Worship Resources for June

Not meaning to offend you Mary, I know you go to Church and all, but even you have to admit that Jesus was off his rocker.

Tom, I know we have had a few to drink, you especially, but don’t let this evening become nasty. I know you are only trying to wind Mary up.

No, it’s okay Pete, I’m interested. So, come on, Doctor Freud, tell me what exactly led you to the diagnosis that Jesus was, quote, “off his rocker”.

Well, he did say some rather wacky things. I remember, being told one story about something he said, when I was a kid in Sunday School…

You went to Sunday School!

Yes, I did. As a boy, I used to attend religiously. Pardon the pun. (MARY and PETER groan). Anyway, we were told he said something like “Birds have nests and bears have trees, but I live on a boat”. I mean, what is that supposed to mean?

I don’t think that is exactly what he said.

But, it does sound sort of familiar.

Yeah, Mary. So come on—where in the Bible can we find this story?

Just because a person goes to Church doesn’t mean they know the Bible off by heart, being a Christian isn’t a memory test. Just because someone can recite a couple of passages of scripture doesn’t make them necessarily a better Christian.

Well, anyway, how are we going to find this passage?

(reaching for his phone) Internet! Wait a minute. Jesus…Birds…Nests… Great, I think I’ve got it. Looks like it is from Luke. Want to read it Mary?

So, it is from Luke’s Gospel, Chapter Nine. “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

Well, there may have been no mention of bears and boats, but I still stand by my claim that he was off his rocker.

It is difficult but I don’t think it is absurd.

Not absurd? Give me a break, listen to it! “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

I am not a theologian or anything, but I simply think Jesus is saying don’t expect life to easy and comfortable if you follow him.

Not wanting to oppose you, but you can hardly claim that being a Christian is living on the edge and dangerous. I mean you aren’t homeless or worried where your next meal is coming from, Mary.

No, you are right I am not, I am very fortunate, and I don’t know if I would have the strength to give up my home, my jobs, my life if Jesus were to turn up now and ask me to. But so many throughout history have done. And this is not something that happened in the past, as if Christians all live safely now. A frightening number of people continue to live in parts of the world, where they face persecution for their faith. I would like to hope that I too would be willing to sacrifice everything, for my own faith to have integrity. But you never know how you would react when faced with such extreme circumstances.

I don’t think anybody should face intimation or death for their religion. But, listen: Jesus isn’t allowing his followers to bury their nearest and dearest.

True, I don’t like it but it does sort of sound like what Jesus is saying. Actually, I do struggle with that line. I really couldn’t not bury my dad.

If you ask me, it simply shows that Jesus is a hypocrite! ’Cos I know for certain that he got buried in a tomb. So, it is one rule for him that he gets buried, but another rule for that poor bloke’s dad, who just got left.

Can’t believe I am about to try and defend Jesus, religion really isn’t one of my areas of expertise…

I didn’t know you had even one area of expertise!

Thank you, Tom. Anyway, what I was about to say before I was interrupted was that I once heard a radio programme, in which people were talking about the use of allegories in the Bible. That perhaps people shouldn’t take things too literally but try and work out the message that is being communicated.

My vicar has said something like this a number of times in her sermons. So, what do you think the message is here?

(sarcastically) Don’t bury your old man. He wouldn’t let you take the—what is the Bible’s equivalent of a car?—donkey—out for a spin.

I am sure that wasn’t his message.

Maybe his message is that we shouldn’t focus upon all that is gone and with us no more. That if we gaze at the absence, it stops us from seeing all that is present?

Yes, that if we only think about what we don’t have we miss all that we do have. That grieving can sometimes paralyse. Not only has someone we loved stopped living but we too can, in a way stop living our own lives.

And I know that would upset my dad. For even though I drive him up the wall, he would want me to keep going and getting the most out of life. Not to miss opportunities just because he was dead.

Anyway, talking about things not being present anymore, I notice our glasses are empty. Another round?