Reconcile appeals for spiritual response, in contrast to the introspective Transformed and to Revealed, which highlights Scripture. This collection is a proclamation intended to represent God's heart and penetrate into the listener's. The Father is not far from each one of us; if you are not yet His child, then by His grace, now may be the time!
The exclusive Path, the Bridge to God and Life itself, is Jesus Christ, who identified Himself as those things, as being "one with the Father", as the great "I AM" that addressed Moses from the burning bush. Accordingly, "Jesus" is explicitly mentioned in seven of this collection's eleven songs. In one of the others, He's addressed instead as Lord, in another He's the answer to the choruses' questions, in another He is appropriately named "Love", and in only one song is Jesus not obvious, but He too is there in the triune Godhead: "the One who is made all that we see...."
Reconcile is bookended with "Your Move" and "Waiting", which bring my most heartfelt and directed appeals, the former in my voice and the latter from God's perspective. Both are played in alternate tunings. I wrote the four-song "Gospel Suite" in 2023 for a mission outreach; it tells the Good News via a sweeping overview of the reconciliation story.
Other than those six songs, Reconcile contains four throwbacks and one much newer song, each which uniquely views the necessity of receiving the Gift rather than persisting in pride. One of the old ones is "Home Called Grace", featuring my wife Carrie with the main vocal. The newest song on the collection is "Holy Man". Granted, it's a bit snarky, but it is ultimately about spiritual advocacy: access to God through Christ for all, through the Atonement, not our sacrifices.
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LYRICS - “A” Side
YOUR MOVE
(Reconcile, reconcile, reconcile)
This universe—great universe
We find ourselves here, you and me
And everything we see
This universe—grand universe
Wonders all that fill it
Great and small
Everything amazingly
(Even while its broken)
This universe—great universe
We find ourselves here, you and me
And everything we see
Wonders all that fill it
Great and small
Everything amazingly
But this is not all:
Meet your Maker, make your move
Move over pride, invite love inside
Welcome the Lover and love your real life
Be not broken but whole, reconcile your soul
To Jesus, He sees through you
Jesus, He will see you through
This universe—grand universe
We find ourselves here, you and me
And all we cannot see
Wonders all that fill it
Massive and small
Everything amazingly
But this is not all:
Meet your Maker, make your move
Move over pride, invite love inside
Welcome the Lover and love your real life
Be not broken but whole, reconcile your soul
Meet your Maker and make your move
Move over pride, let love inside
Welcome the Lover and love your real life
Be unbroken, now whole, a reconciled soul
With Jesus, He sees through you
Jesus, He will see you through
Jesus, He sees through you
Jesus, He will see you through
Reconcile, reconcile
REALLY LIVING
If you live your life for riches
Hankering to have a lot
Then you're not really living
Or you may try to reach the standard
That is chasing after wind
And that's not really living, no no
Jesus, Jesus
If you live with an addiction
Dragging chains everywhere
Then you're not really living
Or you may live your days guilt-ridden
It's a load you cannot bear
And that's not really living, no no
Jesus, Jesus
I live my life for Him
He is the only Life
If you live without a purpose
Just another accident
I'll deliberately tell you
That's not really living, no no
Live your life for Him
He is the only Life
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
If you learn and understand and see
And all the wrongs and rights arrange
Would simply knowing how things should be
Cause your life to really change?
And though you try you can't get by on seeking right
When it's weighed on your own scale
The soul can't rectify its internal plight
A soul alone will simply fail
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
And love your neighbor like yourself
Love the Lord your God with all your soul
And life will take care of itself
By and by you feel like you are chasing plans
Tomorrow's worries find today
And your mental checklist expands
Maps a future like a maze
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
And love your neighbor like it's you
Love the Lord your God with all your soul
And life becomes brand new
If you learn and understand and see...
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
And love your neighbor is what you'll do
Love the Lord your God with all your soul
And He'll take care of you
HOME CALLED GRACE
The final cry
A darkened sky
And death the air chilled
Defying common sense
True obedience
That Scripture be fulfilled
And who can understand
This time-surpassing plan?
