Lyrics to "East to West" ("The Altar and the Door") by Casting Crowns (written by Mark Hall)

Casting Crowns has had tremendous success with their first two studio albums (and their live CD's and DVD's too) and now FINALLY we get some more new music from them! On August 28 their new album "The Altar and the Door" will be released and the first single has already been released, simply titled "East to West". Here are the lyrics which I have typed up from listening to the song repeatedly at their MySpace site. You can pre-order their album a myriad of ways at the Casting Crowns MusiChristian Store for $12.71 including getting the CD and early on-line access to listen to the CD before the official release. At Family Christian the price is $11.97 but you will likely have to pay tax if there is a retail store in your state. Their deal also includes online early access as well as sending a copy of the debut album to an armed forces member for free with a personal note from you. At IndependentBands.com "The Altar and the Door" is priced at $14.98 with a free T-shirt!

Track Listing:

01. What This World Needs (Mark Hall, Hector Cervantes)

What this world needs
Is not another one hit wonder with another ax to grind
Another two bit politician peddling lives
Another three ring circus society

What this world needs
Is not another sign waving super saint who's better than you
Another ear pleasing candy man afraid of the truth
Another prophet in an Armani suit

What this world needs
Is a Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love them
In their time of need

A Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love
That's what this world needs

What this world needs
Is for us to care more about the inside, than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can't see
God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt

What this world needs
Is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well
That people can't see the difference
And it's the difference that sets the world free

What this world needs
Is a Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love them
In their time of need

A Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love
That's what this world needs

"People aren't confused by the Gospel
They are confused by us
Jesus is the only way to God
But we are not the only way to Jesus
This world doesn't need my tie, my hoodie,
My denomination or my translation of the Bible
They just need Jesus
We can be passionate about what we believe
But we can't strap ourselves to the Gospel
Because we are slowing it down
Jesus is going to save the world
But maybe the best thing we can do
Is just get out of the way"

What this world needs
Is a Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love them
In their time of need

A Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love
That's what this world needs
Jesus is our Savior
That's what this world needs
The Father's arms around you
That's what this world needs
That's what this world needs

02. Every Man (Mark Hall, Bernie Herms, Nichole Nordeman)

I'm the man with all I've ever wanted
All the toys and playing games
I am the one who pours your coffee
Corner booth each Saturday

I am your daughter's favorite teacher
I am the leader of the band
I sit behind you in the bleachers
I am every man

I'm the coach of every winning team
And still a loser in my mind
I am the soldier in the airport
Facing giants one more time

I am the woman shamed and haunted
By the cry of unborn life
I am every broken man
Nervous child, lonely wife

Is there hope for every man?
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
Is there hope for every man?

Is there love that never dies
Is there peace in troubled times
Someone help me understand
Is there hope for every man?

Seems there's just so many roads to travel
It's hard to tell where they will lead
My life is scarred, my dreams unraveled
Now I'm scared to take the lead

If I could find someone to follow
Who knows my pain and feels the weight
The uncertainty of my tomorrow
The guilt and pain of yesterday

Is there hope for every man?
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
Is there hope for every man?

Is there love that never dies
Is there peace in troubled times
Someone help me understand
Is there hope for every man?

There is hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
There is hope for every man

There is Love that never dies
There is peace in troubled times
Will we help them understand?
Jesus is hope for every man

There is hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
There is hope for every man

There is Love that never dies
There is peace in troubled times
Will we help them understand?
Jesus is hope for every man

03. Slow Fade (Mark Hall)

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands
As darkness pulls the strings

Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you
That are sure to follow

It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white have turned to grey

Thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid when you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade
It's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise
The end is always near

Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises
Lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white have turned to grey

Thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid when you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
It shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white have turned to gray

Thoughts invade, choices made
A price will be paid when you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day (slow fade)
Daddies never crumble in a day (slow fade)
Families never crumble in a day

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down with love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

04. East to West (Mark Hall, Bernie Herms)

Here I am Lord and I'm drowning
In Your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don’t want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind
Keeps me awake tonight

I know You've cast my sin as far
As the East is from the West
And I stand before You now
As though I've never sinned
But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the East is from the West?
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
Cause You know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again
Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the East is from the West?
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
Cause You know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

I know You've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel
But by the truth Your word reveals
And I'm not holding onto You
But You're holding onto me
You're holding onto me

Jesus, You know just how far the East is from the West
I don't have to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest (mercy I find rest)
Cause You know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

(Just how far, the East is from the West, Just how far)
From one scarred hand to the other
(You know just how far, the East is from the West, Just how far)
From one scarred hand to the other

05. The Word Is Alive (Mark Hall, Steven Curtis Chapman)

Looking out from His throne
The Father of light and of men
Chose to make Himself known
And show us the way back to Him

Speaking wisdom and truth
Into the hearts of peasants and kings
He began to unveil
The word that would change the course of all things

