Dan Schutte in Concert St. Francis Xavier College Church October 5, 2003 ... Dan addresses the audience. Dan Schutte and John Foley, SJ perform togeth

Check this site out, wonderful pictures of
Dan Schutte and John Foley, S.J. in concert
http://www.npmstlouis.org/pastevents/schutte.htm

Dan Schutte

Dan Schutte

Dan Schutte (Daniel L. Schutte) is a contemporary Christian hymnist best known for composing the hymn Here I am Lord. This hymn, while popular in contemporary worship, is unusual in that it also has achieved some popularity for use in traditional services and is featured in most hymnals published today. more...

[via FoxyTunes / Dan Schutte]

Here I Am, Lord - Dan Schutte - Life in St Petersburg

http://lizinstpete.blogspot.com/2008/03/hymn-6.html

Hymn #6

Here I am, Lord


I, the Lord of sea and sky,

I have heard my people cry.

All who dwell in dark and sin,

My hand will save.


Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.


I, who made the stars of night,

I will make their darkness bright.

Who will bear my light to them?

Whom shall I send?


Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.


I, the Lord of snow and rain,

I have borne my people’s pain.

I have wept for love of them.

They turn away.


Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.


I will break their hearts of stone,

Give them hearts for love alone.

I will speak my words to them.

Whom shall I send?


Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.


I, the Lord of wind and flame,

I will send the poor and lame.

I will set a feast for them.

My hand will save.


Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.


Finest bread I will provide,

'Til their hearts be satisfied.

I will give my life to them.

Whom shall I send?



Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.


To listen to the melody, go here.

Words and Music by Daniel L Schutte© 1981
Genesis 46:2"And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night,and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I."


I had this hymn written in my prayer journal from sophomore year of college after a missions-oriented Intervarsity meeting. I like the words and call-and-response style of the song. But when I was meditating on it, I also had the conviction that when serving in another country, it's easy to place oneself in the role of Saviour. It's important to note that in the song (and in life), the Lord is the one who saves, sends, makes, breaks, provides, heals. We are the ones who respond and go, but all we can really do is open our hearts and wait for Him to move through us.

Posted by Elizabeth at 16:05
Labels: Hymns, Missions
3 comments:
rachel said...
Yes...amen, sis. :)

March 12, 2008 3:01 PM
Annie said...
I love this song. We played it at my son's first communion and I always think of it as "his" song. He always liked the story (of Samuel) which inspired it.

March 12, 2008 4:59 PM
Elizabeth said...
Hi, Rachel! :)

March 14, 2008 5:27 PM
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Elizabeth
I’m a Christian 20-something living in St.Petersburg and trying to daily seek God’s will for my life. For we are Christ's ambassadors...
View my complete profile

Holy Darkness by Dan Schutte, inspired by St. John of the Cross

Another Perspective
Holy darkness, blessed night
Heaven's answer hidden from our sight
As we await you, o God of silence
We embrace your holy night

~ Holy Darkness by Dan Schutte, inspired by St. John of the Cross ~

I found this song in the Breaking Bread a few months ago. The title, Holy Darkness, was noteworthy for me. So I decided to take a look at the song and sang it.

... marvelous.

Dan Schutte's works are always of superb and ear-friendly tune. Take a glance at Here I Am Lord, City of God, or Though the Mountains May Fall, and listen to them. They are beautiful works of a composer. Aside from the tonal works, what made me compelled to reflect was primarily the lyrics of Holy Darkness.

Darkness.

Everyone seemed to think of it as a negative word. True, as for me, I don't like darkness as well, since darkness can and will discomfort me very badly. People frequently associate darkness with something bad, evil, horrible, you name it.

This song pierces through our cognizance about darkness. It's simply an exact opposite from what we have in mind.

Just reading the refrain makes me reflect...

He's there to comfort us whenever we are sad.
He's there to lift us whenever we are depressed.
He's there to be our hope whenever we are desperate.
He's there to die on the cross for our sins.

Basically, He's always there in our hours of darkness. So, why should we fear and feel discomforted by darkness? Maybe because in darkness we don't know where to go. Our senses don't work as they're supposed to. We lose direction. But that doesn't mean we lose our faith!

