Advent Examen ~ Jars of Clay, Worlds Apart

Hear the Jars of Clay “Worlds Apart” lyrics.
Hear the prayer questions to our Triune God.
Hear the prayer questions to ourselves.

Ask someone to read the lyrics to you

while your eyes are closed

while you’re aware of your heart beat

while you’re breathing is smooth and deep

Ask the person you invited to read this to you to sit next to you

be aware that

your shoulders are touching

your bended knees are touching

Invite God to sit on the other side of you

be aware that

your shoulders are touching

your bended knees are touching

Worlds Apart

I am the only one to blame for this.

Somehow it all adds up the same.

Soaring on the wings of selfish pride,

I flew too high

and like Icarus I collide with a world

I try so hard to leave behind.

To rid myself of all but love.


To give and die.


To turn away and not become


another nail to pierce the skin. 

To pierce the skin 

of one who loves
more deeply than the oceans.

To pierce the skin 

of one who loves
more abundant than the tear of a world.

To pierce the skin

of one who

embraces every heartache.

Can I be the one to sacrifice?

Or...Am I the one to grip the spear

and watch the blood and water flow?

To love you ~ take my world apart.

To need you ~ I am on my knees.

To love you ~ take my world apart.

To need you ~ broken on my knees.

All said and done

I stand alone
Among the remains of a life I should not own.

It takes all I am  to believe
In the mercy that covers me.

Did you really have to die for me?

All I am for all you are because

what I need and what I believe are worlds apart.

I look beyond the empty cross


forgetting what my life has cost


and wipe away the crimson stains


and dull the nails that still remain.

More and more I need you now.

I owe you more each passing hour.

The battle between grace and pride


I gave up not so long ago.

Steal my heart. 

Take the pain.


Wash the feet. 

Cleanse my pride.


Take the selfish. 

Take the weak.


Take all the things I cannot hide.


Take the beauty. 

Take my tears.


Take this sin-soaked heart and make it yours.

Take my world apart.

Take it now.

Take it now.

Serve the ones that I despise.

Speak the words I can't deny.

Watch the world

I used to love

turn to dust and fall away.

I pray, 

and I pray, 

and I pray


take my world apart.

Jars of Clay from the album Jars of Clay, 1995





Be still your soul with this a while…

The three of you read this together…

hear the others’ voices sing this prayer

hear your voice sing this prayer

"Oh Thou, 

from whom the breath of life comes,

who fills all realms of sound, 

light 

and vibration.

May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.

Your Heavenly Domain approaches.

Let Your will come true - 

In the universe

 (all that vibrates)
just as on earth 

(that is material and dense).

Give us wisdom 

(understanding, assistance) 

for our daily need,

detach the fetters of faults that bind us,
like we let go the guilt of others.

Let us not be lost in superficial things

(materialism, common temptations),

but let us be freed 

from that what keeps us off 

from our true purpose.

From You comes the all-working will, 

the lively strength to act,
the song that beautifies all 

and renews itself from age to age.

Sealed in trust, 

faith 

and truth.
(I confirm with my entire being)

~ The Prayer To Our Father
(in the original Aramaic)

Jars of Clay lyrics "Boys" and Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are many reasons why I love Mother Church.

Her relationship with Our Lady is one of them.

The Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception and

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Hear these lyrics from Jars of Clay.  Although it is called “Boys” and appears to be a father’s words to his son, I hear it as though it were Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego...and us...

Lesson one - do not hide 

Lesson two - there are right ways to fight 

And if you have questions 

We can talk through the night 

So you know who you are 

And you know what you want 

I've been where you're going 

And it's not that far 

it's too far to walk 

But you don't have to run 

you'll get there in time 

Lesson three - you're not alone 

Not since I saw you start breathing on your own 

You can leave, you can run, this 

will still be your home 

So you know who you are 

And you know what you want 

I've been where you're going 

And it's not that far 

it's too far to walk 

But you don't have to run 

you'll get there in time 

Get there in time 

In time, to wonder where the days have gone 

In time, to be old enough to 

wish that you were young 

When good things are unraveling, 

bad things come undone 

You weather love and lose your innocence 

There will be liars and 

thieves who take from you 

Not to undermine the consequence 

But you are not what you do 

And when you need it most 

I have a hundred reasons why I love you 

If you weather love and lose your innocence 

Just remember - lesson one

~ Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay lyrics "There Might Be A Light" and Song of Songs ~ in my heart, on my mind, in my life

The Second Chapter in Song of Songs

starting with the 8th line...