Jesus, I can't earn my place
Yet you provide a home called Grace
I believe, you have saved me Lord
It's you I'm praising
May the weary hear your words and find their rest
And call that grace amazing
On the third day He
Rose in victory
A new beginning
Still we fail to claim
Victory proclaim
And we keep on sinning
Then the wind blows through
The born anew come back to you
Jesus, I can't earn my place...
Jesus, I can't earn my place...
Amazing grace (I dwell in grace)
How sweet the sound (home, sweet home)
That saved a wretch like me (He saves me)
I once was lost (far away)
But now am found
Was blind, but now I see
Then the wind blows through
The born anew come back to you
They come back to you
ONE ROAD
(spoken)
(2 Tim 4:3-4 ESV)
Many people saying there are many roads
How do they know there are many roads?
Lala la...
(John 14:6, 1 Tim 2:5 ESV)
Why would Jesus lie if there are many roads?
And why did He die if there are many roads?
Lala la...
(Psalms 118:5,14 ESV)
So I must say: There's just one road
Jesus is the Way, He's the one road
Lala la...
Jesus is the Way, one road
Jesus is the Way, one road
Jesus is the Way (you'd better believe it), one road
Jesus is the Way (you're gonna believe it), one road
LYRICS - “B” Side
HOLY MAN
Hey, hey, "Holy Man"
Barefoot, robed, smeared up in paint
Many enamored of your hard life vibe
Me, though, bro, that I ain't
Hey, Mr. "Holy Man"
Barefoot, robed, smeared up in paint
Many enamored of your hard life vibe
Me, though, no, that I ain't
Maybe instead lend a helping hand
Instead of squatting on temple land
Oooh, sadhu
Saaa do you know?
Oooh, sadhu
Hey, hey, "Holy Man"
Renounced the world, how about that pride?
("No thanks" on the pigment advance)
Humility's no show, God sees inside
We can renounce our sin-stained clothes
As Jesus earned us righteous robes (He loves you)
But as I am held in God's hand
Look at me: I am the Holy Man!
Saaa do you know?
Oooh, sadhu
Oooh, sadhu
Perhaps you now want the pic with me?
I won't extort a single rupee
GOSPEL SUITE:
|
i. CREATION & FALLThe One who is made all that we see In the heavens He named all He designed Free will endowed, the profound birthright But the Tempter sowed discontent ii. GENERATIONS, NATIONS & PROMISEFor garments of skin, a creature slain A people grew in violence and hate Who can save? Who will deliver? Offspring of great works and imaginings Of Abraham, one nation chosen and birthed Who can save?... The chosen nation, hard oppressed Families sacrificed a perfect lamb He shall come and be the Way Who can save?... iii. INCARNATIONLove came down Love broke in God arrived, birthed just like us Love lived obediently for the purpose ahead... iv. DEATH & RESURRECTIONExtorted, accused There is no greater death The stone removed Jesus has risen He became sin |
WAITING
Human lives, you are
High creation
My utmost elation
Fashioned for eternity with me
Human lives, by far
My finest creation
A cause for celebration
Impassioned for eternity, to breathe with me
Born to live but all must die
Born to laugh but all shall cry
The born again only can know
Life's original design
Believe in Jesus
Receive Me
Come home to Me
I'm waiting (waiting), waiting (patiently) for you
Human lives, you are...
Human lives, by far...
Impassioned for eternity
Born to live but all must die...
Believe in Jesus
Receive Me
Come home to Me
I'm waiting, waiting
I'm waiting (waiting), waiting (patiently)
I'm waiting (waiting), waiting (patiently) for you
(Waiting, waiting)
THE MUSIC
Chard Berndt, acoustic guitar [AG], voice [V], acoustic fretless bass [AB], electric guitar [EG]
percussion (cajon) [P]; Other contributors as listed.
