[CELEBRANT] (speaking)
Dear Brothers: This is the gospel I
Preach; and in its service I have suffered
Hardship like a criminal; yea, even unto
Imprisonment; but there is no imprisoning
The word of God …

[A YOUNG MAN] (speaking)
Dearly Beloved: Do not be surprised if the
World hates you. We who love our brothers
Have crossed over to life, but they who
Do not love, abide in death. Everyone who
Hates his brother is a murdеrer

[ANOTHER YOUNG MAN] (speaking)
Dear Mom and Dad. Nothing will makе me
Change. Do not feel badly or
Worry about me. Try to understand: I am now a
Man

[CELEBRANT] (sung)
You can lock up the bold men
Go and lock up your bold men and hold
Men in tow
You can stifle all adventure
For a century or so
Smother hope before it’s risen
Watch it wizen like a gourd
But you cannot imprison
The Word of the Lord
[CELEBRANT AND STREET Chorus]
No, you cannot imprison
The Word of the Lord

[CELEBRANT]
For the Word was at the birth of the
Beginning
It made the heavens and the earth and set
Them spinning
And for several million years
It’s endured all our forums and fine ideas
It’s been rough but it appears to be
Winning!
There are people who doubt it and shout
It out loud
Oh they bellow and they bluster ’til they
Muster up a crowd
They can fashion a rebuttal that’s as subtle
As a sword
But they’re never gonna scuttle the Word
Of the Lord

[CELEBRANT AND STREET Chorus]
No, they’re never gonna scuttle the Word
Of the Lord!
[AN OLDER MAN] (speaking)
Dear Brothers: I think that God has made
Us apostles the most abject of mankind
We hunger and thirst, we are naked, we
Are roughly handled, and we have no fixed
Abode. They curse us and we bless. They
Persecute us and we suffer it. … They
Treat us as the scum of the earth, the
Dregs of humanity, to this very day

[A YOUNG GIRL] (speaking)
Dear Folks: Jim looked very well on my
First visit. With his head cleanshaven, he
Looked about nineteen years old. He says
The prison food is very good. For the first
Few days he is not allowed any books
Except his Bible. When I hugged him he
Smelled so good, a smell of plain clean
Soap; he smelled like a child when you put
Him to bed

[CELEBRANT] (sung)
All you big men of merit who ferret out
Flaws
You rely on our compliance with your
Science and your laws
Find a freedom to demolish while you
Polish some award
But you cannot abolish the Word of the
Lord
[CELEBRANT AND STREET Chorus]
No, you cannot abolish the Word of the Lord

[CELEBRANT]
For the Word created mud and got it going
It filled our empty brains with blood and
Set it flowing
And for thousands of regimes
It’s endured all our follies and fancy schemes
It’s been tough, and yet it seems to be
Growing!
O you people of power, your hour is now
You may plan to rule forever, but you never
Do somehow!
So we wait in silent treason until reason is
Restored
And we wait for the season of the Word of
The Lord
We await the season of the Word of the Lord
We wait, we wait for the Word of the Lord. …