Apparently, while we had our head turned or something, our website had (at least since we started tracking these things) our 50,000th visit! Hooray! As near as Orin can tell, it was someone in California checking out the lyrics to our song from the NCCYM comedy event a few years ago, May God Bless and Keep You (Far Away From Me). We’re also over 100,000 page views, which is noteworthy.
Thanks, Oddwalkia, for the support over the years and into the future!
Hello everyone, and thanks for visiting Oddwalk’s “Super Sam” page. As part of his full-time parish position, Oddwalk founding member, Shannon Cerneka, serves St. Peter School in Fulton, MO as a music teacher. One of Shannon’s kindergarten students, a little boy named Sam is currently battling a very rare and very aggressive childhood cancer called…
Oddwalk had a great time at the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry over the weekend in Orlando, FL. We saw a lot of old friends and met a few new ones as well. We also had the opportunity to share our ministry in a variety of settings, including the Center for Ministry Development booth, the Resource Expo Stage, a breakout session, and the Youth Ministry Extravaganza. All of these went extremely well. Congratulations goes out to the NFCYM staff and the Orlando volunteers for a great conference.
Since a few of you have asked us for the lyrics to the song we performed at the Youth Ministry Extravaganza, we’ve decided to list them here. Enjoy!
Wishin’ Wonderland
(parody of Winter Wonderland)
Adapted by Shannon Cerneka and Orin Johnson (Oddwalk Ministries)
Orin: It’s staff meeting Monday, I’m falling asleep, The principal’s fighting with the DRE,
Someone keeps moving the school desks at CCD.
No one really knows what it is that I do,
My office is tiny and my budget is too,
Meanwhile, down at the [superlong mega-seeker-church name] they have more money than they know what to do with,
I can’t imagine what I’d do with a budget like that…
Shannon: Well, let’s go walkin’ and wishin’ together. Orin: Together?
Shannon: Together!
Both:
We’d have a pool and a sauna
and the guys at Benihanas,
At youth group they’d make us lobster and steak, just Walkin’ in our wishin’ wonderland.
Orin: You mean, I’d never ever ever ever ever ever have to eat pizza ever again? Shannon: No Orin, never.
Orin: Wow!
Both:
And we’d pay off all the coaches
At the high school which encroaches on ev’ry event we plan ev’ry lent, Walkin’ in our wishin’ wonderland.
Orin: Wait, could we pay them off all year long, and like the band director and everyone else too?
Shannon: Sure!
Both:
Then in our fifteen-thousand seat arena we’d have praise and worship ev’ry night! Monday-Wednesday-Friday it’s Matt Maher. Shannon: Chris Tomlin at the others?
Orin: Oh, alright!
Both:
We’ll hire people who seem cooler
just to talk to middle-schoolers
And someone else who will play: hunter, bear, karate walkin in our wishin’ wonderland
During Holy Week we’ll play a movie,
Probably “The Passion of the Christ.”
Orin: What if all the teens have lots of questions? Shannon: Jim Caveizel will be there should they arise.
With such success, our pastor’s beamin’
We just might get one whole free weekend
And all alone we will stay, with Downton Abbey all day,
Orin: Hang on, I’m getting a text… it’s my pastor, it says, “Nice prayer at staff meeting, next youth group the pizza’s . . . on him!” Both: Walkin’… in our wishin’… wonderland!
SWAG (6/7/12) – Shannon writes and performs a song about his own personal style (and perhaps a tribute to his favorite musical artist?)
I believe the word you’re searching for is “oxymoron.”
If you have nothing better to do for three minutes and twenty seconds, listen to this. Even if you have something better to do maybe, it’s pretty good.
And we promise, a video is coming soon, in true Oddwalk styl- er, swag, I guess—
We assume the book also has a bottom half.
We were excited to learn today that a psalm setting of ours, Psalm 31, “I Give My Spirit” has been included in a large resource for Christian worship titled Psalms For All Seasons. It’s being unveiled this weekend at the Calvin College Worship Symposium. It’s a unique, moody setting of the Good Friday lament, not at all our usual fare. You can listen to a little clip here – it’s on our GIA CD “Walk Away Different” and already included in their great resource “Cross Generation” as well. Thanks for sharing in our good news!
Well, here ends another great year for Oddwalk Ministries. We had the opportunity to bring what we do to a lot of great places: Granite City, IL – Toledo, Ohio – Mascoutah, IL – Breese, IL – Belleville, IL – Davenport, IA – Washington DC – Buffalo, NY – Fairview Heights, IL – Hazelwood, MO…
“Have faith, God is in Control.” Paraphrasing the Prayer of St. Francis, this song is a powerful reminder of who our service is in the name of – and who is actually ministering to others!