{"id":30268,"date":"2015-05-17T13:47:51","date_gmt":"2015-05-17T17:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/exploringourmatrix\/?p=30268"},"modified":"2015-05-17T13:47:51","modified_gmt":"2015-05-17T17:47:51","slug":"ultimate-concern-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2015\/05\/ultimate-concern-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Concern"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/iframe>\n<\/p>I had the privilege of sharing the song I wrote, \u201cUltimate Concern,\u201d at Crooked Creek Baptist Church today. I am grateful to the musicians who participated in learning the song and performing it with me. The inspiration from the ideas of Paul Tillich will be obvious to those familiar with his writings.<\/p>\nHere are the lyrics:<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>Ultimate Concern<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nFaith is not a sightless leap you make into the darkness<\/p>\nIt shouldn\u2019t be a lame excuse for thinking as you\u2019re told<\/p>\nIt isn\u2019t clinging to your views until you\u2019ve choked them lifeless<\/p>\nFaith is a state of being ultimately concerned<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nFaith is not a box that you can tie up with your loose ends<\/p>\nA cell with your assumptions serving as the prison bars<\/p>\nIt isn\u2019t stuff you think you know, it isn\u2019t feeling certain<\/p>\nFaith is a state of being ultimately concerned<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nCHORUS<\/p>\nYou are the axis upon which I turn<\/p>\nBridge I cannot burn<\/p>\nUltimate concern<\/p>\n\n<\/p>You are my center of gravity<\/p>\nYet you\u2019re infinity<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nFaith becomes idolatry when placed in church or nation<\/p>\nToo many playing politics with other people\u2019s souls<\/p>\nIt\u2019s not achieved by imposition or by inquisition<\/p>\nFaith is a state of being ultimately concerned<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nFaith is not mistaking symbols for the things they point to<\/p>\nWorshiping the finger that is pointing at the moon<\/p>\nSometimes it seems its all you\u2019ve got, the one thing left to cling to<\/p>\nand sometimes you let go and find that it grabs hold of you<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nCHORUS<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\nBut yes there is a leap of faith \u2013 a letting go of idols<\/p>\nTrading answers for the questions you have yet to know<\/p>\nThe absolutes that hide from you the Absolute, the Mystery;<\/p>\nSo let the Ultimate become your ultimate concern<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n(c) 2013 \u00a0James F. McGrath<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I had the privilege of sharing the song I wrote, \u201cUltimate Concern,\u201d at Crooked Creek Baptist Church today. I am grateful to the musicians who participated in learning the song and performing it with me. The inspiration from the ideas of Paul Tillich will be obvious to those familiar with his writings. Here are the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":30270,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[2311,3329,7803,8843,11570,12162,12508,13078],"class_list":["post-30268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-crooked-creek-baptist-church","tag-faith","tag-music","tag-paul-tillich","tag-song","tag-symbols","tag-theology","tag-ultimate-concern"],"yoast_head":"\n<title>Ultimate Concern<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I had the privilege of sharing the song I wrote, "Ultimate Concern," at Crooked Creek Baptist Church today. 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