This song is one that was lyrically co-written by a friend of mine named Dan Cutter.  Dan is a great guy who had only been a Christian for a few of years when we wrote it.  Since he didn’t receive Jesus’ forgiveness until his late 20’s I found his perception of church very interesting.  One day I sat down with a tune and asked if he wanted to write a song about the body of Christ.  He said yes. 

   We wanted to address the danger of making church a social club that is so “happy” that no one with real problems feels welcome.  Now, I’ve got no problem with “happy”, the joy of the Lord is my strength.  But when happy becomes policy, and that policy is a fraudulent mask then I have a problem.  The Body of Christ needs to reach out to the hurting and the lost, not just the perky and righteous and we need to meet them at the point of their need.   We need to cry with the suffering, pray with the sinner, love the despised.  When the Body of Christ begins to resemble the Christ of our Bibles, then our communities will be impacted for Jesus.

   As long as “church” is relegated to Sunday morning and our struggles are no more significant than getting two more altos for the choir, our churches will be impotent second rate social clubs.  If we dare to look at Jesus’ ministry priorities and boldly pray for God to give us His heart, then we will be ready to experience the greatest miracle on earth… the functioning Bride of Christ.  (Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:11-13, Ephesians 4:25)

 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”   1John 3:16-18

 Hey Brother

They say hi, they say why don’t you join us for tea

They say bye, why don’t you come on back over round three

Then they laugh, drive away, and I’m left with just me

They don’t know, that I’m empty inside,   Still they SMILE

Did you hear don’t you know the redeemed never frown

Grins glued in, made a truce with hell and left town

Just don’t dig just don’t ask, and wear the face of a clown

They don’t know, that I’m hurt inside

Not a word yet that anyone had died to love me

Hey brother is it ok if I bleed

Hey brother did I stain you with my need

Hey brother can you point me to the throne of grace

Hey brother, is this the place…

For the broken for the weak

For the sinner for the cheat

For the wounded heart, broken heart

You say hi shake my hand, but your eyes are alive

Do you see more than smiles, do you see through the lies

I can’t smile when you ask, how I’ve been, you see

I’ve been hurting inside, and you cry

Pour my heart out to you, and you don’t look away

Sins lay bared you don’t

Wince and I feel the shame, you just smile and say I’m

No different from you

Can it be that, you have hurt inside,

Then you tell me, somebody died to love me

You want to love me? Love the least of them

Keep your religion cause to me it looks like sin

Bring me the dirty and the poor

You give me Sundays but I want so much more

You want to love Me?  Love the least of them

Keep your religion cause to me it smells like sin

Bring all the wretched and the naked all to Me

The difference is, you want them to be good,

I just want them free

Hey brother well it’s ok if you bleed

Hey brother, Jesus will bear your need

Hey brother our God’s got awesome grace

Hey brother, this is the place

He died for the broken, for the weak

He died for the sinner for the cheat

For the broken heart, He broke His heart