Take Us Home by Another Way
by Christopher Grundy
with thanks to Stan Rogers 

Sung by Christopher, Ross, Liam, and Gabriel Grundy.  Recorded on an iPhone in our living room.  

Sheet music available at:

www.convergencemp.com

“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they left for their own country by another road.”

-Matthew 2:12

"God has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly
God has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty."

    - Luke 1:52-53


Spirit, take us home
take us home by another way
take us long way ‘round the tyrants 
and their schemes,

Give us strength to walk
Show us dreams of a better day
and we’ll pave the way with justice.  
going home by another way.

The mountains and the hills made low
the rough places made plain
the despots thrown down from their thrones
‘til only love remains. 

Spirit, take us home
take us home by another way
take us long way ‘round the tyrants 
and their schemes,

Give us strength to walk
Show us dreams of a better day
and we’ll pave the way with justice.  
going home by another way.

No offerings for billionaires
to make them richer still
bring all your frankincense and myrrh
that the hungry may be filled

Spirit, take us home
take us home by another way
take us long way ‘round the tyrants 
and their schemes,

Give us strength to walk
Show us dreams of a better day
and we’ll pave the way with justice.  
going home by another way.

So when the Proud Boys and the Klan
ask where the Christ child lies
just tell ‘em that you’ll let them know
next time you’re passing by

Spirit, take us home
take us home by another way
take us long way ‘round the tyrants 
and their schemes,

Give us strength to walk
Show us dreams of a better day
and we’ll pave the way with justice.  
going home by another way.

So, when things get tough and feet are tired
we’ll know it’ll be okay.
cause we’ll pave the way with justice
going home by another way. 

© 2022 Christopher Grundy

Photo by Brett Stanley.  Used under a Creative Commons license.

Take Us Home By Another Way (live Demo)

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.

Season 3 is here and we're kicking things off with an hour-long episode about our Top 10 Moments of 2021.

Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at underthearchpod@gmail.com. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

Under the Arch

Under The Arch S3 Ep. 1  Top 10 of 2021: Year in Review

A song from the depths of grieving

www.madelynilana.com

https://madelynilana.bandcamp.com/album/awake-dreaming

May We All Receive The Healing We Need

How Long
Music and Lyrics, Maor Greene

Background:
Still a work in progress (this is a snapshot of a living song)
Imagined it as a contemporary psalm of lament

Lyrics:

Another day and I feel incomplete
God I want to know that you still hear me when I call
I use my hands hardworking for my dreams
God I want to know that you will see me through it all

And I ask, how long O Lord? How long O Lord?

Another day more suffering in the street
God I want to know that you still hear us when we call
We stand for justice praying with our feet
God I want to know that you will see us through it all

And we ask, how long O Lord? How long O Lord?

So as I sing about another way
God I want to know that you still hear me when I call
I use my voice with my whole heart I pray
God I want to know that you will see us through it all

And we ask, how long O Lord? How long O Lord? How long O Lord?

How Long by Maor Greene

Melody derived from the Ashkenazi trop (cantillation) for Eicha (the text we read on Tisha b'Av, a Jewish day of mourning)

Hebrew text from opening phrase of Eicha (sung in Ashkenazi trop, with Ashkenazi pronunciation)
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד, הָעִיר רַבָּתִי עָם--הָיְתָה, כְּאַלְמָנָה
Eicha yashva vadad, ha'ir rabasi am haysa k'almanah
[Translation: How is she sitting alone, the city who was once full of her people, how she is like a widow]

Oh weary one, lay your head down and rest your aching bones on the ground
Oh fearful one, lay your head down and let your body breathe on the ground
Oh hopeless one, lay your head down and rest your heavy heart on the ground
Oh yearning one, lay your head down and sing your song into the ground
Oh rageful one, lay your head down and let your tears flow into the ground
Oh weary one, lay your head down and rest your aching bones on the ground
Oh ANCIENT ONE, as we lay our heads down, please lay with us on the ground

Artwork from 14 Century German Book of Eicha

Yashva Vadad // Oh Weary One (a mourning lullabye for the weary)

This chant is inspired by the living tradition of the Eucharist.  It is dedicated to anyone whose body has been broken by Christian leadership, theology, or institutions.  

This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own
This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own

Bring all your gifts and bring all your burdens
Bring all of you right here
Sing your song to the Mother your Creator
May She make you whole

This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own
This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own

In my flesh Spirit speaks
Breath draws her close unto me
Feel for yourself all the power of your body
Flesh, blood and bone we are whole

This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own
This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own

Not just for me but with all of Creation
Until all bodies are free
May we heal, may our lives be of service
To the Web of Life

This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own
This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own
This is my body, made whole for me
This is my body, my own

This Is My Body

~In service to Life, liberation & healing
~In communion with my well ancestors, Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Sophia God/dess, and the Earth

This Is My Body

Hearts Grow Wider

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