The brilliant lyrics of Brian McLaren naming some of the "false gods" that he does not believe in, and affirming the beautiful Divine Truth he does embrace and to which he commits his life. Probably a bit more of an anthem or solo song that a congregational piece, but very much worthy of being used liturgically. Learn More

A hymn exploring the mystery of God and how we name this Mystery. Learn More

“Healing of the Heart” is an earnest prayer of confession and hope for healing of the heart and soul. It captures the deep, hard-to-ignore wounds to our souls delivered long ago, wondering how we begin the journey on the road to forgiveness with those who have hurt us. Is God with us in this struggle? Ken’s lyrics confront this question and the very difficult task of healing these painful wounds. The personal nature of this song makes it suitable for solo singing accompanied by either piano alone or by a rhythm section. It is highly appropriate when worship topics center on forgiveness, personal struggle, resolution of conflict, and God’s presence when we take up the challenge to walk these difficult paths. Learn More

Ken Medema’s CHORAL SETTING of this original text lets singers give voice to disappointments we all face in this life. If we could make our dreams come true, our world would have no pain, no injustice against the land or any living thing, and no war. How do we face the evils and injuries around us? This anthem encourages us to take up the call of charity, of courage, of shouting down the darkness—all possible when we call on God’s Spirit to infuse our journeys. Our dream world is our walk with God’s presence through this life. With music and lyrics by Ken Medema and the choral arrangement by Ken Medema and Cathy Chamblee, this very accessible S.S.A.T.T.B. anthem is supported by a lyrical flowing piano accompaniment. Useful in many different worship settings, your choir will enjoy challenging your congregation to take up the call of the Spirit in their lives. Because this anthem was composed during the pandemic, a performance recording is unavailable, but you may get to know this anthem through the free MIDI-generated recording available on this website. Learn More

From Brian McLaren:  "As Richard Rohr (in Falling Upward) and I (in Naked Spirituality) have both written, many of us inherit a childish, naive, or adolescent faith that we're never given permission to outgrow in the second half of life.  A more mature congregational hymnody would give us encouragement (far more than permission) to "leave childish things behind" and move on in a lifelong migration of spiritual growth.  That's why I wanted to include this song."

From CMP: Brian McLaren was on a road Sabbatical for the first 8 months of 2016.  During this time away from the grind of constant travel and preparation for live events Brian wrote, rewrote, compiled, and recorded demos (not finished studio recordings) of 21 songs.  9 of these demos are currently available here on the CMP site, and we are in the process of creating lead sheets and piano arrangements for them.  If you would like to purchase this entire collection of Brian's demo's, lyrics, and some notes he wrote about each song (21 songs for $18), please email Bryan Sirchio, CMP Lead Designer, and he will send you a link you can use to purchase Brian's entire collection.

Can we be honest? Sometimes we wonder where God is and what God does. When horrible things happen in our personal lives and in our world we may not always say it out loud, but we think it...where were you God? Why don't you do something about this? We cry out like the Psalmists did in Psalm 10 "Lord, why are you so far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" Or lament like the writer of Psalm 42: "My tears have been my food day and night, as people constantly question me, 'Where’s your God now?'" This song is about that - remembering some of the recent events that have left us in tears, left us heartbroken and undone. Where was God when children are put in cages on the U.S. border? Where was God when Laquan McDonald was killed or Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor or George Floyd? Where was God when the child is sent to conversion therapy or when we lose thousands and thousands of people in a pandemic? The answers don't come easy in this song...but as we cry out and ask God, "Why didn't you send help?" we sometimes hear God's still, small voice saying, "I did. I sent you." This song is on The Many's 2019 album "Love Greater Than Fear" which is available on iTunes and Spotify. You can learn more about The Many at: https://www.themanyarehere.com CCLI#: 7140930 Learn More

This song was written to go with the "Day 3" Scriptures and Themes of the 2018 "Beyond Belief" Outdoor Ministries Camp curriculum published by Chalice Press. The theme for the day is "What If We Hope?," and the Scripture is the story of a man's friends bringing a sick friend to Jesus for healing and cutting a hole in the roof in order to get through the crowd." This song is simple, accessible, but layered with meaning and will be useful in many different contexts, from Church camps and retreats to Sunday morning worship. Learn More