Let me jump to the song's fourth verse.

In your deepest hour of darkness
I will give you wealth untold
When the silence stills your spirit
Will my riches fill your soul

This particular verse brings to us yet another reason why we shouldn't think of darkness as an unpleasant issue. It strongly implies that He does not leave us even in its totality.

We often think whenever we are in darkness, He forsakes us and is unwilling to help.

And now I know that it's wrong...

As we struggle in darkness, He struggles to help us...

And tries to comfort us in its silence.

Just remember that He made darkness to protect us from daily anxieties, so that we may rest relaxedly. It's not meant to have us be frightened or freaked out.

So, Loving God, we thank you for your holy darkness.

God bless you all ^_^

Ask Dan Schutte of the St. Louis Jesuits a question on the GrapeVine News Minute Podcast!

http://catholic-mates.blogspot.com/2008/02/ask-dan-schutte-of-st-louis-jesuits.html

I am very pleased to announce that I will be interviewing Dan Schutte of the St. Louis Jesuits for the March 9 GrapeVine News Minute podcast. We will be talking about his new album, God's Holy Gifts. Because so many of us have played Dan's music and the music of the SLJs in our parishes for so many years, I thought it would be fun to let YOU ask some questions of our guest!

The preferred method of asking questions is to call the hotline at 206-600-6940. You may ask ONE question and please keep it brief. Youl could also record your own MP3 file with a question. Please ID yourself by name and where you come from.

Emails will be accepted - again, brief, ONE question. Send your question to susan@gvonline.net. Again, please ID yourself by name and where you come from. But I would greatly prefer that you use the hotline or send an mp3 file as it makes the podcast so much more interactive and interesting.

All questions are due SATURDAY, MARCH 2ND. I have to let Dan know ahead of time what the questions are.

Get your questions in to me right away!

Thanks, Susan
http://soundclick.com/grapevinemagazine

Here I Am, Lord - Dan Schutte

Here I Am (GULP!), Lord
March 13, 2008


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,


Here I am, Lord
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go, Lord
If you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart

(Words and Music by Dan Schutte, 1981; adapt. by Carlton R. Young, 1988)


A number of years ago my dear friend, Robbie, gave me new insight into the significance of this song. We must have been singing it in a service and I told her how much I liked it. She said something like, “But have you ever thought of the seriousness of the words—about what you’re saying when you sing this song?”


And, therein, lies the beginning of another journey with the Lord…


I had to admit to her–and myself–that, no, I really hadn’t thought much about it. The song is so upbeat and we usually sing it with such enthusiasm that it gives the impression that I’m ready to do anything for the cause of Jesus. “Send me anywhere, Lord! I’ll do anything! I’ll go to Africa (or the popular third-world continent of the month) and be a missionary! I’ll lay my life on the line for You, Lord! I’ll drop everything to serve you!”


But then I begin to sound like Peter—the pre-crucifixion version—ready to walk on water, even get in front of Jesus’ face and stop Him from going to the cross, or run out and cut off someone’s ear. Peter was ready all right—before the arrest actually came and he was recognized by an adolescent girl and challenged as a friend of Christ.


Poor impulsive Peter. Yeah, and poor reluctant me! And perhaps I am not alone in not really considering the cost of volunteering for duty.


The song comes from Isaiah 6, where the prophet says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV)


The Lord’s call can elicit varied responses from us, but basically they seem to fall into one of two categories. The first one—the one Isaiah gives—might be termed:


“What do you want me to do, Lord?”


To be fair, let’s look at the event that led up to Isaiah’s rush to volunteer—with no details about what he was to do, I might add.


“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

“And they called to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’

“At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“’Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among the people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’

“Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’


(Isaiah 6:1-7 NIV)


At this point, Isaiah, steps up front and center and volunteers.


Now, although none of us, probably, are called exactly as the prophet Isaiah, he was just a human being—as are you and I. When I put myself in his place—as little as I can imagine it and feel it–it’s a vast understatement to say that this was quite an impressive scene.


