The Ballad of Pastor Kerry — Download MP3
The Ballad of Pastor Kerry – Lyrics
(to the tune of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot)
Well the legend lives on from the Joint Board on down of the preacher they call Pastor Kerry
He came and he stayed and he preached and he prayed in the Edgeboro Church sanctuary
He arrived here one day from Emmaus, PA, still a student down at seminary
The congregation said “Fine, won’t you stay for a time. You can be our student pastor, Kerry.”
Then when Pastor Witbro said that he had to go… well for Kerry to succeed him we were wishin’
And when Pres’dent Wickman said “No, that’s against all the rules,” we just voted him in by petition
Kerry said “I will be the best pastor I can. And I won’t let fatigue even stop me.”
So when he was tired or when needing inspired, he went down to Wawa for coffee
Besides drinking coffee he grew as a man, grew a goatee and looked liked a beatnic
Between preaching and praying he took time for playing and he squirted some of us at picnics
Amongst all of this fun his life’s task was begun; He took serious his work as a preacher
And though we knew him as neighbor and knew him as friend, we knew him as well as a teacher
He taught that in order to grow, sometimes we have to go and step outside our safe sanctuary
And if you step out of the boat, Jesus helps you to float, even though it can be pretty scary
And soon he did SHOW sometimes you have to go when you trust in the Good Lord above ya
He announced to us all that he’d answered God’s call and was heading for Hope, Indiana
So with hurried good-bye’s and with tears in our eyes we all watched as the pastor went packin’
with his guitar and kazoo, lovely wife Karen, too and their fine and beloved son, Jackson
These memories are dear and we’ll miss you ‘round here. God be with you each place that you’re goin’
We won’t fuss or fight ‘and we’ll all be alright ‘cause we know it’s God’s work that you’re doin’
Well the legend lives on from the Joint Board on down of the preacher they call Pastor Kerry
He came and he stayed and he preached and he prayed in the Edgeboro Church sanctuary
