AN ODE TO THE REV MURPHY

There’s a church in the vale by the river
It’s surrounded by tall trees serene
It’s known as Cuningham Memorial
No lovelier church can be seen
It’s built by the side of the river
It’s known as the River Maine
When visitors come to admire it
They say they will come back again

We have the Rev Murphy as our minister
He’s been with us over fifteen years
When we hear him preach from the pulpit
He will always banish our fears
He’s a very remarkable person
One who stands out in a crowd
His welcoming smile when he greets you
You sure come away feeling proud.

He loves his game of football
Be it Linfield or Ballymena Blues
Don’t know about Celtic or Rangers
He will know all about the reviews
When a day’s work is done he retires
With his documents, pencils and pen
He loves to sit down by the fire
His days work seems never to end.

With his wife Helen there beside him
To help him if anything goes wrong
He’s always available day or night
That’s why his days are so long
Now our minister the Rev Murphy
He wears a collar but no tie
He will marry you if you ask him
And he’ll bury you when you die.

He’ll preach in any pulpit where he’s needed
Hope his message gets through to each one
So to you Mr Murphy long may you serve
And we hope you get the praise you deserve.

Nan Anderson