Katrick: Church picnics and corny jokes
One of my favorite corny jokes I’ve told from the pulpit has a deacon at the church picnic, standing up and bragging on his knowledge of the Bible.
“I have a scripture verse for any and every occasion,” he claims.
So just as he gets up to speak, this fly flies right into his mouth. Then someone calls out, “What do you say to that, deacon?!” And he answers, “That’s easy. He was a stranger, and I took him in.”
Do you love church picnics? I sure do. At St. John’s UCC, we put up big tents, and set up lots of chairs and tables underneath them. Then we fire up the grills for hamburgers and hot dogs.” One time we even had a “Root Beer” Garden.
Everyone is asked to bring picnic baskets with enough for their family and friends. Invariably, people begin to feed other families too. There always ends up being enough for everyone, many times over. Our benediction seems to be, “Go in peace, and take something home with you!”
Another one of my favorite corny jokes is about a young minister preaching his first sermon in a tiny country church. He was so-o-o nervous. His nervousness showed as he tried to expound on this text.
"The Master fed the multitude," he said, his voice quivering, "with 5,000 loaves and 2,000 fish."
An old fellow sitting on the front row chuckled sarcastically and said, "Why, I could do that."
The next Sunday the young pastor tried again. "Last Sunday I meant to say that the Master fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two tiny fish."
Then he turned to the elderly man and asked, "Could you do that?"
The old man grinned and said, "I could if you'd let me use what we had left over last week."
In Matthew 14:13-21, five thousand people were fed because of the miraculous power of Jesus and the generosity of a little boy with a picnic basket of five loaves and two fishes. In other words, people began to feed their families, friends and others too. There ended up being enough for everyone, many times over.
This is clear evidence that miracles happen right before our eyes, every day. Sometimes we’re not even aware they’re happening.
God sure has a way of taking the little we have and making a lot out of it. So if you want to make miracles happen, look no further than your next church picnic. Pack enough for your basket and be willing to share it all, every last crumb. You may even find there is enough for 5,000, so invite the neighborhood too!
And don’t forget to practice your corny jokes. They multiply too. Just ask the ones who have had to hear me preach all these years. While you’re at it, bring corn on the cob too. It’s great on the grill.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Katrick: Church picnics and corny jokes
