Inhuman Powerful Descending The other Alien So not like us Like lightning Victorious Great warrior Oh Holy Stripping down To flesh And a manger bed

How was I to know? The angel speaking out past the altar You know I’m old I don’t see—how this could work. And so God shut my mouth A sign--of my unfaith But in time, I saw with my own eyes How was I to know? I’ve seen more than my share Of manipulated miracles I know my God And I’ve followed all the laws So how was I to know? How was I to know? And so God shut my mouth It’s not-that I-don’t-believe I just didn’t see I never thought that I Would see such miracles this side of life I never thought that I Would be someone important Even just for this one time I never thought that I Would be the one denying you three times But when the rooster crows My eyes do all the talking And my feet do all the walking And so God shut my mouth All of my confessions voided now God shut my mouth

You came down Became one of us You were different And we didn’t like that You wore a crown Of hurt And you know the Pain of immigrants Full of love Hoping to hold and guide And lead us to our good And we didn’t like that Thought we were okay on our own You gave up The comfort and the honour To live like us Amongst our dirt and poverty And sin And rust You taught with power We treated you like some circus show And when the crowds turned against you We screamed with them We stood and watched We turned to go Alien The Unknown The Holy Wrapped round DNA You came down And sat and prayed And ate and sang With a voice limited by vocal chords And a mind stuck in a brain Oh love What if I don’t recognize you You’re far too old fashioned for my tastes And I’m—too adverse to change You came to do much more Than just rock the boat You came to call me out upon the waves

I don’t hear a thing Been holding my pillow tight Over these ears For 400 years of silence Calling out to celestial quiet With a wince Don’t make me come down there Mother said I don’t hear a thing Wall cries out to wall And only echoes No nearer, not That fateful meeting By the river Crossed sticks Coin on the tongue I don’t see your face Just the moan of avalanches of Fears and pleads And breaking stories You’re gonna die if you come down here The bread, the mirror, the icon No room at the inn There’s no room at the inn I don’t see your face I see everything: bomb craters, For irises a million faces, forms And all the pain in the world I think I know what I’m looking for Don’t make me come down there My father said On the seventh day a prophet Wishful thinking, selective hearing I am Anna, I am old, hardly faithful Hardly hanging to these bones Held you up to my face And you were just a babe Oh my God Can I believe my eyes So much for the silence Can I forgive my lies? The Word was spoken Clearly all this time.

My soul echoes like a bell My spirit sings in my Father’s concerto He looked down without looking down Exalted a poor girl without a crown The generations will call me blessed Son of God within The mighty one has done great things for me He has filled the hungry with good things And the rich, he has sent away empty He remembers his servant; he is rich in mercy The proud will be brought low He pulls the powerful down from their thrones He has chosen this peasant girl To be his vessel God within How could it be? God would come to rest inside of me? God of peace Remembering the poor, the hurt, the suffering Welcome to our family I hope that we are worthy Oh, how can it be?

Favored one Don’t be afraid You’re gonna have a son The Spirit will come upon you And you will be with child Son of God Favored one Advertisement light Rings circles round my eyes Have what you want This year’s model The promised one Favored one God inside He’s the kick in your gut Indwelling intimate At your breast At your uterus Favored one Money, talents, time, and education Altar to an unknown god Buy and sell Comment and like Subscribe Favored one Do you hear the knock of Gabriel The message of the Lord God is not, God is not—far off He’s coming soon To live in your home With arms and a mouth Favored one Couch, remote control, click and It is done The machine, convenience beeps With a chirp, skip commercials, Everything is ready Favored one Don’t be afraid Of light and noise and cries and pain and Change The gift, the life, you have inside You are God-breathed You are strong You’ll be alright

