Song of Isaiah

This melody has been swimming in my head today, applying to everything, as the Word of God is wont to do... I grew up in an LCMS congregation, singing hymns and psalms and liturgy, and many of them have stuck with me. I thank God. I have fallen in love with the melodies that carry Scripture from the pages of the Bible into the air from the pipes of the organ and the lips of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and every so often they play back, sometimes in my own young voice. Today was one of those times.  

This particular refrain comes from an arrangement of Psalm 31 and a song of Isaiah (12:2-9). The melody that has stuck with me is the one printed in the CW, p. 77...

Surely it is God who saves me;

I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,

and he will be my Savior.

in with the arms...

by loney dear

in with the dark nights,

in with the weighed down clouds

suburbs and stations,

long range trains coming in

how can you manage?

how can you bear me now?

coming in fast, bringing the lights

keeping me calm, keeping me calm like you do

i’m tearing us down,

how can you do?

keeping me down…

in with the trains rushing through the lands

in with the aeroplanes,

breaking through heavy nights

where does it go?

when does it sleep again?

off with the devils,

off with the devils…

keeping me calm, keeping me calm like you do

i love you. i love you

keeping me calm…

in with the trains, rushing like blood to my limbs

come over dance with me,

come on over dance with me

in with the warmth, in with the comfort to me,

citadel band play for me, citadel band play for me

keeping me calm, keeping me calm like you do

i love you. i love you.

off with the boards,

off with what’s keeping me down,

in with the arms,

in with what’s keeping me calm,

i cannot go, i cannot do

in with the arms

in with what’s keeping me calm

i cannot go, i cannot do

i love you. i love you.

in with the arms,

in with whats keeping me calm…

amazing life

amazing life

we've been given

i know that you've had some troubles

i have had some troubles

we've been wasted

we've been complacent

we've given in to getting through the days

i hear the doves

singing in the trees

they call the dusk

tell us not to sleep

the coming dark

can't hide what we can see

can't hide what we can see

the algebra

of innocence

is lost in the bathroom mirrors

practiced born and steady

been complacent

we've been bad neighbors

we've been unfaithful in our prime age

to open up to see what happens next

to see our hearts

to risk breaking our necks

to chop it down

to follow there against

so we'll be young again

amazing world

the ground that gives

i know that you've had some troubles

i have had some troubles

we've been wasted

we've been complacent

we've given in to getting through the days

i saw a star

fall from a green sky

i saw you laugh

your eyes were open wide

i saw your skin

uncovered in the night

uncovered in the night

-matt pond pa

come by storm, you've come by storm...

words and music for this rainy day...

Come By Storm

by Laura Gibson

when my eyes survey the tree line
i'll recall a voice
and how I took great care with words

all that was a picture

was a poem, was a poem
words were trees of brown, of gold
you were a place i had come to know

if the dark falls early
would you come in the night,
would you come with the morning,
come by fire or come by storm

when my days turn to gold,
turn to gold,
and pull to the sky,
to the sky,
i'll recall the time i was more alive
when i lose myself to words
did i die in your arms
or did i die alone?

when the dark fell on me
did you come in the night,
did you come with the morning,
come by fire or come by storm...