Greetings, Merry Mystics!
Gee, but I always feel reluctant to share edgy songs like this one. What if people take offense? Or what if people embrace it, with realizing that it’s satire? Or what if people are just turned off by politics of any stripe?
But, oh well. As Popeye said: I yam what I yam.
Given that, here’s The ICE Recruiting Song. The song is partly based on a popular song from the Civil War era: “Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Prisoner’s Hope)” by George F. Root.
Mellow greetings, Merry Mystics!
I was thinking about Pete Seeger this week—one of my heroes—so I wrote this little protest song.
Anyone want to send me another verse?
I wrote a new hymn to go with the Epiphany story in the Gospel of Matthew. It’s about those mysterious visitors from the East, who behave so foolishly in the story. They go to the wrong place (Jerusalem, not Bethlehem); they visit the wrong king (Herod, not Jesus); they ask him a really foolish question (“So, what do you know about the new king—the one who’s going to replace you?”); and when they finally get to the right place, they bring three really inappropriate gifts! How’d they ever get to be called “Wise Men” anyway?
Sheet music for “Not So Wise Are We” is freely available, as always, and you can listen to the hymn here. (I also gave a whole sermon on the subject—in case anyone wants to hear a sermon!)
Hello, Merry Mystics! Here’s a song that’s more mystical than merry.
This Sunday, I’m teaching my congregation about St. John of the Cross. We’ll read his poem “The Dark Night,” and I’ll summarize some of his extensive commentary about the “dark night of the soul.” I think most of us have had times when God feels distant—I know I have. (So did Jesus, according to the crucifixion stories in Mark and Matthew. And so did the author(s) of a number of the Psalms, like 10, 22, and 34.)
Anyway, I wrote this song to go with that teaching.
Well, actually, it sounds sort of rational when I put it that way, but the truth is that the idea for the song came to me first, out of the blue, while I was looking out the window on a flight at the start of a week’s vacation. When I got home again, I planned the sermon to go with the song.
The song is called “The Dark Night (I Miss You, My Friend)”. I’ll put sheet music for it in our Free Stuff area.
Hello, Merry Mystics!
Here’s a hymn I wrote to go with my sermon, “Kairos Bathing”. I got the idea for this hymn on a Thursday, to go with the sermon I was writing for that Sunday. Thanks for the inspiration, God … but would it be too much to ask for a little more lead time?! The sheet music is here:
There’s also a video of it here, with Ron McCutchan singing and Charlie Gebeck accompanying.
Bright blessings,
Adam
Hello Merry Mystics!
Here’s a recording of a song I wrote back in 2022: “Service with a Smile”. To me, this is what the Way of Jesus is all about.
Hello, my merry and mystical friends!
How do you respond to an egregious liar? I don’t mean someone who says something wrong, but then will blush when confronted with the truth; I mean someone who is completely unmoored from the truth. I mean a piffle-pusher—like so many people in Washington right now.
In the series of videos I’ve just done on TikTok, I’ve suggested a perfect tool for responding to piffle-pushers.
Whoopee cushion, anyone?
Here’s my Strong Man song, with a new bridge and new video.
Here’s a little political parody aimed at the current batch of fat cats. Remember when the original song (by Willis Alan Ramsey) was a hit for Captain & Tennille? How time flies! Toni Tennille was my dream girl when I was 14 …
Hello, Merry Mystics!
For the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with TikTok. I’ve made some micro-sermons, like this one on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I’ve posted some concert footage, like this recording of my Real Men song. I’ve posted some silly songs, like the Prophet’s Lament. And I’ve posted some serious stuff, like this Easter message.
It’s an interesting medium. The vertical video format is straightforward enough; what’s trickier is the brevity. (Or, to put it less generously: the short attention span.) I haven’t found many viewers there yet, but I’m still working on it. I’ve got a couple more political songs in the works; we’ll see how they do.
If you’re on TikTok, I’m there as merrymystic.preacherman.
Bright Easter blessings!