Altar To The Unknown God

Build a fire and fan the flame

Sacrifice without a name

Offerings on the altar to the unknown God

Multitudes of gods cover our landscapes and our lives

Images of deities and halls of sacrifice

Philosophers and scholars and sophisticates we are

Our gods are our religion and religion is our God

A stranger came to town one day

And fearlessly proclaimed

The unknown God you worship

On this altar has a name

He said: this God is not an image

Or a statue of the dead

In him we live and have our being

As your own poets have said

Build a fire and fan the flame

Sacrifice without a name

Offerings on the altar to the unknown God

Dance around the altar blaze

Brings the works your hands have made

Place them on the altar to the unknown God

He dwells not in temples

Built by human hands

He needs no assistance

Or service of man

The nameless you worship

Is greater than all

Your idols of death

Never answer your call

All nations he formed

From the flesh of one man

He marked out their times

And the boundaries of lands

Your life and your breath

He bestows with the day

So seek him and find him

For he is not far away

Fire upon the altar

Burns the sacrifice

Sacrificial lamb was slain to pay the final price

Come, ye heavy laden

Sinner's mercy cry

The unknown God your call upon is nigh

Gather 'round the altar

Stoke the holy fire

Purifying flames of righteousness

Are rising higher

Come ye hungry, eat the bread of life

And drink the wine

Altar to the living God divine

No image of stone or of silver and gold

No effigy mankind has raised to behold

The day and the hour of judgment is set

He's proven him by the resurrection of the dead

Build a fire and fan the flame

Sacrifice without a name

Offerings on the altar to the unknown God

Stand before the altar blaze

Bring the lives his hands have made

Place them on the altar to the one true God

Your unknown God

Is the one living God