SUGGESTION: TRY WRITING NEW WORDS TO OLD HYMN TUNES.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE.
(Alternative, all-season words for Polish Christmas Carol tune, #94
in Baptist Hymnal, 1975 ed. Preferably, for children's choir.)
Pure and gentle, meek & lowly,
Christ became a little child.
Endless power, perfect knowledge
Wore our weakness for a while.
He who guides the heaven's courses,
He who wields creation's forces
Bowed Himself to hate and guile.
So the nails that pierced His flesh have
Pointed us the Way to God.
So the hate that pierced His soul has
Lifted ours above the sod.
So His blood, so cruelly flowing,
Paid the price our sins were owing,
Bought our deed to Heaven's abode.
- Webmaster's Pump-Primer
IN THAT TRADITION, MAKING UP VERSES FOR "MICHAEL, ROW THE BOAT
ASHORE" IS AN OLD FAVORITE POETIC PASTIME. HERE ARE A FEW DONE BY
STUDENTS IN A RECENT CHAPEL SESSION AT OUR SCHOOL:
"Michael, Row the Boat Ashore"
Student Verses
Jesus gave His life for me
(Hallelujah!)
By dying on the dreadful tree.
(Hallelujah!)
They stuck the sword deep in His side
(Hallelujah!)
So in heaven I'll ever abide!
(Hallelujah!)
Jesus died for all our sins.
(Hallelujah!)
Through His hands went all the pins.
(Hallelujah!)
On the third day, He rose again.
(Hallelujah!)
He is with me till the end.
(Hallelujah!)
Jesus rose up from the dead
(Hallelujah!)
After the breaking of the bread
(Hallelujah!)
And the shedding of His blood
(Hallelujah!)
It floweth forth just like a flood.
(Hallelujah!)
Above three by Jackie Kelly
Jesus is my Lord and King;
(Hallelujah!)
To Him praises I will sing!
(Hallelujah!)
Jesus did die on the cross
(Hallelujah!)
For my sins, 'cause I was lost.
(Hallelujah!)
I'm not ashamed to preach His name;
(Hallelujah!)
My salvation I'll proclaim!
(Hallelujah!)
Thank You, Lord, for giving me
(Hallelujah!)
Life in You eternally!
(Hallelujah!)
Above two by Kathleen, Rachel, Beka, and Joy
(Kathleen Purvis, Rachel and Rebekah McMurray,
and Joy Ward)
He is watching us always!
(Hallelujah!)
He can wash our sins away!
(Hallelujah!)
You can always count on God;
(Hallelujah!)
He's your staff and He's your rod!
(Hallelujah!)
By Shannon Bibile
Jesus suffered hard and long;
(Hallelujah!)
But, for me, He stayed strong.
(Hallelujah!)
The stone was rolled far away;
(Hallelujah!)
He rose to Heaven that very day!
By Allie Boller
We will see Him when He comes;
(Hallelujah!)
Let's all gong the sounding drums!
(Hallelujah!)
Jesus is the son of God; He
(Hallelujah!)
Chose to live here in man's body!
By Laura Alyson Johnston
(edited)
Yes, I know Jesus loves me;
(Hallelujah!)
He opened my eyes and let me see!
(Hallelujah!)
He gave our sins up to the cross;
(Hallelujah!)
Now our faith is never lost!
(Hallelujah!)
By Ann Marie Doherty (first part)
and Kelly Ladnier (second part)
God is good all the time!
(Hallelujah!)
He puts a song into my mind!
(Hallelujah!)
By Daria Wilson
Someone's knocking at your door:
(Hallelujah!)
You should never be in horror.
(Hallelujah!)
Satan may be standing there;
(Hallelujah!)
You can run him off with prayer!
(Hallelujah!)
By Jordan Duffy, et al.
IN A SIMILAR VEIN IS THIS "HALF OF A SOFTBALL CHEER" BY
Kimmie King:
My name is Kimmie and I know what I got!
(What do you got?)
I got a Saviour that's hotter than hot!
(How hot is hot?)
Batman and Superman
(Uh-huh!)
Can't do what Jesus can!
(Can't do what Jesus can!)
(Hmmmm. Maybe we'd better quit on that "note" -- before we really
provoke the muse of song!)
THE OSFCS SIXTH-GRADE SCIENCE CLASS
FIDDLES WITH RIDDLES
FOLLOWING SIX BY MISS ALLIE BOLLER:
"Some call it 'push,'"
Said President Bush.