With eyes wide open
All would see

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless
And afraid
Breathing life into all who believe

The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it, will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive

Simple strokes on a page
Eternity's secrets revealed
Carried on from age to age
It speaks Truth to us even still

As the rain falls from Heaven
Feeds the earth before it returns
Lord, let your Word fall on us
And bring forth the fruit You deserve

With eyes wide open
Let us see

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless
And afraid
Breathing life into all who believe

The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive

"The Bible was inscribed over a period of two thousand years
In times of war and in days of peace
By kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers
Fisherman, singers and shepherds
The marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive
Could have been produced by such a diverse crowd
Over a period of time which staggers the imagination
Jesus is His grand subject
Our good is the design
And the glory of God is its end"

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless
And afraid
Breathing life into all who believe

The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is Alive (the world and its glories will fail)
The Word is Alive (His truth it will not pass away)
His Word is Alive
His Word is Alive

06. The Altar and the Door (Mark Hall)

Careless, I am wreckless
I'm a wrong way travelin'
Slowly unraveling shell of a man
Burnt out, I'm so numb now
That the fire's just an ember
Way down in the corner in my cold, cold heart

Lord, this time, I'll make it right
Here at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come and my will was done
My heart is broken

As I cry
Like so many times before
But my eyes
Are dry before I leave the floor
Oh, Lord, I try (I'll try)
But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure
I will not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door

Here at the altar
Oh, my world's so black and white
How could I ever falter
What You've shown me to be right

Lord, this time, I'll make it right
Here at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come and my will was done
My heart is broken

As I cry
Like so many times before
But my eyes
Are dry before I leave the floor
Oh, Lord, I try (I'll try)
But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure
I would not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door

I'm trying so hard
To stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me

Jesus, I'm trying so hard
To stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me

Oh, Lord, I cry
Like so many times before
But my eyes
Are dry before I leave the floor
Oh, Lord, I try (I'll try)
But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure
I would not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door

Oh, Lord, I cry
Like so many times before
But my eyes
Are dry before I leave the floor
Oh, Lord, I try (I'll try)
But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure
I would not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door

07. Somewhere in the Middle (Mark Hall)

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender
Without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence
Wreckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end
We are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences
The God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His
Or are we caught in the middle?
Are we caught in the middle?

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender
Without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence
Wreckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end
We are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences
The God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His
Or are we caught in the middle?

Fearless warriors in a picket fence
Wreckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end
We are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences
The God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His
Or are we caught in the middle?

Lord, I feel You in this place
And I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights
When I'm caught in the middle
Caught in the middle

08. I Know You're There (Jeff Chandler)

If all I had was one last breath
I'd spend it just to sing Your praise
Just to say Your name

If all I had was one last prayer
I'd pray it cause I know
You're always listening

If I could live a thousand lives
Bind the hands of time
I would spend every moment by Your side

Cause I, I know You're there
I know You see me
You're the air I breathe
You are the ground beneath me
I know You're there
I know You hear me
I can find You anywhere

If all I had was one more song to sing
I would raise my voice
To make the heavens ring

If all I have is one last chance
I'd take it, I would stake it all on You
Yeah, Yeah

If I could rise up high
And catch a glimpse of every eye
I would make them believe what I feel inside

Cause I, I know You're there
I know You see me
You're the air I breathe
You are the ground beneath me
I know You're there
I know You hear me
I can find You anywhere

If I could live a thousand lives
And bind the hands of time, oh, oh
If I could raise up high
And catch a glimpse of every eye

I know You're there
I know You see me
You're the air I breathe
You are the ground beneath me, yea
I know You're there
I know You hear me
I can find you anywhere

I know You're there
I know You're there
I know You're there
You're there

09. Prayer for a Friend (Mark Hall)

Lord, I lift my friend to You
I've done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You
Complicated circumstances have clouded his view
And, Lord, I lift my friend up to You

I fear that I won't have the words that he needs to hear
I pray for Your wisdom, oh God
And a heart that's sincere
Lord, I lift my friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You
My best friend in the world
I know he means much more to You

I want so much to help him
But this is something he has to do
And, Lord, I lift my friend up to You

Cause there's a way that seems so right to him
But You know where that leads
He's becoming a puppet of the world
Too blind to see the strings
And, Lord, I lift my friend up to You
My friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You
I've done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You

10. All Because of Jesus (Steve Fee)

Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory

Make of heaven and of earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

And I'm alive because I'm alive in You

And it's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive

Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory

Maker of heaven and of earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

And I am alive because I'm alive in You

And it's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus

Every sunrise sings Your praise
The universe cries out Your praise
I'm singing freedom all my days
Now that I'm alive

And it's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus

And it's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
I'm alive
Because of Jesus
I'm alive
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