Music

What I’m Singing: Tell Me to Turn Around

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 3 Comments

Cross-posted from holycrosshilo.com.

As in (some) years past, I wrote a new song for Easter to play and perform for the post-Easter Sunday episode of What I’m Thinking, my weekly video program at holycrosshilo.com. It’s a song that refers both to the events of the first Easter and of the Sunday that followed.

Am I thinking this week after Easter Sunday? Well, no, not yet. But I am singing “Tell Me to Turn Around.”

Here’s a transcript:

In the week after Easter Sunday I’m afraid I find it difficult to think about much of anything. That’s sad, because the Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday is the story of Thomas and his doubts (John 20:19-31). Poor Thomas gets less of my thinking than he deserves.

As a result, What I’m Thinking this week is What I’m Singing. This is something I have done a few times at Easter over the years, and so I’m pleased to bring you this song: “Tell Me to Turn Around.”

Where have you brought him? How can I see him?
I want to know why these ugly things happen.
But for now, just tell me.
Tell me to turn around.

[Chorus]

Turn around, look behind, where I haven’t looked before.
Turn around, clear my eyes.
The life is glowing, and I am crowing
That the world has changed since I turned around.

[Verses]

You told me already we’ve lost him completely.
I want to know why these ugly things happen.
Mary, what more can you tell me today?
Tell me to turn around.

You told me, and told me, but what good are your stories?
I want to know why these ugly things happen.
Why are you lying about his wounds, brothers?
And you tell me to turn around.

And that’s what I’m singing.

Follow What I’m Thinking at holycrosshilo.com.

Song: In the Silence

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 3 Comments

March 27, 2024

The word may come on the phone or in print, or over the ether.
The news I’ve been fearing too long, and a loss beyond my bearing.
Come sit… with me… Until… the word comes…
And wait with me in the silence.

I’ve been longing to know the answer: Maybe yes. Maybe no.
My heart is beating so swiftly, and my veins are leaping and pounding.
Come sit… with me… Until… the word comes…
And wait with me in the silence.

This is the night of shadows and I know what will be.
Until then I will weep my prayer for deliverance I won’t receive.
Come sit… with me… Until… the soldiers come…
Just wait with me in the silence.

Come sit… with me… Until… the dawn comes…
Wait with me in the silence.

I had set a goal to write a new song for this Holy Week. I was pleased to have this song to play today.

© 2024 by Eric Anderson

First Denial

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / Leave a comment

February 21, 2024

[Verses]

Don’t you like it, Simon, when I say
that your Messiah is not what you want?
Don’t you like it, Simon, when I tell you
I’ll be raised up on a cross?

Of course you don’t, dear Simon.
How could anyone be pleased to hear
Messiah is no conqueror,
except to turn the tables on Death.

I told you, but you wouldn’t hear it, Simon.
You tell me how to live my life
and die my death, and no. That’s not yours
to settle or define. It’s mine. And God’s.

Ah, Simon Peter, my dear Rock,
so hard of head, transparent of heart,
so certain of things that must be true,
and come to pass, and be:

I chide you hard for this denial now.
A night will come when your denials will
tap like a clock ticking toward dawn.
And then, I will not chide,
for you will turn aside

And weep.

© 2024 by Eric Anderson

This song is based on the #lectionprayer “Simon Peter’s First Denial.” As you’ll find there, I was asked if the poem had been set to music. It hadn’t – but now, with some lyric adjustment, it has.

The song’s premiere performance was on February 28, 2024.

Song: Shine, Star, Obscuring Light

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 4 Comments
Premiere performance: January 10, 2024.

Author’s note: In writing the poem by the same title as a #lectionprayer last week, I realized I was writing a song. After it had been published I sat down to set it to music, and this is the result. Enjoy! -ESA

January 3, 2024

[Chorus]

Shine, star, obscuring light,
summoning to you our eyes.
Shine, star, uniquely bright,
raising our gaze
from the child you herald,
sheltered from harm in the light.

[Verses]

Journey, O wise ones, and follow the star.
Messiah is born.
Messiah is born.
Bring with you offerings costly and sweet
proclaiming Messiah has come.

[Chorus]

Journey, O wise ones, but not to the city
where monarchs are found,
where monarchs are found.
The Herods both ancient and modern are vicious.
Put not your trust in their words.

[Chorus]

Journey, O wise ones, away from the city.
The child is not there.
The child is not there.
Journey, O wise ones, and do not return
to beard a vicious king in their lair.

[Chorus]

Journey, O wise ones, rejoice you have seen
Messiah is born,
Messiah is born.
Journey, O wise ones, attentive to dreams
that a bright day will come for us all.

