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BLUE SUNDAY

by Lighthouse Audio

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    14-track Compact Disc encased in a plastic clear Jewel Case, with labels and lyric booklet professionally printed.

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1.
By Our Love 03:48
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BY OUR LOVE They don’t care if you are Baptist Or Presbyterian Methodist or Calvinist Exclusive Brethren You could be an Anglican Pentecostal to the bone You could be a Protestant Or a citizen of Rome… CHORUS: By our love, by our love They will see what we are made of They will know that we are Christians by our love They don’t care how much we know ’til they know how much we care They will know that we are Christians by our love They don’t care if you are Apostolic Elim, or A.O.G. Christian Fellowship, New Life, Vineyard, Or with Bishop Tamaki You could be a holy roller Speak in tongues all day You could be from Pensacola And laugh your life away… They don’t care if you’re Greek Orthodox Or Messianic Jew Chinese Three-Self Patriot Or the church in Timbucktoo An independent splinter group That meets in somebody’s home Anonymous believers hiding In a catacomb… Love … is… the excellent way The excellent way is love © 2005 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 28 December
2.
Outside Looking In 05:14
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OUTSIDE LOOKING IN I went to work on Monday I went thru all the motions I went to work on Monday I tried to show devotion I went to work on Monday Rejected for promotion I came back home on Monday On the outside, looking in … CHORUS: On the outside lookin’ in On the outside lookin’ in Everybody else seems so shallow / together On the outside lookin’ in I went to church on Sunday I joined the Chosen Few The preacher preached a sermon I sat frozen in my pew I’d gone in search of something To chase away my blues Then a hundred people asked me: ”What’s your name, what do you do?”… Then I heard the Good News About the Virgin Birth Sounds too good to be true How God came down to earth Jesus walked in my shoes He felt my suff’ring and my pain Rejected and abused Then He died and rose again … (He was:) CHORUS: On the outside lookin’ in (He was:) On the outside lookin’ in Can you hear the Savior, He’s knock, knock, knockin’ On the outside … let Him in! © 1999 > Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 25 January
3.
Blue Sunday 04:22
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BLUE SUNDAY Advertise the service, in the local news Program the people, populate the pews Give them real coffee, so they don’t snooze Seems I am so cynical …Got the Sunday mornin’ blues Visitors need video to see the preacher man Younger generation they have short attention span Older folk are overwhelmed by high-tech breakthroughs It all seems so clinical …Got the Sunday mornin’ blues Teenagers need action to keep them all enthused Businessmen need explanation of where their money’s used Perfectionists need order ‘cos we hate to get confused It all seems so comical …Got the Sunday mornin’ blues Why do I sit here one day out of seven? Will this suffering somehow bring me into heaven? If I stay at home what would I really lose? It all seems so ironical …Got the Sunday mornin’ blues Why do we wait thru another boring sermon? We won’t remember them, they may as well be in German I feel obligated, like I have to pay my dues It all seems so criminal …Got the Sunday mornin’ blues Why do we carry on like we’re doing fine? Why do we act like we’re in some big pantomime? We need a revolution to shift our paradigm The days are getting darker and we’re running out of time We need some solution if we could discover it We need some persecution to shake us up a bit We need a revelation to avoid the counterfeit We need a visitation of the Holy Spirit © 26 December 2005 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio
4.
Sunday Morning Circus 08:04
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SUNDAY MORNING CIRCUS First came cathedrals with their painful wooden pews Ringing bells reminded us to join the Chosen Few Then came the preacher man, the bishop and his pawns The Sunday Morning Circus, it was born Second came the elders, to watch the congregation To help the man of God perform his obligation Then came the liturgy in Latin (which was worse) The weddings, the funerals and the hearse Third came John Calvin with his Oudor of Service It killed the spontaneity of faith, and made us nervous Then came the sermon, it was designed to bore us Before the benediction’s final chorus Fourth came the offerings to keep the whole show going To keep the preacher’s golden pen a-flowing The wafers and wine, the biscuits and the tea The candles and the flowers are not free Fifth came the microphone to make the sermon loud It gave power to the preacher, but not the crowd Then came the minstrels with their melody and song The shepherds and the sheep, they sang along The jesters and the dancers were summoned to the stage The puppeteers and actors were engaged Organs were replaced with electrified guitars And the minstrel? He was worshipped like a star Then came technology to be professional Overhead projectors replaced the hymnal We could not choose our songs, our sovereignty was gone Staring at the screen as if it’s God The schemes of businessmen soon replaced the Bible And excellence was lifted up to be an idol We prophesied and boasted that we had found revival Then we had an unexpected arrival Then came the Master to His house one Sunday morning He came and left without a word of warning Blinded by tradition, bound by apathy We had no ears to hear, no eyes to see Driven by professionals, and puppets who perform The people in the pews are too forlorn, they suffer scorn Entire services were broadcast, on ‘live’ TV shows But the life had left the Body long ago The heartbeat was now fading, the Blood had ceased to flow The arteries were calloused, the breathing became slow The Spirit had departed, just a lifeless corpse was left The Groom was brokenhearted, when the Bride was laid to rest © 2005 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > Tauranga, NZ.
