Get Me To The Church In Rhyme

I have recently developed an obsession for writing limericks. In addition to being a fun bit of wordplay, I discovered that they are a great model for telling a short story. (I have shared on this blog in the past several tips about writing stories and one post specifically about writing really short stories.) Consider this one:

Mark tried the new church down the street,

Sat in back, wanting to be discreet,

But they liked to hug.

He came down with a bug

And vowed never again “Meet and Greet.”

Notice how the first line establishes a person and a place. The second line adds a plot point and rising action. The third and fourth lines establish a conflict and climax to the story. The fifth line contains the resolution. Voila’—a short story in five lines.

I started writing limericks on the subjects of God, faith, and the church and began posting a “Limerick a Day” on social media. People found them not only clever and humorous, but some of them actually started great conversations about the subject matter…something a good story is wont to do!

Then I began to get this comment over and over again — “Chuck, you should publish these!”

Hmmm?

So I wrote a few more, until I had over 50 and decided to explore options of publishing through Amazon…

And suddenly this is happening:

Get Me To The Church in Rhyme

Limericks about God, Faith,
and the Church
by Chuck Neighbors

“…so engaging and warm-hearted and downright funny. They’re close to being addictive—like those potato chips, there’s no way to read just one!” 
Chris Fabry—Author and host of Chris Fabry Live

They say “write what you know” and I guess I know a thing or two about churches. I have been in literally thousands of them in my 45-year career as a touring actor and storyteller. These are humorous, clean, and thought-provoking limericks on the Christian life. They are fun to read, quote, and share with others. This is a perfect gift for pastors and church leaders, and really anyone who as ever sat in a pew.

Get Me to the Church in Rhyme.
Limericks to read and pass time.
On God, faith, and church,
With a smidge of research,
And if you should laugh, that’d be fine!

Available as an ebook or paperback at amazon.com

Thoughts on being a Christian Actor – Part 2

(Read Thoughts on Being A Christian Actor – Part 1)

Being an actor is a profession often associated with being a celebrity.  Being a Christian actor… not so much. Actually I am quite grateful for that… I would hate to be a celebrity.  However, being a Christian actor does carry a certain amount of recognition in the local community. Sort of a fishbowl syndrome where lots of people recognize you and you have no clue who many of them are.  The recognition seems to happen at the worst of times.  Like when I race to get into a parking space and “accidentally” cut off someone else.

Guy: Hey Buster, what’s the big idea cutting me off…. hey, aren’t you that Christian actor guy?

Or in the checkout at the grocery store.

Guy: Hey honey, look it’s that Christian actor guy. (notice that Christian actor guys have no name)

I have a flash of recognition–they’re from First Baptist Church–at the same moment their eyes flash on the bottle of wine in my grocery cart…

Me:  It’s for a recipe. Look it’s on the list.  Lorie told me…it’s Cooking Sherry!

Ah, yes, the Christian fishbowl.  Everybody’s watching… and judging…

My kids really hated it.  To them it seemed they were being monitored all the time. And when I would try to impress upon them that it mattered what they wore, where they were seen and what they were doing when they were seen…. they seemed to see right through me.

Kids: Your just afraid of what people will think because we’re your kids and you’re that Christian actor guy.

And sometimes they were right.  No matter how much I don’t want to admit it, I live too much of my life trying to fit into the box that others have designed for me. How about you?

Chuck Neighbors

 

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