Christian Music

I grew up in the choir - almost as much as I grew up in Youth Group. My first choir director was Mr. Groves. When I was in grade school, Mr. Groves would not only teach and direct the boys and girls choirs, but he would also write and direct musicals. I sang in a couple of these musicals, most notably as Jamichi's Grandfather and The Selfish Giant - though I really wanted to be the dragon.

As I grew too old for boys choir and my voice started to change, I joined the adult Chancel Choir. I joined them just in time for Mozart's Requiem. To this day, that is one of the most challenging and best pieces of music I've ever sang. I sang with the adult choir, off and on, throughout high school and into my first year of college. Then I left to join the Navy.

Also during my youth group years, we would have singing sessions during our meetings and sometimes on our work camps. My good friend, Andy, preached recently about sitting around a campfire on the beach singing songs. One of the songs he mentioned was Have You Seen Jesus? I read the title, and I admit, it brought back no memories for me. I could see half of the titles as songs that I'd probably sung, but only a few tunes had stuck in my head since then.

More than ten years after I'd gone off to the Navy, I decided to go back to Lakeside. The thing that drew me back, actually, was the chance to sing in the choir. Though I was rusty at first, I really enjoyed the time spent singing. I've never been a very good singer - maybe better than average, but that's about it. I'd come to respect the fact that I was never going to be the next Pavarotti a long time before. And since, when you go off into the world, you tend to forget those skills that aren't going to take you anywhere - like riding a bike or playing pinball - I'd left singing behind as something I no longer needed. But when it was time to go back, I remembered how much joy I'd had singing. And sitting in that choir and singing to God really brought me back to my youth and reminded me of how good it felt to be in communion with God. I haven't looked back since.

The strangest thing happened to me today. Out of the clear blue, I was thinking about my Uncle's struggle with cancer and wondering what the future held in store for us all, and suddenly... this tune popped into my head. My brain is weird, all the time, and so I realized that it had probably seen the title of the song and started sifting through twenty years of memories to find the corresponding tune and words. But there I was, at work, suddenly humming and singing "Have You Seen Jesus?".

Here are the lyrics, in case, like me, you've forgotten a word or two...

Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?
Words and Music by John Fischer
(Written during his summer as the first music director at Ponderosa Lodge, the new high school camp at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center.)

Have you seen Jesus my Lord
He's here in plain view
Take a look open your eyes
He'll show it to you

Have you ever look at the sunset
With the sky mellowing red
And the clouds suspended like feathers
Then I say you've seen Jesus my Lord

Have you seen Jesus my Lord
He's here in plain view
Take a look open your eyes
He'll show it to you

Have you ever stood at the ocean
With the white foam at your feet
Felt the endless thundering motion
Then I say you've seen Jesus my Lord

Have you seen Jesus my Lord
He's here in plain view
Take a look open your eyes
He'll show it to you

Have you ever looked at the cross
With a man hanging in pain
And the look of love in his eyes
Then I say you've seen Jesus my Lord

(I remember a verse that isn't there... so I think maybe there was another later version).

Anyway, I just wanted to share with you some thoughts on music. Hallelujah, Amen.