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Happy Birthday Church (Reblog)

Next Sunday is Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church. It is also Aldersgate Sunday/Wesley Sunday in Methodist churchianity, and as of last year it is also the day when we in Ireland are supposed to remember the Methodist/Church of Ireland Covenant, AND its our local church anniversary and Presidential visit... So my head might be addled by the time I get that far... But I thougth I would post this wee skit for anyone looking for something for pentecost. I wrote it years ago and posted it in the early days of this blog. It's based on Ephesians 4: 7 which says:

"Christ has given each of us special abilities—whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts." (The Living Bible)

All:            (Standin in a line and singing) Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday to you...
1:              Happy Birthday... (Offering gift to number 2 out of a sack of gifts)
2:              O thanks... (taking gift and putting it straight down behind him)
1:              Aren’t you going to open it?
2:              Open what?
1:              The gift!
2:              What gift?
1:              That gift!
2:              Where?
1:              There!
2:              I don’t see any gift?
1:              There... I just gave to you...
2:              No you didn’t...
1:             Yes I did...
2:             Don’t believe you...
1:             Oh I give up!

All:           (Singing) Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday to you...
1:             Happy Birthday... (Offering gift to number 3)
3:             O thanks... (taking gift and ripping off paper... finding tambourine) Amazing just what I always wanted... (starts banging it without any sense of rhythm... until finally throws it over his shoulder...) Anything else?
1:             What?
3:             Any other gifts?
1:             No... That was yours... You just threw it away...
3:             I was tired of that one... You must have others in there...
1:             No... They’re for others...
3:             Aw... Come on...
1:             No...
3:             Spoilsport!

All:           (Singing) Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday to you...
1:             Happy Birthday... (Offering gift to number 4)
4:             No thanks...
1:             What?
4:             Don’t need it...
1:             What?
4:             I’ve got lots of great stuff... Why would I need your cheap gift?
1:             Well... I... Oh, never mind...

All:           (Singing) Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday to you...
1:             Happy Birthday... (Offering gift to number 5)
5:             O thanks... Thanks very much (taking gift and unwrapping it to find a big tin of Quality Street)1: You’re welcome...
5:             That’s so kind... There’s so much here... Do you mind if I share them out?
1:             No... That’s why I gave them to you...
5:             Would you like one yourself...
1:             Don’t mind if I do...

All:             (Singing) Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy Birthday dear church... Happy Birthday to you...
1:             Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
© David Campton 2005
Shalom
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Anonymous said…
Dear Mr Campton,

The head of the Methodist organisation(Peter Murray) posted a letter in the 'Belfast Newsletter', in response to same-sex marriage, in response I ask the following:

Dear Mr Murray,
Thank you for your letter and for outlining the position of the Methodist organisation, with reference to "equal marriage".

In all fairness though, your letter does not explain, indeed it sits uncomfortably with the position of one of your predecessors, Mr Kenneth Lindsay, of Ballinamallard Methodist.

Mr Frankie Dean, who attended the Methodist church in Ballinamallard for 15 years, responded to an appeal to help a new youth minister working between the Methodist and local Church of Ireland churches.

He offered to provide a musical workshop to the youth group.

The Minister, Kenneth Lindsay, deemed him, as being openly gay, not suitable as a volunteer and stated: "I feel that such people are inappropriate role models."

In the Fermanagh Herald, Rev Lindsay said "I would make the same decision again tomorrow, no matter what it'd cost me. I feel that such people are inappropriate role models and I stand by that."

Mr Dean said he was told it was considered that, if he was involved in the project, there was the likelihood "young people will turn gay".

Given that Mr Lindsay (like you), has been head of the Methodist organisation, is his attitude towards the LGBT community, the position of Methodists?


Wednesday, May 27, 2015 1:01:00 PM
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