1. He lived his life in Broken Hill Where heat and dust and diamond drill Was the way the town would pay the bills And care for growing kids And he loved us through our childhood years We ran those hills and cried out tears And a family there could count there fears On fingers of one hand. And it been twelve months to the day My father passed away It hits me now and I know I miss him still 2. He was mining engineer at BH South Admired and respected all about His work was perfect there’s no doubt I heard one colleague say And he had some plan to join two mines With a linking tunnel digging blind They worked from both ends saving time Blasting rock for miles And the odds were high he’s fail Any error of detail Would send those tunnels driving out of line. 3. There were those who said, “To attempt this feat, “Can only yield a sad defeat” They shook their heads in unbelief It had never been done before To survey he had no fancy screen Digital readout, laser beam Just a theodolite and an adding machine To make those tunnels meet And the months went by and by And you could have felt the sigh In the end when he was just twelve inches out. 4. He led the scouts on Friday night Seventh Broken Hill what a sight! You couldn’t beat their sporting might The strongest troop in town. And now there’s hundreds of adult men Who smile as they remember him For Skipper Fred was a friend to them Through times of thick and thin And it’s been twelve months to the day My father passed away I’m proud to say I’m numbered in those men 5. The notice of the end was short It seems that time cannot be bought Just 13 weeks and he couldn’t talk about the pain and fear And he spent some weeks completing things There were times he wasn’t managing He couldn’t bear the pitying when some folks came around And it’s been 12 months to the day My father passed away He kept his fears within him ‘til the end. 6. I was sitting there by his bedside Holding his frail hand in mine Funny how it comes to the mind The things you could have said Still to hold his hand meant more than words We couldn’t tell just what he heard ‘Tween words and silence we preferred To hold him ‘til the end And as the years all carry on His memory will linger on His love has carved the picture on our hearts Verse 1 and substitute the last line with: It’s a wonder Mum you survived the lonely year. Repeat the last two lines and use the original V1 line: It hits me now and I know I miss him still.

Isn't this just like our God, we'll never understand We need a king, he sends a child who dies a broken man He gives a child that runs and laughs with heaven in his hands And then we see his body slow and fail, I still don't understand. 'Tho Simeon could not achieve like another girl or boy, He couldn't walk or dance or talk or play with many toys, The friendships made were firm and sure and his smile would break your heart His hold on life beyond belief, more than any on our part. Ch He lived for seven years and seven more just like in Joseph's dream Such a sign of contradiction that life's not what it seems He was a sign of hope in ailing strength, a sign of life in death, A sign that we might understand the one who gave him breath. See the prophet Simeon raise the Christ child to the sky, The one who waited all his life could not believe his eyes; The vision seen had been fulfilled and this sage was heard to say "Now let me die in peace my Lord", lead me gently on my way. And if his tongue could form the words I'm sure he'd bring us news from God To break into our tiny world, a prophet of God's love. His traveling would make us wise, oh, if only it could be! But the lame can walk, the dumb can talk if you have eyes to see. Chorus Now at last the shackles gone, the butterfly is free And if we cry in loneliness that's how it has to be But Simeon you've reached the shore that marks your going home So the tears are also sign of joy for we know you're not alone.

1. ‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild’, Such a dainty, fragile child, But the one we know is bold and strong We can hear that in your dying song, Little boy, little boy. 2. ‘Just a boy of flesh and blood’, ‘Just a man who lived his love’ - He was more than such a human wish For we owe all who we are to this Little boy, little boy. 3. Just a man of clever words, Nothing could be so absurd For his word still lives in you and me And his life and death still sets us free. Little boy, little boy. Bridge He is precious, but more, he is heart of this life, He is mystery - yet hope - in this place. Though we’re hardly a saint he shows little restraint In the business of showing his grace. 4. Not much more that we can say Words don’t mean much, anyway – So we’ll look for ways we might repay And we’ll try to find him every day. Little boy, little boy.

