I will be away for a couple of weeks but I leave whoever is reading this a song composed by my friend, Bryan McFarland for our Pastor’s Appreciation banquet. It can be sung to many tunes in the 8787D meter. Two of the more familiar ones are “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore you.”
Have a most blessed Christmas.
What A Task To Be a Pastor
Text: Bryan Field McFarland 2009
commissioned for October 2009 Celebration of Clergy event in W/S, NC
Meter: 8787D Tune: Joyful, Joyful
1. What a task to be a pastor / All those grins & sheaves to bear
What a load it is to carry / What’s expected of us there
How we’d love just once to savor / Sunday morning sleeping in
Read the New York Times with coffee / Can I get me an AMEN?
2. We’ve got trials and temptations / There is trouble EVERYWHERE!
Like the man in Oz who said it / Gifts we seek were always there
Jesus knew this and he lived it / The example for us all
Teaching others how to find it / When our back’s against the wall.
3. We get weak & heavy laden / Cumbered with the church’s cares
Oh and sometimes if we’re honest / We’re mad at the One “upstairs”
Friends will sometimes walk around us / Solace sought is seldom found
Keep our balance and be careful / Lest, like a ball, we’re kicked around
4. Tales from members grow like flowers / opening up the more we climb
Melt away those precious moments / Pastor’s too need quitting time
God’s the giver of our gladness / A standup comic is all we are
Joyful, joyful we implore thee / Christ, the only Superstar
5. Though our striving might be holy? It defines us partially
Stars and angels sing around God / Don’t take self so seriously
God is giving and forgiving / We do well to imitate
We who follow must be leaders / None too soon. Pray not too late.
6. Join the chorus, wise & mighty / Morning stars began it all
It’s not about us for a moment / It’s all about the One who calls
May we learn to point out music / Genres each can lead through strife
Ever caring for each other / On this journey we call LIFE
