Shaun Groves
I was in a hotel shower scrubbing up before heading to Creation Fest Northwest when the melody and first verse of a song hit me. Later that day, in a trailer backstage, the second verse was written by the power of the Holy Spirit and many M&Ms.
That was weeks ago. Weeks before I really understood what the song was about. Ever since, I’ve struggled to add the chorus – the part I usually start with.
The seed of this chorus was planted in July. I had my second bout with depression. I was ready this time. I knew what to do – I knew to douse my brain in truth for starters.
I read the bible constantly and also a book about God’s presence by A.W. Tozer. These words stayed with me:
The presence of God is the central fact of Christianity. At the heart of the Christian message is God Himself waiting for His redeemed children to push into conscious awareness of His presence. That type of Christianity which happens now to be in vogue knows this Presence only in theory. …We are satisfied to rest in our judicial possessions and, for the most part, we bother ourselves very little about the absence of personal experience.
Tozer wrote that God is universally present. We all accept that fact as Christians. But he went further to show that God also manifests His presence in healing, converting, comforting, etc. In scripture, God says again and again that he is “near” to the broken hearted, the poor, outcast, widowed, orphaned, persecuted, etc. I don’t fully understand what “near” means – and Tozer didn’t claim to either – but it has something to do with God letting us “see” Him at work, engaged, involved.
Tozer said our sin and struggle creates opportunities to “push into conscious awareness of His presence.” It’s in those darkest moments of life when we often, like the bible’s poor, outcast, widowed, orphaned, persecuted, etc, experience God in ways we’ve been unable to before. And are stripped of every hope but Him. And are given a greater measure of faith.
All these thoughts, and my own needs, and Amy’s cancer, and my upcoming trip to Guatemala bounced around in my head for a while until last night: The chorus to this song finally dropped out of me. Or at least this first version of it here. It’s still too wordy, in my opinion, so I’ll keep praying and whittling away, but I felt like I should share it with you today as is. Somebody needs these words.
Listen here.
COME BY HERE
Words & Music by Shaun Groves
VERSE:
The orphans shout for a loving father
And the whores reach out for a faithful lover
We’re all singing now
God, will you come by here?The widows need life to raise their dead and
All the beggars plead for their daily bread – Oh
We’re all singing please
God, will you come by here?Come, we have nothing else God
And having You we want for nothingCHORUS
Come, come and meet us here
Come and touch our tears
And we will weep no more
Come, come and meet our pain
Come and lift our lame
And we will limp no more
Come and we will want no moreVERSE 2:
The doubters pray for your signs and wonders
All the cynics say You’ll let us go under
We’re all singing nowWe’re here to stay
God, will you come by here?Come, we have nothing else God
And having You we want for nothingCHORUS
BRIDGE:
No death, life
No angels or demons
No depth, height
Can come in between us
And Your love
Your love
Your love, LoveCHORUS
Come by, come by here!
Heather EV says:
Too wordy?
I think it’s pretty near perfect. I was singing along with the chorus (AMAZING chorus!) the first time you played it. It’s really catchy and I really like it.
Seaton says:
Really liked it. I’m not sure what I’d cut if it were me. Count me as one who needed to hear it.
sara varghese says:
last week everything came to a head in my life. An iffy church, the loneliness of living in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language, being stuck with a 2 year old all day, everyday, top that with the hormones of pregnancy….I really wanted out. I’d been asking God, “why?” for a long time and asking when something was going to “give”.
My husband had the wisdom to let me talk, and asked me how my relationship with the Lord was…it was then I realized just how close the Lord had been to me. It was only by His strength I had endured. The “where are you?” question was answered through the tears.
Kathy says:
Nothing to cut here. Speaks to me. Who doesn’t need Him to come? Thank you for sharing, especially when you didn’t think it was done yet.
keith says:
Good song. I think “come by here” is a translation of “kumbayah.” To avoid an association in our minds with what we may perceive as a cheesy camp-fire song, you might consider changing the title and lyric. Maybe “please come near” or “please be near” or “I’ll let you steer” (o.k. maybe not the last one). Just a thought. Either way, I like the song.