YOUR MOVE (2013,2021) D (DADGAD) [4:51]
AG, V
REALLY LIVING (1990,2025) D (drop D AG2) [3:55]
AG(2), V, Robert Moore: Harmonica
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD (1988) Am & A [3:38]
AG, V (incl. choir), AB, P
HOME CALLED GRACE (1988,2025) G (DGDGBD) [6:04]
AG, V, P, Carrie Berndt: Voice
ONE ROAD (1989) Ab (A detuned half step) [4:08]
AG, V (incl. preacher), EG, P
HOLY MAN (2023) Gm [3:07]
AG, V, EG, P, cowbell
GOSPEL SUITE: [13:56]
i. CREATION & FALL (2023) G [2:46]
AG, V
ii. GENERATIONS, NATIONS & PROMISE (2023) D [3:50]
AG, V, AB, P, Carrie Berndt: Voice
iii. INCARNATION (2021, 2023) A [2:04]
AG, V, EG
iv. DEATH & RESURRECTION (2023) Am to A [5:13]
AG, V, AB, P , Carrie Berndt: Voice
WAITING (2013, 2023, 2025) E (DADF#AD capo 2) [5:57]
AG, V, AB, EG, Carrie Berndt: Voice
NOTES - “A” Side
YOUR MOVE
The first song of Gospel Suite ('B' Side) has the lyric "Free will endowed, the profound birthright". Despite God's continued involvement in His created universe, we are nonetheless fashioned with the substance of volition. We must choose our Maker to complete the reconciliation made necessary by that ancient, ill-advised choice in Eden. Thankfully, the reconciliatory action toward each of us has been accomplished. How? The name of Jesus, directly or implied, pervades and embellishes every song here. His cross is, quite unironically, the crux—together with, of course, His resurrection, the validation of His claims, and His great love for us. We must choose, and it is no small thing that we each can do so. I have. I am a disciple of Jesus. If you have not actively chosen Him, this is your move, and I hope this entire collection proclaims the Good News to you convincingly, prodding you and participating in your choosing.
The bare and essential nature of this appeal, with a refrain that presently carries favorite lyrics of my own, caused me to arrange and record this unembellished, only solo acoustic and voice. It is one of three songs here that uses a non-standard guitar tuning.
REALLY LIVING
Without the pursuit of Jesus, the exclusive Maker and Savior, we are all stumbling about. Even if we do find things to live for, they will eventually leave us empty, possibly even trapping us. Jesus said that He came to give us life (see John 10:10), translated with the Greek zoe, which carries with it the idea of vitality, animation, and vigor. Not about surviving, but thriving. The song's lyrics, particularly the "refrain" (only sung fully one time), are simple but of utmost concern.
Robert Moore played harmonica for the closing song on Transformed, and I'm happy to feature him again here. At my request, he composed melodic leads for the two solo sections in addition to adding counterpoint throughout. When I hear him play it reminds me of his authentic devotion to God. He a skilled harmonica player, but living first for Jesus Christ as a professional oil artist. I'm happy once again to share a song as his canvas.
I reworked "Really Living" in 2025 to better feature the harmonica and retooled the original lyrics significantly.
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
We can thank the Pharisees and Sadducees—the religious powers when Jesus walked the earth—for inadvertently drawing out one highly-distilled truth: After interrogating Christ with disingenuous flattery and hypotheticals concerning politics and the resurrection, the Pharisees brought in their lawyer to trap Jesus regarding their labyrinthian laws. And from this we learn that everything ever written in the Law or spoken by the Prophets rests completely upon two commandments: The "first and greatest" one is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And the #2 thing, the commandment that "is like it", is to "love your neighbor as yourself." (Incidentally, the "Good Samaritan" parable in Luke 10 is Jesus' answer to another lawyer's technicality..."Who is my neighbor?"). So, if these are the most important two things, then this is the foundational recipe for life, for health, for getting back to the basics. The Pharisees and Sadducees were certainly doing neither, both in their disruption of Jesus—God in the flesh—and in their self-absorbance, putting their positions and procedures ahead of people. But what about me? I sing the song here to whoever needs the reveal or the reminder, but how prevalent is my own love for God and others? That re-centering is huge for me, and I trust that you'll receive it as well.
I did some minor altering of the lyrics and the guitar jam as compared to my 1988 rendition—small tweaks for what I believe are big improvements. I'm happy to now play the instrumental section how I have always heard it, and in proper time. It used to sound a bit rushed and desperate, and now it has the bluesy groove I wanted, breaking out into a happy ascent of chord inversions. The "choir" is a new addition, something I heard in my head when I was mixing down the first attempt at the acoustic guitar. I decided to build the cathedral choir effect using my own voice in layered, panned tracks, with the help of pitch shifting. This edit catches the whole vibe of the song but simply jumps in with a cajon cluster (rather than a guitar-only verse as intro), cuts out the first variant in the bridge, and also cuts a section of the bridge finish. You are welcome to stream or download the full "Love The Lord Your God (Extended)" which is 4:50 in length.
