Archives by: Gary Hoag

A dispute also arose among them [the disciples] as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Luke 22:24

What was the answer that Jesus gave these men? It’s very interesting. One would have thought Jesus would have said, “You are out of your place. You are selfish. Why would you raise such a question?”

But that isn’t what Jesus did.

He did something altogether different. He said in substance, “Oh, I see you want to be first. You want to be great. You want to be important. You want to be significant. Well you ought to be. If you’re going to be my disciple, you must be.”

But he reordered priorities.

And he said, “Yes, don’t give up this instinct. It’s a good instinct if you use it right. It’s a good instinct if you don’t distort it and pervert it. Don’t give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That’s what I want you to do.”

Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr., ed. James M. Washington, 265.

“The world would be better off if people tried to become better. And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off.”

Peter Maurin (1877-1949) in Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 201.

Lord I want to feel your heart
and see the world through your eyes
I want to be your hands and feet
I want to live a life that leads

Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
May the powers of darkness tremble as our praises rise
Until the whole world hears Lord we are calling out
Lifting up Your name for all to hear the sound
Like voices in the wilderness we’re crying out
as the day draws near
we’ll sing until the whole world hears

Lord let your sleeping giant arise
Catch the demons by surprise
Holy nation sanctified
Let this be our battle cry

We’ll sing until the whole world hears
We’ll sing until the whole world hears

Want to be your hands and feet
Want to be a life that leads
To see you set the captive free
Until the whole world hears
and I pray that they will see more of you and less of me
Lord I want my life to be the song You sing
Until the whole world hears Lord we are calling out
Lifting your name up for all to hear the sound
Like voices in the wilderness we’re crying out
as the day draws near
we’ll sing until the whole world hears
we’ll sing until the whole world hears
we’ll sing until the whole world hears
we’ll sing until the whole world hears
we’ll sing until the whole world hears
we’ll sing until the whole world hears

Casting Crowns: Until the Whole World Hears. YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7qi2KlUffs

She told him she’d rather fix her makeup
Than try to fix what’s going on
But the problem keeps on calling
Even with the cellphone gone
She told him that she believes in living
Bigger than she’s living now
But her world keeps spinning backwards
And upsidedown
Don’t say so long in the cellphone
Don’t spend today away
‘Cause today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
Like history is
Gone, just trying to prove me wrong
And pretend like your immortal

She said he said live like no tomorrow
Every day we borrow
Brings us one step closer to the edge (infinity)
Where your treasure, where’s your hope
Forget the world and lose your soul
She pretends like she pretends like she’s immortal
Don’t say so long
Your not that far gone
This could be your big chance to makeup
Today till soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
Like history is gone,
The world keeps spinning on,
Your going going gone,
Like summer break is gone,
Like saturday is gone
Just trying to prove me wrong
You pretend like your immortal your immortal

We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing is immediate
We’re so confident
In our accomplishments
Look at how dark it is

Gone, like Frank Sinatra
Like Elvis and his mom
Like Al Pachino’s cash nothing lasts in this life
My high school dreams are gone
My childhood sweets are gone
Life is a day that doesn’t last for long

Life is more than money
Time was never money
Time was never cash,
Life is still more than girls
Life is more than hundred dollar bills
And oh the town fills
Life more than fame and rock and roll and thrills
All the riches of the kings
And up in wills we got information in the information age
But do we know what life is
Outside of our convenient Lexus cages

She said he said live like no tomorrow
Every moment that we borrow
Brings us closer to the God who’s not short of cash
Hey Bono I’m glad you asked
Life is still worth living, life is still worth living

Switchfoot: Gone.
YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gxazQdKyz4

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
 
Touched down on the cold black tar
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
 
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
 
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
 
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
 
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath

There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work he’s buying time
 
All those people going somewhere
Why have i never cared?
 
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
 
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
 
I’ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
 
Well i want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone
 
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that i keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
 
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
 
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that i keep missing
That i keep missing
 
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Brandon Heath: Give Me Your Eyes. YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY

Gripping arms so tight
The security I have inside
Knowing what is right
Holding onto my cry

Letting Go
Of the things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go
Of the Things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears

I have been brought to a place
Where I want to give up everything
Where all I can do is seek your face
The brokenness I will bring

Letting Go
Of the things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go
Of the Things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears

holding onto the things I deem so strong
Holding on even though I know I’ve held on
too long

Letting Go
Letting Go
Of the things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go
Of the Things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go.

Jeremy Camp: Letting Go.
YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOkaVV-wtZE

I feel destruction running hard through my veins
But I see redemption rushing my way
My victories are bittersweet and now I can tell
The only place my plans have lead me is right where I fell

I’m overboard too far from shore
A castaway trying to make it home
I catch my breath to save myself but I can’t
In my sight You were just in time
I feel You now You’re by my side
I know You gave me a gift of a second chance

I had a dream of a life of my own
I had a place that I thought was my home
But now I see I just can’t have it any other way
It’s all or nothing do or die
and I’m the price I pay because

I’m overboard too far from shore
A castaway trying to make it home
I catch my breath to save myself but I can’t
In my sight You were just in time
I feel You now You’re by my side
I know You gave me a gift of a second chance

A second chance I won’t forget
A second life I won’t regret
A second wind to brave this night
A second more to make it right

I’m overboard too far from shore
A castaway trying to make it home
I catch my breath to save myself but I can’t
In my sight You were just in time
I feel You now You’re by my side

I know You gave me a gift of a second chance
A gift of a second chance
I’m a castaway, with a gift of a second chance

Chasen: Castaway.
YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fECGKqKfaU

Sometimes I,
I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone’s alright
When I know they’re not.
This world needs God
But it’s easier to stand and watch.
I could pray a prayer and just move on
Like nothing’s wrong.

But I refuse.

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care.
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.

I can hear the least of these
Crying out so desperately,
And I know we are the hands and feet
Of you, oh God.
So, if you say move,
Then it’s time for me to follow through,
And do what I was made to do.
Show them who you are.

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care.
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.

To stand and watch
The weary and lost
Cry out for help.
I refuse
To turn my back
And try and act like all is well.
I refuse
To stay unchanged,
To wait another day,
To die to myself.
I refuse
To make one more excuse.

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care.
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.

Josh Wilson: I Refuse. YouTube Music Video:

When every step is so hard to take
And all of my hope is fading away
When life is a mountain that I can not climb
You carry me, Jesus carry me.

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

When every moment is more than I can take
And all of my strength is slipping away
When every breath gets harder to breathe
You carry me, Jesus carry me

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

I need You
You are everything I need
I love everything about You

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

Kutless: Everything I Need.
YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzYRUPiIvUE

“Nothing is so easily obtained as the possession and enjoyment of God, “in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts, xvii. 28); and He is more desirous to give Himself unto us that we can be to receive Him.”

Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) in A Short and Easy Method of Prayer (New York: Cosimo, 2007) 17.