Backstreet
Symphony is the first album by Thunder. The band was signed with EMI
after performing a demo audition in 1989, and soon began recording their
first album. It was released in early 1990 . The band achieved its
first two UK Top 30 hits with singles from this album; the title track
reached #25 and, the following year, "Love Walked In" reached #21. The
album was later certified 'Silver' by the BPI. In 1991, it was released
by EMI in Japan with a bonus disc of live tracks. In 2009, to coincide
with the bands retirement tour, a 2 disc version of the album was
released, including bonus tracks and live recordings. One of the tracks
on this album is "Higher Ground" It was also released on a CD single
with four other Thunder songs called "A Better Man"
I feel the wind blow on the corner
And I'm looking down along this dead end street
All the people are getting older
But they don't give a damn their lives are incomplete
It don't look no better than it did before
And I know what's happening behind each door
If I don't get out today, I'm gonna waste my life away
And that's a part that I can't play
I don't wanna spend my whole life in this town, I can feel it driving me away
Baby you and me were meant for higher ground, we've got to steal away
As a young boy I didn't fit in,
and I knew it then I wouldn't be the same
But that was only in the beginning
And as the time rolled on deeper grew the pain
So give me one good reason why I should stay
I think I've got enough money for the late night train
There's a world you've never seen, but I've been there in my dreams
It's calling out to me
I don't wanna spend my whole life in this town, I can feel it driving me away
Baby you and me were meant for higher ground, we've got to steal away
If I don't get out today, I'm gonna waste my life away
I'm gonna waste my life away, and that's a part that I can't play
I don't wanna spend my whole life in this town, I can feel it driving me away
Baby you and me were meant for higher ground, we've got to steal away
I don't wanna spend my whole life in this town, I can feel it driving me away
Baby you and me were meant for higher ground, we've got to steal away
You and me baby, we've got to steal away, turn it on, turn it on
The
theme of "Higher Ground" is the thought of escaping the mundane and
stealing away to higher ground. Solitude with another is what is implied
here. The Bible passage that will guide our devotions this morning is
the passage in Matthew's Gospel chapter 14:23 when Jesus escapes the
crowds and goes to "Higher Ground" to pray.The Devotion today is focused
on the prayer life of Jesus.
For
Jesus, to live was to pray. His life was shaped by prayer, steeped in
prayer to an extraordinary degree. It is tremendously revealing to read
through the Gospels and take note of all the times that Jesus drew aside
into solitude, or joined with others in prayer and worship, or turned
his eyes and heart to heaven in silent or open prayer. In effect entered
that "Higher Ground" which is sung about by Thunder. We quickly
discover that at all the most significant moments of his life, Jesus
sought to dwell in the presence of God his loving Father.
At
the very beginning of his public ministry Jesus was baptised in the
Jordan river by John the Baptist; Luke tells us that it was “as he was
praying [that] heaven was opened,” so that he could experience a
powerful and affirming revelation of his Father’s love (Luke 3:21).
Before appointing the twelve apostles who would become his constant
companions for three years, “Jesus went out to a mountain side to pray“
(Luke 6:12). These same apostles would soon discover that accompanying
Jesus meant embracing a life immersed in God’s presence, and would
become thirsty to learn more for themselves.“One day Jesus was praying
in a certain place,” Luke tells us, “when he finished, one of his
disciples said to him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’” (Luke 11:1). In
response to this request, Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer—words
which have shaped and guided the prayer of millions of Christians now
for almost twenty centuries.
A crucial hinge in the story of the first three Gospels comes when Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Matt 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-27). It was this question that led to Peter’s confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and seems to have triggered Jesus’ long and difficult road to the cross. And Luke carefully notes that Jesus prepared for this moment by drawing nearer to his Father: “When Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with him, he asked them . . . Who do you say I am?” (see Luke 9:18). On another occasion, Jesus “took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray“ (Luke 9:28), and as he prayed he was transformed before them, shining with a glorious light that broke through from heaven as Moses and Elijah came to encourage him, and as his Father reaffirmed the words heard at his baptism.
