Well what can we say? United Methodists will admit almost anyone into membership, so desperate are we in an age of declining church attendance.
And in Wales Township in Michigan at Lamb UMC there was a brief eulogy recently for a critter the pastor called a model member of his congregation--- a wild turkey! If he was a model member, I am wondering what the slackers looked like. This turkey regularly attended services for over a year and greeted people as they went into the church week after week. He was there when they came out as well, strutting his stuff.
But one day, someone, apparently annoyed with the noise and fuss of the bird ran over him-- hence the need for a eulogy. When people would come out of the church, seems he annoyed some folks and caused them to leave in haste and in a huff.
Here is the story, so you can decide if there has been fowl play here--- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17631469/.
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6 comments:
Dr. W,
Where I preach, a turkey could very well be a model member!
Well he did attend every Sunday. More than I can say for many "Christians" in the USA. It did make me laugh though....
I should not dare to interrupt your more weighty affairs with a letter of mine, did I not hold you to be a disciple of Him who would not have the smoking flax quenched nor the bruised reed broken. But since I am entirely convinced of this, I beg of you that in your prayers and the prayers of the Church that sojourns with you, I may be commended to God, to be instructed in true poverty of spirit, in gentleness, in faith, and love of God and my neighbor. And, whenever you have a little leisure, do not disdain to offer to God this short prayer, which I have heard frequently offered by your brethren at Savannah (would they were mine also!):
Then the dauntless mind
Which, to Jesus joined,
Neither life nor treasure prizes,
And all fleshly lusts despises,
Grant him, Highest Good,
Through Thy precious blood.
God's most humble servant, I remain,
John Wesley
Thanks John, I never ever thought of you as a turkey--- honest!
BW3
As a regular attendee, and member, of the Lambs UMC, I have to admit that yesterday was just a little strange (with the reporter and photographer there).
Let me begin by saying that the turkey was NOT a member of our church (Pastor Jim never baptised it). It was more like a wild pet.
As far as I know, not one of the members of my church was ever annoyed enough with our turkey to even think of killing it (not even to give it to a hungry family - although now that he is dead, many of us will be donating a turkey to the hungry/homeless in it's memory).
It was not a member of our church that hit the turkey, it was either a member of our community (whose kids it would chase while waiting for the school bus) or it was someone passing through.
You can wonder all you want as to what we look like (we look like everyone else in this world of sinners!).
I have occasionally referred to some members of my own congregation as "turkeys". Probably not what you had in mind, though:)
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