CLEVELAND, OH — Congregants at St. James Church report that Pastor Paul Mendoza set an inspiring example of Christian charity and forbearance by calmly explaining to worship leader Jason Green that bringing a tuba and playing the VeggieTales theme song during the service is inappropriate.
According to eyewitnesses, Mendoza spent 20 minutes explaining the concept of proper reverence in corporate worship to the disappointed worship leader without once raising his voice or rolling his eyes.
"I get what you're going for, but I just don't think it's appropriate," Mendoza kindly explained to Green, who was sadly holding his tuba. "The point of worship is that the congregation reverently and gratefully sings praises to the Lord who made heaven and earth, not that they sing about anthropomorphic vegetables. And it is a little bit sanctimonious to lead into the sermon with the phrase ‘do we have a show for you!'"
Mendoza went on to point out that the song says "half an hour," and he couldn't guarantee his sermon wouldn't go on for well over that.
Sources say that Pastor Mendoza also requested that Green refrain from breaking into "The Cheeseburger Song" and "Barbara Manatee," even if he thinks that they would fit really nicely with the sermon topic.
At publishing time, Green had reluctantly decided to cut "The Water Buffalo Song" from the plan for next Sunday's service after learning that not everybody has a water buffalo.
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