Notes on the Notes – January 24, 2021

This week’s music:

“Come to My Heart” (VU #661)

“Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; come to my heart today.
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.

Fill me with love, Lord Jesus;
Teach me to walk in your way.
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus;
Fill me with love today.
Give me the peace and joy
That only you can bring.
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus;
Give me a song to sing.

Answer my prayer, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way.
Answer my prayer, Lord Jesus; answer my prayer today.
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Answer my prayer, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.”

This song was written by Joe Pinson in 1979.  Its simple lyrics are an invitation for Jesus to be with us during this time of worship.

“Jesus, Draw Me Close”

“Jesus draw me close; closer, Lord, to You.
Let the world around me fade away.
Jesus, draw me close; closer, Lord, to You. 
For I desire to worship and obey.”

Rick Founds wrote this song in 1990.  When asked about the writing of the song, he said:  “You’re not happy when they arrive. They are certainly NOT welcome. The sooner they’re gone, the better. We all have them. No, I’m not talking about the obnoxious relative, or that certain “difficult” person at work, but the trials that seem to invade our lives at the least opportune moment… The bad day… The tough week at work… The year you’d just as soon erase from your life… Or those times of loss, which are annoying at best, and tragic at worst… when you lose your car keys… or your job… or a close friend … or member of the family.  It was during one of “those” weeks, that the song, “JESUS DRAW ME CLOSE” was born. The flu was going around, everybody was suffering with it, and I had been blessed with a “double portion”. The car had decided to self-destruct, activities at work were busier than normal, expectations were high, energy and inspiration were low… I was not having a good week. I sat in my office, in an old and ugly, but very comfortable stuffed chair. (a cherished garage sale aquisition.) Nestled in my favorite “reading space”, with Alka-Seltzer fizzing in the glass nearby and my Bible, I picked up where I had left off in the Book of Psalms….Psalm 42

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God? ‘These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God… By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me– a prayer to the God of my life.”

It was perfect. Just what I needed. The Lord, in His quiet and gentle way, was reminding me once again, that in this world of constantly changing circumstances, there is a place in the presence of the unchanging God, where I can go at any time… The profound simplicity of this truth prompted a simple and honest prayer; “JESUS, DRAW ME CLOSE… CLOSER LORD, TO YOU. LET THE WORLD AROUND ME FADE AWAY.” … Picking up my guitar, I put the prayer to an equally simple melody, and concluded with; “….. FOR I DESIRE TO WORSHIP, AND OBEY.”

Listen to Rick Founds sing the song at:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi9WrG1054k

“Jesus Saw Them Fishing” aka “Fish With Me” (MV #113)

“Jesus saw them fishing by the shore of Galilee,
Casting out their nets into the sea.
Simon Peter, Andrew and the sons of Zebedee,
Waiting in their boats so patiently.

And Jesus said, “Oh, come and follow me.
Oh, leave behind your nets. I call you.
Oh, some and fish with me,
And your life will never be the same again.”

A rich young person came to Jesus looking for advice.
“How can I obtain eternal life?”
Jesus told him, “Honor the commandments of the Lord.
Then sell off all your riches for the poor.”

“If you want to follow me deny your very self.
Take up your cross and walk the walk with me.
This might seem a hardship, an impossibility,
But nothing is impossible with God.”

The text of this song is based on Matthew 4:18-22; 16:24-26; 19:16-21, 25-26 and provides a retelling of the calling of the first disciples.  It was written in 2002 by Ken Canedo.

“We Will Follow”

“We will follow, we will follow Jesus.
We will follow everywhere he goes.
We will follow, we will follow Jesus.
Everywhere he goes, we will follow.”

This traditional Zimbabwean song has the Zulu title of “Som’landela.”

The Zulu lyrics are:

Som’landela, som’landel’ U Jesu.
Som’lanadela yonke indawo.
Som’landela, son’landel’ U Jesu.
Lapho Eyakhona som’landela.

Hear the song sung by a men’s choir in Zulu, French and English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1VUrqQ86z8%3Ffeature%3Doembed

“There is No-one Like Jesus”

“O there is no one like my Jesus,
O there is no one like my Jesus,
O there is no one like my Jesus,
Forever and ever it will be! Sing halleluia!

I’ve walked around and there’s none like Him.
I’ve searched around and there’s none like Him.
I’ve gone around and there’s none like Him.
Forever and ever it will be! Sing halleluia!”

This traditional East African Song was arranged by Joseph M. Martin in 2015. The song is a popular worship song in Kenya.

“Lead Me, Lord”

“Lead me, Lord, I will follow.
Lead me, Lord, I will go.
You have called me, I will answer.
Lead me, Lord, I will go.”

Our benediction response was written by Wayne and Elizabeth Goodine in 1994.   As we come to the end of worship, we once again make our commitment to follow Jesus throughout the coming week.