Lode Baptist Chapel
Fools for Jesus?
A friend of mine has a 'bumper' sticker on her wheelchair - it says
'I'm a fool for Jesus, who are you a fool for'? Whatever you make
of the message, to me it's a reminder not to take myself too seriously. I
love a good joke, and my wife will tell you that I also frequently tell a few
bad ones! I often see her cringing as I tell them to people at church.
I don't know about you, but I've met a few Christians who have given me the impression that it's a sin to smile. There are many sins, but I don't think having a laugh is often one of them. In fact I've known a number of people who have been put off Jesus because they've got the idea that becoming a Christian would mean them entering a 'fun free zone'. In years gone by it's even been known for a village church to tie up the local swings on a Sunday to stop the children from playing on them!
To me, such behaviour is an anathema - I believe all good things are a gift from God. Whilst it is possible that these good things can be corrupted and used for harm, this is no reason to abandon them altogether. Jesus certainly seemed to enjoy himself - indeed, I get the impression that he was the life and soul of the party. Remember, his very first miracle was to turn water into wine at a wedding reception! There were religious people around even then, though, who accused him and his disciples of having too much fun and spending too much time with the wrong sort of people. People who spend all their time saying 'don't do this, don't do that.. ' sound very different to the Jesus I know, who said 'I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full'.
Thankfully there are people in the history of the church who have fully embraced these words of Jesus. One of them is a great favourite of mine, St. Francis of Assisi. Not only did he preach to the birds (which is quite funny in itself) he also called himself 'Le Jongleur de Dieu' which means 'God's Juggler'. Francis and his friends would go from place to place doing acrobatics, singing funny songs and generally making fools of themselves. People would come and watch, laughing and having a good time, and when the show was over people would stop and ask what made them so happy. In reply, Francis would tell the people the good news about Jesus.
We can learn much from St. Francis, and from the one he followed. That's why at Lode Chapel we're working with the Anglicans to offer what could be called 'fun-church'. Yes, there's an important message to get across, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring! Over the last few months we've played Pictionary and Call My Bluff during our Sunday Club, and in January we even had a pool party where the people ate fruit kebabs, listened to the Beach Boys and wore their sunhats. Sunday mornings certainly aren't what they used to be! I think my friend with the bumper sticker is right - although I want one that says 'I'm a fool for Jesus - why not join me?'