HOME CALLED GRACE
The death & resurrection of Jesus Christ is, quite literally, the crux of faith. To believe this is to ultimately reject what religions attempt to accomplish for us. To believe not only these events but the words of the One at the center of them, is to receive much. Grace is no wimpy thing, but rather a costly, gargantuan gift. It is, as the hymn says, amazing.
The guitar here in an "Open G" tuning. This isn't to make the major chords easier to play, but serves the purpose of 1) allowing strings to drone and double as when playing in A or E, and 2) providing alternate fingering and voicings for dissonant combinations of added 2nd, 4th and 6th chords (or suspended w/o 3rd or 5th), particularly in the instrumental breaks within the verses.
Carrie is featured on this song, taking the lead vocal, which is how we've always done it. She sings it with beautiful strength and conviction. Very little was changed from the 1988 version until the "Amazing Grace" ending, which I tweaked from the original by adding an in-strum guitar melody to counterpoint the sung melody, and included my background vocal fills.
ONE ROAD
Although the Revealed collection will exclusively have Scripture sung literally and in paraphrase, "One Road" is the lone song on Reconcile that relies directly on the Word of God for its content. Originally my wife or I would do those sections as a simple reading. For the recording, I wanted the proclamation to have the urgency and intensity of a street preacher—not one that interrupts one's day abrasively, but one that resonates with authenticity, where the hearer knows that the messenger means it, and walks away thinking "Maybe there's something to that." Thus the lo-fi echoed megaphone effect. I recorded it with the mic at distance, yelling it out as if to a crowd of lost passersby that I cared for much. I do care for you—for you to know that Jesus is it: the Road that at some point you must get your life routed upon. As many preachers have reiterated over the years, with what Jesus claimed outright, He was either a lunatic, a liar, or the Living Son of God. So, decide and believe.
I always imagined that the guitar should carry a different vibe beneath the preaching, thus the "phasing" effect only for these sections. I played clustered hits on the cajon during those parts as well, so that we alternate between the slight chaos of the street and the song itself. The detuning of the guitar was two-fold: to get a bit of a looser string warble and to add song key variety on the album. And I suppose all the "la la" effected vocals are just a melodic way to say that there's nothing else to say—just enjoy the music and think about what was just said!
NOTES - “B” Side
HOLY MAN
On a regional flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu, Nepal, I found an in-flight magazine article about the Sadhus, the "Holy Men" of Hinduism, describing their lives of self-denial, rumored supernatural insight and power, multi-pigmented decoration and robes (or lack of clothing altogether) and their place in Nepali culture. Despite having been in Nepal for more than two weeks I had yet to encounter a Sadhu, having been mostly in a district submerged in Tibetan Buddhism.
Minutes later my companions and I were taxied to the Pashupatinath temple grounds. This song was germinated through my interaction with a Sadhu there, who I had wanted only to observe, yet his aggressive on-site promoter and, I believe, the Holy Spirit, got me more personally involved. Many westerners are enamored and mystified of Sadhus and follow suit with locals by handing over rupees in exchange for a blessing. I was prompted instead to speak directly with the promoter and to confidently bless the Sadhu with an outreached hand, knowing that I, in Christ, have Holy Man status. I have no problem with Hindu persons, but rather with any pretentiousness of trying to earn our way out of our sinful condition and appease God or gods with insufficient sacrifices. It is religion that is the problem (or the false solution, rather), and that also includes Christianity, when its adherents are disciples first of a denomination or a particular leader rather than of Christ.
