Burning Bushes [MM]*
I've never seen a dead man come to life or seen a blind man get his sight,
I've never seen water turn to wine.
It isn't that I don't believe but it would be easier for me
If you would just send down a sign.
I remember the childlike innocence. A faith with no coincidence.
The world around was living proof.
Has that world just disappeared or is it me that isn't clear
how to recognize it's You.
I'm praying for a miracle to let me know You're listening.
Waiting for a lightening bolt to strike.
Walking through a garden of a thousand burning bushes
Looking up to Heaven for a sign.
I walk through the water and the waves looking for a drop of rain
but You're still not coming through.
Maybe its new eyes that I need or maybe it takes more faith to see
I'm drowning in the truth.
I'm praying for a miracle to let me know You're listening.
Waiting for a lightening bolt to strike.
Walking through a garden of a thousand burning bushes
Looking up to Heaven for a sign.
- Andy Gullahorn, Room to Breathe (2002)
* [MM] - stands for Music Mondays :)
So what is Andy singing about here? Being a musician/songwriter myself I never really cared much when people tried to "figure out" what I was trying to say in a song. So at the risk of impropriety, I'll give my thoughts on what I think Andy is saying.
I was in a conversation Saturday morning at breakfast with a fellow Canyon member and we were talking about Maple trees and syrup, peanutbutter, pineapples and cotton plants. Strange things to talk about I suppose, but the context was that she moved here from a foreign country and she had never seen these things in real life until she came to the States. She talked about taking pictures of these things (except the syrup and peanutbutter - those things she took back with her on a visit back "home") and mailing the photos back to family. She talked about how we don't think about them here in this country because it's all around us - how we just take it for granted.
Isaiah said a similar thing during his communion talk yesterday - but he was talking about the freedom to worship. How we don't appreciate it the same way as he does because he knows what it is like to be without that freedom.
I think this song is about how we've reduced the Wonder and Miraculous into the Ordinary and Common Place. We are so used to the miracles that happen everyday that we forget that they are miracles and we just come to expect them. When they don't happen, then we become indignant and use language like "it's unfair" or "I deserve". We ask for more proof when all the while we are drowning in it if we would take the time just to "see" it, but that's the problem. We've become so immersed in it, so surrounded by the day-to-day events in our lives, that we cease "to see them" or if we do, we don't see them as miracles but as entitlements.
Andy's right - we're walking in a garden of a thousand burning bushes, looking up to Heaven for a sign.
Shawn
I've never seen water turn to wine.
It isn't that I don't believe but it would be easier for me
If you would just send down a sign.
I remember the childlike innocence. A faith with no coincidence.
The world around was living proof.
Has that world just disappeared or is it me that isn't clear
how to recognize it's You.
I'm praying for a miracle to let me know You're listening.
Waiting for a lightening bolt to strike.
Walking through a garden of a thousand burning bushes
Looking up to Heaven for a sign.
I walk through the water and the waves looking for a drop of rain
but You're still not coming through.
Maybe its new eyes that I need or maybe it takes more faith to see
I'm drowning in the truth.
I'm praying for a miracle to let me know You're listening.
Waiting for a lightening bolt to strike.
Walking through a garden of a thousand burning bushes
Looking up to Heaven for a sign.
- Andy Gullahorn, Room to Breathe (2002)
* [MM] - stands for Music Mondays :)
So what is Andy singing about here? Being a musician/songwriter myself I never really cared much when people tried to "figure out" what I was trying to say in a song. So at the risk of impropriety, I'll give my thoughts on what I think Andy is saying.
I was in a conversation Saturday morning at breakfast with a fellow Canyon member and we were talking about Maple trees and syrup, peanutbutter, pineapples and cotton plants. Strange things to talk about I suppose, but the context was that she moved here from a foreign country and she had never seen these things in real life until she came to the States. She talked about taking pictures of these things (except the syrup and peanutbutter - those things she took back with her on a visit back "home") and mailing the photos back to family. She talked about how we don't think about them here in this country because it's all around us - how we just take it for granted.
Isaiah said a similar thing during his communion talk yesterday - but he was talking about the freedom to worship. How we don't appreciate it the same way as he does because he knows what it is like to be without that freedom.
I think this song is about how we've reduced the Wonder and Miraculous into the Ordinary and Common Place. We are so used to the miracles that happen everyday that we forget that they are miracles and we just come to expect them. When they don't happen, then we become indignant and use language like "it's unfair" or "I deserve". We ask for more proof when all the while we are drowning in it if we would take the time just to "see" it, but that's the problem. We've become so immersed in it, so surrounded by the day-to-day events in our lives, that we cease "to see them" or if we do, we don't see them as miracles but as entitlements.
Andy's right - we're walking in a garden of a thousand burning bushes, looking up to Heaven for a sign.
Shawn
posted by Shawn White | 8/14/2006 06:43:00 AM
5 Comments:
thanks for that book name.i'm so excited about having guitar this year. i just got moved to intermediate which means like half way through the year were doing a concert in cali and going to disneyland which ive never been too. I look forward to sunday night. last sunday your class was great. It really makes you think. :) cant wait. hmmmm flap jacks....
kyle - the two books that i own by him are "Progressions & Improvisation" and "The Exercise Book".
cool that you get to play live - there is no rush better than playing in front of people - that is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. congrats on moving up to the intermediate section - what are the differences between the sections? i've never taken lessons so i'm a bit "dumb" about those things.
glad you like last sunday and that it made you think. that's what i'm all about - challenging people to think about what they believe and why they believe it. progress through resistence - if everyone believes the same thing and does things the same way, no progress is made and nothing new is discovered. progress comes from resisting current traditions and thoughts - but it has to be done in a very careful and precise manner - otherwise it's easy to get lost and turned all around. knowledge must be handled very carefully - it can do harm if not treated in a respectful manner - even if used with the best of intentions.
shawn
Shawn, I've never heard that song, but I think the point it makes is SO true!!!
Thanks for teaching the teens class on Sunday nights. I know they're all going to get a lot out of it.
elizabeth - lol, i was curious as to what the feedback was going to be from the teens back to the parent..."hey, we got some creepy, white, fat guy teaching us instead of josh - we don't know what he is talking about." - lol
i hope they enjoy it and that they get a little something out of it to help them in high school and college.
shawn
LOL! You crack me up!! Well, that's not the feedback I've heard at all! I've heard nothing but good comments. Keep it up! Us parents need all the help and reinforcement that we can get.
BTW, I hope to have time to catch up (and possibly even comment!) on The Weight of Glory sermon. I just got way behind on my blogging during those last couple of weeks of summer. It's great stuff and I'll be happy to get a chance to finish it.
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