Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

Finally, the third installment of the series looking a some Mumford and Sons songs.
You will have noticed that after doing the first 2 songs on the album, this one is number 4. My plan is not to look at each track on the album, but just a selection.

Here are the lyrics:

Roll away your stone, I'll roll away mine
Together we can see what we will find
Don't leave me alone at this time
For I'm afraid of what I will discover inside

You told me that I would find a home
Within the fragile substance of my soul
I have filled this void with things unreal
And all the while my character it steals

Darkness is a harsh term don't you think
And yet it dominates the things I've seen

Seems that all my bridges have been burned
You say that's exactly how this grace things works
It's not the long walk home that will change this heart
But the welcome I receive with the restart

Darkness is a harsh term don't you think
Yet it dominates the things I've seen

Stars hide your fires,
These here are my desires
And I will give them up to you this time around
So I'll be found with my stake stuck in the ground
Marking the territory of this newly impassioned soul

You, have gone too far this time
You have neither reason or rhyme
With which to take this soul that is so rightfully mine.

There are just a couple of things I'd like to comment on.

The second verse in which the song-writer speaks of filling the void in his soul or his life with "things unreal" is a very poignant thought.
Here is a quote from Bernard Levin which speaks of something similar:

Countries like ours are full of people who have all of the material comforts they desire, yet lead lives of quiet (and at times noisy) desperation, understanding nothing but the fact there is a hole inside them and that however much food and drink they pour into it, however many motorcars and television sets they stuff it with, however many well-balanced children and loyal friends they parade around the edges of it...it aches.

The world in which we live is all about instant gratification. We want everything yesterday. The advance of technology serves to fuel those desires within us. I wouldn't say that family, friends, and possessions are unreal in the sense that they have no value at all, but if they are what you live for, ultimately they are unreal. All these things are good gifts from a wonderfully loving and gracious God. They are to be enjoyed in the context of a relationship with Him.
Tied in with this is a sense of something greater that we all feel, even if we have suppressed it so far that we would claim not to. The interesting thing is the the song-writer realises it steals his character.
I think that is because we are made to delight in God alone. We are made for a relationship with the Living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We can only find true rest, satisfaction, joy, meaning and purpose there.

The chorus is also a very honest assessment of the world. Darkness does sound like a harsh term, it sounds a little bit extreme. But as the writer says, it dominates what he sees. That's right isn't it, the news spekas of it daily, facebook pages, tweets and other sources often contain stories that make us sad, angry and despairing, do they not. Yet, this is exactly what the Bible speaks of; the world being a dark place, full of sin, sadness, sorrow, suffering. And even more strikingly that we are the source of it.

So what is the solution? Well, the song hints at. It does seem that all bridges have been burned. Paul writes in the letter to the Romans that no-one is righteous and before God we stand guilty, how can a holy God forgive, justify and yet remain just? (See Romans 3v21-26) It is grace in Jesus Christ.
The song speaks of grace, and it is right. That is exactly how grace works, its not a long walk home that sorts the problem of the heart, but the welcome you receive with the restart. In Christ Jesus we are freely redeemed by grace through faith in Him. What an amazing salvation!!!
We get a new heart and a new start in Christ!

I am sure there are many more things that could be discussed here, but I feel the post is long enough. I haven't really touched on the final lines of the song or the bridge. The last lines I missed as I don't now if the writer is speaking to God telling Him that He has no right to take His soul or not.

Comments welcome as always!

Jesus Christ is awesome!

I recently went to Bradford to speak at their CU meeting. They are studying Colossians this term and I had the privilege of taking them through chapter 1v15-20. I had a great evening (and I hope they did too). It was great to be reminded of how awesome Jesus Christ is.

Under the over-arching title of Jesus Christ is supreme and sufficient I looked at 3 ways this was shown in the passage:

Jesus Christ is the Creator
Jesus Christ is the Sustainer
Jesus Christ is the Saviour

Without putting my whole talk in this post, let me share a few of the things that served as a great reminder to me that it's all about Jesus.

All things were created by Him and through Him and for Him. The language Paul uses makes it very clear. In the ESV translation, the word all is used 5 times in 3 verses. Jesus is supreme. He is above everything, all powers, thrones, authorities, in heaven and earth. As the childrens song "God rules" says, "He's the boss of everything!" He is the heir of creation, it is His. Jesus Christ is Lord of it all. If this is true it gives massive implications for the way in which we live. Jesus is the one who is be reverently feared. Nothing can stand in His way. He is the one who deserves all praise, all admiration, all worship. Only He is worthy, anything else is a poor substitute!

Ultimately everything that exists is there for the glory of Jesus Christ. So as, Christians we should seek to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

Not only this, but everything that is here, everything we see around only continues to exist because He enables it and allows it! You only take your next breath because He allows and enables it too. This should humble us. Jesus is Lord, down to finest detail. Each day we should be thankful for the air we breath, the ability to breath it in and all the other good gifts, but we should thank the Giver for them. As Paul says in Acts ch17 the God we believe in gives "life and breath and evrything."

Finally, Jesus is the Saviour. He is the head of the church. Without Jesus Christ kept as the main focus the church will, like a headless chicken, lose its direction, keel over and die. We sadly see this in church history and even played out for us today. Jesus is fully God and because of this He is able to reconcile all things to God. So reconciliation with God is through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross and only through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Jesus Christ is awesome. Take some time to look at the passage for yourself, I have only gievn a brief insight into its content. I hope and pray God will warm your heart and feed your mind as you meditate on the glorious nature of our supreme and sufficient Creator, Sustainer and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Quote of the Day - Sin and Salvation

"the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man" John Stott, The Cross of Christ, IVP.

I wish I could so succinctly sum up glorious doctrine and truth! At the heart of our sin as human beings is our desire to please ourselves, look after number 1 and reject the One who created us and sustains us and deserves all our praise and worship. Yet, God, who could so easily have left us in this state, out of love and to show mercy, came to earth, stepped into time in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and gave Himself so that we might be brought into relationship with the Triune, Living God, to glorify and enjoy Him forever.

Why bloodwashed pilgrim?

"I saw a bloodwashed pilgrim a sinner saved by grace..."
The quotation is the opening line of a song by the OC Supertones, a ska band from Orange County California, and the inspiration for the address of my blog. I chose it because I not only love the band but it describes who I am in Christ. I have been bought and washed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (see Romans ch3v21-26, Romans ch5v9, Ephesians ch1v7, 1 John ch1v7, Revelation ch1v5 and so on). I am a sinner saved by grace.
Not only that but I am a pilgrim too. God has called me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians ch2v12-13) and I am to run the race, fight the good fight and keep the faith, persevering by the preserving grace of God until the end. (1 Corinthians ch9v24-25, 1 Timothy ch6v12, Jude 24-25).