PASTOR APPRECIATION [W, 10-2-24]

BEYOND WINTER: The Irrelevant Song Writing of An Old Man—PASTOR APPRECIATION [W, 10-2-24]

 

October was established as Pastor Appreciation Month in 1992, by Hallmark Cards. That was only a few years before I retired, and news like that traveled slowly in the places where I preached, so I never got appreciated.

Every October, though, various electronic messages suggest that I should show appreciation to my pastors. By sending them a Hallmark card, of course. [They’d probably appreciate the $7.99 more.]

That’s backward. I think preachers should be the ones showing appreciation to the folks we have the privilege of pastoring.

So, I wrote a hymn, not for others to sing in praise of us, but clergy to sing together, wherever we may be. After all, we are the ones who should do the appreciating, thankful that we have gotten to spend our lives in “the goodly fellowship of the prophets,” even for those of us whose useful years are almost up. If you’re clergy, let’s sing it. If you’re not, well… appreciate. So, all together now, any tune you know… [1]

IN THE GOODLY FELLOWSHIP

Come now, sisters, come now, brothers

We who wear the clergy stole

Let us preach the good news message

Help to make the wounded whole

 

We who heard the Spirit calling

We who answered in the night

We who walked in faith and doubting

We who journeyed toward the light

 

Let us join our hearts in prayer

Let us join our voice in song

Let us march for peace and justice

Do our best to right each wrong

 

Ours is not a lonely posting

E’en though scattered far and wide

In goodly fellowship of prophets

We are marching side by side

 

Come now, brothers, come now, sisters

Sacrament and Word to share

For the healing of the nations

Joy for people everywhere

 

John Robert McFarland

You can sing it to Emily Wilson’s tune for When We All Get to Heaven, without the refrain.