Shaun Groves says:
I didn’t ask for a co-write or critique ; )
Do you work for THE MAN…I mean…a record label?
Heather EV says:
I actually kinda like that it’s the same as Kumbaya.
keith says:
Nope. Not workin’ for The Man. If I were, I would be focusing on just one word in the first verse.
Ron says:
I seldom comment though I read faithfully. I just don’t usually have much wisdom to add. And I’ve learned to try to shut up in my folly. And I have nothing wise to say now. But I do want to say “thanks for writing.” I mean the blog, sure. You make me think. And hunger. But mainly thanks for being the very rare individual that actually BLOGS the words of the song he’s working on, opening yourself up to lame advice, pithy comments, song theft, etc. (and no, I wasn’t referring to anybody who commented before me. Not at all.) It’s just that doing what you do never ever happens. 34 years of youth ministry followed by a year of total burn-out followed now by 3 years of being “the real pastor” has proven that to me. I’ve come to the conclusion that you obviously don’t exist. You must be computer generated. 🙂 either way … thank you for writing. Please keep being you. (we’ve never met and maybe in the real world you stink. please don’t stink. but either way … keep writing. I need you.)
Shaun Groves says:
Moved and encouraged, sir. Thank you.
Ron says:
Sir? oh geez. i take it all back. 😉
Paul Davis says:
Amazing. I think you have something great here. Looking forward to your worship leading on Sunday. (you should throw this in just for fun)
keith feisel says:
I can relate to this season you’re going through. I went back and read my journal… (I hope you’re journaling as well, as it helped me–“pour your heart out to [God], for he is a refuge for us” Psalms)
Praying for your time in South America.
This journal entry will remind you you’re not alone, (and remind me what I was reading back then!)
====================
“As I look back over my own story, the chapters that have been written in recent years have been filled with both despair and delight—both affliction and adventure. The autumn leaves in a sense are a picture of my own soul this past year. There are different names for what I was going through, but my reading helped me to see that I wasn’t alone—others wrestled with this lugubriosity as well: Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Samson. Elisha, Jeremiah, Jonah, and Job. The Apostle Paul, Augustine, Baxter, Spurgeon. Jesus. Maybe even yourself. Something inside me was dying. My relationship with God had no life; my relational and spiritual pulse was weak, and I was in some much needed “soul care”, as the Puritans put it. And while Scripture tells me, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones”, God also admonishes me that the LORD God “has no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, therefore, repent and live”. My thoughts and beliefs—the lies I had come to embrace—had to be taken behind the woodshed…
This past year has been a journey down a winding unpredictable road. There have been times when the imagination would run wild and I could sense myself flying, and other times of waiting quietly with my eyes wide shut—wanting to be invisible but choosing to trust. And like that little boy buried in a pile of autumn leaves, I have sprung forth from the tomb full alive! I have had an encounter with the grace of Christ that has poured new life in to my relationship with the Savior like the refreshment that comes from being under a waterfall.
So, as I look out my window, the leaves may be dying but I feel like I am in the springtime of my spiritual journey. And I reflect on the reality that comes with the changing seasons: in autumn, something’s gonna die. As you look through your own window—not to the changing leaves or icy trees, but through the window of your soul to what resides there—ask yourself, “What will die this year?” Will it be a part of your heart that grows cold and hard? Or will this short fall of the glory of God bring the death to a sin that is slowly killing you and robbing your joy?
This season, may God wake the dead parts of our hearts and allow us both to be wild at heart…”
Shaun Groves says:
Playing around with this chorus instead:
Come, heaven come down here
Come and touch our tears
And we will weep no more
Come, heaven come to earth
Come and heal our hurt
And we will limp no more
Come and we will want no more
Still not there yet…and “heaven” (oddly enough) gets me into trouble. Some people get weird when I talk about heaven on earth. Hmmm, the quandaries of writing “Christian music.” ; )
Shayne says:
I’m not the amazing songwriter you are…but I know great songs when I hear them. This song is perfect in its original form and I would buy it to play over and over in my iPod.
It’s not too wordy and as for the “heaven” thing, I get what you’re saying, but Heaven doesn’t save me or move me. Only God does that.
