As we were preparing to enter the Love to Pray study a few weeks ago, a song written by Don Schlosser, a seminary friend of mine, came [back] to my mind. It was a part of his Masters Degree thesis project … a musical about revival. A major part of the focus was the role of prayer in major spiritual awakenings in the recent history of the church, leading to a dramatic climax in the song “I Wish with Our Songs.” I was so moved by the song that I asked him for a copy of it … and close to 20 years later I am amazed that I still had it filed so that I could lay my hands on it easily. Here is the text:

Verse 1
I wish with our songs we could move you to pray.
I wish there were notes or words we could say
To burden your hearts for the need of our day.
I wish we could move you to pray.

Verse 2
I wish with these hands we could show how we feel.
I wish there were signs to stir up your zeal;
Zeal to plead God to make images real.
I wish we could move you to pray.

Bridge
But maybe the fullness of time is not here.
Maybe the darkness will be yet more drear.
Maybe our children will finally hear
And their generation will struggle in prayer.

Verse 3
But we believe God can be moved by your tears.
We know that His Spirit is somehow right here.
We thirst for revival, we know it is near.
I wish we could move you to pray.

(Verse 1 repeats here)

You may hear it as a solo some time in the next few weeks. Keep your ears open for it. I’m working on transcribing it from Don’s handwritten manuscript. Technology has come a long way in 20 years. I’m glad we don’t have to hand-write everything any more.

That’s enough to think about for now.