ever quite complete the list

And if there comes a day when I must live without you

When I remember you, I know I’ll think of this

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

The Wooden Bell Intro

updated: 14 years ago

Dream God's Dream

"Dream God's Dream"

(Chorus)
Dream God's dream
Holy Spirit, help us dream...
Of a world where there is justice, and where everyone is free
To build and grow and love
And to simply have enough
The world will change when we dream God's dream

I'm dreaming of a world where the color of one's skin
Will mean less than what's within the person's heart
A world where water's clean, and where air is safe to breathe
And every child born has enough to eat.

(Chorus)

I'm dreaming of the call God is offering to me
How to use my energy and my best gifts
To do the work of Christ -- to say, God please use my life
To spread Your healing love -- and to live your Truth

(Chorus)

I'm dreaming of the way that I want my life to go
I've got hopes and I've got goals I'd like to meet
I'm reaching for the stars, but I won't forget the scars
Of Christ who died to show that the Dream's for all...

(Chorus)

Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1991.

updated: 14 years ago

Dream God's Dream

Dream God's Dream
Holy Spirit, help us dream
Of a world where there is justice
And where everyone is free
To build and grow and love
And to simply have enough
The world will change
When we dream God's dream
 
 
I'm dreaming of a world, where the color of one's skin
Will mean less than what's within the person's heart
A world where water's clean, and where air is safe to breathe
And every child born has enough to eat
Chorus
 
 
I'm dreaming of the call God is offering to me
How to use my energy and my best gifts
To do the work of Christ—to say God, please use my life
To spread your healing Love and to live your Truth
Chorus
 
 
I'm dreaming of the way that I want my life to go
I've got hopes and I've got goals I'd like to meet
I'm reaching for the stars, but I won't forget the scars
Of Christ who died to show that the Dream's for all
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Peace

updated: 14 years ago

Peace

updated: 14 years ago

Always With Us Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Always With Us Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Ask, Seek Knock Study Session

updated: 15 years ago

Always With Us Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Always With Us Sheet Music

updated: 15 years ago

Always With Us

updated: 15 years ago

Ask, Seek, Knock

updated: 15 years ago

The Wooden Bell

updated: 15 years ago

Ask, Seek, Knock

updated: 15 years ago

The Wooden Bell

"The Wooden Bell"

No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of a wooden bell
No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of a wooden bell

It's hard to hear two worlds away
The sound is dull and quickly fades
The wooden bell of Citè Soleil
The open sewage and the flies
The silent screams of hungry eyes
The wooden bell of Citè Soleil

Lord they don't need me taking guilt trips
And they don't need me feeling sorry for them
They need me praying for the strength of grace
To be a person who will live my faith

(Chorus)
God of good news to the poor
God of what's worth living for
Help my ears to hear the wooden bell
God of all that matters most
God of cross and Easter hope
Help our ears to hear the wooden bell

There are no sound byte TV crews
The wooden bell won't sell the news
The story's old in Citè Soleil
This is no isolated case
It's two-thirds of the human race
Reality is Citè Soleil

But they don't need us feeling sad now
They need us living in the joy of Jesus
That's when we hear beyond a rich world's noise
The wooden ringing of the Spirit's voice

(Chorus)

No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of the wooden bell
No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of the wooden bell

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio.
Crosswind Music, 1991.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Ask, Seek, Knock

Sometimes its hard to believe in Someone my eyes can't see
Sometimes I question and doubt the way Thomas did (John 20:24-29)
But God's no the kind who says don't use your mind
So when questions trouble my soul
I trust in the promise that Jesus made to us all

(Chorus)
When we ask, seek, knock we will receive from God
When we ask, seek, knock surely we'll find
When we ask, seek, knock doors will swing open wide
So let us ask, seek, knock all of our lives

