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Tom Wuest - Lead Us To The End

from Songs from the Parish Collective by Sunia Gibbs and Tom Wuest

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about

I wrote this lament as a response to our American (and human) struggle against violence in all its forms. We are all part of the stories of the abuse of power and wasteful bloodshed that have been endemic throughout our history and continue to devastate us today. Jesus calls his followers to repentance, which is a change of heart—literally, to walk in a new direction. This path is one of unity, not uniformity. It is a challenging and rewarding way of love, care and respect for one another despite our divergent ideologies and disagreements. This song cries out to God, “spread wide your table . . . gather us in . . . tear down the barrier walls between us and them.”

lyrics

LEAD US TO THE END
Gen 4; Ex 2; Ps 126; Ez 36; Lk 14, 24; Eph 2; Is 11; Ps 24

O God we are crying out
Marked by the violence of Cain
Our hands are bloodstained, forgive us
O God, your children are suffering
You hear the groaning
You know the sorrows, have mercy
We are sowing in tears
May they be, Lord, seeds of your peace

Take our hearts of stone
Give us hearts of flesh
Lead us to the end
Of us versus them
Spread wide your table Lord
Gather us in
Tear down the barrier walls
Between us and them

There is a light shining in our darkness
There is a spring whose waters never fail
There is a voice crying out in the wilderness
There is a way of peace through the valley
through the shadow of death

By the power of the Spirit
By the word made flesh
In the kingdom of heaven
With the wolf and the lamb
The earth is the Lord’s
And all it contains
Lead us to the end of us versus them

Rap:
To see your face / even clearer
My neighbor’s face / is in my mirror
We need your power / to fall like showers
We need your grace / to fill this place

We need your love / from up above
We need your hope / just to cope
We need your hand/ to trust your plan
We need you now / we’re crying out

We face east/ to feel your peace
We face south / and laugh out loud
We face west / tears hit our chest
We face north / groan for warmth

To your image / please conform
Unity / not uniform
Tear down / the barrier wall
Then we’ll celebrate / and watch it fall

credits

from Songs from the Parish Collective, released July 14, 2020
Jonathan “Pastah J” Brooks: rap
Yvonne Araujo-Schacht: drums, vocals
Danny Kim: violin
Jessica Mitchell: vocals
Hailey Mitsui: vocals
Ivan Penn: trumpet
September Penn: vocals
Derek Rice: piano, vocals
Peter Schrock: bass
Tom Wuest: vocals, guitar
Written by Tom Wuest (copyright April 2018)

Live recording and engineering by Erik Cederberg & Paul Gibbs in San Diego, California (Cultivate, February 2020).

Mixing and additional recording by Matt Latchaw at Sabbath Recording in Cincinnati, Ohio (www.mattlatchaw.com).

Mastering by Isaac Karns at Marble Garden in Cincinnati, Ohio (www.themarblegarden.com).

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all rights reserved

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Parish Collective Music

During Parish Collective events, common songs of worship animate our collective imagination, give voice to our theological hopes, and help shape our actions as the church in our parishes.

Spirit-inspired
and rooted in place, these songs are a balm for our weary souls.

May these songs make a home in your neighborhood as they have in ours. ... more

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