Tuesday, March 10, 2015

"Restore Us (Prayer For Unity)"

Last year, I heard a few sermons in seemingly short succession which dealt with the topic of interpersonal struggles within the local church.  While my own church has, by God's grace, been largely shielded from the kind of nagging and backbiting that has utterly destroyed other local congregations throughout history, we are not yet a perfected people.  Should God remove His hand of protection, today's respectful disagreement is tomorrow's church split and that's that.  Given Jesus' indication that it is through the unity of the believers that the unbelieving world will come to know God's love, it seems like a fairly important goal to shoot for.

Well, I'm no theologian.  But I do write the occasional song, and this topic of unity -- and restoration where unity has failed -- was inspirational.  I wrote the song "Restore Us (Prayer For Unity)" near the end of Summer 2014.  I tracked all the parts myself originally, but then asked drummer and friend Evan Smith if he'd care to re-track the drum parts.  Evan obliged, and the song was instantly better!  I intended back then to have my wife replace my vocal leads with her much more lovely voice.  But life, busy-ness, priorities, distractions, ... you know the routine.  It just never happened.  Even now as I think about it -- me with a head cold and her with a sinus infection and the boys running around the house noisily and the baby girl singing her own song that apparently has something to do with cheesy crackers -- I just shake my head and wonder how anything ever gets done at all.

Anyway, here's the song as it stands today.
"Restore Us (Prayer For Unity)"

When we fracture; when we fragment;
When we fall apart.
When forgiveness seems so distant
From every injured heart.

Even though breath is fleeting,
Even though hearts may fail,
You are our strength forever.
Restore us. (Ps. 73:26)

In the season of disagreement
When we all fall short
Unify us in Christ Jesus
To glorify our Lord (John 17:20-23)

Even though breath is fleeting
Even though hearts may fail
You are our strength forever
You restore us
You restore us

It bears all things.
Believes all things.
Hopes all things.
Love endures. (1 Cor. 13:7)
© 2014 C. Michael Pilato. Available for use under the cc-by-3.0 license.