5.
Cry Wolf 04:38
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CRY WOLF Summer, 1990 Aotearoa Land of the Long Weekend Commonwealth Games beckoned Elizabeth the Second Was coming to our country, downunder Natives stored up weapons [ AK47s ] The army & the gangs were set to plunder Warning trumpets sounded Rumours, they abounded But nothing ever happens round here... 1994 Aotearoa Pavlova Paradise was shaken Reservoirs were empty Prophecies were plenty Churches pray revival will awaken Christians filled the papers With Chronicles Chapter Seven But our words held no water, we’re mistaken If it’s yellow, let it mellow If it’s brown, flush it down ‘cos nothing ever happens round here… 1995 Aotearoa We are still alive, in God’s Own We act like Chicken Little We think the sky is brittle We go to the Civil Defence zone Gerald from the UK Tells us that an earthquake Will suddenly shake us in a year The prophet was a fake His dream was a mistake ‘cos nothing ever happens round here… Y2K Aotearoa We made the necessary preparations We filled up our pantries With sufficient rations To get us through the Great Tribulation We emptied out our bank accounts We purchased real gold Our software was compliant like we’re told Na, na, na, na, na, na, na No, no, no, no, no, no, no Nothing ever happens round here… Now, we’re waiting for the Rapture But in our hearts, we’re not too sure ‘cos nothing ever happens… © 15 February 2003 • Lyrics by Raymond Salisbury • Lighthouse Audio
6.
Big Revival 02:36
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BIG REVIVAL Can you hear the chorus of rumours goin’ ‘round? God’s got something for us, put your ear to the ground There’s a new bandwagon, a coming into town Y’ all must get ready, ‘cos there’s something going down! CHORUS: There’s a big revival – it’s gonna change us all No more mere survival – with our backs against the wall Says so in the Bible – if we seek and pray There’s a big revival – coming our way Press the right buttons on the Divine Slot Machine Chocolate or vanilla, strawberries and cream Healing or deliverance, coffee or caramel We are all consumers of the R.E.V.I.V.A.L. CHORUS: There’s a big revival – it’s gonna change us all No more mere survival – we will walk so proud and tall Says so in the Bible – if we seek and pray There’s a big revival – coming our way Well, the music was so catchy, the words rhymed so well The speakers were so powerful, we stormed the gates of hell We spent all our money on their books and videos We’ve got indigestion and the emperor’s got new clothes CHORUS: Well, they promised us a-plenty, but blessing never came Their sales pitch was empty, like clouds without rain But we’ll be saving up our cash, and spending it again If there’s a new bandwagon, we will never be the same! © 2005 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 26 December
7.
We Got It All 04:40
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WE GOT IT ALL Come down to our church and. make an inspection You’ll be impressed with our band We’ve got each song on. data projection Only cost twenty grand We’ve got each service on. video connection To the creche out the back In our churches. search for perfection There is no thing that we lack We got it all, yeah, We got it all . . . God Himself must be impressed, ‘coz We got it all We got noisy gongs and. clanging cymbals We got reverb on the drums We got five-fold. signs and wonders We got prophecy and tongues We got uniforms for. our musicians We purchased wall-to-wall carpet We got the future planned with. such precision Our church’s newsletter’s on the Net We got it all, yeah, We got it all . . . Pride will come before a fall, but We got it all Don’t come to our church when. things go sour Don’t join us for unity Don’t ever visit when. there’s no power We don’t like spontaneity Our senior pastor is. sufferring from Burnout His wife’s in immorality Our building programme has us. all go bankrupt We’re all as sick as we can be We got it all, yeah, We got it all . . . Sickness, sin and poverty We got it all © 21 September 2002 • Words and music by Raymond Salisbury • Lighthouse Audio
8.
Manifesto 04:04
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MANIFESTO CHORUS: We are the Revolution, we are the Chosen Few… We found our solution, when we walked out of the pew… We are the Revolution, the turning of a page Our faith is strong, our joy is deep Our love is why we go: “this is our Manifesto” We have no fancy logo, no brand identity We have no lifetime membership, no staff on salary We have no vision statement, no business model plan We have no reputation, no glorifying man We have no set agenda, no Sunday ritual No programs to enslave us, no sanctuary to fill We fellowship in houses, we meet in coffee bars We worship in a hundred ways, on beaches and in cars We sacrifice the pleasures of this world which we spurn We testify to Jesus’ love and wait for his return © 2006 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 02 March 200
9.
Empty Bottles 03:51
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EMPTY BOTTLES Empty bottles on an empty beach Broken bottles from the night before Empty music with an empty beat Crashing on the shore … Empty people on an empty street Broken people from the night before Empty hearts full of defeat Wishing there was more CHORUS: There must be more to life Than sex ‘n’ drugs ‘n’ rock’n’roll There must be more to life Than getting drunk on alcohol I say we need Someone To fill our empty souls … Sunday morning, how absurd Empty songs full of empty words We say we are the Chosen Few Frozen in our pews CHORUS: There must be more to church Than looking at the back of someone’s head There must be more to God Than praying prayers and breaking bread I say we need Someone To raise us from the dead … © 1986 > Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio
10.
Man Of Sorrows 06:08