"And it's used to get away!"
Declared my Aunt May.
"You gotta use this to get off the ground!"
Exclaimed Babe Ruth while on the pitcher's mound.
So, you need to see
What the answer may be
If you want to grow up
And work at Nasa with me.
So, what be the answer must?
Yes, of course! The answer is ____________ !
These people were funny,
These people were smart!
These people invented rockets
That could not fall apart.
In the 1200s is when this occurred;
And I'm sure they got half of the profits --
or, at least, one-third.
They're just like us, with bills to pay;
Except, when our country's sleeping, theirs is by day.
So, answer this question, pleeze, pleeze, pleeze!
For, everyone knows the answer is the ____________.
It's totally awesome, it's totally cool!
This is really a kind of fuel.
Instead of using gunpowder, like the Chinese,
Goddard was smart and not at ease.
So, tell me! Tell me what is so cool!
Duh! For sure! It's ___________ _______ !
Airplane propellant needs this to burn.
Yes, to go, propel, move or turn!
It stands all around us,
I'll give you a hint: it's not rust.
Here's another: it's a 3-letter word.
And, who needs it to fly? Of course -- a bird!
So, what is so simple, what cannot tear?
Yes! Yep! It's only _____________.
Yes, I promised my mother a star,
But for me to get there would be just a little far.
In the 1800s, I was 17 years old,
And that's when I started thinking and struck gold!
I never brought my mother a star, for it would be very hard;
But she says it's good enough to have a son like me: _________
____________.
Many people gathered in July of '69
To see me send up 3 humans, who came back just fine.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1,
We were going to the moon!!
We blasted off before seven,
And then they yelled, "Yea! Hurray! Yippee for _________ ___!"
FOLLOWING FOUR BY MISS JACKIE KELLY:
I rumble and bubble and sometimes erupt.
I keep you awake till you say, "Shut up!"
What am I?
Spitter, sputter, spitter, sputter, hot, hot, hot!
Can you get inside of me? Not, not, not!
I am a lot like a volcano, but a little bit wiser.
I can't hurt you, although he can.
Of course! I am a ___________.
I do not live in Hollywood,
Although you probably think I should.
I live way up in the sky;
You look up, and I say, "Hi!"
I twinkle and blink and get sick
(It gets cold up there);
And when I sneeze, I say, "Achoo!"
And go shooting through the air.
What am I?
Rattle, rattle, rattle, shake!
I make the earth crack and break.
What am I? I'm an _____________.
FOLLOWING ONE BY MR. JORDAN DUFFY:
This satellite
Had a good flight.
It landed on the moon
At 9:00 in the afternoon.
It was from the Soviet Union.
It was so dinky,
It looked like a Twinkie!
What is it? _____________.
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS KELLY LADNIER:
It's a push that makes things go high
Like a rocket in the sky.
Try to get it if you must;
You probably know the answer's _______.
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS CALLIE COMBS:
I once was called a Ranger, you see.
No one travels inside of me!
Either a spaceship or a satellite I can be.
What am I?
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS ELIZABETH LOTT:
On June 16, 1969, I went up in space.
About 500 million people had my dust in their face!
What am I?
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS DARIA WILSON:
I'm a bright light
Usually at night.
People orbit me
A lot you see.
I do love night.
You use me a lot.
What am I?
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS NICOLE PUGH:
I am something you can sit in,
On a rocket, of course.
As Luke Skywalker once said,
"With you is the Force."
Oh, please, please tell me, before I explode!
You should know I am the ___________.
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS CHRISTIAN BONDS:
I have the name of a candy bar,
But I have no taste.
I can sparkle, and you can see me.
You can find me up in space.
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS LORE SPENCER:
I haven't been around that long,
But still I am strong.
I am real tall
And I haul
People into space
To see the moon's face.
I drop to Stage Three.
What do you call me?
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS SHANNON BIBILE:
I do a lot of damage,
But some people seem to manage.
I like to make things crumble.
You can also hear me rumble.
What am I?
FOLLOWING ONE BY MISS KRYSTAL LOCKETT:
Some people thought of something that could fly.
They used gunpowder to soar in the blue-light sky.
But someone else was just as smart; he thought of noise and glare.
His rockets were used by our enemies; our very unfriendly friends
who dared.
The first were the Chinese, as you know, I believe.
The second came from England; he was _____________________.
Wouldn't you like to pin up something from your own pen on our
cyber-scriber bulletin board? Just e-mail the webmaster your
manuscript.
