Missing the joke

Dear friends,

As a young curate in the Bradford Diocese back in the early 90’s, there would be the occasional Diocesan Conference, when all the clergy would be required to attend some large venue, and be engaged with speakers, workshops and such as deemed to be beneficial, and sometimes restorative, by the movers and shakers of the day. One of the highlights of such events was the homegrown “concert” evening, when suitably “talented” clerics could offer to perform, whether that was in song, music, or even stand up comedy. The result was invariably a hotch potch of dubious quality, which had the air of a 1950’s music hall style event way past its sell by date. Although it was usually better than the lectures. One particular moment remains with me. A well respected and no nonsense parish priest – let us call him Max – kicked off his stand-up set with a glorious one liner. In his ripe Yorkshire accent and with a completely dead pan face, he declared, “I only know one religious joke…..but the Archdeacon can’t be with us this evening….” It brought the house down. The Archdeacon was, of course, in the front row, with a face like thunder.

The best comedy does that. Pokes fun at power in a way that encourages us to see a bigger picture. Although there does seem to be something of a famine in the land in that regard right now. Where are those helping us to laugh? Listening to some of the material that passes for comedy on the radio one could be forgiven for thinking that we were listening in at a fringe meeting of a political party in some other universe. This is of concern, because it says to me, not just that comedy seems to have become blind and deaf, but that our society is so terrified of “causing offence” that self-censorship is restricting the very freedom of speech upon which good comedy depends.

Worship Services Sunday 14th September

9.30am Morning Prayer at St John’s Stoke Row with Mr Peter Ferguson

11am Holy Communion at St Peter and Paul, Checkendon with Canon Kevin Davies.

Midweek zoom service: Wednesday Evensong at 5.00pm  410 935 129

Nature Notes

The seasonal change into autumn has been noticeable this year. Cooler, wetter days bring welcome relief to the parched fields and gardens. Grass greens up again, late sunflowers look for the light, and the rudbeckia and marigolds in the flower beds glow yellow, orange and red. The tomatoes in pots are still producing, but there will be a lot of green ones for chutney, too. Ben and his team have done a great job on the high hedges between us and the hall and school. The two apple trees are full, after a fallow year last year, and will, God willing, give us cookers to last through into the winter. Beans left for seed dry on their canes, but the courgette plants have now had their day, and are in the compost. The cotinus I planted as a six inch twig a few years ago, has, at last, begun to look like it should, now nearly two feet tall, in a corner by the gate. It is supposed to turn yellow around this time of year, and will hopefully catch the eye with a flash of  gold in the distance of one’s field of vision.  In a spell binding first for Emma and I, one of the splendid rainbows of the last week arched over the village hall, and had its end in our front garden, over by the Leylandii, twinkling and overlaying its colours on the trees and shrubs in shimmering wonder. We watched in awe. The pot of gold has not yet been unearthed, however….so we’ll make do with the cotinus for now.

Do join us at our worship on Sundays. It is a “safe space” where speech remains free, and unbounded, for now. On Sunday 14th the Family Service at Checkendon will feature a Treasure Hunt, along with the music group and welcome refreshments.

May the Lord bless you, and those you care for.

Canon Kevin

Rudbeckia “Little Star” brightens the morning.