Song of The Week (9/28 - 10/4) - "Fence Riders" by: Jimmy Needham

CLICK THE LINK to download "Fence Riders" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/speak/id789811876

"Fence Riders" Lyrics:

Am I foolishness to you
And is it laughable the things I do
Can you callused minds see past yourselves to his devine
Am I foolishness to you

Can I sing about my maker
And have you not role your eyes
Can I weep about my maker
And the way he died
I know it don't make sense
To those who ride the fence
But I'm so out to cry

You call it loosening up
Loosening up
I call it spiraling down
Only one thing's the same
Only one thing remains
Jesus Jesus

Can I sing about my maker
And have you not role your eyes
Can I weep about my maker
And the way he died
I know it don't make sense
To those who ride the fence
But I'm so out to cry

You're all asleep
You're all asleep
You're all asleep oh children
But he's over needed
You don't see it no

Can I sing about my maker
And have you not role your eyes
Can I weep about my maker
And the way he died
I know it don't make sense
To those who ride the fence
But I'm so out to cry

Can I sing about my maker
And have you not role your eyes
Can I weep about my maker
And the way he died
I know it don't make sense
To those who ride the fence
But I'm so out to cry

Reflection:

The first couple of lines to the song “Fence Riders” brought to mind a passage written by St. Paul.  In 1 Cor 1:23 Paul writes, “But we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”  Paul had to defend the faith against doubters just like we still have to do today.  A lot of people then, as they do now, found it absurd that God would not only come down from the heavens and take on human flesh, but that he would also die for all of us.  This is the “foolishness” of God that can be hard to understand.  However, we are also reminded that God’s ways are above our ways and it’s not our job to understand God.  Perhaps it is absurd to consider that an omnipotent God would become man and die for us.  Yet, that is what our faith teaches us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).  Let people roll their eyes at us, what should we care?  Christ loved us to the point of death and, for that, “I’m so out to cry!"

Ezekiel 34:31 – “You, my sheep, you are the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord God.”

1 Cor 1:18 – “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Romans 8:35, 37 – “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?  Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of him who has loved us.”

Deacon Scott Hill

Our lady of Victory Cathedral

Song of The Week (9/21 - 9/27) - "Be Near" by: Shane & Shane

CLICK THE LINK to download "Be Near" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/carry-away/id522510220

"Be Near" Lyrics:

You are all

big and small

beautiful

and wonderful

to trust in grace through faith

but i'm asking to taste...

for dark is light to You

depths are height to You

far is near

but Lord, i need to hear from You

be near, oh God

be near, oh God of us

Your nearness is to us our good

be near, oh God

be near, oh God of us

Your nearness is to us our good, our good

Your fullness is mine

revelation divine

but, o, to taste

to know much more than a page

to feel Your embrace...

for dark is light to You

the depths are height to You

far is near, but Lord

i need to hear from You

be near, oh God

be near, oh God of us

Your nearness is to us our good

be near, oh God

be near, oh God of us

Your nearness is to us our good, our good

Reflection:

Shane & Shane, in their song "Be Near," captures well our need for closeness to the Lord. We might intellectually know that God is always near, but emotionally and spiritually we often feel isolated. Yet, as this beautiful hymn reminds us, for God"...dark is light to You, depths are height to You, far is near, but Lord I need to hear from You." Indeed, we need to hear from God and He has spoken. His Word is Jesus, He has spoken and His nearness is our hope. Are we prepared to draw near to Christ, our Savior?


Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ."

Deuteronomy 4:7: "For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?"


Rev. Gary Janak

Pastor

Our lady of Victory Cathedral

Song of The Week (9/14 - 9/20) - "We Believe" by Newsboys

CLICK THE LINK to download "We Believe" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/restart-deluxe-edition/id879251743

"We Believe" Lyrics:

In this time of desperation

When all we know is doubt and fear

There is only one foundation

We believe, we believe

In this broken generation

When all is dark, You help us see

There is only one salvation

We believe, we believe

We believe in God the Father

We believe in Jesus Christ

We believe in the Holy Spirit

And He's given us new life

We believe in the crucifixion

We believe that He conquered death

We believe in the resurrection

And He's comin' back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems

Greater than the songs we sing

And in our weakness and temptations

We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father!

