Ragamuffin Page #4

how he responded.

J3 Jesus loves me

this I know J3

DD:

J? For the Bible tells me so J3

DD:

J3 They're the ones

to Him belong J3

D They are weak

but he is strong 53

DD:

J3 Yes, Jesus loves me J3

J3 Yes, Jesus

loves me J3

DD:

Yes, Jesus loves me

J? The Bible tells me so J3

DD:

Whenever I hear people

say that Christians

are hypocrites,

I kind of go,

"Man, every time

we get together

"we're confessing

that we're hypocrites."

DD:

The need of God

and the need

of each other,

DD:

it's all the pretending

to be perfect

that breeds

inauthenticity in the church.

Because none Of US are.

DD:

I've been wrestling lately

with-with surrender myself.

DD:

But He loves us still.

DD:

I think I need

to go to Nashville.

DD:

Whether I go

or whether I don't go,

I kind of think

it doesn't matter.

DD:

Because in the end

all that really matters,

J3 Yes, Jesus loves me J3

J3 Yes, Jesus

loves me J3

DD:

J3 Yes, Jesus loves me J3

J? The Bible tells me so J3

DD:

Nashville is so

not ready for him.

I know.

Hey!

You weren't going to go

without saying goodbye

to me, were you?

Miss me.

Yeah.

Of course I will.

You're the one

that got me

into this mess,

this whole

Nashville thing.

[chuckle]

You just don't want

to go without Jess, so...

quit being

a chicken, right?

Just don't forget

about us, okay?

(girl)

Richard!

Hey. I got to go

but don't forget

who your real

friends are.

(girl)

I'll miss you.

Time to go.

You Okay?

She's right.

I am

so scared.

It'll be okay.

We're only

five hours away.

I'm doing what He

wants me to do.

You'd think this would

be easier or something.

If you're really

so scared about going,

why don't you

move this junk

and I'll ride with you

to the edge of town.

Let me get

my wallet.

(man)

Hey. hey!

[laughing]

Hey, uh--

I think you packed

up some of my shirts.

[laughing]

(Rich, off)

Leaving Cincinnati

for Nashville

was one

of the hardest things

I've ever done.

I felt like I was trading

one life for another.

But I couldn't shake

the feeling

that God wanted me

there for some reason.

It was a whirlwind

from the time I arrived.

Sing Your Praise to the Lord

was a big hit for Amy

and her album

became the biggest'

selling album

in Christian radio

at the time so

so of course they wanted

me to write more songs.

As much

as I enjoyed

writing music,

I felt more and more

that I wanted to record

my own work.

I had meetings

with publishers

but without much luck

and I'm not sure I fit

the aesthetic

of contemporary

Christian music.

Besides, songwriting

and royalties gave

me something

I'd never had

before, which was

a steady income.

Not that I entirely knew

what to do with it.

All the money in Nashville

couldn't change the fact

that I missed

my friends back home.

Especially Jess.

[sigh]

J /fyou find

a love that's lender

J3 If you find

someone that's true J3

.57 Thank the Lord

D He's been doubw good

to you 5311

(Amy)

That's beautiful.

You doing okay?

Got into another fight

with Matt and Bryan.

Another one, huh?

This one was messy.

You sure don't like

to play by the rules,

do you?

Amy, I don't even know

what the rules are.

I've been here for a while now,

I've been writing for a while,

don't get me wrong,

I like writing

for you

and I like writing

for people

but I want to record

my own stuff.

And they won't

even hear me out.

So why don't they?

I mean, they're keeping

me out of the loop

on this.

They say my songs

are too dark or too--

I don't know, not happy enough,

not cheery and cheesy,

if you ask me.

What were you playing

when I walked in?

Did you like it?

Yeah.

Did you really?

Yeah.

Really really?

[chuckles]

I loved it.

What is it?

It's a song I wrote

for my wedding.

Can you play me

the rest of the song?

Yeah.

Sure.

It's just a chorus.

[slow piano music]

D You can thank the Father

for the things that He

has done 3

DD:

D Thank mm

for the tmngs

He's yet to do 53

DD:

J3 If you find

a love that's tender J3

J3 If you find

someone who's true J3

D Thank the Lord D

J3 He's been doubly good

to you J3

DD:

Rich, seriously you have

to give me that song.

I want that song.

Sorry.

That one's for the girl.

[phone ringing]

[phone ringing]

[weeping]

You know, I'm being asked

by people all the time

how do you feel

close to God.

And I kind of go

"You know what?

I don't really know that."

When I think

about the lives

of--of the great saints

I don't necessarily think

that they always felt

close to God.

See, closest to God,

it isn't about feelings.

Closest to God

is about obedience.

But if we don't obey,

we don't even have

a chance.

[deep sigh]

What's up, bud?

Hey, Rich.

That was

a really good show.

Thanks.

It was fun.

Can I talk

to you for a second?

Yeah.

Absolutely.

What's up?

No, it's just--

I just

want to say thank you

for what you

said in there.

Yeah, you bet, man.

What did I say exactly?

You said a lot.

' -1

I'm not feeling close

to God.

Hm.

It's just that I struggle

a lot with loneliness.

I'm going to fill you

in on a little secret

that they won't tell

you in Sunday School.

All the heroes

in the Bible,

all the weirdos

in the Bible,

they all struggled

with the same stuff.

Loneliness and all of it.

It's just that some

of us aren't afraid

to admit it.

You know?

Yeah.

[car horn honks]

It's my dad.

I've got to go.

I won't forget.

Thanks, Rich.

You bet, man.

Nice to meet you.

Good night.

Good night.

(Rich, off)

Every small conversation

or fleeting moment

ofconnecfion

reminded me that despite

all the flaws and tackiness

of the Christian

music industry,

God had given me

something to say

and a platform

to share it.

I realized

that music could be

more than just music.

But they didn '2' let me

start just making records

over night.

It took some convincing.

(Rich, off)

Did you read the letter?

(Matt)

I haven '2' had time.

(Rich)

Man', this is important.

Can you at least tell

me you'll read it today?

Just tell me,

what is it?

I want to talk to you

about me recording

my own songs.

You know I think

you're an amazing writer,

but I don't think

you're ready to be

a recording artist.

[sighs]

Sorry, we'll just talk

about this later, okay?

What?

When I'm ready, Matt?

What's with you, Rich?

Do you really want

to do this here?

In front of Amy-

I have

a right to know!

Look, you really want

to be a recording artist?

Then everything's

got to change.

Your look,

the way

you dress,

it's your

stage presence--

What about my songs?

I don't think

they're ready either.

[scoffs]

J? This life has shown me J3

X1 How we're mended

and how we're tom D

DD:

J3 How it's okay

to be lonely J3

J3 As long

as you're free J3

But' sometimes

my ground was stony J

And sometimes

co ve/'ed up with thorns J

J3 Only you could make it

what it had to be J3

DD:

J3 If they dressed me

like a pauper J3

J3 Or if they dined me

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