Sermons And Gubbins

This poem was written for our September pub poetry group (at the Barking Dog). The theme was 'some things don't catch on'. I hope you enjoy reading it! It’ll Never Catch On It’ll never catch on, mate, it’ll never catch on. I’ll pay it by card, lad. It’s safer, job done. Crypto’s a scam, bud; it’s a game and they’ve won. It’ll never catch on, mate. It’ll never catch on. It’ll never catch on, guv. It’ll never catch on. Cash is the king - there’s no paper trail, son. I’ll pay you with notes; what’s it cost; ‘bout a tonne? It’ll never catch on, mate. It’ll never catch on. It’ll never catch on, love, it’ll never catch on. Paper’s too flimsy. You want some weight to it, hun. How else will you know they’ve picked your pocket and run? It’ll never catch on, darling - never catch on. It’ll never catch on, sire, it’ll never catch on. Those coins aren’t real gold, they don’t shine like the sun. Give me doubloons, or an ingot; just one. It’ll never catch on, lord, it’ll never catch on. ...

 This sermon was preached on our Sunday morning service on 8th September. The gospel was Mark 7:24-37 . I hope you enjoy reading it! The Jesus of the first half of today’s Gospel is – I have to say – a Jesus I don’t really recognise. I don’t know if you feel the same? It starts off normal enough; in our gospel, we hear that Jesus leaves his own community and sets off travelling. Maybe he’s visiting extended family, or perhaps he’s on a tour, spreading the Good News to other members of the Jewish faith (or, potentially more apposite to today’s Gospel, the Jewish race ). Either way, he’s in foreign climes. Whilst there, he finds a place to stay. He’s approached by a local woman who asks for his help. Not for her, but for her daughter, who, she says, is possessed. And here’s where Jesus looks to go off the rails. He says ‘no’.   Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman     He says ‘no’, and really not politely. He’s rude to her. His language is discriminatory...