Hark! my lover-here (my lover) comes

springing across the mountains,

leaping across the hills.

My lover is like a gazelle

or a young stag.

Here (my lover) stands behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

My lover speaks; (and) says to me,

"Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,

and come!

"For see, the winter is past,

the rains are over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of pruning the vines has come,

and the song of the dove is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.

Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,

and come!

"O my dove in the clefts of the rock,

in the secret recesses of the cliff,

Let me see you,

let me hear your voice,

For your voice is sweet,

and you are lovely."

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes

that damage the vineyards; for our vineyards are in bloom!

My lover belongs to me and I to (my lover);

(My lover) browses among the lilies.

Until the day breathes cool and the shadows lengthen,

roam, my lover,

Like a gazelle or a young stag

upon the mountains of Bether.

Ah man.

I cry.

I AM... Love

Pray with me.

I imagine our Triune God as the Gazelle when I hear Song of Songs with my heart.

I wonder why I love God sometimes from

behind my wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

Pray with me.

I wonder why I sometimes hide from God

behind a wall...in the Garden's Trees...

I wonder why I sometimes choose to forget God

 comes looking for me

in The Garden...

"Where are you?  Why are you hiding?"

I wonder why I sometimes don't recognize God

when God waits for me outside the tomb

calling out to me by name...

"Mary, who are you looking for?"

Why am I afraid to be with

Emmanuel...

I pray I will always invite our Triune God into all I do.

I pray I will always seek our Triune God into all I feel.

I pray I will always feel our Triune God’s presence while I pray.

Pray with me.

I imagine I am the Gazelle when I hear Song of Songs with my heart.

I wonder why I keep God

behind a wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

Ah man.

I cry.

Pray with me.

Remember The Transfiguration prayer I brought to the front so long ago...

Label:  transfiguration…

Peter, John and James wanted to build three tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.  

Pray with me.

I wonder why I sometimes place God

behind a wall...inside a tent...

I wonder why I sometimes keep God to myself...

box God in...

I wonder why I sometimes believe my wall built through my custom...

my culture...

my tradition...

my institution...
is the one true tent, box, walled courtyard.

I wonder why I sometimes choose to forget

the Canaanite Woman...

Why am I afraid of

Emmanuel...

I pray I will keep our Triune God free to express unconditional forgiveness.

I pray I will keep our Triune God’s creation alive.

I pray I will climb the wall, open the windows, clear the lattices.

Jars of Clay presented a concert in my town Halloween Weekend.  When I heard There Might be a Light I felt transported to my daily prayer in the second chapter of Song of Songs starting with the 8th line...

Jars of Clay ~  There Might be a Light

I wait outside your house

And sing below your window

And I look for the light to show, I know

I know that it will come on, come on, come on

Come on soon

There might be a light

Somewhere in your mind

When you think of you and I

I wait for it to shine

I know it will come on, come on, come on

Come on soon

It will come on, come on soon

And it's just the way things go

When you love someone and they don't know

Sparks and hearts, they have to glow

They just glow, they just glow

You know they just come on, 

come on, come on, come on

They just come on, come on, come on

There is no delusion, to you I don't exist

I am only shadow

Only a ghost can wait as

long as I have for this

And I, I can't wait much longer

'Cause there might be a light

Somewhere in your mind

When you think of you and I

I know there will be a light

It might not burn very strong

But I know it's coming on

It will come on, come on, come on

I sit back.  Breathe and feel my heart sigh...