Let’s say that any of us has witnessed such a spectacle. The often-overused word awesome comes to mind. Although the word awesome is used to describe everything from a meal to a movie to a praise and worship song and more, surely no one would argue that it is misused in this regard. In fact, it falls short of describing the effect of being in the presence of, and beholding, Almighty God. Moses could not see the face of God because it would be fatal, but Isaiah apparently does such a thing and, quite naturally, believes he is not long for this world.


Then his lips are made clean by one of the seraphim–the highest order of angels–who serve God.


Then, Almighty God asks the all-important question. I’d like to think that, under these overwhelming conditions that I, too, would raise my hand in the air and wave it wildly like a kid who finally knows the right answer in school, and say, “Me, me! I’ll go!”


But then, I come back to reality and I know: Many times I know as well as I’m sitting here that the Lord is calling me to do something and yet…I…hesitate. Oh, if it falls into the category of calling the equipped, I’ll gladly answer the call. “Yes, Lord, I’ll go.” In fact, these times usually call for me to do something I know entails the use of gifts and talents I know I already have—those that are well within my comfort zone. To be honest, I don’t have to even wait for a call in these situations but often tell Him, “Lord, let me serve here.”


Now, I’m saying this in full recognition that God does give us particular gifts and talents and directs us in their use. And we are expected to use them. He knows us better than we know ourselves and gives us outlets for service which are useful in the Kingdom and—surprise, surprise!—are even pleasurable to us. But doesn’t He equip the called as well? Might we be called to step out in faith and do something that does not seem to fit in with our individual gifts and/or talents?


In those instances—when a challenge is presented in response to my “What do you want me to do, Lord?” my question becomes:


“Lord! You want me to do WHAT?”


Now, Isaiah didn’t flinch when the Lord told him what the task was. Let’s continue Isaiah’s story.


“He said, ‘Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing. But never perceiving.’


Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.


Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’” (v9-10)


I would probably have said something like, “Well, then…what’s the point? It looks like a waste of time and energy, as well as being potentially embarrassing—or worse.”


But then, that’s me—not Isaiah.


The remembrance of “Here I Am, Lord”, and the experience with Robbie, came to mind only recently. I’ve been rereading Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. In writing about how God usually responds to our request that He “enlarge my territory”, Bruce says,


“As God’s chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are expected to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed…unless God steps in. Take a minute to prayerfully comprehend how contrary that truth is to everything you would humanly choose: it goes against common sense, it contradicts your previous life experience, it seems to disregard your feelings, trainings, and need for security; it sets you up to look like a fool and a loser. Yet it is God’s plan for His most-honored servants.”


Wilkinson goes on, “For most of us our reluctance comes from getting our numbers right, but our arithmetic wrong. For example, when we’re deciding what size territory God has in mind for us, we keep an equation in our heart that adds up something like this:


“My abilities + experience + training + my personality and appearance + my past + the expectations of others = my assigned territory.


“No matter how many sermons we’ve heard about God’s power to work through us, we simply gloss over the meaning of that one little word through. Sure, we say we want God to work through us, but what we really mean is by or in association with. Yet God’s reminder to us is the same one He gave the Jews when they returned from captivity to a decimated homeland: ‘Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.’ (Zechariah 4:6)


“Our God”, Wilkinson continues, “specializes in working through normal people who believe in a supernormal God who will do His work through them. What He’s waiting for is the invitation. That means God’s math would look more like this:


“My willingness and weakness + God’s will and supernatural power = my expanding territory.”


For all his impulsiveness and reliance on his own strength, when Peter stepped out of the boat in response to Jesus, he started out correctly, with his eyes on Jesus. As long as he did that, he was okay. It was only when he shifted his gaze from Jesus to consider the circumstances—the waves–that he began to sink.


Lord, let me remember that I do nothing for you out of my own strength; that it is not by my might nor by my power but by Your spirit. Today I step out of the boat relying fully on You.


Today, let me join You in Your work.

Dan Schutte's Song, "Holy Darkness"

Holy Saturday22 Mar 2008 by Sister Vicki Ix, OSB

Dan Schutte’s song, “Holy Darkness,” describes this particular moment brilliantly. Holy darkness, blessed night, Heaven’s answer hidden from our sight. As we await you, O God of silence, We embrace your holy night. ...
Monastics On A Journey... - http://monasticsonajourney.blogspot.com/