Sometimes when I'm feeling strong I promise things I can't keep
Sometimes I let Jesus down the way Peter did (John 18:15-27)
But God gives me grace to learn from my mistakes
And to pick up the pieces again
And trust that the Savior is working good through it all (Romans 8:28)

(Double Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Wooden Bell

No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of a wooden bell
No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of a wooden bell

It's hard to hear two worlds away
The sound is dull and quickly fades
The wooden bell of City Soleil
The open sewage and the flies
The silent screams of hungry eyes
The wooden bell of City Soleil

Lord they don't need me taking guilt trips
And they don't need me feeling sorry for them
They need me praying for the strength of grace
To be a person who will live my faith

(Chorus)
God of good news to the poor
God of what's worth living for
Help my ears to hear the wooden bell
God of all that matters most
God of cross and Easter hope
Help our ears to hear the wooden bell

There are no sound byte TV crews
The wooden bell won't sell the news
The story's old in City Soleil
This is no isolated case
It's two-thirds of the human race
Reality is City Soleil

But they don't need us feeling sad now
They need us living in the joy of Jesus
That's when we hear beyond a rich world's noise
The wooden ringing of the Spirit's voice

(Chorus)

No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of the wooden bell
No one listens to the cry of the poor
Or the sound of the wooden bell

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Staring At My Overflowing Plate

It's so easy not to see you
Close you out like a shade in the window
Your condition seems so foreign
Are you lazy? Why are you poor?
someone said you and I are connected
That your hunger is linked to my fatness
But how can that be--I never met you
I don't know your name

I've go problems of my own
I'm so busy -- I do good things
And I don't know if I can make room
In my life for your misery
Someone said that the whole world is changing
For you no longer will stand to be used
But talk like that--it makes me frightened
Scared what I might lose

(Chorus)
Jesus is that you in the window
With your nose pressed against the pane
Staring at my overflowing plate?

I've got question of my own
I'm not sure who to trust or believe
Politicians seem so sure you
Pose a threat to my liberty
I go to church and I listen to my pastor
Speak of justice beyond charity
Says the gospel is good news to poor folks (Luke 4:18-19)
But where does that leave me?

(Chorus)
...help me not to pull the window shade

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

In God's Hands

In God’s Hands

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

We can’t see into tomorrow
Can't guess what we’ll go through
All we know about the future
Is that God will be there too
And we can trust that we’ll be given
All we need to face what comes
And know that God will be there
For all of our loved ones (so…)

Let’s just rest now in God’s hands
‘Cause in those Hands everything’s alright
There is a peace that’s beyond all
circumstance
In God’s Hands

There’s no reason to be anxious
As long as we stay here
Rooted in this present moment
Where the one thing that is clear
Is that God is right here with us
And God will never go away
And when God’s presence is enough That’s when fears begin to fade (so…)

Chorus

Bridge: So in God’s hands let’s place all our insecurities All the fear and ambiguity
In the things that can’t be known
Peace like a river starts to flow When everything’s in God’s Hands And we let go
So just let go

We can’t see into tomorrow
Can’t predict what we might face
All our faith tells us for certain Is that God will give us strength
And that God is our provider Our source of security
And though there may be painful moments
In the end we’ll all be free
We’ll all be free (so…)

Chorus


updated: 8 years ago

Peace

Peace is what we're asking for
Peace is what we need
Peace is what we're working toward
With God's help, the world will one day live in peace
 
 
Peace brings happiness and harmony
Peace takes courage and humility
The peace we're longing for won't come easily
Spirit help us do our part
Chorus
 
 
God we're praying for an end to war
Spirit knock down walls and open doors
O God we're crying out, come and heal our land
Spirit help us do our part
Double Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Mark This Place

updated: 14 years ago

Mark This Place

updated: 14 years ago

Things The Lord Requires

updated: 15 years ago

The Things The Lord Requires

"Things The Lord Requires"

Wake up in the morning
See what the anchorwoman's got to say
A coup d'etat down south somewhere
And bundle up it's cold outside today
And there's meltdowns and machine guns
Right in my living room
These satellites have shrunk the world
What am I supposed to do?

