THE WORK OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

        There are big plans to make and committees to meet,|
        A lot of things to promote and hot meals to eat.

        Books to buy and Pep-rallies to cheer,
        Projects to fly and more tapes to hear.

        Bulletins to read and papers to shuffle,
        Big-Shots to heed or their feathers get ruffled.

        There's hands that need shaking and add-ons to plan,
        Our grass need a mowing and many products to ban.

        ERA's a coming and Pro-choice is already here,
        The brotherhood's hummin' and our revival is near.

        Where you will be told by the great and the small,
        How to build up this church, with no trouble at all.

        Well, buses are now out, single adults are now in,
        Say.... haven't you heard?.... where have you been?

        A luncheon for Preachers, even a weekend retreat,
        A banquet for teachers and a video can't be beat.

        Our building the finest and our parking lots' curbed,
        But our baptistry water..... never gets disturbed.

        Me, quit the Church?  While this good stuff is stirrin',
        I'll hang in here, til those big engines stop whirrin'.

        Like it or lump it, whether right or whether wrong,
        Some say this "sound-Church" is where you all belong.

        To hear the leaders tell us, we need this church-thing,
        They say, Christ died for it, and to it, we gotta' cling.

        Would I be rebellious, not being a Christian cleric,
        And not wearing any labels,.... well maybe "generic".

        How simple this matter is, of serving Christ should be,
        Not one thing needs to stand, between  MY GOD and ME!

        I'll fight to the finish in this great battle of life,
        Cause my fight will be for Christ and His true wife.

        I hope that you really know, that Christ died for people,
        Not an organization, not even a Church with a steeple.

        Let's quit playing at this game, that we call "church",
        And start following Christ, or else be left in the lurch.

        Christ died for us all, as He hung upon that tree,
        So don't divide Gods' family, it hurts Him you see.

        We know that Jesus didn't get us into this mess,
        It was us that did it, and we did it to ourselves.

        So be ready, willing and able, to preach, pray or die,
       The Day of Judgment is coming, tis' soon drawing nigh.
        So come Lord Jesus, take your Bride to meet all the rest,
       To live with you up in Heaven, and save us from our mess!
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       To God be the glory, in and through his people, Christians!
       The Family of God, Saints, Believers, Redeemed, Disciples,
       Sheep, Citizens, Stones, Priests, etc.... The People of God

       Christ did not die for an "it", a "thing" or an organization,
       He died for the lost world of humanity, people - You and Me!
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       Yours for Truth and Freedom in Christ.....Horace Hooper