EVEN A CHILD
A shepherd boy walks alone
Posturing, pretending work was play
This leader of the lambs
Passed many a long dull day
His sheep under command
Were imaginary warriors
They march in syncopation
Hunting grass and water
He dreams of a future
When old enough for war
Who knows, who knows?
Even a child can be called
Music on the meadows, mellowing
In languid harpistry
This keeper of the lambs
Youngest son of Jesse
He led a singalong
With choristers bleating
They all sang together
Unto Heaven in worship
He dreams of a future
Of building a temple
Who knows, who knows?
Even a child can be calle
A flock afraid is scampering
Yet find security
In this marshall of the lambs
To vanquish the enemy
Be it lion or a bear
None can contend with his sting
Of a bullet fired fast
From an ordinary sling
He dreams of a future
Where mocking giants fall
Who knows, who knows?
Even a child can be called
Come away now David
A prophet asked for you
Time to leave the lambs
Your brothers have gathered too
Well he lined them one by one
With a flask of oil in hand
Not giving any reason
Why he came to Bethlehem
But he sees the future
This anointer of Saul
Who knows, who knows
Even a child can be called
SONGWRITER NOTES
We forget the little ones. Sometimes, we look past them. But none are forgotten.
Not even the one, relegated to herding his father's sheep while his big brothers headed to battle. Shepherding his flock, a task unnoticed by most - the child daydreamed, sang self composed songs, played target practice with a sling - all the time being patiently prepared for something bigger than he could ever imagine.
We love playing this song live - though we usually omit verse 4 and end on the felling of giants. In the recorded verson, verse 4 is an epilogue to show that it is God who chooses His servants and outcomes.
PSALM 23
The Lord is my Shepherd
None shall I want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
And leads me beside
Quiet pools of still water
Restoring my soul again
Though I may walk through the valley of death
I shall not fear any evil
By your rod and your staff
They comfort and guide me
To righteousness for your name
You throw me a feast in the sight of my foes
And anoint me til my cup overflows
Surely goodness and love will follow my days
As I dwell in your house of grace Lord
Forever and always
Surely goodness and love will follow my days
As I dwell in this sacred place Lord
Forever and always
SONGWRITER NOTES
I wrote this to be performed acapella because I wanted to capture the assuring intimacy of the 23rd Psalm. But it was only years after I wrote this song that I realised I missed out the most important line in this Psalm: v4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” I heard a podcast that unpacked the depth of this verse - it moved me to tears. Here's the quote :
“Psalm 23 … right in the middle, there's this little line about, even though I walk through the darkest valley, I'll fear no evil. And then the line in English goes, I'll fear no evil for you are with me. But that “are with" is an English device to make the Hebrew translatable. So in the Hebrew, it's just I'll fear no evil because “you, me”, like, because “you, me” we're one in this, right in this were one. … Yeah, so like there, you know, there's no outcome. That Psalm doesn't offer an outcome. You know, the Psalms don't offer an outcome. The promise there is the whole you, me. You exist, I exist. You, me, like, we're interchangeable. (Belle Tindall, podcast co-host)” From Re-Enchanting: Cancer - Kate Bowler, 29 Nov 2023
ESTHER'S SONG
Hey little bird I saw you stumble
When you left your nest you looked so small
Never giving up at all
I could see that you were frightened
Yet you gently skipped the garden wall
Fearing not the fall
You’ve got to fly , you’ve got to try
It’s your design for such a time as this
Stretching your wings
Taking a risk today
Letting the winds whisk you away
And the things on earth will never be the same again
Orphaned, exiled, queen in a castle
Whether I’m here for long or a little while
I know what I have to face
I must be strong
But sometimes I wonder
Why does the fate of the nation rest with me ?
Only by a Hand unseen
You’ve got to fly and I’ve got to try
It’s our design for such a time as this
You’ll spread your wings
I’ll take a risk today
So let the winds whisk you away
Now the things on earth will never be the same again
Hey little bird no more trembling
Riding the skies you were always meant to be
Beautiful and free
So I go to the king not caring
If I perish or if I will survive
It’s my sacrifice
You’ve got to fly and I’ve got to try
It’s our design for such a time as this
You’ll spread your wings
I’ll take a risk today
So let the winds whisk you away
Now the things on earth will never be the same again
SONGWRITER NOTES
This one's inspired by the book of Esther - the tale of a beautiful orphaned Jewish girl raised by her cousin Mordecai in exile. She was so beautiful that she was taken into the King’s harem and, by the favour of God, became the King’s favourite - eventually becoming queen.
The villain of the story is the King’s chief minister Haman. Haman hated the Jews exiles and hatched a plot to kill them. Mordecai uncovered the plot and asked Esther to petition the King for mercy for the Jews. Esther initially refused out of fear. For there was a law that forbade anyone to approach the King uninvited on pain of death. Unless the King was feeling generous and extended the sceptre to spare their lives.
Mordecai however rebuked her
"Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14, NIV)
Then Esther fasted and asked for prayer, and decided to go to the King saying “if I perish, I perish”. For the rest of the story, read Esther chapter 4 onwards.
Many years ago, I was in a garden thinking about Esther’s response. I saw a baby sparrow perched uncertainly on a ledge - considering whether to fly off or remain on the wall. Suddenly a gust of wind came and scooped this bird into the sky and off it went. In that moment, it struck me that just as birds weren’t designed to sit on walls, Esther was made by God to be more than a queen in a castle. But the bird and Esther needed to take that 1st step of faith, to step off the ledge to enter into God’s design for their lives. So I quickly went home and wrote this song about an imaginary conversation between Queen Esther and the little bird, just before she went to the king.