From Reconcile "B" Side - Standalone Release 01/03/2026


GOSPEL SUITE

 

i. CREATION & FALL

The One who is made all that we see
One, transcendent, spoke all to be
Perfect in wisdom, might, and love tender
The first day ever and six days of splendor

In the heavens He named all He designed
The Earth His gift, though, to humankind
Creatures to possess, in promenade
Named by man and from him, woman made

Free will endowed, the profound birthright
Promising future in the garden of delight
They had everything, perfect and right
They had everything...

But the Tempter sowed discontent
Forbidden fruit devoured in contempt
A chasm carved between man and Maker
Now pain, struggle, and death are known
All creation groans...

ii. GENERATIONS, NATIONS & PROMISE

For garments of skin, a creature slain
A sacrifice to cover their shame
In coming generations, who will save?

A people grew in violence and hate
A Great Flood brought to annihilate
One family preserved in an ark Noah made
In new generations, who will save?

Who can save? Who will deliver?
Who can save? Who will deliver?

Offspring of great works and imaginings
Yet proud and indifferent of God
Given new tongues, scattered abroad
Now the nations will seek, in generations who will save?

Of Abraham, one nation chosen and birthed
Appointed by God to bless the whole Earth
The nations, generations, one nation’s offspring shall save!

Who can save? Who will deliver?
Who can save? Who will deliver?

The chosen nation, hard oppressed
Delivered from great and evil designs
With ten afflictions as wonders and signs
The final plague, an angel of death

Families sacrificed a perfect lamb
Painted its blood upon their door
For this the angel of death passed over
Delivered, for the deliverer to come...

He shall come and be the Way
And He will be our ark in judgement’s flood
He will atone, as the sacrifice
The Passover Lamb, around our door His blood

Who can save? Who will deliver?
Who can save? Who will deliver?

iii. INCARNATION

Love came down
To ground level
Palace to pasture
Town to town

Love broke in
With hope and healing
Breaking chains
Forgiving sins

God arrived, birthed just like us
Fully divine, entirely human
He traveled among us, into the dust
Strong in spirit, teaching trust
Healing many, showering grace
And Earth received heaven’s embrace

Love lived obediently for the purpose ahead...

iv. DEATH & RESURRECTION

Extorted, accused
Tried as a criminal
A punishment Jesus willingly chose
Sinless, unstained
Yet tried as a criminal—a common criminal
He let His position be made low

There is no greater death
God forsaken
No greater death humans have ever known
But this life was given
Willingly
No greater life ever disowned...

The stone removed
He is not there
Grave clothes only
He is not there

Jesus has risen
We too shall rise
Between man and Maker
No more divide

He became sin
So in righteousness we reside
Jesus has risen
We too shall rise
Jesus has risen
We too shall rise


THE MUSIC

GOSPEL SUITE: [13:56]

 i. CREATION & FALL (2023) G [2:46]
   acoustic guitar, voice (rec. Feb/Mar 2025)

 ii. GENERATIONS, NATIONS & PROMISE (2023) D [3:50]
    acoustic guitar, voice, acoustic fretless bass, cajon, Carrie Berndt: voice (rec. Feb/Aug/Sep 2025)

 iii. INCARNATION (2021, 2023) A [2:04]
    acoustic guitar, voice, electric guitar (rec. Mar 2025)

 iv. DEATH & RESURRECTION (2023) Am to A [5:13]
    acoustic guitar, voice, acoustic fretless bass, cajon, Carrie Berndt: voice (rec. Apr/May/Sep 2025)


Notes

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.


Gospel Suite
Recording and related web (ruwach-music.com) & print materials,
  production & digital mastering © 2025 Ruwach Music
Music and lyrics © 2021,2023 Richard Berndt