I learned and saw first-hand on a later trip that the priestly aura of the Sadhus often masks the sanctioned extortion of fellow Hindu faithful, from corners in temple grounds to traffic stops and sidewalks. The Sadhus are unique to Hinduism, but the idea of the revered Holy Man, the spiritually-appointed one with the power, the keys, often cloaked in humility—this idea prevailed in times as ancient as that Pashupatinath temple itself, on through the Reformation, and into the present. So, more particularly, this song is about the religious power scam, which is contradicted, confronted, and seen-through by the delightful truth that in Christ, all have direct access to the Most High. "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..." (1 Timothy 2:5). His followers are all saints, the Bible teaches. Even king David proclaimed, "As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." (Psalms 16:3)
The opening bell is a remembrance of my first morning in Nepal, an early ringing associated with a ritual offering to a Shiva at the grounds below my Lalitpur guest house window. Additionally, it is a reminder of the ancient Tibetan goat-bells on a revered shelf in Monk Migmar's private puja room in Tsarang, in a distinctly different district within that country. To me, the ringing is a sonic parallel to the burning of incense, something associated with "eastern" religions but which ought not be exclusively theirs. The overall vibe of the song matches the Sadhu interaction, and together with the lyrics, I hope, conveys the strange balance of my snarky I'm-not-buying-this attitude with my honest care-enough-to-speak-the-truth.
GOSPEL SUITE
In preparation for an outreach, my brother-in-law Marty encouraged me and others to tell the broad story of the Gospel (the "Good News") in four parts, rather than jumping prematurely to the Death & Resurrection of Jesus (the last part of the four). Our audience would need to hear it from the start, from the Creation. As I was going to be sharing much of myself via music, I wrote three new songs and modified a previous one to tell the story in that way. I later prepared a written translation, but also learned that the music itself, and my sincerity in bringing it, became itself a type of translation. I've sung portions of Gospel Suite here and there, but most memorable to me are playing the whole thing for an enthusiastic monk in the Upper Mustang, and sharing it in full with an emotional New Zealand woman at a café in Lalitpur (Kathmandu). I played a little Luna Safari guitar which now makes its home in Nepal and has since been replaced by an even smaller Yamaha APTX guitar that is awaiting its first big trip.
As it turns out, Part ii (Generations...) is the only song I've recorded—or written—thus far in 6/8 time, which I find strange because I've used a variety of 6/4 transitions, had 3/ 5/ 6/ and 7/4 in "Autumn" on Transformed, and "The Wager", which will be on Revealed, includes 6/4 4/4 4/4 5/4 repeating measures. So I've explored time signatures without embracing that lovely 6/8 but once. Part iii (Incarnation) was originally a slightly longer song from 2021 but was adapted to fit in the Suite with the previous version retired. Arrangements have been made to take Gospel Suite from trail to studio: The 'da-da' vocal launches the Suite and fattens up that song's canvas a bit, as it is a song about the Creation, and Carrie brings background vocals and vocal layering on Parts ii and iv. I've included cajon percussion and bass on Parts ii and iv as well, and an electric guitar swell effect for Part iii (the song thus has a similar vibe to "He Restores My Soul", which I released as a single and will be on the Revealed collection). Lastly, I employed various effects for the bridge build-up and transition between "Death" and "Resurrection" in Part iv.
WAITING
These lyrics are voiced from God, bringing the message from Scripture, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (1 Peter 3:9) God has been patient with me, and I've felt His heart toward those with whom I've shared the Good News, so I'm confident that I'm speaking for Him suitably. There are different kinds of waiting: sometimes with the restlessness of boredom, or by contrast at other times, the impatience of wanting to act while not in control. There is the waiting of anticipation and the waiting of foreboding. God waits differently than we do in may ways, knowing all that He does, but He is no stranger to our emotion. In your life, what is He waiting for?
Musically, this song developed much while in the studio. It is in an alternate tuning, and since I don't have a handful of differently-tuned guitars standing around, it hadn't been played often. I decided to contrast its arrangement with the simplicity of the "Your Move" opener, composing electric fills and leads, adding bass, and including background vocals. I've attempted to convey God's emotion in it, but it certainly conveys mine as I close out the Reconcile collection.
SPECIAL THANKS
I have two brothers-in-law who are brothers in Christ and to each other, companions in the great outdoors, and to me both mentors and friends. Rob Meyer and Marty Meyer teach, love, preach, embrace life in Christ, and are in large part responsible for why I have now published an entire album of songs that proclaim the Good News. There is a depth of discipled knowledge and experience that I have because of these two men. Thank you and I love you, Roy and Gra! Here I proclaim, with them, "...We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:20-21)
