GUEST OF A SINNER
1. Little man Zacchaeus sat high above the crowd.
Jesus saw him watching there, spoke to him out loud,
“I must stay with you today,
come down from your tree.”
You were the guest of a sinner long ago,
So be my guest, come & stay with me.
2. Little man Zacchaeus stood later on that day,
‘Half of what I own’, he said, ‘I will give away –
paying back the ones I robbed
— now at last I’m free!
3. Ah, Zaccheus, how you longed for the one who came.
He fulfilled your desperate need, took away your shame.
Jesus, come into my house,
fill this vacancy.
4. Be the guest of everyone, light the darkest room,
make your home in every heart, heal the deepest wound;
where there's failure and despair,
bring your company.
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1986. Isn't the story of Zacchaeus terrific? (Luke 19:1-10) I wrote an earlier song called "Zac the little man" (in 1975) but I like this one a lot more. Gospel stories like this one have been so important to me in understanding what God's about and figuring out our situation in relation to the Creator. In my early 20's I liked the letters of Paul more, but it's the Gospels that have inspired and informed more of my songs for the last 15 years or so. They're more songlike - full of stories of course, and also images and pictures - and they also help to keep faith in tension, open-ended and in a state of flux. |
30.9.24
Back from a Break
During September, Dorothy and I travelled
to Norway and the UK.
After long flights
- Adelaide to Melbourne,
Melb to Dubai (14 hrs),
Dubai to Oslo (7 hrs) -
we did Norway in a nutshell
from Oslo to Bergen, then
the Hurtigruten Cruise
up the west coast of Norway
and back again.
Then an 8 day Trafalgar tour
and 4 days in London,
before taking the direct flight
(16 3/4 hrs)
from Heathrow to Perth.
We're a bit tired (!) but we'll still be a part
of the LWA convention and the
General Convention .
See some of you there.