The spring of 1966 the 4th grade class was tested for musical aptitude. Not long after the results came in, mom and dad signed me up for guitar lessons. A few years later I joined my boyhood church and penned my first song – an exposition of what I learned during confirmation classes, weekly sermons and Sunday school lessons. It wasn’t bad for a 14 year old despite a few clichés and overused rhymes (me – free, love – above). It used a chordal retrogression that elicited a few tears through modulating to the minor paired with a lyrical dose of shame, always popular among Presbyterians.

I didn’t write another Christian song until high school when I played guitar for God’s Creation Company, a song and dance troupe out of Federal Way, WA. At the time, I wanted to be like Chet Atkins who rarely sang, but our director, Phyllis Nansen, wouldn’t hear of it and tapped me to sing my new song whenever we did concerts. It is with that introduction I present some of my original Christian music. If it hurts your ears, blame Mrs. Nansen. I’m sure you’ll find her as sympathetic as I did 50+ years ago, when I tried to hide behind the piano whenever it was my que. With much love for you, Mrs. N! Thanks for pushing me to sing. I’ll see you again in the Lord’s time. Jack

All songs Copyright by Jack Helser.

Lord, You Are CD

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When I was little, my mom and grandmother took me to Sunday School, where I remember listening to Bible stories and making crafts. When the day came that I pushed mom too far about staying home with my dad, she invited the pastor to drop by after church. When he visited us, my dad remarked “I just don’t know what it will take to get those boys to go to church”. The pastor looked my dad in the eye and replied “you need to take them, Jack” (DEUTERONOMY 11:18-21). Dad liked him instantly for his bold answer and from that day on we went to church as a family. “A SONG FOR DADDY” is in memory of that pastor, Rev. James Ford Armstrong.

For several years I sat through church worship services, but I didn’t know Jesus. I knew the Bible buzzwords that made me sound like a Christian, but I was a phony. During Maundy Thursday service I accompanied the choir on guitar. Near the end of the candlelight service when Rev. Armstrong read the last words of Jesus, I looked up at the cross and I saw Jesus hanging there. I was deeply grieved, and I knew at last that I loved Him. Three days later on March 29, 1970, I was “BORN ON EASTER MORNING” when I received Jesus as my savior (ROMANS 6:4).

Having confessed in Jesus, I believed my eternal fate was secure and I went about life as usual. After all, Jesus is the ultimate “FIRE INSURANCE” policy, right (MATTHEW 7:21)?

Nowhere was I more obnoxious than behind the wheel of a car. My lead foot (a condition afflicting Christians everywhere) did not deter me from spreading the gospel of Christ as a “BUMPER STICKER WITNESS.” I testified to many drivers as I sped by – until the day I passed a Washington State Trooper who wasn’t persuaded by my smooth talk and excuses (ROMANS 13:1-5).

Fatherhood made me more responsible and I sought to develop a ‘more vibrant spiritual life’ through Christian books and tapes. But the ‘methodical approach’ didn’t work for me and I floundered. By the time I was 30, I had seen 3 church splits and the ousting of several pastors including Rev. Armstrong. As I struggled to keep the faith, I wrote “DON’T BE DECEIVED” (JAMES 1:16). But the wounds I received from “church” and the Christian music industry were too much for me and instead I buried my talents and dedicated myself to my family and career.

Giving my all for my family and my employer emptied me. After 16 years of marriage and 3 daughters, my first wife filed for divorce. It was unexpected and I was devastated. Concerned for my own safety, I checked into a Christian counseling clinic to get some help. While there a nurse heard me talk about giving up the guitar, so she brought hers in for me. Playing again was like being reunited with a dear old friend. As I played, God reminded me of the first song He gave me “THE LORD’S ALWAYS CARED FOR ME” and the promise it holds for me (PSALM 23:4).

In the clinic, I met Shawn who is like a sister to me. As she struggled to remember a time in her life before abuse, the Lord stirred up my creativity and I began collecting Shawn’s memories in “EMILY”, which is the name she often took when playing make believe. The song reminds us to be childlike to enter God’s Kingdom (MATTHEW 18:3).

While healing I experienced the love of God as never before. Though the Lord is “close to the brokenhearted” (PSALM 34:18), I was still quite lonely and wanted to meet His choice for me. God however intended to heal me, and teach me to wait and depend on Him. After several years alone with God, I met His choice through America Online. Everything we needed for our Seattle to Chicago relationship was provided, and a year later, Karen and I were married (PSALM 37:4). In college, when Karen prayed for a husband, God replied “WAIT ON ME.” I am awestruck by His goodness and wonderfully blessed by my wife who waited 21 years for me (PROVERBS 31:29).

Driving home from a prophetic conference during November 1999, Karen and I were worshipping and reminiscing about the weekend. The Lord gave me a new song called “SOUL BY SOUL” which is a wake up call for the Church and a reminder that we have much work to do before we can go home to be with the Lord (MATTHEW 24:14).

