HOMEWARD BOUND—Retired Preacher Version [With apologies to Paul Simon]

 CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter: HOMEWARD BOUND—Retired Preacher Version [With apologies to Paul Simon]

 

I’m sitting here with a morning candle

Trying hard to get a handle

On what it means to follow that Jesus man

A Bible and an up-raised hand

The joy of a raggedy Gospel band [1]

Preacher still ready to take a stand

 

Oh, homeward bound

Yes, homeward bound

Home with the words of praying

Home with God’s music playing

Home where my friends are waiting

Smiling just for me

 

Every day was an endless stream

Of sin redeemed and hopeless screams

Problems beyond the reach of me

Broken people with broken dreams

And every childhood face I’d see

Reminded me that I wanted to be

 

Oh, homeward bound

Yes, homeward bound

Home with the words of praying

Home with God’s music playing

Home where my friends are waiting

Smiling just for me

 

This morn I’ll say the words again

Of Christ’s salvation and the devil’s sin

But all my words come back to me

In irrelevance and mediocrity

But I can still sing poetry

I have memories to comfort me

 

Oh, homeward bound

Yes, homeward bound

Home with the words of praying

Home with God’s music playing

Home where my friends are waiting

Smiling just for me

 

John Robert McFarland

If you don’t remember the tune, you can listen to Simon & Garfunkle sing the original on YouTube.

1] Jim Manley [James K.] has been my friend for almost 60 years, ever since I heard his first album, “Raggedy Band,” and persuaded him to come all the way from Hawaii to sing for the students in my Wesley Foundation [campus ministry] at IL State U.