Jesus frequently retired to silent places to seek God, to "Higher Ground" especially when the press of the crowd seemed to threaten to drown out that still, small voice to which he was ever attentive. At the beginning of his ministry, after a night spent healing crowds of people in Capernaum, Jesus keenly sought to be with his father: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed“ (Mark 1:35). That pattern was to repeat itself frequently over the coming years. “He went up a mountainside by himself to pray“ (Matt 14:23). “After leaving [the crowd], he went up on a mountainside to pray“ (Mark 6:46). ”One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God“ (Luke 6:12). Seeking solitude and prayer was not unusual for Jesus, noted Luke; it was characteristic and frequent: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed“ (Luke 5:16).
But for Jesus, prayer was also something to be shared in community. “[Jesus] went up to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,”writes Luke, describing the earliest days of Jesus’ ministry, “and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom“ (Luke 4:16). Many of Jesus’ encounters, healings, and conversations take place in synagogues, where he so often joined with others for worship and prayer. The Gospels also show Jesus praying the traditional blessings before and during meals; we find him blessing God before breaking the few small loaves that would feed the great multitude (Matt 14:19), and again during the Passover meal he shared with his disciples in the upper room (Matt 26:26). I’m always fascinated by Luke’s story about the two disciples who encountered Jesus after his resurrection, but failed to recognize him during the long walk to Emmaus. As he turned to prayer over the meal, though, they instantly knew him (Luke 24:13-35). It is striking that Jesus was most recognizable when he was praying—how I wish the same could be said of me!
Jesus also participated in the worship offered in the temple in Jerusalem. His parents encouraged these pilgrimages from the beginning, as Luke reminds us: “When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord“ (Luke 2:22). And on this occasion, of course, they find themselves comforted and challenged by the prophets Simeon and Anna. The only story we have of Jesus’ childhood concerns a family visit to the temple (Luke 2:41-50). So it is hardly surprising that we later find Jesus in those holy precincts: celebrating Passover (John 2:13), marking the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-10), and, of course, travelling to the great city for the climactic week leading to the cross and empty tomb. It was during those tumultuous days that Jesus swept through the temple courts, driving out the merchants and money-changers (“My house will be called a house of prayer!” was the cry on his lips; see Matt 21:13), and it was his passion for the purity of this house of prayer which was turned against him during his trial (see Matt 26:59-61, and compare John 2:19-22).
And, of course, Jesus prayed through the darkness of death. One of the most moving moments in Scripture comes when Jesus falls to his knees in the Garden of Gethsemane and wrestles with his calling to suffer and die. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me!” It is hard to imagine a prayer more poignant or heartbreaking, and perhaps impossible to guess at the suffering of both Jesus and the Father at this terrible time. Yet it is this very prayer which strengthens Jesus anew to face the horror that lay ahead: “Yet not my will, but yours be done“ (Luke 22:42). And on the cross, three of the “seven last words” are words of prayer. With almost unbearable grace and love, Jesus prays for his executioners as they hammer in the nails: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing“ (Luke 23:34). The dreadful sense of separation Jesus experienced as the weight of the world’s sin bore down on him wrenches out a despairing cry: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). And finally, when all is finished, the last words on Jesus’ lips are once again words of prayer: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit“ (Luke 23:46). As he had lived, so Jesus died: in the presence of God.
The prayer life of Jesus is a life that we can all learn from. His communion with God is an example to us all. The models of Jesus in prayer have inspired many from church History to take serious the call to prayer. From eastern orthodox monks following ancient practices of solitude to the 24/7 Prayer movement that is a contemporary movement mainly among young people, from the dynamic prayer lit services of Taize to the lively global day of prayer gatherings around the world - One thing is in common each person is finding space to pray and commune with God at a deeper "Higher" level. May you too find a space for this to happen and grow in your life.
A crucial hinge in the story of the first three Gospels comes when Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Matt 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-27). It was this question that led to Peter’s confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and seems to have triggered Jesus’ long and difficult road to the cross. And Luke carefully notes that Jesus prepared for this moment by drawing nearer to his Father: “When Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with him, he asked them . . . Who do you say I am?” (see Luke 9:18). On another occasion, Jesus “took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray“ (Luke 9:28), and as he prayed he was transformed before them, shining with a glorious light that broke through from heaven as Moses and Elijah came to encourage him, and as his Father reaffirmed the words heard at his baptism.
