With the fiery furnace and the lion's den looming so large in the book of Daniel, it's easy to miss more obscure stories like the ominous vision for Nebuchadnezzar in chapter four. Between a sermon assignment, a video series on trees in the Bible and the naming of his son, Pastor Gavin Brand, a longtime poet, found these lyrics emerge.

From the ancient cedar root
The godless grow their mind,
Visions of the heavens
With the earth combined.

In between the trunk
Stands tall atop the earth
And shelters many creatures,
And birds among it perch.

But from the air a voice
Proclaims aloud the news
The tree will soon be toppled,
The king his crown will lose,
The king his crown will lose.

And in its place a root
Will grow in sandy soil,
And grow into another tree
Destined for great toil.

Destined for great toil,
Destined for great toil.
Destined for great toil,
Destined for great toil.

Its bows hacked off,
Its limbs now trimmed,
It stands atop a hill,
The King of trees upon it.
His death all death does kill.

His death all death does kill.
His death all death does kill.
His death all death does kill.

The tree King,
The tree King.
The tree King,
The tree King.

His death all death does kill.
His death all death does kill.
His death all death does kill.
His death all death does kill.

Musicians: Ryan Baggett, drums/alto sax; Lisa Goben, piano; Jon Gross, engineer; Luke Morton, guitar/vocals; Robert Watson, bass

Lyrics: Gavin Brand, 2021
Music: Luke Morton, 2021

Recorded live on Sunday, November 14th 2021

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Trinity Songworks is the music of Trinity Church Seattle