 |
 Ken Medema "Locked Inside Our Skin" Program #3726 First air date April 10, 1994 |
Read
the text  Listen
to the audio 
. |
Biography
Ken Medema
is a singer/songwriter from San Francisco, California. He began writing
songs in 1970, as part of his work as music therapist in a psychiatric
hospital. Soon after, the musical gifts he had developed as a child and
continued at Michigan State University, launched him into a career as a
full-time performer, with a schedule that takes him around the world.
Ken's music is full of stories and humor, with styles ranging from
classical to rock. His performances are "sermons with music,"
that inspire and challenge and reveal the extraordinary workings of
grace in our ordinary lives. Though blind from birth, Ken never let his
blindness "handicap" him. He has used what little sight he has
to dream dreams and imagine things that have not entered the minds of
many sighted people. [Biographical information is correct as of the broadcast date noted
above.]
Locked inside our skin, we live so far apart. Here we stand as two separate people who are longing to be one, Every time we talk you know the words go round and round. Here we stand, as two separate people who are longing to be one, Soon the day will dawn. Here we stand, as two separate people who are longing to be one, Here is a little story from the Great Book. A story about two
enemies who learned how to be friends. One of them was called Ananias;
the other was called Saul. The story goes like this.
Locked
Inside Our Skin
And what I wouldn't give to hear the beating of your heart.
Trapped inside this flesh as if inside some shell.
Isolation is a game we play so very well.
Trying to deal with the ache that we feel because we hate to be alone.
God of uniting we stand in your presence and this is what we pray:
"Close the gap with every passing day."
How long will it be until we can break those barriers down.
And every time we touch we say what words can't say.
How long will it be until we lift those walls away?
Trying to deal with the ache that we feel because we hate to be alone.
God of uniting we stand in your presence and this is what we pray:
"Close the gap with every passing day."
We'll know when we'll be known.
All things will be new again and all the world be one.
This is not that day; tomorrow is not yet here.
Dare we take the risks of love, and join to face our fears?
Trying to deal with the ache that we feel because we hate to be alone.
God of uniting we stand in your presence and this is what we pray:
"Close the gap with every passing day."
Sittin' By The
Window
Sittin' by the window prayin' waitin' for the break of day;
Sittin' by the window prayin' waitin' to hear what God might say.
Sittin' by the window prayin' Oh-waitin' for the break of ... "Ananias"
I went to the door but there was no one there at all. Oh-well!
It's mighty early, maybe I am hearin' things, I'll try again.
Went back to sittin' by the window prayin' waitin' for the break of
day;
Sittin' by the window prayin' waitin' to hear what God might say.
Sittin' by the window prayin' Oh-waitin' for the break of ... "Ananias"
I went to the door once more, but there was no one there at all, at all,
at all.
Alright! If this is some kind of stupid practical joke....
You might as well forget it!
But on the other hand, went back to sittin' by the window prayin'
waitin' for the break of day;
Sittin' by the window prayin' waitin' to hear what God might say.
Sittin' by the window prayin' Oh-waitin' for the break of ... "Ananias"
Yes, God? Go right down the straight street, make no delay at all.
Okay.
When I get to the house on straight street,
I'm supposed to find a man named SAUL!
Don't you know that he's got orders from Jerusalem to put us all in
jail?
Don't you know that he intends to ride us out of town on a rail?
Don't you know that he's got orders from the powers in Jerusalem?
But you know that! You want me to go still?
So, I went to the house on straight street,
I made no delay, no delay at all (except I stopped to buy a bagel and
see my grandmother).
When I got to the house on straight street,
I found a man named Saul.
Would you like to guess how I found him?
He was sittin' by the window prayin', waitin' for the break of day;
Sittin' by the window prayin' waiting to hear what God might say.
And before I could think, I opened my mouth.
I opened my mouth before I could think, I opened my mouth, I said
"Brother Saul!"
Did you hear that? I called him brother, I called him brother.
Oh--brother!
And scales came down from two pairs of eyes that day.
Saul saw a new life before him.
And I, where I had seen an enemy before, now could see a friend.
Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
Place in my hand the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee;
Ready my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes illumine me ... Spirit divine.
In a world riddled with conflict, war, ethnic cleansing and every
other kind of enmity you can think of, the little story of Ananias and
Saul isn't a bad one to remember, now is it?
The Greatest
Love
If I swim the flooded river to protect you from the storm: This is
love!
If I brave the winds of winter to be sure that you are safe and warm:
This is love!
If I stumble in the darkness when I hear your urgent call: This is love!
But if I give my life to save you:
This is the great love of all!
If I walk through wind and fire just to be here by your side: This is
love!
If I give up friends and family,
If for love I lose my pride: This is love!
If I lose my reputation, lose my name, my face, my all: This is love!
But if I give my life to save you:
This is the greatest love of all.
I have heard it said that love is a feeling,
This is only just a start.
But feelings change as fast as weather,
And love's a matter of the mind and will,
A matter of the head and heart.
Suppose I walk a thousand highways to see that you are safe and warm,
Suppose it costs me my possessions to free you from the coming storm:
This is love!
Suppose I face the soldiers' weapons, suppose I climb a prison wall.
This is love!
But if I give my life to save you,
This is the greatest love of all.
Let me tell you once again,
This is the greatest love of all.
There ain't nothing no better.
This is the greatest love of all.
Interview with
Ken MedemaInterviewed by Floyd Brown
(Before the interview began, Ken Medema improvised this song in response to the commentary on "Hope" by Lewis Smedes)
Oh, it's like the rain that transforms the desert into a garden fair,
It's like the wings that lift a bird high into the air,
I'd have no reason to go on if it weren't for hope, miles and miles of hope.It's like the fresh wind that blows across the dry, dry land.
It's like the flowers that are growing on every hand.
I'd have no reason to go on if all my hope were gone.So take my hand and walk with me to the dry, dry land, to the lovely sea and let the rain fall down, let the sun shine bright in the day, in the night let there be hope.
Brown: That was marvelous. Thank you very much, Ken. It's been a delight having you with us today.
Medema: It's good to be here, Floyd, always.
Brown: You talk about hope and you have such a tremendous insight. What would you say to these kids today who seem to be wrapped up in a hopeless atmosphere -- so much crime and not a real look toward tomorrow. How would you advise them?
Medema: First of all, I think to try to advise them is so pompous coming from where I have come from as a middle-class American. As a person who had to cope with being blind and being disadvantaged in that way, I guess the only thing I could say is that if you truly do believe that things are possible without violence and without people being shot, if you really, really in the depths of your gut believe that, then it can happen. I think when a community of people -- we've seen it in Atlanta; we've seen it in L.A. -- comes together in the inner-city and says, "We can change things," that's hope and that works.
Brown: So our biggest challenge in this nation today -- the President will be talking about it; everyone will be talking about it -- is that we as citizens have got to hold out hope.
Medema: I'll be singing about it. You betcha!
Brown: I hope to have you back here singing with us again on the Sunday Evening Club. It's always a pleasure. I understand things are going well. You have a little Brier Patch enterprise these days because you want to go where no men have gone before.
Medema: Well, we're keeping pretty busy. We are in both religious places and non-religious places. Even corporations are hiring me to come and do motivational music. Crazy thingsand wonderful things are happening.
Brown: God bless you. It's wonderful. It couldn't happen to a better person.
Medema: Thank you very
much, Floyd.