Chainsaws in church

[Tom Dunlap]

http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/06/24/nz.chainsaws/index.html


New Zealanders thank God for chainsaws

June 24, 2002 Posted: 2:28 PM HKT (0628 GMT)







NELSON, New Zealand -- For most New Zealanders, the combination of
chainsaws and Sunday morning usually means being woken at an ungodly
hour.

But the tiny farming community of Tapawera, in the remote far north of New
Zealand's South Island, think chainsaws are literally God's gift to humanity.

And last Sunday they gave thanks, in a special church service dedicated to the
timber-lopping devices.

About 30 people attended the Tapawera and Districts Community Church's first
service dedicated to the chainsaw, according to the Nelson Evening Mail
newspaper.

Many brought their chainsaws with them, placed them on the altar, and afterwards
performed an impromptu "chainsaw orchestra," complete with Mexican wave.

Church council member Ian Cuthbertson gave thanks to the people who invented
the first chainsaws, those who made them now, "and for people who use
chainsaws for our benefit, farmers and forest workers," the paper reports.

Children were given pictures of chainsaws to color in, which they presented to the
congregation at the end of the service.

One child drew Jesus holding a chainsaw.

Pastor Havell Stephens-Smith said the idea for the service came to him through
God and it said something relevant to the community.

 

[WCS99no1]

One child drew J...Okay...now that's a bit...distrubing. Joel

 

[Oregon_Rob]

Blessed be the name of the chain saw? No thanks!

although I guess it's kind of like the blessing of the fleet.

 

[GeorgeWLogger]

Amen Brothers in Chainsaw!!!

We must unit and drink all the Koolaid. Then place the purple cloth over your saw, lay down next to your chainsaw and wait for the mother ship.

GeorgeW will be by to collect your saws. Could the members with Husky's sit closest, followed by Stihl, then Dolmar, then Echo. All Poulan and Homelite brothers drink your Koolaid in the back. There will be a different ship coming to pick up Homelite and Poulan members.

 

[blackjack]

Step back and view our religious culture with just a small amount of objectivity and even ignoring the continuously emerging scandals, this is pretty tame stuff.

 

[Molecule]

blessing of the chainsaws ...

What the h...

Hey, for fox hunting, the bishops of the Catholic Church in France regularly perform a "blessing of the hounds ... "

Maybe we should gather our chainsaws together, and have a bishop come out and perform his service for "a blessing of the chainsaws ..."

 

[turnkey4099]

Hey, I have been known to bless my saw occasionally when they won't start!

Harry K

 

[WoodTick007]

What the h...

Hey, for fox hunting, the bishops of the Catholic Church in France regularly perform a "blessing of the hounds ... "

Maybe we should gather our chainsaws together, and have a bishop come out and perform his service for "a blessing of the chainsaws ..."

I would think as long at one is a big enough contributor to the Catholic Church they will send someone out.

 

[rb_in_va]

Just cut the pew!!

 

[MOE]

Now I don't feel so wierd about setting up and alter and shrine to please the chainsaw gods.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Wow!

I don't even remember posting that. It only took two and a half years for it to burble to the top

Tom

 

[canguy21]

Maybe I had better go to bed and sleep off the meds. This is too funny.

 

[Toneman]

I just don't see this happening in the church that I attend.
Certainly something different that's for sure

 

[xander9727]

New Zealand has always had a unique perspective on things. I like the TLC programs on the mud buggies they build over there.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

That area the church is in is a heavily involved in logging, and have their fair share of forestry deaths and since most will die with a saw in their hands, why not have a little extra insurance. Its not uncommon in some religions for you to bring gifts given to you over xmas to be blessed.

I have a 66 that was considered "tapu" or sacred as its owner was killed while using it. Nobody in his tribe or whanau (family/extended family) would touch is without it being blessed. (The area he was killed in had to be blessed) Lucky for me I am not of the tribe so got the saw for a good deal.

The blessing of saws happens every year I believe.

 

[Dwayne Ferguson]

poor guy having to die holding a stihl thats my worst nightmare.

 

[WCS99no1]

FCPM Chain Saw Gang

http://chainsawgangfpcm.com/index.html

This website is for a group of church volunteers from Florida that do hurricane clean up for free. Well, if NOAA and the NWS are right the next few months should be (unfortunately) pretty busy for them...

Just hope they don't have to come to my neighborhood.

Thanks,
Joel

Houston, TX (Yes, I was part of the Hurricane Rita evacuation -- Clear Lake to Austin in 8 hours...5 hours longer than if there wasn't a hurricane.)

 

[sawn_penn]

Cool. They even have a picture of a day's supply of Poulans....

(Interesting earlier posts too. I've spent some time around Nelson, NZ.)