[Chorus]

© 2024 by Eric Anderson

2023: The Songs

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 7 Comments
A Kala 6-string ukulele, a Guild 12-string guitar, a Martin 6-string guitar, and a Kala 4-string ukulele ready for the Community Concert performance of October 20, 2023.

In 2022 I wrote twelve songs. That was a lot for me, and 2023 confirmed it. I wrote seven songs this past year, and one of them was not recorded – it was a special composition for a worship service. It’s possible I’ll return to it someday.

Six Days

First performed on April 5, 2023.

“Six Days” is a Holy Week song. I hadn’t written one before.

It’s So Good to See You

First performed during the Community Concert of April 14, 2023.

I have tried to write a song for Easter in most years since arriving in Hilo. This is the one for 2023, based on Matthew’s account of the resurrection.

Bring Me a Rose, Apostles

First performed on April 26, 2023.

One of my regular practices is to compose a poem or prayer (or both) related to the Scripture I’ll preach on. In this case, I wrote the poem, “Romance,” about Acts 2:42-47, a grim story about a couple who fail to keep their promises. To me, this story lays bare the “rose-colored glasses” with which we look at the Early Church. Maren Tirabassi read the poem and asked a simple question: “Is this set to music?” By the next day, it was, and this is it.

Breakfast on the Beach

First performed online on June 7, 2023.

Vacation Bible School returned to my schedule this past summer, with lessons that included the story of Jesus feeding his disciples on a beach of the Sea of Galilee after his resurrection. I thought it needed a song.

Bad Dreams Go

First performed at the Community Concert of October 20, 2023.

I have included the introduction I gave to this song in the clip posted above. I wrote it in the wake of the eruption of yet another bloody and intractable war between Hamas and Israel. Somewhat desperate, I went back to my daughter’s childhood, when I was equally desperate to assure her when she woke from a nightmare.

Fill Up Your Spirit with Love

First performed on December 20, 2023.

I set a goal for Advent 2023 that each of the Wednesday Songs from Church of the Holy Cross would relate to the theme for the coming Sunday. I hoped I might write new songs for three of the four Sundays. In the end, I wrote this one for the last Sunday of Advent on the theme of Love.

Bring Me a Rose, Apostles

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 6 Comments

After I wrote “Romance,” Maren Tirabassi asked me, “Is this set to music?” It wasn’t, but I, too, found its rhythm begged for a melody. Here it is:

Bring Me a Rose, Apostles

By Eric Anderson
April 25, 2023

Bring me your time and a rose, apostles,
gathered in prayer; gathered to share.
Bring me your time and a rose-colored glass,
to which we’ll aspire and fail.

Bring me the needs that were met, apostles,
the poor lifted up, assembled to sup.
Bring me the gifts of the rich, apostles,
the rich become poor in the blood of the cup.

Bring me the change – for it came, apostles.
The rich held their wealth despite failure of stealth.
Bring me the gifts for the saints, apostles,
they gave for Jerusalem’s health.

The rose-colored glass will not hide, apostles,
Saphira’s collapse, Ananias’ grim lapse.
Nor the laud that is given to greed, apostles,
however much time will elapse.

Bring me your time and a rose, apostles,
gathered in prayer; gathered to share.
Bring me your time and a rose-colored glass,
to which we’ll aspire
Aspire and fail.

© 2023 by Eric Anderson

Song: Take the Labyrinth Road

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 3 Comments
This is the premiere streamed performance of “Take the Labyrinth Road,” sung live at 11 AM HST on October 19, 2022. It was written for the Pastoral Leaders Retreat of the Hawai’i Conference, United Church of Christ, and first played during that event on October 12, 2022.

by Eric Anderson
October 7, 2022

C Dm F Em / C Dm C G / C F Dm G / C G F G / C – – –

Twisting, turning paths
from without to within
Over gravel, soil and roots.
Let the time begin
For a journey of the soul
from brokenness to whole…
ness in the Spirit,
Come take the labyrinth road.

The journey curves about
in the world, in the heart,
And the ground below is rough
or is smoothed by art.
Moving body, moving soul
from brokenness to whole…
ness in the Spirit,
Come take the labyrinth road.

No promises on the way
for insight or inspiration
Just a time to step away
for peaceful contemplation,
For a journey of the soul
from brokenness to whole…
ness in the Spirit,
Come take the labyrinth road.

© 2022 by Eric Anderson

Song: To the Banks of the River Jordan

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 7 Comments

by Eric Anderson

July 26, 2022

[Verse 1]

First one leads, then one follows
One aids, and one seeks aid.
In the story of friendship
You and I have made.
But you’ve taken the lead this season
And I cannot keep pace
To the banks of the River Jordan,
To your crossing place.