Shepherd boy sings for the sheep, Allelu He plays his harp, strums a noble tune The sheep know his voice; they follow his song As it echoes off the hills, the valley resounds Shepherd boy sings for the King, Allelu Nerves and stress, fall away with the tune Shepherd sees a lion, sees a bear, giant too He has no fear, slings and sings right through Shepherd king sings and he breaks, Allelu A man of blood, traitor, run from You Saw the girl bathing on the roof, Allelu Now bitter tears have become his food But he’ll still sing when the light breaks through Have mercy on the king, King of Kings Allelu Shepherd boy sings to the stars, Allelu A silent night, but now the stars are singing too Runs down a comet to a stable’s bed Where a shepherd boy sings to a king infant //Shepherd boy sings to the King, Allelu// Shepherd boy sings to the King, Allelu He learns the words, the saw and sander too When the time is right, he breaks the scroll “In your hearing today, scripture fulfilled” Shepherd boy looks to the sheep, Allelu Tears in his eyes for his lost and aimless troop His voice echoes down and across the lake Sick are healed, blind can see, and the captives free Shepherd boy sings to the King, Allelu Blood on his brow; he feels anxiety too My God, my God, why did you forsake? The shepherd boy cries, gives his life for the sheep ////Shepherd boy sings to the King, Allelu//// Teach me to walk to your beat, Allelu To shepherd my friends, and see my neighbor like you And when I lay me down in the end, Allelu Grant me a song near the shepherd King’s room And I’ll sing my song for the King, Allelu A shepherd sheep boy, lost and found, Allelu

The Word Before time Was the word And it was God In Him was life All things were made through Him (Allelujah) The light shines in the darkness (Allelujah) And the word put on skin The word become flesh And made himself at home Among us Glory! Glory! Glory! He felt himself at home Among us Glory! Glory! Glory! God with us.

Angel in the desert Lifting up a sword Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on? Peace on earth, goodwill Not peace but a sword Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on? Death sentence, the innocents The bombs are all around Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on? Turn to worship me And I’ll give you the kingdoms I’ll keep your head from touching stone Whose side are you on? Stone to bread Or stone to flesh No place to rest your head? Whose side are you on? The Alien, the Maker The Holy Word, the glory Here to unmake the earth Here to oppose my wicked heart Whose side are you on? God with us God for us God against us God the reckless Whose side Are you on? Whose side are you on?

A Voice was heard in Ramallah Rachel weeping for her children They won’t come back She won’t be comforted A Voice was heard in Ramallah Hagar weeping for her children They won’t come back She won’t be comforted

Gather up some straw Even migrants need a place To rest their heads Little bird in your nest Mouth open Crying for your mother’s breast You lay yourself down Great-winged phoenix Into a frame of sticks and mud And although your nest is warm It couldn’t compare To the fire you knew before Oh cold world Egg in the womb A spark of life The bird begins to bloom Incarnation, recreation Sister Mary, what’s the meaning Of the life inside of you? Egg inside Bird in egg God in bird Son in God Like nesting dolls The sparrow hits the window Breaks its neck against the glass And falls Crossed sticks, its little legs I cup him in my hands And lay him beneath a stone But the body is an eggshell I see him staring at me The next morning from the backyard Death is in the grave The phoenix—overcoming Hope perches in my soul Sings it’s fragile song Again, anew Hope on wing, wing on bird Bird in me, you in bird And I in you Every time—I think I’ve got you all figured out I open up another egg And I see another face There’s so much of you That I could never know Come to us Nest with us Be our home

All hail the Conqueror! Shepherd, Keeper All hail, the baby born Come, come and see His little fingers Could this be—the image of our Lord Let us worship and adore All hail the carpenter! Neighbor, Simon All hail, the bright-eyed boy Come, come and see How he answers Could this be, the one we’ve waited for? Let us adore All hail the rabbi! Fisher, Tax collector All hail the healer, hear his words Come, come and see Signs and wonders Could this be, Israel’s deliverer Let us behold All hail the broken body! Mother, Centurion All hail the martyr, oh what for? Come, come and see Stripes and nails Could this be our God? Oh Lord, oh Lord Let us return. All hail the conqueror Palms and donkey All hail the one—to right the wrongs Come, come and see Such procession Could this be—our revolution come? Let us run. All hail the morning star, Stone and angel He is risen—just as he said Come, come and see, the empty tomb Is he back? Could this be our chosen one? Let us run. All hail the conqueror Blind and broken Death is dead, redemption has come Come, taste, and see: the Lord is good. How could it be: The baby and the Lord The body and the bread The healer, the undead Come hail the conqueror Let us adore