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Lyrics for “Lilac Orchestra”
track 7 from Child Coming Home (album, 2019)
Verse 1:
I spilled my seed along the way
on ground I did not love,
ground I did not own, did not care for
Yes, indeed: I’d seen the better way—
the way of dirty hands,
and of long-term plans, the way that’s careful.
But in the frozen wastes of the garden bed
of my younger years—
now I think with tears— oh, how shameful—
I gave and gave as to an iron grave. Not a single sprout, bud or leaf came out of what I sowed.
But the death I reaped only made seed cheap.
I would not have slowed except I heard you say:
Chorus 1: I want to help you plant a hundred lilacs in our front yard.
The love I give to you will make them bloom. That’s what this seed is for. It’s time to yield your heart to me. Plant your trust. You’ll see what I have in store. Don’t run from me anymore,
anymore. Verse 2: But my heart could not,
it could not love you back.
My heart was hard as ice.
My heart was hard as stone, hard as iron.
But the Son arose,
he the everlasting seed
in which all living things
spread the vivid rings of their offspring.
But why’d he die
who was the Source of Life
when it should have been
all we willful men who were fruitful?
It was because he loved even when we hated him.
He took the death I sowed and the debt we owed. And he gave more: he made us alive
in the gardened vine of his kingdom, singing over us what the reason was we were saved for:
Chorus 2: I want to help you plant a thousand lilacs in our front yard. The love I give to you will make them bloom. That’s what this seed is for. It’s time to sow a fragrant legacy. Plant your trust. You’ll see what I have in store. You belong to me evermore,
evermore.
Bridge:
The King of Glory, He died for my shame.
He hung there naked and mocked on the cross.
He told me, “Child, if you trust in my name,
my love will welcome you home from your loss.”
Oh, for the music I hear in his voice—
a million orchestras playing in tune—
today I’ll put to death any sin that He died to save me from. So I’ll be ready when he returns soon.
Oh, for the music I hear in his voice—
a million orchestras playing in tune—
today we’ll plant a seed
for the fragrant hope that soon
in our front yard
the Lord will smile because of what’s bloomed.
Verse 3: And then she came, and she came to stay. Oh, to grow beside such a fruitful branch of the vine— what a privilege!
So beautiful, with such a well-watered faith.
She’ll make our daughters, sons
and their father want to stay grounded.
But then a shadow of doubt fell over our garden bed: we were rebel dirt.
Could it ever work to make more of us?
Yes, because it is his seed in us that made us alive in the gardened vine of his kingdom. And we will plant the same with the love He gave when he saved us, singing:
Chorus 3: We want to help you plant today a lilac in our front yard. The love he gives to us will make it bloom. That’s what this seed is for,
and time, too, as much you, the Father
of our merciful Lord of love have in store. Oh, gracious Lord, give more. Please give more.
Bridge:
Oh, for the music we hear in your voice—
a million orchestras playing in tune—
today we’ll plant a seed for the fragrant hope that soon, in our front yard you will smile because of what’s bloomed.
You will smile because of what’s bloomed.