We believe in Jesus Christ!

We believe in the Holy Spirit!

And He's given us new life!

We believe in the crucifixion!

We believe that He conquered death!

We believe in the resurrection!

And He's comin' back again!

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised!

In the here and now, let love invade!

Let the church live loud our God we'll say

We believe, we believe!

And the gates of hell will not prevail!

For the power of God, has torn the veil!

Now we know Your love will never fail!

We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father

We believe in Jesus Christ

We believe in the Holy Spirit

And He's given us new life!

We believe in the crucifixion!

We believe that He conquered death!

We believe in the resurrection!

And He's comin' back,

He's comin' back again!

He's comin' back again!

We believe!

We believe

***Newsboys Lyrics are property of their owners, not Our lady of Victory***

Reflection:

What a beautiful song to coincide with the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, which we celebrated today. This feast is a celebration of our salvation, which was obtained for us by Christ’s death on the cross. The cross in ancient times was a symbol of agonizing torture and execution reserved for the worst of criminals. When Christ died on the cross, he turned it from a symbol of pain, torture, and death, into a sign of love, mercy, and eternal salvation. Another way of putting it is God bringing about a good through something bad.

Just a couple of lines into this song, we get that image. “When all is dark, you help us see. There is only one salvation. We believe. We believe.” Whatever darkness we might be going through God’s light will always shine through. Remember the crucifixion: after Christ died, there was a great earthquake and everyone thought the world was going to end (Mt 27:51). Who can blame them when the Son of God was just killed? But three days later, Jesus rose gloriously, dispelling all sin and darkness. The curse of the cross leads to the blessing of all mankind. Whatever our darkness might be, do not get discouraged and do not be despaired, God will bring goodness out of darkness.

Isaiah 60:1-3 – “Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the LORD has dawned upon you. Though darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds, the peoples, upon you the LORD will dawn, and over you his glory will be seen. Nations shall walk by your light, kings by the radiance of your dawning.”

Psalm 27:1-6 – “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall. Though armies encamp against me, my heart does not fear; though war be waged against me, even then do I trust. One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: to dwell in the LORD’s house all the days of my life, to gaze on the LORD’s beauty, to visit his temple. For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock. Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side! I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise to the LORD.”

John 1:5 – “…the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Deacon Scott Hill

Our Lady of Victory Cathedral

"Song of The Week" (9/7 - 9/13) - "Let My Words Be Few" by: Phillips, Craig, and Dean

CLICK THE LINK to download "Let My Words Be Few" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/let-my-words-be-few/id724399487

"Let My Words Be Few" Lyrics

You are God in heaven
And here am I on earth
So I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

And I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus
Yes, I'll stand in awe of You
And I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

The simplest of all love songs
I want to bring to You, oh yeah
So I'll let my words be few, hey
Jesus, I am so in love with You

And I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus
Yes, I'll stand in awe of You
And I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

Yeah, yeah

You are God in heaven
And here am I on earth
So I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

And I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus
Yes, I'll stand in awe of You
And I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

And I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus
Yes, I'll stand in awe of You
And I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

So in love with you, yeah
Jesus, hey, yeah

*** Phillips, Craig, & Dean Lyrics are property of their owners***

Reflection:

Words...we speak thousands of them every day and we are bombarded with even more of them through advertising, the Internet and social media. We also offer an endless array of those same words to God, as we seek an answer to our prayers. So often those prayers are in the form of petitions--"Lord, I need this; I need that." There's nothing wrong with petitioning the Lord. Jesus tells us to "ask, seek and to knock," but what if we took time to just praise the name of Jesus? What if we just said, as found in the song, Let My Words Be Few, "I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus, Yes, I'll stand in awe of You and I'll let my words be few. Jesus, I am so in love with you." Today, let our words be few. Let's just say, "Jesus, I am so in love with you."


John 21:15-17: "When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep..."


Matthew 5:46-48: "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."



Rev. Gary Janak


Pastor
Our Lady of Victory Cathedral