I took Jesus to Parish Council last Tuesday evening to see if anyone there could help solve the mystery of his appearance outside the gate of the Memorial Garden on Ash Wednesday. One member was very sure that he belonged in the big cupboard. He was a part of a set of statues of Jesus at various stages in his life included with a Nativity Set. However that didn’t explain why I had found him out of the cupboard and standing at the gate.
Not knowing the whereabouts of the big cupboard, I checked with the Midweek Eucharist ladies who were pretty sure, in their considerable experience , that he wasn’t part of the nativity set in the cupboard. Nevertheless someone said quite firmly they thought he belonged back in the cupboard. This comment set of murmurs of ‘Oh No!’ from the many of the congregation and a discussion of the Second Commandment. One lady with artistic ability offered to touch up his chipped paintwork if we did find a place for him.
Our Parish Secretary said that he had first appeared at the back door of the Parish Function Centre, possibly a donation for the monthly Car Boot Sale. Someone had moved him to the back gate of the fernery where he was less likely to be knocked over and broken.
When I got to Christ Church Sunday Morning he had been removed from the sound system box where I had stood him on Wednesday and he was standing forlornly by the rubbish bin in the vestry.
Tomorrow is my first Minister’s Fellowship Meeting so I will take him along. It will actually be held at St Mary’s, the Catholic Church, so there may be someone there who can shed some light on his origins or offer him a more permanent residence. He should provide us with an interesting topic of conversation…….as usual.
If not for any other reason he should be housed in a kind space because of his pillar to post travels ! T