As our relationship with the Lord deepened and He gave us gifts (1 CORINTHIANS 12:8-10), it became increasingly difficult to remain in the traditional church we attended (MARK 7:9) for the simple reason that the Spirit’s fire was quenched (1 THESSALONIANS 5:19) and spiritual gifts were forbidden (1 CORINTHIANS 14:39). In time, the Lord called us to simply follow Him where He set us free (2 CORINTHIANS 3:17). As Karen and I waited on the Lord, He began teaching us that worship is a lifestyle (ROMANS 12:1), and that “Church” is not a Sunday morning routine as we had been taught, but rather the children of God coming together to live in community (ACTS 2:44-47, ACTS 4:32-35). The Biblical example for Christian fellowship is informal gatherings, often centered around a meal, where everyone may share, worship and pray (1 CORINTHIANS 14:26) in the family atmosphere of believer’s homes (ACTS 5:42, ACTS 8:3, ACTS 16:40, ACTS 20:20, ROMANS 16:3-5, 1 CORINTHIANS 16:19, COLOSSIANS 4:15, PHILEMON 1:2).

Karen and I enjoy such gatherings with other believers to break bread, fellowship, study, pray and worship. We gather whenever and wherever the Lord leads. The key is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us (GALATIANS 5:25). Sometimes the Lord blesses us with a spiritual song (EPHESIANS 5:19) such as “LORD, YOU ARE” which the Lord gave to me during the summer of 2001 while worshipping with Karen. The song fixes our eyes upon Jesus, and reminds us that Jesus is the beginning and end of our journey home (REVELATION 21:6-7).

Resurrection Power CD

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Not long after I recorded this song for my first CD, Karen started singing it during our concerts. People who hear Karen sing in concert and then listen to the CD often ask why it isn’t Karen’s voice on the CD. I can’t blame them – I’d rather listen to Karen sing too. This recording is similar to the version we do in concert.

One morning I woke up with this very simple worship song resonating in my spirit. When practicing one evening, I was entertaining (and annoying) Karen with one of my goofy voices – a hyper-excited southern charismatic type preacher trying to motivate his congregation to be more lively in worship. Karen loved it, and so I added the parody narrative for some comic relief and to gently chide the hyper-conservative and traditional types to actually move now and then during worship.

I asked the Lord for a new song to sing at a fund raiser for a local free health clinic. While I was singing, several members glanced nervously at their pastor to see if he was going to forcibly remove me from the stage. When the benefit was over, the pastor thanked me saying “I love your heart and passion for the truth.”

This song was also written for the clinic fund raiser. It would not be right to point out the faults of the institutional church without also confessing my own faults. I hope never again to be the Pharisee but always the Good Samaritan.

In a sermon I heard several years ago, the pastor asked “Who is the real King: Elvis or Jesus?” He likened Elvis to the king of this world – he is image, hype, entertainment, and commercialism personified. Sadly, the ‘spirit of Elvis’ seems to have taken over many churches. Isn’t it about time Elvis left the building?

For years I prayed for more of the Holy Spirit (MARK 1:8, LUKE 11:13) because I was hungry for more of God. Finally came the day Jesus baptized me with the Holy Spirit. Wow! With great enthusiasm I told a few friends who quickly distanced themselves from me. Gossip and accusation soon followed and a few members told me I was no longer welcome in their church. Their church?!? In time, I’ve learned to keep my pearls to myself unless the Spirit leads me to share them.

I never know when inspiration will strike. Sometimes, God hits me square in the heart with a lyric that leaves me trembling. Other songs originate in spontaneous worship. Inspiration for this song was the advice of a friend to someone who said “I feel heaped in garbage” (only the word wasn’t garbage). The advice? “Let God manage your compost pile.” When I finally stopped laughing, I penned this song in under 20 minutes. As often as scripture refers to God as a Gardener and us as His planting, I hope He never treats me like the fig tree in LUKE 13:6-9.

Taking up my cross is exhausting. At times, I feel like I’m the only one carrying a cross, whereupon I have tripped on the stumbling block of pride. Taking stock of how I treated others in the past has been quick remedy for pride.

A remix of Make A Way in an acapella style without the parody impression.

This song took 3-1/2 years to write. It began as a spontaneous worship song at a retreat weekend the spring of 2001. One day, while vamping on the chord progression, the words “Resurrection Power” came to me. The first verse was inspired by the painting of a father and his prodigal son that hangs in my living room. The rest came together suddenly the fall of 2004. I offer this song as my heartfelt prayer. Father! Call Your people out of religious bondage and assemble Your Church!

Singles

When the Lord told me “it’s time to get busy” I laughed because men my age are typically slowing down. Sensing His leading to convert my blog into a podcast, I asked Him for a theme song. When I woke the next morning, this song was sounding in my spirit, so I grabbed my guitar and played it for Karen. Taking inspiration from the 2 verses the Spirit gave me, we spent the morning talking about Karen’s daily devotional habit, and wrote another 3 verses to describe her devotional time.