THE PATH

On this path that narrows, daily

Snakes hiss on every side~

I remember the Rock that cracked 

at Gethsemane~

Where my Master cried.

He endured for the joy set before him
(My hopeless soul was on his mind),
And the wicked wove a cruel crown.
They pierced his tender side.


So as I walk, remembering
His love lays a hold on me:
The Rock that cleaved~
The tears that heaved~
His blood, a surging sea.

Now we see the world, in a rage, a-writhing
With pangs of deep travail.

But God is seated on his throne, alway
His word will never fail.

O sing and sing to the God of glory
Who sent his holy child Jesus to die
That evermore love's joy resound

Death drowned by love, so high.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

Pieces of Silver

Silver droplets fall from honest eyes.
How God hates the world's disguise.
O Lord of glory send forth thy rain:
Thy holy word, 

Our sweet refrain.

Behold the light that dances
On waters replete with joy;
Thy word is true! 

Thy wing o'erspeads!
(And so our songs employ.)

O fountain of life overwashing,
Thy replenishing rains compel:
The song of the Lamb~

And humble praise~

Therein thy Spirit dwells.


O Lord of light upspringing
In hearts broken at the Master's feet~
With pieces of silver we testify 
Of thy mercy and truth, 

So sweet.


O Lord of glory come fill this, thy temple~

And bless thy living, righteous seed~
That thy Gospel might shine 

Unto all the earth~

And we might ever live, in thee.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

THE LIGHT WE BEAR

Small and despised~ O insignificant bird
Nestled in the Father's word.

A little candle glints within
The sparrow's heart, a-trembling.


Stars a-falling~ giants rise!
Liars prosper~ Hell opens wide!
The world endarkening, until it's done.
O Lord of glory
Regard my song.


O golden fire of love that burns,
As lowly sparrows croon and yearn~
For Jesus Christ the vail did rend:
And the Father's glory surrounds our end.


O holy King, you love me.
Your gentle wing consoles me.
My nakedness e'er clothed in white
And songs~ unfettered~ bear thy light.





(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

WATCH

Wars whirl on,

People play along.

It almost seems like nothing's wrong.
No one seems to notice
As the sky begins to tear~

But never mind,

These eyes can see:
God's word, a lamp enlightening.
Time's a-turning: please endure.
Our life is safe in Christ, beyond.

This is that truth.

This shall remain.
The Lord of glory bore our shame.
God's hand will rend the heavens, high
And men's machines, and time.

Behold the wicked falling fast
Caught in the snares they set, at last.
But the scorned beseech the Risen King~

Tears in the night

Adorn his wing.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

 

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

~sister Abby Elizabeth)

LIGHT

The works of the LORD are righteous,
For the sun shines on every man;
His footsteps tread the deepest water~
The stars fall at his command.


And the wing of the LORD o'erspeads us, now~
A~fluttering, so tenderly~
His merciful feathers wipe every tear:
Once blind and lost: we see.


And all the lowly people
On that holy mountain, stand~
Led from desperate, desert places
By the Shepherd's gracious hand.


The word of the LORD is everlasting life~
His love will never break;
Mercy upholdeth from e'er to e'er~
For the righteous Master's sake.


The name of the Lord is our refuge,
So to Jesus' cross, we flee;
Broken before the King that bled~
Healed in that crimson sea.

Thus the Spirit of the LORD, that holy fire~
Shines forth from the hearts of his own;
Christ in us the hope of glory:
Leading his family~ home.




(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

(The Sparrow's Song)

(The Sparrow's Song)

O Lord of glory, that heareth prayer

Regard these tears that wet thy feet~

A whispered song for Jesus:
Lowly, silvery, sweet.


Faith looks up~ hearts bow down~
Freed from fear, hope resounds~
For souls unfettered, glory calls~
And little sparrows bend and fall.


O purest lyric, God's word delights
Despite the works of men~ despite

Bitter teeth that gnash and grind
By grace released, in love resigned.


O Saviour mine that wore my thorns,
Who bore the hatred and the scorn~
Thy blood o'er washes my cringing rust
And lifts the broken sparrow from the dust.


