By Debbie Perlman from her book, Flames To Heaven
Hallelujah! Praise the Eternal!
We praise You in the pause before beginning, The quiet glance and sigh
As we stand poised on the moment,
Filling our eyes with Your offer of freedom.
Hallelujah! Praise the Eternal!
We praise You as we step forward together,
Hands held, heads raised, eyes focused
On the far distant dream of our redemption,
The place of Your vision for a holy people.
Hallelujah! Praise the Eternal!
We praise You in the short passage,
As the children run ahead and back,
Each striving to be the first to see
And call out the beauty of the Promise.
Hallelujah! Praise the Eternal!
And let us praise You when our legs are weary
And the bundles and burdens are multiplied
By the time they have been on our backs.
Help us to praise You then.
Hallelujah! Praise the Eternal!
For You, Eternal Deliverer,
Bring us all out of our enslavement.
You open our minds to the freedom
Contained within each of us.
You, Eternal Deliverer,
Call us to adorn our freedom with deeds,
To be released to a dedicated freedom,
Free to praise You with the work of our hearts.
Praise the Eternal! Hallelujah!
