White Washed Tomb

A well meaning young man walked up to me after church a few years ago, shortly after Christmas. I was playing electric guitar that day, and was dressed in clothes my dear mum had bought me for Christmas. I had on new blue jeans and a new t-shirt with a dalmation sitting in front of a firetruck emblazened on the front,(my dad was a fireman and I'm still a proud son!).

The young man warmed up by asking if I had a minute to talk after the service, and naturally I said I'd be glad to. He began by praising my playing, insisting that we, as a band, must have spent a lot of time rehearsing, (yeah, right - whatever!).

He continued, confessing that he had had a hard time worshipping that day - because of what I was wearing! I didn't quite know what to say. Of course I was interested because I didn't want to cause my brother to stumble. I asked him about his background because I had not seen him before. He said he had grown up attending a church in Cairo, Egypt, where they all dress in their very best every week, even the man who wears his tux and sits in the front and falls asleep every service. I didn't know what to say. I wanted some time to consider what he had said, so I wished him well and prayed hard about it the next week.

Draw your own conclusions, but this is what I consistently hear God saying to me. Be real Jay. And beware those who would judge based on outward appearances, for the LORD knows the heart of all men and sees past our false fronts, whatever they may be. Beware the white-washed tomb.

WHITE WASHED TOMB

I’ve touched the hands
His cheek tasted my kiss
There ain’t no truth there baby, but
This is where it all begins

Follow me said the blind man
To the man who could not see
‘I’ll lead you from temptation’
‘But you’re gonna follow me.’
‘Baby, you’re gonna follow me.’

You look so good there in that
White washed suit
How much that cost you,
You white washed tomb?
I know your kind
I seen you before
Proud to place your pennies
On the eyes of the blind and the poor

One look into that mirror baby
I’ll tell you what you’ll see
It’s the hand of an angels ‘round the neck
Of that devil on top of me

Jay Duncan 2005

Into The Arms

As a child I used to spend a lot of time at my grandmother's place in South Surrey. Back then we called it White Rock - it seemed like such a luxurious place to visit - filled with old ladies, sunshine and waaaay too many seagulls for my dad's liking.

Grandma and Grampa had two big white Pontiac's in the driveway, ducks and chickens, geese and garter snakes, coyotes and her own little dog named Chico. She had more parakeets, cockatiels and parrots than you could throw a shoe at. And she always spoiled me. I would sleep in late, and she would wait til I woke up to ask how I wanted my eggs that day. Every day. She always woke up early to take care of the yard and the animals. She had this best friend who lived across the street - Dolly was her name and I think they were competative over who had more animals and roses and grass to cut. I loved this lady. She was for me, a safe place. And she lived a million miles away.

As a kid I often wished I could live there. My own house was the loud house on the street, with my sister and I always yelling over who would do the dishes, my brothers scrapping over who knows what, and babies and adults making their fair share of the noise too. I just always wanted to live in a quiet house.

Please don't get me wrong. I LOVE my family. But they will be the first to admit that we all know how to push each others buttons. Even now, when I go back to visit, I fall into the same role I always used to play with my sister, and I feel like a jerk most of the time. In fact, I think I've gotten better at the self-righteous aspect of my role - much to my embarrassment.

When I was 27 we discovered that Grandma had Alzheimers'. It was the beginning of a long and cruel road she would travel before falling into the arms of Jesus.
On June 1st, 2009, Margaret finally entered His rest. She is no longer battling for breath, or memories, or a smile. She is resting - in the best place she could be. She is fully who the Father made her to be now. No more pain, or hurtful relationships - no more let downs or disappointments. She is home. And we miss her.

INTO THE ARMS

For Margaret

I’d say good-bye
But words don’t come easy
I'm not sure she hears me now
Not sure she sees me

So I’ll hold her hands
Watch her eyes take on twilight
Loosen my grip
I give up the fight

She will fall into the arms of her Maker
Lift her gaze to the One, who refused to forsake her
Finally free of the pain, like a songbird she now sings
She will fall into the arms of her Maker

She held me close
When my mama left my daddy
When push came to shove
When he treated her badly

So now I hold her close
Watch her eyes take on twilight
I loosen my grip
She gives up the fight

And she falls
Into the arms
Of her maker

Jay Duncan 2007

Waiting For You

Ahhh. I love this song. It always reminds me of a period in my life that was spent with super cool people in the small town of Bendigo, Australia. Big deadly spiders, big brown snakes and learning to drive stick on the wrong side of the road. It was quite a time. It was also a time where I was pressed so far out of my comfort zone - I couldn't believe it. Looking back I can see that God was preparing me for what would come next - Africa. And fatherhood. Noah, (pic above), has been an answer to prayers that have been hidden in the deepest recesses of my heart for years and years. I am eternally grateful for the chance to be a father to this little lad.