(Chorus)
I'll try to be a doer of justice
I'll try to be a person who's kind
I'll try to be somebody whose humble
'Cause these are the things the Lord requires

I'm trying to change my coffee brand
Some companies exploit the third world poor
But I feel like I should laugh or cry
I've tried to change so many things before
But I gave up legalism
'Cause it only left me judged
I'll do the best that I can do
Though it never seems enough

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Justice, kindness, humbleness
Let these be my desire
Justice, kindness, humbleness
Show that the Spirit's alive

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1991.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Deeper Than The Valley

I can't give you reasons why things happen as they do
And I don't know the answers to questions facing you
And I don't know the outcome of what you're going through
But there's one thing that I can promise you

(Chorus)
There is a healer
There is someone whose love is deeper than the valley
And I can't see the mountains
But I do know there's a friend
Who's deeper than the valley you're in

I can't move the storm front when it's threatening to rain
And I can't see tomorrow or even later on today
I can't make them open when the doors have all been closed
But there's one thing I know down in my soul

(Chorus)

When you're walking through the valley of the shadow
Don't be afraid for you are not alone, no, no
There's a shepherd who will lead your weary soul beside still waters
He'll fill your cup until it overflows

(Chorus)

God's love is deeper than any valley you're in

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

If My Soul Should Be Required Tonight

Once there was a farmer
Whose land produced so well
his barns could not contain the excess grain
He built the barns up larger
And then said to himself
I've all I need for years now laid away
But God said to him,
Fool! This night your soul shall be required
And all this wealth of yours
Whose will it be?

(Chorus)
And if my soul should be required tonight
What would Jesus say to me?
If my soul should be required tonight
Would my treasure stay with me?
Would he find me rich in things
Or find me rich in Christ
If my soul should be required tonight

There is always someone
Who's urging me to buy
Who's making luxury look like a need
Investments in convenience
In comfort and in style
With all my satisfaction guaranteed
And its bigger, better, newer, faster
Buy now pay tomorrow
Seduced with credit cards and toll free lines

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And its so easy to justify
The way I live, and all these things I buy
But this world's so hungry, Lord I've seen the need
Can I truly love, and keep the piles for me? (1 John 3:17-18; James 2:15-17)

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Muisc, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Fully Alive

Fully Alive

Words & Music by Bryan Sirchio

I want to open my heart a little wider

Let Spirit in a little deeper

Love with a Love that’s on fire

And be fully alive

There is a phrase…that comes to us

From the Church father… Irenaeus

The Glory of God…is a human

Fully alive…fully alive!

Chorus

Jesus proclaimed…good news to the poor

Hearts that are broken…will all be restored

Christ said it’s time…for Jubilee

Perfect release…everyone free!

Chorus

How does a rose…open its heart?

And give this world…its beautiful art

Encouraged by Light…warm on its being

It casts fear aside…and opens up wide…

Chorus

Note: 3rd verse was drawn heavily from the Sufi Mystic poet Hafiz’s “It Felt Love”

updated: 8 years ago

Mark This Place

Find a stone like Jacob, and mark this place
Surely God's been with us here
And some day when we return, we'll remember things we learned
By God's grace
Mark this place



As we journey through our lives, there are places, there are times
Where the Spirit seems to touch us in ways that change it all
Holy places, holy ground, Holy Spirit al around
Place where we seem to hear God call

Chorus



There are places where the veil that can seem to separate
Things of God from things of this world becomes so very thin
That we sense God passing through; making promises anew
Speaking words God knows we need to hear

Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Send Me

updated: 14 years ago

Send Me

updated: 14 years ago

Westbound on I-80 (The Sneaker Song)

"Westbound On Interstate 80"

Westbound on Interstate 80, driving with my family
Little kids, little bladders, you know how it is
"Dad, can we stop soon please?"
Saw one of those blue signs, "Rest Area 2 Miles"
We got there just in time

While I was waiting for my children,
I saw this homeless man
Dirty hair, dirty clothes, you know how it is
Looking like a street man can
Something in my heart said, how can I help this man?
And then these words popped right into my head that said...

