04 Homesick (Desire)
1. Standing at the brothel door, past his lust there is so much more. For his sin, like an SOS, tells us of his soulʼs distress. See his longing. See his holy fire. See the journey of his heartʼs desire.
Chorus 1: All our longings- theyʼre like sacred signs. And they point us to the God behind them all. Thatʼs why sadness, and every sweet romance- thatʼs why sunsets always make us homesick.
2. Lifeless marriage. Twenty years. Why want more, when she can disappear? But still desire calls her name, bids her cry the tears of faith. See her longing. See her holy fire. See the journey of her heartʼs desire.
Chorus 2: All our longings- theyʼre like sacred signs. And they point us to the God behind them all. Thatʼs why laughter, and every moonlight kiss- thatʼs why silence always makes us homesick.
Bridge: Hear the echo in the ache. Feel the longing in the pain. Itʼs the way you were made.
G.K. Chesterton wrote “Every time a man knocks on a brothel door, he is really searching for God.” And Brent Curtis, in an article titled “Less-Wild Lovers: Standing At The Crossroads of Desire,” says “In all of our hearts lies a longing for a Sacred Romance. It will not go away in spite of our efforts over the years to anesthetize or ignore its song, or attach it to a single person or endeavor.” This is a song about what we do with our desire for God, as seen through the story of a sex- addicted man, and a woman stuck in a lifeless marriage. This is a song about how our longing is a sign that points to the creator of the longing and the thing longed for. Though an uncomfortable message at first, this song is meant to deepen our awareness of how even our sinful patterns point to the deeper truth that we are all made in Godʼs image, and thus haunted by our truest identity every day, in every experience of life, good or bad.
05 Isnʼt That Amazing Grace (Identity) To Brennan Manning and Henri Nouwen
1. Underneath the countenance of God we all try to hide. We forget how he loves us so, we forget weʼre Abbaʼs child. So when the lies are loud, let the gospel drown them out.
Chorus: Come out, sinner, from those shadows, Every corner of your shame. Donʼt you know youʼre his beloved? You donʼt have to hide your face. Isnʼt that amazing grace?
2. But there are other voices in our hearts. Theyʼre imposters in disguise. And they tell us we canʼt trust his love- that on our selves we must rely. But when the lies are loud, let the gospel drown them out.
Bridge: Donʼt believe the lies. Youʼre beloved, Abbaʼs child. No more guilt and shame, ʻcause isnʼt that amazing grace?
This is a song about the comfort of the gospel. As the beloved of God we donʼt have to hide in shame. Not only is our brokenness deeply accepted by God, it is that brokenness- along with the entirety of the fallen creation- that God is redeeming in Jesus Christ. The chorus “Come out, sinner” is a simple, daily invitation to rest in Godʼs grace, acceptance, and love. I believe far too many of us live the majority of our spiritual and relational lives in hiding simply because we donʼt know, trust, or feel Godʼs deep, abiding love for us. Two authors who have written extensively about Godʼs grace and our identity as Godʼs beloved, are Brennan Manning and Henri Nouwen. This song was patterned particularly after Manningʼs book “Abbaʼs Child,” where he addresses the difference in living as Godʼs beloved verses living as the imposter, or false self.
06 Sweet Forgiveness (Forgiveness)
1. I was surprised to see you in the store recently. And after all this time, the tears still welled up in my eyes.
(Chorus) I do forgive you with all that that means. Though the wounds and scars you left still bleed. And who can say if Iʼll ever forget all those things you did without regret. But there's still forgiveness- sweet forgiveness, yet.
2. You don't know this but we've talked. I've begged you for answers with no response. I've searched for peace. And all I want is to be free.
(Bridge) Some people say that forgiveness is the key It opens the door and sets you free.
(Final Chorus) I do forgive you with all that that means. Though the wounds and scars you left still bleed. And I will not live a life of regret when I could live with love instead. ʻCause there's still forgiveness- sweet forgiveness, yet.
I wrote this song for a sermon at my church. Our pastor was preaching on the Lordʼs Prayer, specifically the phrase “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I began to think about the most difficult moments in my life, and the lives of others I knew- the moments where the miracle of forgiveness was most needed. And as I reflected on the power of forgiveness, the adjective “sweet” kept coming to mind. I pictured what it would mean for victims of abuse and affairs, betrayals and tragedies, to be given the gift of forgiveness for their perpetrators. And I mostly wept while writing this song. Initially I had no intention of recording the song because it seemed too dark. But as I began to play the song live in shows, the response was overwhelming as listeners came up to tell me their story of pain and forgiveness. So we recorded it in the studio with one emotional, live take on the guitar. No click track. And our hope was to keep it simple and raw.