1. We Come by ones, we come in pairs, We come in groups of three, We come all shapes and sizes, We come in families. 2. We come to grow in love of life, To hear a word of grace, For bread and wine and wisdom, And love for coming days. Chorus We come to pray for people needs, For strength to carry on, For the needs we have each morning, For love of everyone. 3. We come in hope, we come in pain, We come with broken dreams. We weary ones in weakness, We lose our self-esteem. 4. For we alone are fragile things, We need community; We come here for each other To be the strength we need. Chorus 5. And we confess our love of God, Confess we've gone astray, For love is here beside us And redirects our way. 6. We come by ones, we come in pairs And worship God again For life is found in circles We're dancing 'til the end.

1. One little trigger on a little gun One little bullet, such a lot of fun Bang goes the rifle, off goes the head One little cowboy falls down dead. 2. One little soldier falls down dead One little boy with a bullet in his head One mum and dad pretend a broken heart For one little boy now blown apart 3. One little soldier playing little games One super-hero under many names One little boy who's playing 'just pretend' One little victim starts again. 4. One little baby, boss of all the yard Learning not to care, learning to be hard He works at being tough and how to stay on top And talk from the hip like a super-cop. 5. One little hero keeps it all inside Patching up the fears, trying not to cry Picking up his gun and back into the fray One little victim runs away 6. One little cowboy learns the golden rule You can be a whiz-kid, you can be a fool But never show your feelings or you'll be called a girl For one little boy it's a sad, sad world. 7. One little boy now grown to be a man Wonders at the anger, tries to understand Finds that all the pain is bottled up inside One grown man just wants to cry 8. One grown man adores his little boy Counts the games of war he's given him for toys Feels it all returning, it chills him deep inside Reaches for his child and starts to cry. 9. One little trigger on a little gun Broken on the scrapheap through the rain and sun The little boy has fallen, his father by his side. Wraps his arms around him and lets him cry (to the tune of the last two lines) His little knee is bleeding and tears well in his eyes "Go on little boy, go ahead and cry"

1. Life is cruel to the gentle soul Breaks their heart and leaves them crying Life is sad, you can hear their plaintive cry Why me Lord, why? 2. Life is cruel in a random way Never reason why some are taken Some die young, some are left to cry Why me Lord, why? 3. Friends of mine keep an empty room This aging couple long for children Tried for years and their emptiness belies Why me Lord, why? 4. Women cry at the hands of men So down graded, raped and beaten Angry men, can you hear your women cry Why me Lord, why? 5. Suffering just won't be understood Try to fathom shallow answers To the end of time you will hear Job asking why Why me Lord, why? Bridge Don't say all prayers go unheeded Don't lay down and die Don't you fall like a pawn in battle Just keep on asking, "Why?" 6. Silence speaks from the endless depths Feel the strength of God and healing Stand your ground, vent your anger to the sky Why me Lord, why?

1. You rode into Jerusalem like a king who came in peace As word went on before you there were thousands in the street And we stood right there in the festive air, and we thought our king was here And we waved our arms and we laid down palms, as a crowd we yelled and cheered. 2. You strode into the temple and you cast your gaze around You showed God's holy anger and you cast their tables down And we stood right there in the trader's fair and we cursed your very name And the word went 'round how to bring you down and we all agreed the same. 3. You sat there at the table and you passed yourself around You spoke of what was coming, they just shook their heads and frowned. Then as Judas rose and about to go to achieve his fateful deed, We all made him wait as we cleaned our plate and we joined him in his greed. 4. You faced them in the garden when they came with arms and might You took your friend's betrayal, you were waiting there that night. And we stood right with a soldier's flair and we proudly bound your arms, Or as Jesus' mates we made our escape and in fear we fled from harm. 5. You stood in the Sanhedrin and were soon condemned to death
By priests and scribes and elders, we were right there in their midst.
In the palace grounds Peter heard the sounds of accusers closing in,
But the strength wears thin and we fail like him as the cock crows once again. 6. They handed you to Pilate for they had no power to kill, But Pilate being wary, wanted no part in this deal. “Who can I now free, giving liberty to a prisoner on this day?” And we all replied, “Jesus crucify! Send Barabbas on his way!” 7. Oh, Jesus, we are frightened and we know not where we stand One moment we have freedom, then we run from love's own hand. Take our fear away for the risks each day in the place where we must stand Give us hearts at play, set us free your way, hold us ever in your hand (*repeat last line)