Theme Verse: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Thought:  Written in the style of Taize which uses repetition as a form of emphasis , "Strength of Will" is a song about sanctification.  Sanctification has been a tricky topic for Lutherans to discuss, and yet even more-so for Lutherans in public worship.  What I attempted to do in this song was to talk about sanctification in terms of the will, highlighting that it is a difficult thing for us so we continually ask  God to work in us.

The verses of the song proclaim God's strong will, his ability to follow through in difficult situations.  The examples in the songs are when the Father allows His Son to die on the cross, and when the Son likewise willingly forgoes his rights on the cross).  The bridge then professes that we are selfish and so we ask God to help us seek His kingdom.  The song then ends with a prayer akin to the Lord's Prayer: "Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done, in our hearts as it is in heaven."  It is not enough to have the example of God's strong will, but we need for Him to impart on us that strength in Christ.

Song Credits:
Keys: Alan Cross
El. Guitar: Matthew Von Doran
Bass: Carl Caspersen
Drums: Keith Harris
Acoustic Guitars / Vocals: Steve Zank

Theme Verse: For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  (1 Cor 1:25-27)

Thought: This is a song of praise for the life we have in Christ.  It is written in view of our struggle with self-justification and worldly understanding of events.  Some of my friends have suffered great tragedies - as have some of yours or maybe you yourself.  In my life there is one particular couple who have modeled joy in the face of difficult times.  The values of the world and the values of the  kingdom of God are often at odds with each other, and the values and wisdom of the world will tell us lies about ourselves and our circumstances.  We, however,  listen to God's voice in the cacophony and believe his promises and follow his ways, even in opposition to the "wisdom" of this world.