Monday, April 4, 2011

We Are the Exiles, by John Michael Talbot


We Are The Exiles

John Michael Talbot's Lyrics
















Night is our diocese

Silence our ministry

Poverty our love

Helplessness our cry


Beyond the scope of sight or sound

We dwell upon the air

Intercede for this world’s gain

Yet unthinkable to share


Those who vow lie buried

In the cloistered hermitage

The speechless and gray granite

House the quiet barefoot child

Planted deep within the soil

Of contemplation’s light

Sealed within the darkness ever dying ever born


We are exiles in the far end of solitude

We are the exiles living as listeners

With hearts attending to the skies we cannot comprehend

Yet waiting for the first far drums of Christ the coming King

Planted like sentinels upon the world's frontier in exile we sing


Night is our diocese

Silence our ministry

Poverty our love

And helplessness our cry





"We Are The Exiles" From the: "Mediatations from Solitude" Album Not to be confused with: "Meditations in the Spirit" Album These song lyrics are adapted from a small portion of Thomas Merton's Poem: "The Quickening of St. John the Baptist--On the Contemplative Vocation" 1949

2 comments:

Trish said...

My favourite musician and album!
Brother John Michael has been a huge blessing to me over the past 20 years :-)
I love his adaptations of spiritual writings set to his contemplative melodies.
Beautiful to my soul!
..Trish

clevsea said...

Oh me too. He is my favorite musician of ALL time. I only listen to his work in my sewing room.

I go through many favorites of his. I think I have around 20 of his albums. I just love his way of taking the Scriptures and setting them to lovely, melodic, simple, beautiful songs.

I like his covers too. Meaning the already well-known songs that he improves.

I like his books too.

I only have a couple of things of his I don't like and that's his jazz and rock---but that's just me. Not his fault, just my leanings.

I like his quiet stuff the best.

Back in '82 I was a new, baby Christian and he was there with his faith-building songs. Very, very helpful to my walk.

He has been one of the most influencial people in my Christian life.