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MAN OF SORROWS They were looking for a king To call fire from the sky He came a little infant thing That made a woman cry… They wanted a Messiah To lead them into war He grew up as a carpenter With a hammer and a saw CHORUS: They did not recognise His flesh and blood disguise Rejected and despised Man of Sorrows They searched through blinded eyes Looking to the skies Never realised He lived among them The pastor’s preaching up a storm The people go along He promises prosperity, but I sense something is wrong… They want their Messiah To give them perfect health Give them all their heart’s desires Increase their wealth … [ But do they want Him for Himself? ] CHORUS: They did not recognise His flesh and blood disguise Rejected and despised Man of Sorrows They searched through blinded eyes Looking to the skies Never realised He lived among them I hear the clash of cymbals The symphony of tongues I cannot hear the Still Small Voice Just the crash of drums… Do we love our brothers? Do we love our wives? Do we care about the others Struggling to survive? Coda: Am I a stranger in the house of my friends? I am a stranger in the house of my friends! © 2005 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 26 December
11.
Dreamer 05:23
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DREAMER Once there was a young man Who wanted to be wise He had a distant, far away look in his eyes He went to church and after the sermon had been read He approached his pastor, and this is what he said: “Tell me sir, I need to know, is it possible Can I be a man of God, and do the Father’s will? I wanna walk and talk with God, feel His power flow I wanna hear His voice each day, like they used to long ago!” The pastor shook his head, and this is what he said: You are so idealistic about what you can become You must be realistic and remember you are young God does not need heroes and He has no favourite sons He’ll be sure to let you know if He wants something done Are you a dreamer? Nothing but a dreamer… Time slips through your hands like tiny grains of sand It wasn’t long before the boy became a married man With 2.3 children in a million-dollar home On a quarter-acre section, he would someday own He went to church on Sundays, he tried to show devotion He sang the songs, prayed the prayers, he went thru all the motions But late at night, when his wife and children were in bed He would gaze up at the stars, and slowly hang his head I’m a dreamer, nothing but a dreamer… When the man was old, and his hair had turned to grey He had become a pastor at the chuch on the highway One Sunday morning when his sermon had been read A young man came up to him, and this is what he said: “Tell me sir, I need to know, is it possible Can I be a man of God, and do the Father’s will? I wanna walk and talk with God, feel His power flow I wanna hear His voice each day, like they used to long ago!” The old man hung his head, and this is what he said: You are so idealistic about what you can become You must be realistic and remember you are young God does not need heroes and He has no favourite sons He’ll be sure to let you know if He wants something done Tell me boy, who do you think you really are? Are you a dreamer? Nothing but a dreamer… © 1990 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > March 1990
12.
Now & Then 03:17
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NOW & THEN We fasted every Wednesday We witnessed everywhere We shared our faith on chairlifts And in Aotea Square We memorized the Bible We prayed all thru the night We idolised the saints of old We dreamed in black and white We vowed to remain single We’d have no kids or wives We’d have no mortgage death-grip No job from nine to five We shunned entertainment We spurned the Status Quo We turned our backs on family For Jesus said to go… Bridge: Now we’re part of the Latte Crowd Settled in the city Married with a mortgage And a boss who has no pity We drag ourselves to services Mainly for the kids We pray before the evening meal Just like our parents … did We broke our pagan records We sang in major keys We danced around the throne of God Heard angel’s melodies We saw the Spirit falling We spoke in foreign tongues We laughed and cried and had no doubt The Last Days had begun © 2007 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 5 March 2007
13.
Dark Night 03:44
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DARK NIGHT There comes a time when the river runs dry You try to pray but you get no reply You ask a thousand questions ‘why?’ There comes a time You’ve interceded with devotion ’till your voice cracks with emotion The tears you cry could fill an ocean There comes a time CHORUS: There comes a time when your prayers rebound Off a ceiling made of steel There comes a time when loneliness Is a feeling far too real There comes a time when you resign Your soul to the grace of God … There comes a time When you know the Word of God can’t fail But your love is cold, your faith is stale You’ve fasted, but to no avail There comes a time When pleasure is empty and knowledge is void When laughter is foreign and hope is destroyed And even sin cannot be enjoyed There comes a time CHORUS: There comes a time when your prayers rebound Off a ceiling made of steel There comes a time when loneliness Is a feeling far too real There comes a time when you resign Your soul to the grace of God … There comes a time … …it’s the dark night of the soul © 1990 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio
14.
Revival Prayer 02:43
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REVIVAL PRAYER CHORUS: Holy Spirit, come and visit Come and fill your people up once again Precious Saviour, show Your favour Come and fill your people up We have replaced You with our programmes We’ve chased You out of our meetings We’ve turned Your house of prayer into a business We desperately need Your forgiveness CHORUS: Holy Spirit, come and visit Come and fill your people up once again Precious Saviour, show Your favour Come and fill your people up We’ve lost Your joy to entertainment We’ve traded anointing for talent Downgraded truth for mass consumption Forgive us for our presumption CHORUS: Holy Spirit, come and visit Come and fill your people up once again Precious Saviour, show Your favour Come and fill your people up © 2007 Raymond John Salisbury > Lighthouse Audio > 10 June

