"Beautiful Eulogy"

(This is an entry in Wisdom from Musicians.  A series dedicated to bringing you wisdom from artists.  Despite how hard it may be to find. )


This is a rap/song from Beautiful Eulogy (yes, the song is from their title).  I just thought I'd share it with yall.  but first, let me props a thought to you: what is a beautiful eulogy?  First of all, an eulogy is type of poem dedicated to someone's life after they have died.  It is supposed to praise or commend them for their life, or at least some part of it.  So what is a beautiful eulogy, from a Christian perspective? 

"When it is my time to go, go ahead and take me home, I wanna be with You."

"Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into your rest."

This is not our home, nor is it where we belong.  We are in enemy controlled territory.  Some day we will either join our King as He prepares to invade this world, or we will join Him when He lands.  Either way it's all good: we either live as Christ or we die and meet Him.  Either way it's about Him.  So a Christian/beautiful eulogy is one about a life that ends in Jesus. 

With that, enjoy the song! (you can download it for FREE LEGALLY in my previous post)

"Beautiful Eulogy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78MXG7NEE2M

There used to be a time 

      when we were fine 

living life

 with no particular religious bend. 

Pretending to be our own Gods
inventing our own systems of belief so as to not depend 

on anything other than our own self governing consent. 

Defending an impending doom 

with no perceived need to concede or repent.

 Presuming our innocence in a sense dissent. 

The sting of death was only the inevitable end 

of everything we could never rightly understand or comprehend. 

We used to fear the unknown 

until God made himself known and atoned
mending the relationship between God and men. 

Giving his life as a ransom for many when he died and ascended,

and in that one event the certainty of eternal death was circumvented.
Making a way for the day when history stops and time suspends. 

Spending eternity in fellowship that never ends. 

We see the greatest expression of God's love extended
in the moment when those who were once enemies instead became
God's friends.

When it is my time to go, 

go ahead and take me home 

I wanna be with You.

I wanna be with You.

How sweet the Gospel sounds to ears like mine,

well acquainted with pain and strained relationships,

 friendships that suffer from long distances, 

or even worse they get severed from something more severe. 

And He still hasn't wiped away all my tears yet.

My cheeks get wet every now and then. 

Even when I give my best, I know I fall short.
I get scared when the ball's in my court. 

Focused on my performance, wretched and poor,

It makes the message more real when I preach it.

 I'm not there yet so I'm reaching,
reaching for a goal:

to stand before my King and be speechless.

Then, never again,

will I question if his grace 

is sufficient to cover my sin. 

Cause death is gone, and all
the effects of, evil and wrong 

will be conquered when His kingdom comes. 

So this is my hope and my prayer. 

The air that I'll breath in eternity with lungs that never fail me.

 If it pleases my Lord, and only by Your grace, 

use my life till it's poured out for Your sake. 

Until then I'll remain where You have me, 

with joy when I feel unhappy. 

And a peace that surpasses all my understanding,

 my life is in the hands of Your love everlasting.

When it is my time to go, 

go ahead and take me home 

I wanna be with You.

I wanna be with You.

Prayin for ya

A year and a half ago, I hated rap music.  Or at least was very predisposed to be against it. Then, I heard Lecrae's "Prayin for you". This is the song that piqued my interest in rap music. (I even performed it once!)


Here's the lyrics and a link to the actual song, but I encourage both listening and reading the lyrics.

"Father, I'm prayin' for a friend he and I are pretty close, and out of all my friends for this one I'm concerned the most.
He say he readin' daily but he ain't really learnin'. He been in church but say that he ain't moved by any sermon. His face weak, he ain't prayed in a week, he wake up and just weep with his face in the sink Lord, you gotta help my man,
 I'm prayin' for him daily, he ain't sinned but it just seem as if he goin' crazy. He say he feelin' trapped, can't even head up the mall coz every lady's half-dressed temptin' him to lust and fall.
 He keep the TV off, videos just make him feel that he ain't really nothin' without money, girls and shiny wheels.
The other day he told me that he felt less a man coz he ain't have a five-year plan or a piece of land
and man it's crazy coz his family think so much of him,
 plus he got a Godly wife who always showin' love for him
but he's strugglin', even though he talk to me, I tell him what to do but he don't listen when he oughta' be.
I'm scared for him coz there's people that look up to him, he got some younger siblings who been changed by what he's done for them
 but is it done for him?
 Lord don't let it be, if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me.

 Is it done for him?

 Lord don't let it be, if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me...

(Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, I'm prayin' for you)

God, his condition is worsen since we were last conversed and I'm with him now and he ain't doin' well and this I'm certain.
He say he tryna' trust you, doesn't wanna disgust you
but he was in the mist of sinners and did not discuss you
 and just today his anxiety's got the best of him,
he knows Christ but for hours refuse to rest in Him, he's not the best of men
but Lord I know he really loves you
and I can't understand why lately he's not thinkin' of you.
People trust this dude, you could crush this dude, Father he needs more of you I pray you touch this dude, what can I say to him? I'm determined to pray for him Father empty and break him I pray you'll just have your way with him, coz there's a change in him and the effects are strong,
 I pray you open up his heart before the next song and when he gets home, I pray he'll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote and soak it up
coz he ain't hearin' You and he ain't feelin' me and God I know it's killin' You because it's killin' me

and matter of fact there's somethin' else he's concealin' see,

the person that I've been prayin' about


is really me..."

Life's been real tough lately:

"And yet, this I recall to mind, and therefore I have hope.
You died Lord. You died.
Assuredly, like the coming of the dawn the Father's love song goes on
drowning out my bitter songs
Christ swoops in, removes sin, picks up His bride and carries her.
So I can sing in agreement with my King, this thing:
See, there's only one thing that pleases the Father
The God-Man on the tree in the midst of the scoffers.
Now, I finally see,
that Christ is
what Christ offers.
And I'm finally free,
in the love of my Father." - Jimmy Neeham "Not Without Love"




Jimmy's full poem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD-wnNnW4KE
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmania.com/prayin_for_you_lyrics_lecrae.html
All about Lecrae: http://www.musictory.com/music/Lecrae