“The Lord is my Engineer” – I love Paul Simon and LOVE that he was/is pondering the Lord in his newest album “The Seven Psalms”… it’s a whole 33 minutes with one piece of continuous songs – and guess what? Paul Simon woke up between 3 and 5 AM each morning to write down the lyrics… I get that…  Paul woke up and had to write the dream down – later he got chords – later he got words… and when he started to add his own lines – the pathway went blank… He knew that he was into something bigger than him and yet he is a self-confessed grappler with questions… 

I didn’t analyze all Paul’s lyrics in such detail – I simply like that he is pondering the flow and letting it flow – in his own way – I do believe God loves to have us with open ears and hearts to hear it and then to sort it all out… It is a philosophical album for us thinkers – it is a hopeful album – and personally I am in the camp to urge others to jump into God’s arms with no abandon. (I do remember a lyricist (Michael Card) once say: “Stop your pondering and fall on your knees”…)…  Personally I do hope all keep pondering until they see the Light.

Paul lost his hearing in his one ear in this time – had to deal with anger – and had to refocus and accept the hearing loss as a gift of an experience. He says that he can’t play live anymore. I am grateful I saw him on his last tour – saw/listened in Madison Square Garden – amazing.

I like “Dip your hands in Heaven’s Water… God’s Imagination…” And I like “In my professional opinion”…  I just like to hear his fingers strum his guitar and I like to hear the strange chords – I like to hear that he is still creative and pensive and expressive – not that I wouldn’t expect that at age 81 – but still it is a good reminder that we all have the opportunity to grow old with the Lord or turn our backs on Him – I pray that we all don’t… Paul sings: “So all rise to the occasion – Or all sink into despair – In my professional opinion – We’re better off not going there”… 

I am glad that Paul Simon is still thinking about God – and still thinking about Life – and still thinking about expressing life in life… He doesn’t end the album with a song about death but it is about “wait” – waiting – maybe we begin again… Paul says his songs often allow the listener to complete the interpretation – “the listener completes the song.”

Thanks Lord for our ability to ponder and pray – to have solace and stay – to know and know. That’s what makes me grateful, You Lord love for us to grow. I thank You Lord for Paul Simon – he has made my life more lyrical and he often provided a tune to my “tune-in” to life. 

Amen

Pauls sings:

“The sacred harp – That David played to make his – Songs of praise – We long to hear those strings – That set his heart ablaze”

Amen Amen…

—-

here is the whole album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANtntuDslnk&pp=ygUXc2V2ZW4gcHNhbG1zIHBhdWwgc2ltb24%3D

and here is an interview – very very interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi6NFPhsGyM