WAITING FOR YOU

Mercy falls
From your lips
Bittersweet like a good-bye kiss

The setting sun on the western shore
Depths that lead me to your door
Leave me waiting for you

You are
Hope everlasting
Faithful eternal
Father forever
Humble divine

You love
Justice and mercy
Your burden is light
You place your hand on my shoulder Lord
It’s you I can’t deny

Familiar strains of a melody
Enticing me like a promise ring
Leave me waiting for you

The moonlit trail of a mystery
Fingerprints of a coming King
Leave me waiting here for you

Its You

Jay Duncan 2005

The Lights Up Ahead Song

I love this song. Its my first driving song, written when I bought my first 'sports' car, (does a Honda Prelude count? You be the judge!). One of my favorite drives is between Vancouver and Whistler on the Sea-To-Sky highway. Surrounded by nature, curvy roads and a bit of horsepower...and somehow I turned it into a song about the coming kingdom. Go figure!

THE LIGHTS UP AHEAD SONG

You have shown me where I bleed
On this old highway you made for me
Where sea-to-sky meets the open road
I grab the throttle and I let her go
I really let her go

I love to sit here and watch the miles go by
I could drop the pedal - really let her fly
Through hairpin turns or the straight away
I round the corner and the heavens give way…
The heavens give way

I see the lights up ahead
Breaking through and taking back
Everything that was and is,
And forever will be His

Now I call shotgun on every ride we take
I could still grab the wheel but that’d be the big mistake
I used to know a short cut through this part of town, but
Ever since I’ve come to know you I love this long way around

Jay Duncan 2005

Something

Originally called 'The Make-Up Break-Up Song', I changed the title after finding the love of my life. I just couldn't sing it the other way anymore! We changed a few lines to better suit the new direction it took on and bada bing bada boom. There you go. Bob's your monkeys' uncle - or so they say. Anyways, this one goes out to the one I've fallen deeply in love with - the one I drive crazy on a daily basis,(I like to think of it as 'faithfully' finding new ways to drive her to the brink...)
(thanks to Pia Antturi for the pic)

;P

SOMETHING

There’s something in the air
Something on the street,
Something about the places
Where lonely people meet

There’s something about this girl
Makes him want to run away
Something in his heart
Begging him to stay
- There’s something about this girl

Now there's something 'bout this boy
Makes him want to be a man
To stand up straight and tall
To fight for all that he can
- There’s something ‘bout this girl

What he lacks in courage
He’ll make up with faith
He’ll find a blue sky lining,
Brighten up her day
She’ll find love on her windshield
A rose at her door
He’s laying it all on the line
- there’s something ‘bout this girl

Now there’s something in his eyes
Somehow it ain't fair
How he’ll pull at her every heart-string
Lay her heart out bare

There’s something about his arms now
Where there’s room for just one girl
There’s just no way around it
There’s something inside this man that knows
There’s something about this girl

Jay Duncan 2005

Maybe Tomorrow

Sometimes songs come from a place thats familiar, and sometimes not. Sometimes its just that the creative juices are flowing and its fun to squish every bit of gooey goodness out of that fruit. This wasn't one of those. This was inspired by a friend whose journey in this life seems to be a lump of coal. He has days that are great but most days seem to be the dumps. One weekend a few years ago, I felt the Lord gave me a word for my friend. That word was 'floodplain'. It was a call to persist after God in the hope of better days. Floodplains are vast expanses of flat land which are usually dry, but sometimes give way to great fertile seasons of rain - in due time, I hope my friend and I will both see our lives in perspective. We are a part of His story, not the other way around. Wait for the rain. Wait for the rain. So tired of waiting...

MAYBE TOMORROW (SONG OF THE MARTYRS)

How long O Lord?
How long my God?
Will you leave me here
With your enemy so near?

When floodplains like deserts lie
When the moon– she’s starving for light
When every river of hope is run dry
Maybe tomorrow

Where could we go?
To whom would we run?
For it’s You alone
You have the words of life

When floodplains like deserts lie
When the moon – she’s starving for light
When every river of hope is run dry
Maybe tomorrow

Maybe you’ll be here tomorrow
But maybe today
(Yeah I’m hoping for today)

How long O Lord?
How long my God?

Jay Duncan 2005

Louder Than Words

This is a funny song for me. Its a song of contrast and frustration over who God is and His desires for the complete restoration of all of creation; in stark contrast to our inadequate and lame attempts to live out the radical life He called us to.

Written as I wrestled with the idea of church and all it was meant to be and all it isn't. Please find this one peppered with lines of hope - even if it's hard to see!

LOUDER THAN WORDS

Let justice – find mercy
May humble hands – find dignity
May all who are poor find a treasure in You
All who are captive find their freedom in You

You are touching - the untouchables
Cleansing - the open wound
You pour healing water on the nations
To the orphan your love’s going to prove

Jesus, your actions speak louder than all my words

You bring a cup of cold water to the feverish one
Your tears form a river where the healing gets done
For the daughter of Zion under a burning sun
Or the child on a garbage heap Looking for his lunch

Jesus, your actions speak louder than all my words
Jesus, your actions speak louder than all my words

You help the homeless – find refuge
The lonesome - find a friend
May all who are orphaned find a Father in You
May all men find a reason - to look for You

Jay Duncan 2006