How does the love of God abide in you
If you have this world's goods
and yet refuse to help someone in need?

How does the love of God abide in you
If you have this world's goods
and yet refuse to help someone in need?
And then I saw his shoes

You see, both of his shoes were worn out
Most of his toes were bare
And then I heard this voice,
and I think it was the voice of God
It said, "Give the man your extra pair."
And I thought, oh God-that's a crazy thing to do
Besides, how am I supposed to know
If these thoughts are sent to me from you?
And anyway, my only extra pair's my favorite
New Balance running shoes
And then that same voice said something like, "Those will do."

How does the love of God abide in you
If you have this world's goods
and yet refuse to help someone in need?

So as my kids got in the car I laughed and thought, "This is insane."
So I turned the motor over and began to drive away
I got almost to the highway when my heart stepped on the brakes
I said, "There's something I forgot you guys - just wait."
And so I found that man and said,

"Excuse me sir, but you look down on your luck"
And he said, "Yeah, I guess I am. You got an extra buck?"
And I said, "Yeah, but try these shoes." And they fit just like a glove
And he said, "God bless you." And I thought, "God sure does."

West bound on Interstate 80, feeling kind of strange but free
Could it be God's gift to me - a gift to me
Just to see that homeless man

"Dad!" - you guessed it..., "Can we stop soon please?"


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Claimed, Called, And Sent

Chorus:
Claimed by Christ
Sent by the Holy Spirit
Claimed, called and sent out
To live the word of God

We have been called by the God of the universe
Source and Creator of the Earth
Called by the One who has given birth to us all
Claimed by the God who has come to us
Claimed by the God we can always trust
Claimed by the One who empowers us to become the church

(Chorus)

We have been called by the One whom the prophets heard
Called to proclaim Yahweh's word
Called to receive what we cannot earn on our own
Called to become God's own witnesses
Called to embody the word in flesh
Called to be those through whom God can bless and sow seeds of love

(Chorus)

We have been sent to the wounded and to the poor
Sent to the neighbor next door
Sent to the seeker who knows there's more to this life
Sent to make peace when the nations rage
Sent to help systems and structures change
Sent to speak out where injustice reigns and to take a stand

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
1991, Crosswind Music.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Don't Be Surprised

I ran into a friend
Hadn't seen him in a while
But in his eyes I saw some wear and tear
I said how have you been?
As he tried to force a smile
He said I guess I've had my cross to bear (Mark 8:34-35)
And I said man what do you mean?
He said I lost my job last week
I wouldn't lie to make the boss look good
And I took my friend aside
And we prayed until we cried
And as he walked away this thought ran through my mind

(Chorus)
Don't be surprised when your life's not easy
Don't be surprised when you pay a price
Because no servant is above the master (John 15:20) (Matthew 10:22)
And the master said we should not be surprised

I heard a preacher say
Just give your life to Jesus Christ
And he will take your troubles all away
Well I don't know it all
But I do know my own life
And I know I still feel my share of pain
And maybe it don't sound as nice
To preach the cost of knowing Christ (Luke 14:25-33)
Its not a truth which makes attendance swell
But the Lord Himself once said
On the night before he bled
If they hated me this world will hate you too (John 15:18-19)

(Chorus Twice)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

The Witness of Rufus Jones

The Witness of Rufus Jones

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio

About a 100 years ago, a Quaker man named Rufus Jones

Authored over 50 books

I know this because I just looked him up on the internet using Google.com

Which was linked of course with Amazon

So I bought Rufus Jones’ biography

Got a hunch it’s gonna speak to me

But right now, the only words I know that were written once by Rufus Jones

Were found last year by a friend of mine

On the wall of a Quaker school in Palestine

My friend sent them out in a Christmas card

And when I read the words, well, they hit me hard

They rang true in the same way that babe in the manger does

Rufus Jones wrote…

I pin all my hopes on quiet processes

And small circles in which

Vital and truly transforming events take place (repeat)

