St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

In the paper at Pentecost

I hope you saw us in the Telegraph & Argus, p13 on 4th June, because I’d been trying to get this story into the news ever since last Christmas, when we were going to sing some new carols at Morrisons (The Link, Dec p4 and Feb p2). Only it seems you need an event to hang a story on - the story itself won’t do.

The story is, of course, that if you come to church you’ll find it’s not just old-fashioned and boring, but lively and exciting. Christians are finding new ways to explain to modern people how Jesus can improve their lives. So I try to write new words to well-known tunes.

The risen Jesus showed the disciples he wasn’t a ghost (Luke 24). I think about if a ghost-buster investigated, would he find that the risen Jesus was just a man in a white sheet? So Scooby Doo must be the natural tune for a song on these verses.

The next Sunday we had a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic at Pentecost.” What better tune to use for a song about how the Spirit came in rushing wind and tongues of flame, filling the disciples with boldness to tell people about Jesus? Here we go:

If you go down to Jerusalem, you’re sure of a big surprise:
If you go down to Jerusalem, you’ll hardly believe your eyes -
Today’s the day when the Spirit came.
He looked like fire with tongues of flame.
He made the disciples praise the name ... of Jesus.

If you go down ...
Today’s the day they were waiting for:
The Spirit came with a mighty roar -
like rushing wind, and they wanted more ... of Jesus.

If you go down ...
Today’s the day that shyness ends.
He gave them courage to tell their friends:
“There’s life for all who the Spirit sends ... to Jesus.”

In one way this isn’t news: we Christians have been doing it ever since John Newton wrote “Glorious things of thee are spoken” to a tune which Haydn had written in an orchestral suite, or since Richard Bewes set Psalm 46 to the tune of the Dambusters’ March. Let’s keep finding ways of bringing the claims of Jesus to people’s attention.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. July 2003, Page 4.
Home Page. Index of articles. Hymns / Poems: index World Cup, Gabriel, Simeon, Pentecost, Pentecost 2. In this issue: (July 2003) Bishop's visit, Song, Question. Music for Luke 24 song to follow. Music for Acts 2 song.	In the paper at Pentecost I hope you saw us in the Telegraph & Argus, p13 on 4th June, because I’d been trying to get this story into the news ever since last Christmas, when we were going to sing some new carols at Morrisons (The Link, Dec p4 and Feb p2). Only it seems you need an event to hang a story on - the story itself won’t do. The story is, of course, that if you come to church you’ll find it’s not just old-fashioned and boring, but lively and exciting. Christians are finding new ways to explain to modern people how Jesus can improve their lives. So I try to write new words to well-known tunes. The risen Jesus showed the disciples he wasn’t a ghost (Luke 24). I think about if a ghost-buster investigated, would he find that the risen Jesus was just a man in a white sheet? So Scooby Doo must be the natural tune for a song on these verses. The next Sunday we had a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic at Pentecost.” What better tune to use for a song about how the Spirit came in rushing wind and tongues of flame, filling the disciples with boldness to tell people about Jesus? Here we go: If you go down to Jerusalem, you’re sure of a big surprise: If you go down to Jerusalem, you’ll hardly believe your eyes - Today’s the day when the Spirit came. He looked like fire with tongues of flame. He made the disciples praise the name ... of Jesus. If you go down ... Today’s the day they were waiting for: The Spirit came with a mighty roar - like rushing wind, and they wanted more ... of Jesus. If you go down ... Today’s the day that shyness ends. He gave them courage to tell their friends: “There’s life for all who the Spirit sends ... to Jesus.” In one way this isn’t news: we Christians have been doing it ever since John Newton wrote “Glorious things of thee are spoken” to a tune which Haydn had written in an orchestral suite, or since Richard Bewes set Psalm 46 to the tune of the Dambusters’ March. Let’s keep finding ways of bringing the claims of Jesus to people’s attention. John Hartley
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