The ancient duty
to take care of each other:
taxes came from it
so we had to learn to count

Great fun, we count
paving stones and marbles
the candles on the cake
and the money in our name

We understand the world
and classify everything properly
young and old, poor and rich
(stereotypes that grow with us)

until the numbers become too large
so many repetitions and memories
added up a rich life
that must be celebrated

Now no candles
but everyone is present
whether they want a piece of cake or not
and all children are there

Cheerful commemoration of times long past
Our perennial wish for better days
Ritualized hope for the future we cast,
In ironic celebration of inevitable decay.
Toast to another celestial revolution passed by
On this unlikely rock we ride around our star
As billions of galaxies light up the sky
Oblivious to how significant we think we are.
We look to the future, towards a better day
Lest we forget that we have nothing but time, Resolutions foretell the next act in our play
Through weary smiles mouthing Auld Lang Syne.
We drunkenly celebrate as another year ends,
Bracing for the future it ominously portends

Party-time today,

the world turns yellow: the stars --


my heart and my love.

Jesus calls out to us: "Come to Me"
And, filled with faith, we walk upon the sea
With our eyes upon the master, we rise above
And we walk to him with hearts full of love

But then we look down and see just where we are
We falter and start to sink after we came so far
We reach out for Jesus to save us again
We lost our focus and what happened then?

We have all been prodigal
We have all been dead in our sin
We have all denied the Father
And wanted our own life to begin

We have chased things that leave us empty
We have consumed things that do not satisfy
We have searched for love in all the wrong places
We hit rock bottom, ready to break down and cry

We are in the land of loss and suffering
We brought this upon ourselves
Wandering in the barren lands
Chained up in our own personal hells

Eventually we come to our senses
We see the price that our actions cost
We come crawling back to our home
But we are back; we are no longer lost

We are filled with sorrow and remorse
But the past is in the past; right now, we celebrate
"Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet
The finest wine put in his cup and meat upon his plate"

Today, all of Heaven rejoices with a grand feast
Light and life arise like the morning sun in the east
There is now much laughter and music and dance
The colors are more vivid, and my senses enhanced

We will come from suffering to celebration
We will come to a more perfect relation
We will know the true joy of Easter morn
Because, from out of suffering, we have been borne

Lord, thank you for your saving grace and for calling us to yourself. We are called to rise above the trials and storms of life, and we can when we keep our eyes fixed on you. But we lose focus Lord, we doubt, and we are pulled under. Save us Lord and give us the courage to step out on the water and go where you call us. We also pray that you would see us through the suffering to celebrate with you again. Help us be mindful of our sins and soften our hearts to be remorseful and repentant so we may rise with you in your resurrection. Amen.

We will close with these words:
"There's no one more thankful to sit at the table than the one who best remembers hunger's pain. And no heart loves greater than the one that is able to recall the time when all it knew was shame". --Steven Curtis Chapman "Remember Your Chains"