But…In this violent world of ours --clashing principalities and powers

Market fear like they market soap

Loud and clear we’re told our hope

Lies only in the hands of those who will kill in order to impose

What we claim we need to be secure

These are dangerous times for sure

And yet a circle seems to gently say, there is only us—there’s no we and they

And those words sent out by that friend of mine

Are still hanging on that school wall in Palestine

Between bulldozed homes and suicide bombs

The witness of Rufus Jones lives on

And rings true in the same way that Christ on the cross still does

Chorus

updated: 8 years ago

Send Me

The scriptures say…God knows us all by name
Don't be afraid when the Spirit calls
There's a Whisper now
Listen way deep down
Once we hear it then every bush is ablaze!
God is listening
Hoping we'll respond
Hoping we will say…
 
 
Yes God, I'll go where you lead me
I hear your Spirit calling my name
As long as I know you're with me
I know you'll give me the grace that I need
So here I am, send me Holy One
Here I am, send me Holy One
Here I am, send me Holy One
Here I am, send me
 
 
So many needs-- I see the people's pain
O God, send me--I will share your love
I will feed your sheep, comfort those who weep
I will work for your justice and for your peace
When I make mistakes--wash me with your Grace
Then again, I'll say
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Phillipians 4:5-9

updated: 14 years ago

Phillipians 4:5-9

updated: 14 years ago

If My Soul Should Be Required Tonight

"If My Soul Should Be Required Tonight"

Once there was a farmer
Whose land produced so well
his barns could not contain the excess grain
He built the barns up larger
And then said to himself
I've all I need for years now laid away
But God said to him,
Fool! This night your soul shall be required
And all this wealth of yours
Whose will it be?

(Chorus)
And if my soul should be required tonight
What would Jesus say to me?
If my soul should be required tonight
Would my treasure stay with me?
Would he find me rich in things
Or find me rich in Christ
If my soul should be required tonight

There is always someone
Who's urging me to buy
Who's making luxury look like a need
Investments in convenience
In comfort and in style
With all my satisfaction guaranteed
And its bigger, better, newer, faster
Buy now pay tomorrow
Seduced with credit cards and toll free lines

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
And its so easy to justify
The way I live, and all these things I buy
But this world's so hungry, Lord I've seen the need
Can I truly love, and keep the piles for me?

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio.
Crosswind Music, 1989.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Born Of Blood And Love

A man once dared to touch the idols of this world
He said, soldier, you don't have to shoot your gun
And as he preached the Word, the doors flung open wide
And the guns he tried to silence took his life
And blood inside the cup was running on the ground
Life had been proclaimed and life had been shot down

Once there were four nuns who went to Salvador
To find the face of Jesus in the poor
But death squads on the right took those sacred lives
And the government was duly horrified
And blood inside the cup was running on the ground
Life had been proclaimed, and life had been shot down

(Chorus)
But death can never stop what's been born of
Blood and Love
Give glory to the Son!
And guns can never drop what's been born of
Blood and Love
Proclaim it ''''til he comes! (1 Cor. 11:26)
The grave can never stop the rising up
Born of Blood and Love

Six more holy men, and tens of thousands more
Have drunk the Savior's cup in Salvador (Matthew 20:22)
To boldly speak the truth, and then to pay the price (John 15:18ff)
The way of those who follow Jesus Christ
And blood inside the cup is running on the ground
Life has been proclaimed, and life has been shot down