By and by this world will pass
Into a sea of golden glass
Evermore in love, we cling
Little sparrows singing.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

JOY

Thou knowest my every step, O God.
My heart doth trust in thee~
Lowly eyes behold thy glory, high:
Thy holy word, it comforts me.


Awash of fountains, e'er springing
This broken vessel overspilled with light
And every torment purged away~
Thy feathers cover in the night.

O God of mercy~ 

O Lord of truth~
Broken, that mercy might mend
Blood and water~ 

Spirit and life~
At Jesus' feet, I bend.

And regard the joy now set before me
In secret my prayer is known
For God my Saviour doth carry me
And his love abounds my soul.





(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

Morning Light

My soul breaks for the morning~
My heart cries out to thee~
Thou art my God, my fortress
He who cups the raging sea~

Whose hand rustles the willows~
Whose breath has formed the worlds~
Who tears my heart asunder~
As morning light unfurls.

See raging clouds a-rending~
Terrible torrents streaming down;
But thy word a-glints on my splattering tears:
Silver pieces adorn love's crown.

Before God's voice a-thundering~
Beneath the Potter's kind hand, I bow;
The Lord of glory calling me home~
(But lightning strikes, around).

So ancient shadows scatter~

And this weary world, it drifts~
And all my tears a-trembling fall

Into crucified canyon rifts.

O my Jesus, my Saviour, a-coming in the clouds
Rending hearts and Satan's shrouds~
My eyes look up. The Lamb's song o'erspills.
And morning light, it fills.

~sister Abby Elizabeth

ENDURANCE

 

O God, our hearts ever long for thee
And for thy holy fountains, as time unfurls.
This world and it's sorrows continue, on and on~
Help us, Lord Jesus, to endure.

Sometimes this narrow way seems so long
But we hearken to the Lamb's sweet song.
For a little bit longer~ in hope we yearn~
The Lord is risen: his word is sure!

O Father, lift us on thy silvery wing;
Etch our hearts with the love of Christ, the King.
May joy adorn the lips of souls redeemed~
By precious blood and water freed.

Glory~ glory~ light and love
Holiness cascading from above;
To comfort with thy perfect grace~
To cover in this burning place.

For no fire can touch~ death has no power:
Thy word holds true in temptation's hour.
Merciful Saviour, O righteous King
We lift our hands: by faith we sing.

O God in Heaven, Lord of all
Thou knowest the trembling hearts, so small
Yet thy holy wing o'erspreads above
This thy power: this thy love.

Fire erupts: hail hammers down~
Yet tribulation will refine each crown.
O God our Father, who knows and sees
Our life is safe in thee.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

REST

REST

Most people trust in chariots
And lust for power and gold~
But Christians hope in Jesus Christ
As God's purpose yet unfolds.


Like tulips unfurling in the Spring;
The daystar blooms at morning's edge;
Lying vanities must rust and crumble~
But in Christ our souls find rest.


Can you see the mountains shaking?
And the heavens a-shuddering hard?
Hollow temples tumble down to dust~
Watch the Lord cast down the stars!


But so many scorn the Lamb of God
Thus to be sealed in burning shame;
But the lowly heed the Shepherd's voice:
He calls us by his name.

Almighty Saviour, JESUS, Lord of lords~
The King who fills my heart
Guide us, keep us tenderly
A little flock, apart.

See this world and it's lies~ collapsing.
It's gods blind and silent~ useless, too.
But God our Saviour will never fail
Behold: Jesus maketh all things new!


Lord of glory, our God, our King

You have given us~ everything.

Joy unspeakable~ everlasting life and peace~

For this we bend in love, before thee.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

STORMS

O Father of mercy, Lord of light
Incline thine ear in the stormy night~
O consider this, my trembling prayer,
For thy people who walk on heaven's stairs.


For the way is steep and narrow
And in this world~ our feet are cut
Heavy clouds and smoke surround~
For Jesus's sake, please carry us.

Ever break us that we might be filled~ again and again,
By thy word~ by that holy light~
Mercy in the raging storm:
Truth in the deepest night.


