Listen to the song; #2 on WORSHIP ROCKS
1984 - By this time in my spiritual walk, I was spending a good amount of time in bible study. And every time I would come across a passage that sounded like it would make a good song, I drew a square around the verse number, so I could find the passage later when I was in songwriting mode. This kept me from getting off-track during my study time and helped me develop a treasure chest of material and subject matter to draw from. This is one such song that I had marked in my King James bible. The passage is from John 15:1-3 and reads;“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes (or cleans ) it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
I clearly remember sitting in my hammock in the Panare Indian village we were living in and looking for words to this chord progression I was fooling around with. It was one of those early afternoons when we were on siesta from our work. Each morning we would get up early, bath in the stream among the piranha and then have breakfast with the missionaries. Then we’d set to work at whatever task was set for the day. Some of our work projects included, cutting trees and sawing them into boards, building a mud enclosure for the diesel generator, installing a suspended ceiling in the bible translation computer room to help with climate and humidity control, and general lawn mowing and other menial tasks to help keep the workload off the missionaries. Every day around 2pm or so we would see clouds forming over the mountains and knew the rain would start within a half-hour. By this time the temperature was very hot (110degrees or so) and we would break for siesta. Many would take a power nap for an hour or so, but I spent most siestas in bible study and guitar playing. I’ve never been much for afternoon naps; they just make me feel sluggish for the rest of the day.
Anyway, I happened across John 15 and seeing the square around the bible verse, I started trying to marry the words with the chords I was playing. This was the second song I wrote while on the missions-trip to Venezuela, but the first written in the jungle, although I never finished it until many years later. The passage was Jesus himself speaking and it always felt kinda strange to sing it. I tried to put it into the third person, but that didn’t work very well. Needless to say it was a challenge to get it done, but I finally did, thank God! I had bought this little beater guitar to take to South America so I wouldn’t be worried about destroying my nice Alvarez-Yairi through travel, humidity etc. That same three-quarter sized guitar also became known as the ‘car guitar’ which I will certainly write about in a later blog. So I was plunking away on that thing- playing much more percussive than melodic since the tone and action was atrocious. But these things seem trivial when you’re several days travel from the nearest civilization; locked within the jungle terrain surrounding you. Some of the Panare children were listening and peeking through the tiny open-hole windows (more ventilation holes really) and I ended up teaching them how to throw a Frisbee! All these things have helped to color this song and it has taken its place in my memories.
ABIDE IN ME
Words & music by Reggie Michaud © 1984(ref: John 15:1-8)
I am the vine and my father is the vine dresser
You are the branch to bring fruit into the world
But if you are dry and wandering from the vine
You must be pruned to bring you back to life once again
Abide in me and I’ll abide in you
As the branch cannot bear fruit all on its own
So that you will stay alive and green
Abide in me for all the world to see; Abide in me
Every branch that has no fruit my Father takes away
And every branch that flourishes He cleans it with the Word
It’s the clean and pure that’s pleasing to the eye
Makes the sweetest fruit and reaches to the sky as they grow
Abide in me and I’ll abide in you
Don’t you know you can’t bear fruit all on your own
So that you will stay alive and green
Abide in me for all the world to see; Abide in me
I am the vine; you are the branches
If we’re connected and my words remain in you
Then you can ask for anything you need
It shall be done- and your joy will be compete and overflow
Abide in me and I’ll abide in you
As the branch cannot bear fruit all on its own
Every day- obey my commands
We will be forever family; Abide in me
1984 - By this time in my spiritual walk, I was spending a good amount of time in bible study. And every time I would come across a passage that sounded like it would make a good song, I drew a square around the verse number, so I could find the passage later when I was in songwriting mode. This kept me from getting off-track during my study time and helped me develop a treasure chest of material and subject matter to draw from. This is one such song that I had marked in my King James bible. The passage is from John 15:1-3 and reads;“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes (or cleans ) it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
I clearly remember sitting in my hammock in the Panare Indian village we were living in and looking for words to this chord progression I was fooling around with. It was one of those early afternoons when we were on siesta from our work. Each morning we would get up early, bath in the stream among the piranha and then have breakfast with the missionaries. Then we’d set to work at whatever task was set for the day. Some of our work projects included, cutting trees and sawing them into boards, building a mud enclosure for the diesel generator, installing a suspended ceiling in the bible translation computer room to help with climate and humidity control, and general lawn mowing and other menial tasks to help keep the workload off the missionaries. Every day around 2pm or so we would see clouds forming over the mountains and knew the rain would start within a half-hour. By this time the temperature was very hot (110degrees or so) and we would break for siesta. Many would take a power nap for an hour or so, but I spent most siestas in bible study and guitar playing. I’ve never been much for afternoon naps; they just make me feel sluggish for the rest of the day.
Anyway, I happened across John 15 and seeing the square around the bible verse, I started trying to marry the words with the chords I was playing. This was the second song I wrote while on the missions-trip to Venezuela, but the first written in the jungle, although I never finished it until many years later. The passage was Jesus himself speaking and it always felt kinda strange to sing it. I tried to put it into the third person, but that didn’t work very well. Needless to say it was a challenge to get it done, but I finally did, thank God! I had bought this little beater guitar to take to South America so I wouldn’t be worried about destroying my nice Alvarez-Yairi through travel, humidity etc. That same three-quarter sized guitar also became known as the ‘car guitar’ which I will certainly write about in a later blog. So I was plunking away on that thing- playing much more percussive than melodic since the tone and action was atrocious. But these things seem trivial when you’re several days travel from the nearest civilization; locked within the jungle terrain surrounding you. Some of the Panare children were listening and peeking through the tiny open-hole windows (more ventilation holes really) and I ended up teaching them how to throw a Frisbee! All these things have helped to color this song and it has taken its place in my memories.
ABIDE IN ME
Words & music by Reggie Michaud © 1984(ref: John 15:1-8)
I am the vine and my father is the vine dresser
You are the branch to bring fruit into the world
But if you are dry and wandering from the vine
You must be pruned to bring you back to life once again
Abide in me and I’ll abide in you
As the branch cannot bear fruit all on its own
So that you will stay alive and green
Abide in me for all the world to see; Abide in me
Every branch that has no fruit my Father takes away
And every branch that flourishes He cleans it with the Word
It’s the clean and pure that’s pleasing to the eye
Makes the sweetest fruit and reaches to the sky as they grow
Abide in me and I’ll abide in you
Don’t you know you can’t bear fruit all on your own
So that you will stay alive and green
Abide in me for all the world to see; Abide in me
I am the vine; you are the branches
If we’re connected and my words remain in you
Then you can ask for anything you need
It shall be done- and your joy will be compete and overflow
Abide in me and I’ll abide in you
As the branch cannot bear fruit all on its own
Every day- obey my commands
We will be forever family; Abide in me
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