I recently joined a Song Writing Forum online to help me learn new things.  It’s a sort of online workshop. It is called CCCMNI, for Christian Songwriters, bands, artists, worship leaders, etc.  And the best part – free to join!  So yes, all you poets, come on over!

The first writing exercise was this:

“take some time and consider the Garden of Gethsemane; really immerse yourself in the scriptures account,  the emotional state Christ was in, asking His Father that if there was ANY other way, yet knowing He had to drink the cup, finally finding resolve.”

So, the first song I wrote was my post yesterday, Agony in the Garden.  I still have to put chords to this one.  Then the leader of the SongWriting Cafe, Robert Wagener, asked me an interesting question. He asked me to rewrite the song and make the inamimate animate, and BE the olive tree Jesus kneeled under as he prayed.

I had never thought of writing a song from the Olive Tree’s point of view!  And God makes new things happen all the time!  He can make trees talk, donkeys talk, burning bushes talk, whatever – He’s God!

This was fun, as there were two other co-writers that helped.  The bridge Laurayne Hall wrote – it is brilliant! And of course, Roger helped too. It is awesome to be led by people who have done this before.  I am grateful God sends people our way to help us become who God wants us to be.  Thank you Lord, for brothers and sisters that help us!

Under My Branches

© 2013 Diana Rasmussen, Robert Wagener, Laurayne Hall

 V1

In the corner of the Garden

He falls under the shining stars.

Letting go of tears and fears.

Under my branches

 V2

He falls under my canopy.

Watching Him is pure agony.

Crushed by sorrow, suffering,

Under my branches

 CHORUS

“Father let this cup, pass from me.

Yet not my will, but Yours be done.

I’ll finish what You have begun.”

Jesus prays, under my branches.

 V3

He asks his friends to stay awake

Spirit’s willing, the flesh is weak.

Nevertheless He still prays,

Under my branches

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE

My branches were not meant to hold Him,

He would hang on another tree.

From my garden I could see Him

As He died on Calvary.

REPEAT CHORUS

My Prayer for You:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the prayer in the Garden, that gave You courage and strength to accomplish what you were born to do.  Thank you for completing the task that You came to Earth to do.  You came to seek and save the lost. You did, You have bought us back from the enemy and adopted us as Your children. Thank you for becoming the perfect sacrifice for men and their sins – past, present, and future. And for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. You are such an awesome Daddy!

It’s not that we love You (even though you know we do), but You loved us first, even when we were in the darkness.  Shine Your Light in our darkness and help us accomplish what you have given us to do while we are here on planet Earth, in Jesus Name.