[Chorus 1]

There’s a time for work and progress,
There’s a time for rest and play,
But this time to say farewell to you:
I’d have asked for a later day.

[Verse 2]

We shared in joys and sorrows.
We put our hands to the plow.
There were times of heartfelt sharing:
May they comfort us now.
As you walk to the bank of Jordan,
As you near your crossing time,
My tears flow with reason,
My grief has so many rhymes.

[Chorus 2]

There’s a time to plant and nourish,
There’s a time to harvest and store,
But I’m lost in this time of farewell.
I’d have asked for a little time more.

[Verse 3]

Bright days and thunder sounding,
Our minds at work to shape words
Telling others’ stories as sweetly
As ever a story was heard.
As you make your crossing of Jordan,
Don’t linger, my friend, for me.
You can lay aside life’s burden.
In the crossing, my friend, you’re free.

You can lay aside life’s burden.
In the crossing, be free.

[Chorus 3]

There’s a time to live and to flourish,
There’s a time to shed life’s shell.
Though I could have asked for later, my friend:
Aloha o’e – fare well.

Though I could have asked for later, my friend:

Aloha o’e – fare well.

© 2022 by Eric Anderson

Streamed live on July 27, 2022.

A Lenten Success

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 3 Comments

I try to avoid patting myself on the back in public – but if I don’t, what is social media for?

For some years I have chosen to follow two parallel disciplines each Lent. One is a fairly straightforward decision to refrain from something during the forty-six days of the season (I include the Sundays for this). I’ve given up fast food, beer, soda, computer games, and similar kinds of things (though never coffee – never coffee). I have almost never been able to successfully repeat one of these, so I generally have to choose something new and different each year.

The second discipline, on the other hand, is to take something on. I’ve followed exercise programs and prayer cycles. Frequently I’ve done creative projects with photography or poetry. In fact, my weekly Lection Prayers are an outgrowth of one Lenten season. I simply kept going with them.

This year I set a goal I was not certain I could achieve. I decided to write a song each week of Lent.

Although my repertoire of compositions has expanded greatly over the years, the truth is that I don’t write songs all that often. I was astonished when I counted the songs I’d written in 2021 and came up with a dozen. For me, songwriting requires a good deal more time, concentration, and focus than most other writing projects. I have and do write to deadlines, but I generally prefer to follow some kind of inspiration when it comes to music. I usually am happier with the results.

To set a goal for songwriting which is half my output in the previous year – in six weeks – well. I wasn’t sure I could do it.

I did give myself some space. I did not insist that each song be composed within an assigned week. All I required was that there be six songs by the end of the season. Nor did I impose any subjects or themes on them. The songs would be what they were, and they could fit into the sacred or the secular as it came along. I also knew I’d write one anyway: I’ve made a habit for a few years now of writing something for Easter. Still. Six songs in six weeks?

Friends, I did it. And… all six have now been performed and are available on YouTube.

Wisdom, Feed Us

Premiere performance during the Community Concert of March 11, 2022.

Dream of Peace

Premiere performance during the Community Concert of March 25, 2022.

Come On, Guitar

Premiere performance as A Song from Church of the Holy Cross, March 23, 2022.

Creature of this World

Premiere performance as A Song from Church of the Holy Cross: April 6, 2022.

As We Bring Him Down

Premiere performance during Scripture and Poetry for Good Friday, April 15, 2022.

Walk, Mary, Walk

Premiere performance during What I’m Thinking #259, April 18, 2022.

Journey Around a Star

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 2 Comments
Community Concert of July 23, 2021 – Clicking “Play” jumps to the beginning of the song, “Journey Round a Star.”

As noted in the video, I am one of those people who will wish others a good trip around the sun to honor their birthday. This song takes up that theme.

They’ll put billionaires in space, because they think they can afford it.
But this is Spaceship Earth; we’re already aboard it!
Sing out… as we mark the day
We came into the world and were on our way.

[Chorus]

All aboard for a journey round a star.
Stand still all you like; even so you’re traveling far.
All aboard for a trip around the sun.
Celebrate the days since your journey begun.

Each you is unique, you are one among billions
And each circuit of Sol… you’re a soul worth gazillions.
Sing out… You’re a creature of worth.
You’re a child of blessing. You’re a child of Earth

[Chorus]

Revel in joy; Loved is what you are.
A star among the planets, orbiting a star.
Sing out… Loud and clear.
Sing out… Launch a new year.

[Chorus]

July 23, 2021