The last dream I had before waking up involved an elderly class alumni group getting up and singing a praise and worship song together as a presentation. One of the members was playing piano and leading the song. It was a traditional song that (in the dream) I recognized as being a traditional hymn that was being sung in a contemporary style. When their higher pitch voices sang the song in a minor key it gave the song an eerie depth that only those with life experience can bring. Then, as the bridge came around, one of the members stood out to do a solo and the music changed to a major key as she started singing, “Rise up to a beautiful day, Rise up to a beautiful day, Rise up to a beautiful day…”. People started spontaneously clapping and the energy in the room became intense. As the song went back into the chorus I was filled with emotion and when I awoke, but when I awoke the only words I remembered were, “rise up to a beautiful day.”
I Googled that phrase, but Google has no record of it as an exact phrase match prior to today. And while I don’t think this is the exact song, it was similar to Chris Tomlin’s “Better is One Day.” One could imagine inserting a “break down” in the middle of that song where the guitars drop out, only drums and vocals remain, and one person just starts singing, “Rise up to a beautiful day,” as the bridge before the guitars bring us back into, “Better is one day…” or even doing some sort of musical round with it. I think the key was the chord changes. The way the elderly group was singing those chord progressions was haunting. It was similar to Johnny Cash’s NIN cover of “Hurt”. There is just something piercing about those with life experience singing about what they have, or in the case of “Better is one day”, are going to go through. With that, I’d like to leave you with the complete lyrics from Chris Tomlin’s song, “Better is one day”.
How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Within Your presence
I sing beneath
The shadow of
Your wings
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Than thousands elsewhere)
One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
(One thing I ask)
One thing I ask
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Better is one day)
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(My heart and flesh cry out)
My heart and flesh cry out
To You, the Living God
Your Spirit’s water to my soul
I’ve tasted, and I’ve seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
To You
Better is one day
Better is one day
Better is one day
Than thousands elsewhere
(2x)
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(4X)
Yeah, than thousands elsewhere (Yeah)
Oh, than thousands elsewhere