Jesus frequently retired to silent places to seek God, to "Higher Ground" especially when the press of the crowd seemed to threaten to drown out that still, small voice to which he was ever attentive. At the beginning of his ministry, after a night spent healing crowds of people in Capernaum, Jesus keenly sought to be with his father: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed“ (Mark 1:35). That pattern was to repeat itself frequently over the coming years. “He went up a mountainside by himself to pray“ (Matt 14:23). “After leaving [the crowd], he went up on a mountainside to pray“ (Mark 6:46). ”One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God“ (Luke 6:12). Seeking solitude and prayer was not unusual for Jesus, noted Luke; it was characteristic and frequent: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed“ (Luke 5:16).
But for Jesus, prayer was also something to be shared in community. “[Jesus] went up to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,”writes Luke, describing the earliest days of Jesus’ ministry, “and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom“ (Luke 4:16). Many of Jesus’ encounters, healings, and conversations take place in synagogues, where he so often joined with others for worship and prayer. The Gospels also show Jesus praying the traditional blessings before and during meals; we find him blessing God before breaking the few small loaves that would feed the great multitude (Matt 14:19), and again during the Passover meal he shared with his disciples in the upper room (Matt 26:26). I’m always fascinated by Luke’s story about the two disciples who encountered Jesus after his resurrection, but failed to recognize him during the long walk to Emmaus. As he turned to prayer over the meal, though, they instantly knew him (Luke 24:13-35). It is striking that Jesus was most recognizable when he was praying—how I wish the same could be said of me!
Jesus also participated in the worship offered in the temple in Jerusalem. His parents encouraged these pilgrimages from the beginning, as Luke reminds us: “When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord“ (Luke 2:22). And on this occasion, of course, they find themselves comforted and challenged by the prophets Simeon and Anna. The only story we have of Jesus’ childhood concerns a family visit to the temple (Luke 2:41-50). So it is hardly surprising that we later find Jesus in those holy precincts: celebrating Passover (John 2:13), marking the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-10), and, of course, travelling to the great city for the climactic week leading to the cross and empty tomb. It was during those tumultuous days that Jesus swept through the temple courts, driving out the merchants and money-changers (“My house will be called a house of prayer!” was the cry on his lips; see Matt 21:13), and it was his passion for the purity of this house of prayer which was turned against him during his trial (see Matt 26:59-61, and compare John 2:19-22).
And, of course, Jesus prayed through the darkness of death. One of the most moving moments in Scripture comes when Jesus falls to his knees in the Garden of Gethsemane and wrestles with his calling to suffer and die. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me!” It is hard to imagine a prayer more poignant or heartbreaking, and perhaps impossible to guess at the suffering of both Jesus and the Father at this terrible time. Yet it is this very prayer which strengthens Jesus anew to face the horror that lay ahead: “Yet not my will, but yours be done“ (Luke 22:42). And on the cross, three of the “seven last words” are words of prayer. With almost unbearable grace and love, Jesus prays for his executioners as they hammer in the nails: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing“ (Luke 23:34). The dreadful sense of separation Jesus experienced as the weight of the world’s sin bore down on him wrenches out a despairing cry: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). And finally, when all is finished, the last words on Jesus’ lips are once again words of prayer: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit“ (Luke 23:46). As he had lived, so Jesus died: in the presence of God.
The prayer life of Jesus is a life that we can all learn from. His communion with God is an example to us all. The models of Jesus in prayer have inspired many from church History to take serious the call to prayer. From eastern orthodox monks following ancient practices of solitude to the 24/7 Prayer movement that is a contemporary movement mainly among young people, from the dynamic prayer lit services of Taize to the lively global day of prayer gatherings around the world - One thing is in common each person is finding space to pray and commune with God at a deeper "Higher" level. May you too find a space for this to happen and grow in your life.
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