Godspell: Original Sountrack Of My Faith--Ezekiel 33:11
Day 4
A self-described theater geek reader responds to Day By Day:
“Well, Day by Day, you've made this theater-geek happy! Any adult who did theater and didn't do a production (or two or three) of Godspell missed out! The cast of that show always got very close and as dated as it is now, it always felt relevant when performing it!
Not really being much of a singer, I sang the short song, Learn Your Lesson Well. I'm glad I can still learn. Peace to you and Karen as you navigate our crazy health care system - Medicare is working better for me than I thought it would! And peace and God's blessings for your mom and dad. Watching our parents age is its own challenge for us.”
Since I only ever listened to Godspell alone (or at Sunday school as part of a lesson), I can only imagine how emotionally potent a song like Day By Day must have been to learn and sing together.
I definitely wasn’t in touch with my feelings then (or now) enough to perform ANYTHING for others.
Hell, I don’t even do karaoke. 🙂
And like my “theater geek” friend agrees–as dated as the whole play and videos are now–the relevance of the lyrics and what message the lyrics are based on are still as fresh and hot as when Jesus or some other prophet uttered them.
The Day By Day lyrics,(as most of the album) was written and scored by a Jewish guy, Stephen Schwartz, who is presently married, but also in a long term, same-sex relationship with another man.
How’s that for living Day By Day?
Schwartz borrowed the refrain from an ancient medieval prayer by Saint Richard of Chichester (d. 1253) which goes like this:
"Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.”
Saint Richard was also the guy that codified how the clergy, particularly the priests, should live their lives for the church–no wives, no sex, no concubines.
Chaste, redoubtable.
You know, the usual.
Day By Day is about knowing, loving, and following Christ more closely, which is what the silly video makes explicit.
Do good things for others out of love for them.
Secretly, I am very attracted to this message. But I would be loath to dance around on a stage shouting my convictions and love out for an audience.
That’s what theater geeks are for. 🙂
And I’m sure the theater folks had a grand time vamping and prancing around the next number, which was always a little jarring to me because I didn’t quite get the abrupt (well, to me) change in tone and tempo.
Turn Back, O Man is a sudden departure to my ears–from pure pop to slinky, ragtime jazz.
Plus, the lyrics plead for redemption.
Turn back, O man
Forswear thy foolish ways
Old now is earth
And none may count her days
Yet thou, her child
Whose head is crowned with flame
Still wilt not hear
Thine inner God proclaim
Turn back, O man
Turn back, O man
Turn back, O man
Forswear thy foolish ways
Earth might be fair
And all men glad and wise
Age after age
Their tragic empires rise
Built while they dream
And in that dreaming weep
Would man but wake
From out his haunted sleep
Turn back, O man
Turn back, O man
Turn back, O man
Forswear thy foolish ways
(Spoken, often with improvisation depending on the production)
Earth shall be fair
And all her people one
Not till that hour
Shall God's whole will be done
Now, even now
Once more from earth to sky
Peals forth in joy
Man's old, undaunted cry
Earth shall be fair
And all her people one
(Sung)
Turn back, O man
Turn back, O man
Turn back, O man
Forswear thy foolish ways.
I see now where the sultriness of the song comes from.
Sex. 🙂
Those theater geeks are talking and dancing about SEX–but not marital sex.
Out of all the mayhem and chaos and destruction we are capable of, sexual sinning is probably the most ubiquitous among believers and non-believers alike.
It’s hard to plan and execute a robbery or a murder.
It’s damned easy to sin sexually.
And usually, we refuse to face our sins–sexual or otherwise.
But God assures us that we will be forgiven if we repent.
“Forswear thy foolish ways” is a restatement of God’s Word from Ezekiel 33:
Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then should you die, house of Israel?’
Usually, we refuse to face our sins, but sometimes, when we become so awash with sin that we slosh when we walk, we HAVE to get clean.
We feel guilty for our transgressions and that, to me, is the Holy Spirit letting us know that we’re moving AWAY from God and He is not going to tolerate us continuing down the wrong path.
He will offer us grace to get back right.
In Capital Punishment and the Bible Gardner Hanks notes:
“The prophet’s message is clear. All of us, whether the world counts us among the righteous or among the wicked, need God’s grace in order to live. We will suffer from our misdeeds and the misdeeds of others, but God will continue to love us. For Jews and Christians, our faith in God’s continuing and steadfast love, despite what appears to be evidence to the contrary, lifts us above our guilt and suffering. God’s love gives us confidence to continue on, just as knowledge of His love helped the Jews of the Babylonian exile to focus on their expected return to Judea.”
Should we be THAT stubborn as to die when we don’t have to?
God takes no pleasure in that.
Dutch Sheets reminds in Intercessory Prayer:
“God’s holiness, integrity and uncompromising truth prevent Him from simply excusing sin. It must be judged. On the other hand, not only is He holy, but He is also love and His love always desires to redeem, to restore and to show mercy. Scripture tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”
Hmmm. His grace doesn’t mean no consequences though.
(I’m on my 3rd marriage, after all).
But His grace does mean redemption–if we want it.
Turn Back, O Man–there’s still time!
Lord, forgive us for the times we have strayed, choosing paths that lead to destruction rather than to You.
Lord, soften our hearts and open our eyes to see the beauty of Your mercy. Grant us the grace to live as redeemed sinners, reflecting Your love in all we do.
Amen.