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  1. Into the Gray

Title originally inspired by the name of the Christian band Out of the Grey; this song explores a spirituality, not of certainty, but of trust that we can move into the challenges of our lives and our society, grow and make a difference. Extra thanks to Ken Janzen for reinterpreting the song to sound just a bit more like the Doobie Brothers. Deeper we go every day into the gray!

Lyrics

Another morning filled with insufficient information;
Another evening where we find we haven't practiced what we preach.
Another day where we come close to doubt and desperation;
Another night where dreams are waiting just beyond where we can reach.
Are we defeated? Not at all.
Tomorrow morning we'll get up and heed the call:

Into the gray we go, avoiding the easy answers,
Opening to the chances to live and to love and to grow,
Asking for help on the way, bowing our heads in devotion.
Faith is perpetual motion into the heart of hurt and healing,
Into a world that sends us reeling. Deeper we go every day into the gray.

We have such wonderful intentions and such motivation.
We can do anything - at least that's what we've always learned is true -
Then we bump up against their power and our limitations.
All of a sudden we come crashing down and what else can we do?
We can refuse to lose our souls. We can remember what it means to seek these goals:

Into the gray we go, avoiding the easy answers,
Opening to the chances to live and to love and to grow,
Giving ourselves to life, gratefully then receiving
Courage that keeps us believing holiness lies within and around us.
Danger prevails but love has found us. Daily we work and we play into the gray.

Forward, forward, humbled by joy, bathed in delight,
Kissed by the night, warmed by the day, into the gray...

Friends will you gather round? We must move forward together,
Trusting in beauty forever, joyful for what we’ve found.
Maker of all, we pray, help us to love Creation.
Hope leads us on in elation, on through the depths of loss and aching,
On to a peace there's no mistaking. Deeper we go every day into the gray.

We are surrounded by attempts to keep our minds distracted:
A thousand shiny toys to waste our time while children cry in pain
Or else we're told it's best to simply keep our eyes on heaven.
This sad old world will pass away. Don't waste your time on earthly gain.
We won't give in to greed and guns or turn our eyes away. There's too much to be done.

Into the gray we go, avoiding the easy answers,
Opening to the chances to live and to love and to grow,
Now is the time to act. This is the world to treasure.
May we seek without measure to challenge each cause of fear and sorrow
Even as we more closely follow, following love every day into the gray.