(Chorus)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Phillipians 4:5-9

Our God is near (Our God is near)
Don't be worried (Don't be worried)
Pray to God with a thankful heart (Pray to God with a thankful heart)
And God will give you peace, (And God will give you peace)
Our God is near (Our God is near)
Don't be worried (Don't be worried)
Pray to God with a thankful heart (Pray to God with a thankful heart)
And God will give you peace, (And God will give you peace)
And whatever's true, whatever's just,
Whatever's pure, whatever's pleasing,
Excellent, commendable, honorable, or praiseworthy,
Think about these things and God will give you peace
 
 
Our God is near (Our God is near)
Don't be worried (Don't be worried)
Pray to God with a thankful heart (Pray to God with a thankful heart)
And God will give you peace, (And God will give you peace)
 
Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Come, Holy Spirit, Come (Slow Version)

updated: 14 years ago

Come, Holy Spirit, Come (Slow Version)

updated: 14 years ago

Stand With You

"Stand With You"

If you find that you're locked out just because of who you are
Or because of how you look or who you're with
Well I may not have the power to unlock the doors myself
But I do believe God wants you to know this
You won't have to stand there alone
I know this because...

(Chorus)
I'll stand with you
Whenever you're excluded
I'll stand with you
When you can't stand on your own
I'll stand with you
When you're put down or wounded
'Cause that's what I know that Jesus would do

If you're told that who you are is offensive in God's sight
If you're mocked or disregarded or disgraced
If you're powerless or poor, if you're left out or despised
If you're victimized by prejudice or hate
I'll stand up for your dignity
Until we're all free

(Chorus)

You won't have to stand there alone
We know this because...

We'll stand with you...


Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio.
Crosswind Music, 2004.  All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

You Are The Christ

Jesus and the twelve were walking down the road one day
He asked them who do people say I am?
They told him the things they'd heard in towns along the way
And how his name had spread throughout the land
He listened to their answers
But as he did he knew
That the greater truth about him had been missed
And when they'd stopped their talking
Jesus asked them, how 'bout you?
That's when Simon Peter said something like this

(Chorus)
Jesus we (I) believe you are the Christ
Everything has changed since you came into our (my) lives (life)
And we (I) don't care what people say
We're (I'm) gonna follow in your way
Jesus we (I) believe you are the Christ

I still hear his question, who do people say I am?
I've listened to the answers people give
Some say Jesus was no more than a charismatic man
And others have their doubts he even lived
Some say he was a teacher
Of some sound philosophy
Who's enjoyed a trumped up place in history
And some say he was a dreamer
Who was dangerously naive
But there's only one response that speaks for me

(Repeat Chorus using singular form)

Credits:

Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio
Crosswind Music, 1990.
All Rights Reserved.

updated: 16 years ago

Come, Holy Spirit, Come (Slow Version)

www.sirchio.com
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Come as the Fire and burn
Come as the Light and reveal
Come as the Wind and cleanse
 
Convict us, Convert us,
Consecrate us, until we're wholly thine
Wholly thine

updated: 14 years ago

I Am Welcome

updated: 14 years ago

I Am Welcome

updated: 14 years ago

I Am Welcome

I am welcome, I am welcome
I am loved just as I am
I am welcome, you are welcome
We are loved just as we are
O Spirit burn that truth into our hearts

updated: 14 years ago

It's All About Love

updated: 14 years ago

It's All About Love

updated: 14 years ago

It's All About Love

What does it mean to call myself a Christian?
What does it mean to live out my faith?
I do not think it's a list of do's and don'ts
That's just not deep enough
   
   It's all about Love
It's all about Love
It's all about Love and the kinds of things that Love does
Things like justice and compassion
It's all about Love
   
   
If you ask me why I'm so drawn to Jesus
If you ask me why I follow Christ
I won't tell you, "I'm afraid to go to hell"
That's just not deep enough
   
   Chorus
   
   
When I feel lost and everything's uncertain
When I'm not sure what choices to make
These simple words always help me find my way
They're always deep enough
   
   Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Hearts Full Of Gratitude

updated: 14 years ago

Hearts Full Of Gratitude

updated: 14 years ago

Hearts Full Of Gratitude

You've given us so much
 Yet we ask one more thing from you
 Give us the gift of choosing to live
 With hearts full of gratitude
 

 Let's get to the heart of the matter
 So many things come back to this
 There's nothing that we'll ever point to
 That did not first come as a gift
 The gift to wake up in the morning
 The strength to rise us from our beds
 
 Chorus
 

 It's one thing to know about Jesus
 Another to feel Christ within
 Some say there is no greater distance
 Than that which so often exists
 Between just believing in our minds
 And knowing God's love in our hearts
 
 Chorus
 

 The Spirit of Christ is upon us
 Proclaiming Good News to the poor
 Redeeming and freeing and healing
 And showing us what life is for
 We're here to have hearts that are burning
 To share all the gifts we've received
 
 Chorus
 

 

Credits:

     

updated: 14 years ago

Stand With You

updated: 14 years ago

Stand With You

updated: 14 years ago

Stand With You

If you find that you're locked out just because of who you are
Or because of how you look or who you're with
Well I may not have the pow'r to unlock the doors myself
But I do believe God wants you to know this
You won't have to stand there alone
I know this because…
I'll stand with you whenever you're excluded
I'll stand with you when you can't stand on your own
I'll stand with you when you're put down or wounded
'cause that's what I know that Jesus would do
 
 
If you're told that who you are is offensive in God's sight
If you're mocked or disregarded or disgraced
If you're powerless or poor, if you're left out or despised
If you're victimized by prejudice or hate
I'll stand up for your dignity
Until we're all free
 

 
Chorus
 
 
You won't have to stand there alone
We know this because
We'll stand with you whenever you're excluded
We'll stand with you when you can't stand on your own
We'll stand with you when you're put down or wounded
'Cause that's what we know that Jesus would do
That's what we know that Jesus would do
 That's what we know that Jesus would do
 
That's what we know that Jesus would do

updated: 14 years ago

Claimed, Called, and Sent

updated: 14 years ago

Claimed, Called, And Sent

updated: 14 years ago

Claimed, Called, And Sent

Claimed by Christ! Called to serve!
Sent to be people who stand for Love in this world
Claimed by Christ! Called to serve!
Sent to be people who live God's love in this world



We have been claimed by the God of the universe
Source and Creator of earth
Claimed by the One who has given birth to us all
Claimed by the God who has come to us
Claimed by the God we can always trust
Claimed by the One who empowers us to become the Church

Chorus



We have been called by the One whom the prophets heard
Called to proclaim Yahweh's Word
Called to receive what we cannot earn on our own
Called to become God's own witnesses
Called to embody the Word in flesh
Called to be those through whom God can bless and sow seeds of Grace

Chorus



We have been sent to the wounded and to the poor
Sent to the neighbor next door
Sent to the seeker who knows there's more to this life
Sent to make peace when the nations rage
Sent to help systems and structures change
Sent to speak out where injustice reigns and to take a stand

Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

Traveling Mercies

updated: 14 years ago

Traveling Mercies

updated: 14 years ago

Traveling Mercies


 
Traveling mercies
 Love the journey
 God is with us on every road
 Traveling mercies
 Love the journey
 God is with us all the way home
 
 
A simple blessing that's often spoken
 When it is time to take to the road
 A benediction to send us forward
 Trusting the Spirit will lead us home
 

 Chorus
 
 
Christ goes before us, Christ walks behind us
 Christ all around us, Christ deep inside
 Christ in our laughter and in our sorrow
 Christ in our darkness, burning with Light
 

 Chorus
 
 
Sometimes our feet take two good steps forward
 Only to fall back ten steps behind
 God's walking with us, we're being guided
 Grace often writes straight with crooked lines
 

 Chorus

updated: 14 years ago

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