We don’t know each other personally, but man I love your heart. Praying for you.
Ron says:
kind of echo’s the words of “the lost dogs” in their song “Come Down Here.”
Michael Patterson says:
Love it! It was awesome for me to be in that motorhome at Creation NW while you worked some of this out. Hope I didn’t sneak too many of your M&Ms.
Douglas says:
Great song!
becky says:
Thanks.
Alexia says:
I love it just the way it is.
Thanks for a post that has touched me this morning.
annie says:
I love it, Shaun. While I listened to it, I closed my eyes and pictured myself at the Sleep Train amphitheatre in Marysville, CA, lifting my hands with the crowd. I’m no expert, but I think it’s a hit! Really beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.
Sherri says:
Tozer said our sin and struggle creates opportunities to “push into conscious awareness of His presence.” It’s in those darkest moments of life when we often, like the bible’s poor, outcast, widowed, orphaned, persecuted, etc, experience God in ways we’ve been unable to before. And are stripped of every hope but Him. And are given a greater measure of faith.
Not to sound preachy, but to encourage you, I can testify. Coming out of a 3+ year season of dark, constant struggle & wrestling with my Creator, (during which I stood at a hosptial bed 5 times, with 5 different family members near death) I too had doubts and my faith & beliefs were tested. I didn’t fully understand what ‘near’ meant either. When this seemingly eternal season ended a few months ago, I came out with “I’ve never known Him from this side before”. That’s the best I can describe it. He is so multi-faceted and I am so limited in my tattered humanity, that I learned in a new way that “His grace is sufficient for me”.
This life on The Potter’s wheel just keeps on turning
and sometimes we are on the side of the table that is seemingly facing away from Him, but I now am persuaded that He is ‘near’, no matter what phase I am in in my life. So I do have a greater measure of faith.
The end of my story is that all 5 family members (of which I was the primary care-giver of ALL of them) totally recovered! Which taught me to say that, I have seen the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
He is so attentive, patient, and loving in all of it. The ups and the downs. His Grace will sustain me for the next season to come for I have not yet arrived but keep pressing on. Round and round I go, on this ride called the surrenderred life.
cara says:
I really, truly like the first version. If you feel that you need to change it, “Saviour” instead of “Heaven” expresses the realization that He is the only way we are redeemed, or have hope of redemption.
You are a poet. We seem surrounded by writers whose lyrics are about as deep as what you’d find on the inside of a bathroom stall… it makes what you have to say shine even brighter. Thanks.
Jason_73 says:
I don’t comment hardly ever, but this is an AMAZING song Shawn. Amazing.
Thank you for sharing it. Please don’t change a thing.
Arica says:
My favorite part: Come, we have nothing else God.
I am finally learning that I have nothing but Him. Seems pretty basic but somehow gets complicated among everything else. Its a great song, thank-you Holy Spirit working through M&M’s and Shaun.
jenna b says:
i’ve been singing this for 2 days.
jeffrey says:
I like the line lift our lame which means the line before it has to stay the same so lame rhymes (sort of) with pain. I liked the lyrics better the first time. Of course, it’s your song so you do what you want with it.
David, justopenthebook.com says:
I think what you shared hits on really the central part of our Christian experience. God wants us to desire to BE with him, not just know about him. Seeking God literally means to desire nothing more than to see Him manifest himself. It’s predicated on faith and obedience to his commands.
I am just coming to understand that if I am really going to see God in action, I have to want to see Him more than anything else, I have to obey all His commands, and I think most importantly, I have to believe I will see Him, BEFORE I actually see him.
Ryan Detzel says:
I love it…maybe especially because I’m limping lately.
Shaun Groves says:
Dude, sorry to hear about your wreck. Could have been so much worse though if not for your quick thinking and mad motorcycle skillz.
Praying for a full recovery.
Shannon says:
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.
Mela Kamin says:
still singing it … the spirit, the lyrics, the melody – it all moves me & I appreciate you sharing … it’s very gracious to allow us to see your writing, your methods and the questions that you wrestle with while you work … beautiful, all of it