The Lighthouse Keeper

(Celtic folk hymn, female vocals, bagpipes and fiddle)

You've seen the cliffs at morning light,

With silver waves below,

The seabirds wheel, the sun shines bright,

And gentle breezes blow.

But it's a different sight by night

When storm clouds hide the stars,

And black waves pound the jagged stones

That wait beneath the dark.

So tend the lighthouse, keep it bright,

Let every warning show,

For many souls are drifting blind

Through waters they don't know.

Shine out the truth through wind and rain,

Though some may turn away,

For the rocks don't care who strikes them hard,

They wreck ships just the same.

The lighthouse gives its warning call

To weary travelers lost,

To tell them of the hidden reefs

And what a mistake may cost.

If you see that light ahead, my friend,

Then heed what it has to say,

For danger waits beyond the beam,

So turn your ship away.

So tend the lighthouse, keep it bright,

Let every warning show,

For many souls are drifting blind

Through waters they don't know.

Shine out the truth through wind and rain,

Though some may turn away,

For the rocks don't care who strikes them hard,

They wreck ships just the same.

But there are other dangers still

That wear a lovely face,

The lure of lust and easy gold,

The promise of quick gain.

They sparkle like a distant shore

Beneath a setting sun,

Yet many hearts have followed them

And found their voyage done.

The Bible is the lighthouse lamp,

The Lord its guiding flame,

A beacon standing through the years,

Forever still the same.

Its light reveals the hidden reefs

That wait beneath the tide,

And shows the path to safe harbor

Where wandering souls abide.

So man the lighthouse, hold the line,

And keep the lantern high,

For lost souls drift through stormy seas

Beneath a darkened sky.

Lead them safely to the shore,

Where mercy's waters flow,

And may the light of Christ shine on

Wherever lost hearts go.

Through crashing waves and midnight storms,

The beacon still burns bright,

Calling every wandering soul

Home through the darkest night.