A LEAP OF FAITH

I have attended three funeral services led by a particular church Minister. Two were stirring and provocative, the stuff that crushing crusading zeal must have been made of. The most recent service was toned down, it was milder by comparison to the others. There was the exclusion clause that I have come to expect in services; a variation of... you are only a member of the 'in-crowd' and get the esoteric religious benefits, if, you believe as the Minister believes.


 The recent sermon, based on the Twenty-Third Psalm, (King David's Psalm) required a leap of belief, one that I could not muster. I even leafed through the bible placed on the ledge in the pew to try and find anything that might imply the conclusion drawn and delivered by the Minister. To remind you, the Psalm as printed in current British bibles, begins, 'The Lord is my shepherd'.


The interpretation the Minister gave of "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of The Lord, forever", was...


If you, (us, the mourners) believe in Jesus Christ, who is 'The Lord', he will look after you, (us) in life and after death. 

There is a fundamental misinterpretation in my view, and also, another variation of the exclusion clause I mentioned. King David was not contemporary with Christ; his Psalm of praise, if sung at the time of David's own existence would be in a totally different time and religious context.

THE 'PISSED OFF TWATS' NEWS FROM WESTMINSTER

Our chum from Westminster, the one who rides a bike to work. You know who I mean, our chummy David Cameron of the big 'C' party. (I'd better not use the actual title in case it causes mayhem). If you're still not really sure who I am talking about, chummy has even been known to cycle up a one-way street the wrong way, when he thought no-one was looking,(laddish that was) and he helped himself to some maintenance expenses for his main residence, when he thought he wouldn't be caught out. You remember, he claimed for the sort of house maintenance, cutting plant life off walls, we mere mortals would expect to pay for, out of our much, much lower annual incomes. Paying it all back, meant it was alright then. The original intention didn't matter. It's a strange definition of the law, that one.

Anyway, chummy, decided to be even chummier than usual on the radio and was told off by his press buddy for the use of the chummiest of language. As I figure, our chum reckoned that too much twittering made for the development of 'twats' (there, now I've said it.....oh dearie me), and it is possible to get, or to be 'pissed' off.

You can't pay for the enduring benefits of endearing publicity like that can you.