Iron Mountain ski jump

Iron Mountain ski jump

Friday, November 4, 2016

I LOVE THIS CHURCH-A song? For All Saints? 11-4-16

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith for the Years of Winter

For a long time I felt envious of Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick. They had such a neat bar to go to. It was so inclusive. I was embarrassed that my church wasn’t as inclusive as their bar.

Until my church voted 197 to 0 to be just as inclusive as that bar they sing about. So I wrote a song for St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, where Helen and I were the first couple married 57 years ago. [With apologies to Toby & Scotty.]

This coming Sunday is the first of the month, so we’ll have communion, and we’ll also celebrate All Saints. In addition to the other folks in the song, we’ll have some folks who come early, if they don’t forget to let their clocks fall back an hour. Don’t be one of those! And change the batteries in your smoke detectors, too.

           
            I was glad when they said unto me
            Let us go unto the house of the lord… [Psalm 122]


I LOVE THIS CHURCH

            We’ve got losers and winners
            Frowners and grinners 
Yuppies and bikers
            Bird-watching hikers
Girls with reputations besmirched
            I love this church

            We’ve got researchers in labs
            And some folks in rehab
            A few a little lazy
            Some a little crazy
            But when we get together
There’s a smile on every face
            I love this place

            Hmm,hmm, I love this church

            We’ve got students and professors
            And lots of sin confessors
            We’ve got doubters and flouters
And even some shouters
We’ve got gamblers and scramblers
And church-hopping ramblers
I love this church

Girls and boys both tall and short
            Old men who sleep and snort
We got doctors, we got truckers
            Broken-hearted fools and suckers
            We got hustlers, we got fighters
            Early birds and all-nighters
            I love this church

            All are welcome at communion
            Any time and any place
            As long as it’s first Sunday
            At 10:30 in this space

            Hmm, hmm, hmm, I love this church

            We’ve got students and grannies
            Little kids with nannies
            Fathers and mothers
            Long lost sisters and brothers
            Health neglectors, sin collectors
            Big talkers, folks on walkers
            I love this church

            We cheer for Cardinals and for Cubs
            And all the other clubs
            Especially ones called Hoosiers
            We’ve got a few boozers
            But we never call folks losers [1]
            Even the Purduers
            I love this church

We’ve got Republicans and Dems
            And hers that once were hims
            We’ve got pray-ers and yea-sayers
            We’ve got folks in classic cars
            Preachers who show their scars
            I love this church

I love this church
            Sometimes we love, sometimes we hate
Sometimes we’re early, sometimes late
            Hot or cold, we are together
            Sun or rain, in any weather
Face to face, we’re in this place
            I love this church

            I love this church
            It’s my kind of place
            Just walkin’ through the door
            Puts a big smile on my face
            It ain’t too far, come as you are
            Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this church

            Hmm, hmm, hmm, I love this church
            Yes, I do

[Sing to the tune of “I Love This Bar.” Irregular]

1] Except in the first stanza

JRMcF
johnrobertmcfarland@gmail.com




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