‘…Grace for a wayward heart…’

Almost 10 years ago, four guys hung out together, and wrote some songs together. 7 years ago I first heard one song they wrote Love Song for a Saviour. In 1998, the band first toured Australia, and played at HillSong’s convention Centre.

Last night, they were back, almost 6 years later. I’ve always loved Jars of Clay's music, and their lyrics have been refreshingly honest. One of the things I remember about the first Concert they performed in Sydney was as they sang Worlds Apart. Dan introduced it asking if we struggled with pride, and then said how it is easy for someone doing what they do, to be proud, and how they have struggled with it.

Last night, they played mostly newer material from Who We Are Instead, which even given its December release is one of the best CD’s from last year. The best audience response was from the four songs they played from their first self-titled CD. (Liquid, (in a piano driven form – like on Furthermore, prefaced with the comment ‘when you’ve been a band for 10 years, you can mess with people's favourite songs’), Flood, Worlds Apart, and Love Song for a Saviour).

On stage, they were chatty, talking about the songs, and generally seemed to be having a good time. From telling us about how they won a $300 scholarship for Frail, that they couldn’t remember how to play Something Beautiful, through to, talking about The Valley Song, as a conversation they had following a tragedy, a conversation they initially wanted to keep private but a friend told them, their conversation would help others in similar situations. As Dan introduced Amazing Grace, he talked about how when we talk about the gospel, we talk about the bright colours, the joy, peace, and love; yet we often leave out the other colours, the grays, and the blacks, the times of pain and suffering. We were reminded that without the suffering, and pain, the love of God fades into sentimentality.

The full set list, (as best I recall) is below:

Jars of Clay
HillSong Convention Centre –Sydney. January 16 2004.

I Need You
Flood
Crazy Times
The Valley Song
Show You Love
Frail
Amazing Grace
I’m Alright
Revolution
Trouble Is
Sunny Days
Worlds Apart / Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet

+++
Liquid
-Explanation of Tea and Sympathy-
Lonely People (a cover of a 1970s song by America?)
Love Song for a Saviour

The top moment of the show was hearing Worlds Apart which has always been one of my favourite song especially the additional lyrics. The harmonies of the singers were awesome. It also beautifully bled into Jesus Blood. Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet, is one of the songs on the new record. It was awesome to hear Frail live. Frail is one of my favourite songs from Much Afraid. The band briefly talked about Tea and Sympathy, the song being about the choice we face with relationships, we can run, or we can invest ourselves and go deeper, and that is in essence what the song is about. The song is played out in a little tea-shop in New York City. Love Song for a Saviour was great and they involved the crowd.

All in all it was a great fun night, excellent to bump into people I hadn’t seen for a while, like Matt Price, Ben Boardman and Kate Earnshaw. It was also a good way to farewell one of my friends from Bulli, who along with her sister is heading over to Scandinavia for the year.

I do hope, it is not another six years before they are back in Australia. Do check out their new CD, Who We Are Instead. The subject line of this post is the chorus of one of the songs.

Lesser Things
It looks a lot like givin’ up / peace we bring is a bitter cup / set our bodies down like offerings / while we pray to the gods of the lesser things / If wind should shake this house apart / the cradle hits the ground with a broken heart / while we say we never knew a thing /While we pray to the gods of the lesser things / is there grace enough for a wayward heart / is there grace enough for a wayward heart / grace / grace / ash to ash and dust to dust / steel on steel or rain to rust / what mortal breath blood money brings / forth from the altar of the lesser thing. (Haseltine, Lowell, Mason, Odmark)

Jealous Kind
I built another temple to a stranger / I gave away my heart to the rushing wind / I set my course to run right into danger / sought the company of fools instead of friends

You know I’ve been unfaithful / lovers in lines / while you’re turning over tables / with rage of a jealous kind / chose the gallows to the aisle / thought that love would never find / hanging ropes will never keep you / and your love of a jealous kind / love of a jealous kind

Trying to jump away from rock the keeps spreading / for solace in the shift of sinking sand / I’d rather feel the pain all too familiar / than be broken by a lover I don’t understand / cause I don’t understand

One hundred other lovers, more, one hundred other altars / If I should slow my pace and finally subject me to grace / And love that shames the wise, betrays my hearts deceit and lies / and breaks the back of foolish pride
(Haseltine, Lowell, Mason, Odmark)