Just for the record

Well a blog once a year isn't bad is it! I was at the Malpas Bishop Heber High School 50th Anniversary Service a couple of months ago. I rang beforehand - the Quarter Peal failed to compete with the Rock Band that was rehearsing in the Nave.

We sang some super Bp Heber Hymns but Canon Samuels prefaced the singing of “The Son of God goes Forth to War” with some gentle words to the effect that this hymn was outdated, and challenged the youth of Bishop Heber School to come up with something more relevant to 21^st century sentiments. What about this as a first attempt:

The Son of God goes forth to War

A Kingly crown to gain

We’d like a tasteful modern flag

To follow in his train

We’ll do without his cup of woe

A drug will ease our pain

The cross is far too heavy now

To bear it in his train.

Let’s do away with sacrifice

And only strive for gain

And make a way for greed and vice

To join us in his train

We don’t need Christ to save us or

Forgiveness to obtain

We only need to get our rights

To follow in his train

The “chosen few” offends our sense

Of inclusivity

We’re much more free and easy now

And need more liberty;

The narrow path seems much too long

Our choice is much more sane:

We only need to drift along

To follow in his train.

And at Life’s end we’ll slip away

Into another room

We’ve said the Creed but don’t believe

We’ll ever face our doom;

But if the Pearly Gates appear

We’ll have to think again,

And hope our niceness will suffice

To follow in his train.

With apologies to Bishop Reginald Heber