BALLAD OF THE PRODIGAL
I
Bound, lost in sin, I lay in chains,
No human hand could soothe my pains;
I cried for rescue: “Save me, God!”
Men passed me by and thought me odd.
Refrain:
Love welcomed me, a prodigal,
A foolish sheep that squandered all;
The many years I wandered, lost,
Have now returned, at His great cost.
II
You came at last to where I lay,
And brought me out to light of day;
You set me back upon my feet,
And gave me clothes, and food to eat.
(Refrain)
III
You granted freedom from my sin,
And said, “My child, now enter in!”
I followed You, and healing came
For body and a soul long lame.
(Refrain)
IV
Wash me, Lord, and let me see
The fullness of your purity;
I have no money that can buy
Your Righteousness for which I cry.
(Refrain)
V
Take righteousness and clothe me bright,
Through drops of Blood a cleansing white!
I splash the lintel of my brow,
My arms and legs in crimson bow.
(Refrain)
VI
Judging angel, pass this door,
My Lamb is slain, the Curtain tore;
Only on His Blood I rest,
All else can never meet the test.
(Refrain)
VII
I trust in His sole sacrifice,
In life or death it will suffice;
Anchor, Lord, this wandering heart,
Your Blood and I must never part!
BALLAD OF THE LAMB
I
O Lamb, you were the Father’s best,
And yet He put you to the test;
From Prince of Glory you resigned,
From Godhead, Savior, you declined.
Refrain:
O Lamb, all praise be ever thine,
All majesty in every time;
The darkest shadow of your light
Flung stars of splendor into night.
II
O Lamb, as Christ you still could be
The Sun that no mere eye may see;
But you as man chose mortal dress,
And suffered all that made you less.
(Refrain)
III
O Lamb, your highest angels gasp,
Their golden throats can only rasp
What God in you has lowly wrought--
As if your glory went for naught!
(Refrain)
IV
O Lamb, you left the Throne of God
And blossomed in this barren sod;
In this dead soil your root rose up,
From stone gushed Life all men may sup.
(Refrain)
V
O Lamb, you chose the crown of thorn
As saving Grace from you was torn;
Each drop of blood bought all mankind
Redemption to which Justice signed.
(Refrain)
VI
O Lamb, my sins, they whipped you hard,
They smashed your face--it was so marred!
Your body hung upon the cross:
My new life procured by your loss.
(Refrain)
VII
O Lamb, all praise be ever thine,
You called your enemies to dine!
With joy we dine at Mercy’s seat,
Restored as heirs, we take and eat.
BALLAD OF THE BOOK OF LIFE
I
My name is written in a Book,
A place no angel dares to look;
Before the cherubim made cry
My name was there, I wonder why.
II
Love wrote it on a golden page--
Ages, times no mind can gauge;
Before the stars were set in place,
God knew me as a child of Grace.
III
What God is this who wrote my name?
I make no claim to earthly fame;
Of all the living things He made,
I falter like a leaf and fade!
IV
No one on earth will mark my place
Of birth, or death that I must face;
But there’s a Hand that took my own
Before I was a mortal sown.
V
The troubles that crowd on me now
Must all to Christ bend knee and bow;
Though sorrow come, or privation,
All I need in life He’s done.
VI
What God is this who sent the Lamb
To rescue me from what I am?
And yet He bids me “Welcome in!”
With joy I leave a life of sin.
VII
Ahead I see a City gleam
That’s lit by the Lord God’s own beam;
For me there’s only one gold street,
The one that leads to Jesus’ feet.
BALLAD OF THE NARROWS BRIDGE LEAPER
Once I stood on the Narrows Bridge at Tacoma and I thought I might give my life to bring life to my
best friend--then realized Someone had already died for him--and if that
wasn't enough for him, to give his life meaning, then my sacrificed life
would be enough either.--Eben<./i>
I
Once when death engulfed my sight,
I gazed into its deep channel;
I shudder now to think what height
Of Love plunged Christ to hell.
(Refrain:
Forsaken Christ, the Prince of Grace,
Was sunk in depths where all hopes cease;>
I should have fallen in that place;
His pain bought my release.
II
O Holy Child! O Purest Lamb!
My sin swept over You a flood;
The foulest sinner (that I am!)
Is covered by Your Blood.
(Refrain)
III
To this one Rock, O Lord, I cling,
As fears and doubts o’ershroud Your cross:
You bound me to You, suffering,
And gained me by Your loss.
(Refrain)
IV
No one else could cleanse my sin
And willingly accept my blame;
It’s Love (if I could take it in!)
That wiped away my shame.
(Refrain)
V
What can I sacrifice in turn
That by Your Blood has first been giv’n?
Savior, let my hand discern
How Life from death was riv’n.
(Refrain)
BALLAD OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST
I
Beneath a peak Arabian
Gaped a pit deep dug by man;
Each slave that labored there ‘til dark--
Branded, doomed with Hagar’s mark.
(Refrain:
I see a Face, from suffering torn,
Forgiveness etched in every line;
The splendor that lit Moses’ face
Now is outshone by Jesus’ Grace.
II
Cast out as slave, her fatal seed
Crowded out the wheat like weed;
Galatians bred on Sinai’s brow,
Cut off from Christ, to law must bow.
(Refrain)
III
Jerusalem, so free above,
Your sons are heirs of freedom born;
That stumbling block, the Cross, they love,
No flesh but Spirit can adorn.
(Refrain)
IV
Adopted and redeemed by Christ,
Their mark erased, His blood sufficed;
Made sons of Promise, by faith they live,
The Grace of Christ no work can give.
(Refrain)
V
And so I ask, are we free-born?
Cephas-likke, we’re shysters still?
O Lord, I come to Thee forelorn,
My bonds are strong, my spirit ill.
(Refrain)
VII
I am Christ-born! His Blood freed me!
How can I then to chains return?
For one red drop of liberty
My godly deeds I gladly burn.
(Refrain)
VIII
Forgive, O Lord, this double heart;
You alone are Righteousness!
When fear of man casts its swift dart--
Circumcision, none the less!
(Refrain)
IX
O set me free, O Lamb of God!
Curse of law, please take away!
Dawn full on me, O Light of Day,
Grant life again to this dead sod!
(Refrain)
X
Deliver us from godly good,
Pleasing men and churchiness;
I’d mutilate them if I could--
All the things that make You less.
(Refrain)
XI
True childlren of the God of Grace
Often end in fleshly works;
Faithful once, they lose the race,
Ensnared by nets a fowler jerks!
(Refrain)
XII
O Father, on Your Son’s pierced side,
Let me lean forever near;
May I evermore abide
In that stream of blood so dear!
(Refrain)
XIII
For then in me Your fruits will grow,
Grace on grace, by Spirit blest;
And in Your Kingdom I shall sow
Love and Joy, eternal Rest.
(c) 2006, Butterfly Productions, All Rights Reserved