about

BLUE SUNDAY is a concept album, dealing with the darker side of church life. Many of the tracks are satirical - a light take on a serious subject.

I shoot a few sacred cows, for example: our obsession with jumping on the latest bandwagon ... Sunday services that are pastor-driven rather than Spirit-led ... our Christian 'sub-culture' of music, concerts, conferences, camps, & colleges ... our fixation with Last Days prophecy, prosperity doctrine, kingdom dominion theology ... the list goes on!

I've been going to church now for 4 decades, and it's amazing what us Christians will believe. (Some of it is just baptised fatalism, some just whitewashed superstition.)

Don't read me wrong-I love the people of God. I just have a healthy distaste for anything that smacks of religion (or outward performance), exalts man, and reduces the Saints to passive pew-warmers.
"It is for freedom that Christ set us free." (Galatians 5:1)

Keeping it real,
Ray Salisbury

READ MY BLOG HERE: lighthouseaudio.wixsite.com/bluesunday

BORED FOR THE LORD:

Well, to be blunt, Sunday church can get monotonous.
At least for men - and young people.
Our services tend to be oriented toward comfort, ceremony and conformity, therefore attract women
Typical men like challenge, change and competition
Females prefer programs, but males like projects

Albert Enstein once said 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.'
Yet we go on, and after a month of Sundays, nothing's changed. Centuries after Luther's highly over-rated Reformation, there's still a load of stuff that still needs reforming, particularly our structures & practices.

ROCKIN' THE BOAT:

Aware that this CD may be seen as controversial, I will attempt to share my heart. Firstly, to quote author James Rutz, "It's just darned hard to be diplomatic and tactful while pointing out flaws that can be seen from orbiting spacecraft, especially when those flaws are ... innoculating people against the church." (MegaShift)

It is my sincere desire that we, as believers develop a sense of discernment. And wisdom. Jesus rebuked his first century churches for following false teachings (Revelation 2-3), and warned us that 'many will turn away from the faith' (Matthew. 24:10).

Researcher George Barna predicts that by the year 2025, only about 35% of American Christians will regularly attend a Sunday congregation. The exodus has already begun...

READ MY BLOG HERE:
lighthouseaudio.wixsite.com/bluesunday

RECOMMENDED READING:

1. Why Men Hate Going To Church,by David Murrow
2. Revolution, by George Barna
3. Mega-Shift, by James Rutz
4. Revolution, The Story of the Early Church', by Gene Edwards
5. The Divine Romance, by Gene Edwards
6 . How To Meet, by Gene Edwards
7. Revival, by Winkie Pratney, NZ
8. 12 Christian Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy, by Henry Cloud & John Townsend (authors of Boundaries.)
9. Toxic Religion, taped series by David Riddell, NZ counsellor


"Programming is what you do when you don't know how to listen to God." - John White, house church coach.

credits

released December 12, 2008

John Terry for all the pro guitar licks and solos.
Elisabeth Jukes for the alto BVs.

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Lighthouse Audio Nelson, New Zealand

Lighthouse Audio is the recording label for Ray Salisbury, a singer-songwriter from Nelson, New Zealand.

Ray has penned over 180 songs, & his forte is clever lyrics that challenge the status quo.

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