That fountain e'er springing from the King that bled~
Tears and blood cast on the altar of gold;
By the glory of God he is risen!
The Son of God who redeemed our souls!


O Father of lights, thy curtains
O'er spreading as the storms go by
For this thy love we lift our trembling hands~
For glory's streams~ so deep, so high.


Praise the Lord Jesus who gave himself for us~
He will never leave nor forsake his own!
So we sing, no matter what we think we see~
For the greatest love ever known.


Kept in the midst of the whirlwind~
Hearts overspilled with holy love and light~
Held ever so softly beneath God's feathery wing
'Til time stops~ and faithful souls take flight.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

MERCY

O silly sparrow~ thou smallest bird

A-trembling in the holy word~
In brokenness thy song laments
With tears a-drip~ the heart is rent.


My Lord said, do you love me?
Will you trust me in the dark?
My Lord, my God, thou knowest me
In every secret part.


So in the storm, he sends forth stillness
To the heaving heart, his gentle word
Peace past understanding~
(O silly sparrow, smallest bird.)


O Lord of glory, King of the morning
What thou sayest, I will ever do
The heart that burned and faltered
Awash in thy merciful dew.







(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

THE SECRET PLACE

O Holy Father, God of Light
Hide us from this storm, this night;
For Jesus' sake, thy Son~ our King~
In fear and hope we bend. We sing.

Heaven's tents in glory above

A-flutter with the Father's perfect love~

T'is the secret place where the Spirit shines:
The Holy Word, where saints abide.


Joy unspeakable for the precious gift~
Tearful eyes in hope and faith yet lift~
For by thy word we know truth and peace,
And for Jesus' sake our soul's release.


Father of mercy, who named the stars
Thy glory beams from heaven afar~
And by thy grace jars of clay o'erspill:
O lead us to thy holy hill.


The mountains shake~ the world travails
But there is peace beneath that feathery vail~
The tabernacle of the most High God:
The secret place that Jesus bought.


Unto the praise of his glory, forevermore
May our tears be strewn, and our hearts be torn~
For the Son of God who bled, and died
In the risen King 

We rest, and hide.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

HOLY FIRE

 

O quiet candle, lovely light
Shining forth in the blackest night~
O soul that holds God's promise dear:
The Shepherd speaks.
He draweth near.

Light encircles the harmless doves
Carried by a whirling wind~ by love~
Eyes ever fixed on the Risen King:
For we are his.
In Christ, we sing.


And the holy mountain rumbles~
God in Heaven weighs every soul~
Darkness abounds in the world~ it squanders:
Men's hearts turn hard,
and cold.


As we were once, too
Ever lost, and wand'ring~
By the curse to sin and death compelled~
Until we saw JESUS lifted up on that cruel cross
And by him were washed, and filled.


Yet it offends men's pride, to mention
That holy fire draweth nigh;
And the Lord will come from heaven
(With a shout!)
To gather the righteous to himself, on high.


If each heartbeat~ each breath be uncertain
Yet we tremble at the Master's feet;
Our hearts burn with longing for mercy and truth
And the Light that burns within,
It speaks.
 

And thus tears will cascade into gladness
As the shadow of death e'er departs--
For as we suffer for righteousness~
In Jesus' name~
Holy light warms and fills our hearts.







(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

Mansions

Mansions

Walking on the narrow path,
We bear a little light~
By the crimson sea that washed our sins away,
(And the Serpent's subtle bite).

And if now we be tried by poison pools
Wherein Christ~ the righteous tree~ was cast,
Our thirst is ever quenched at the stricken Rock:

The foundation stone holds fast.

O holy streams poured out for the Bride, beloved!
O fountain from the Master's side~  He was pierced!
Even to the cutting asunder of the sin-sick soul
From death's cold grasp~ so fierce.

He is risen! He is calling! Jesus is carrying us home!
Little lambs on mighty wings~ all the way~
To mansions of glory built of truth and light
Little flock, fear not: only watch, and pray.

O Lord of love, who cut our hearts for mercy's sake
By his word and in hope thus we soar~
O behold~ in the clouds~ streams of glory
And mansions of joy, evermore.





(~sister Abby Elizabeth)