Virtual Methodist

Prompted in part by the single word Abba" in Scott Cairn's "Nativity", a powerful verbal icon, which is Malcolm Guite's chosen poem for today in his seasonal devotional "Waiting on the Word."  Sleep, Amma Mary, You will need your strength For all that lies ahead. Fear not, for I am with you, Watching, adoring, Wondering, how Did this happen? Why me? Why not me? What will be His first word? Will I be Abba? Or will you tell him? Will he know it all? What does he know now, Beyond my embrace? All that I know now Is this child, Though not mine, Could not be More divine. Shalom

Whilst my friend Sharon delivered yesterday's monologue at Seymour Street Methodist on Sunday morning, I delivered the following one. I wrote them over 15 years apart, but there are definite echoes of the former one in this "partner piece". One of the reasons I wrote it is that poor old Joseph is one of the most voiceless characters in scripture... Whilst the Protestant tradition has scandalously neglected Mary the Mother of Jesus over the years, no-one pays much attention to Jesus' step-dad. Yet he could, in many ways, be the patron saint of many of the dads I encounter today in "blended" families, or distanced from their children through relationship breakdowns, or not sure how to look after their families because they are working class men in a world where their skills are surplus to requirement. After the monologue, I've included some prayers prompted by the story. Joseph is dressed in overalls/dungarees with a tool belt on, and begins with a hamm...

I’m no dreamer… not like my namesake, the son of Jacob, and friend of Pharaoh. I work with nails and wood, things you can touch and shape and hit with a hammer. And I did a lot of that when Mary first told me. I couldn’t believe it… How could she do that? Who was the father? All she would say was it was nothing to do with her, The baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit, ordained by God himself. Well I’ve heard some excuses in my time… “Who do you think I am – a fool born yesterday!?” But she seemed so genuine… so innocent… And, I thought… so naïve… “Who has taken advantage of you? Who?” I asked… But she named no-one… So I planned to drop the engagement quietly, leave it to her parents to ship her off to some relatives to have the baby… But I knew the news would get out… the shame would stick… To me as to her… And I took my frustrations out on the wood in my workshop… But then, I had that dream… I hadn’t been sleeping at all… It was my first decent night’s sleep and I was annoyed to be r...

Joseph is speaking into a mobile phone. Hello, Mother, it’s Joseph… Joseph… your son! Yes, I know it’s been a long time since I last rang, but I’m afraid I’ve been rather busy… (Joseph looks rather bored) Yes Mother, I’m still here… Oh, I’m fine, fine… Mary? She’s fine… The carpentry business… Yes, it’s fine… Look mother, I think I ought to come round and see you sometime soon… Oh, it’s no trouble, I’m actually in Bethlehem for the census… Ah, well, of course I would have stayed with you, but I, um, knew how busy you’d be with everyone coming home for the census, without the three of us landing on you… Did I say three? I did!? I was talking about Mary, me and the… um… donkey… That’s it… No its OK we got a room… well more of a stable really… Oh now, Mother, don’t get upset… I only said stable because it’s full of straw and animals and… (sniffs air) things. No what I should have said is “Stable-Like building…” extremely stable-like! Mother, are you sitting down? Well, its just that I...

In my role as chaplain I constantly come across those who are deeply frustrated by the current policy whereby anyone going into hospital for scheduled surgery has to phone ahead for a bed in hospital. Thankfully it is a policy that hasn't extended to the Maternity Department. I do feel sorry for the husbands that find themselves hanging around the Maternity Ward feeling totally impotent… Well… perhaps that’s not the right word to use, but you know what I mean… There is nothing they can do… How much more was that the case for poor old Joseph… No matter how unprepared a father feels for the arrival of a child, Joseph must have felt worse... No matter how disorganised we are coming up to Christmas, just think how bad poor old Joseph felt that first Christmas. His wife in the middle of labour, and no Maternity Ward to rely on. Nowhere at all to stay. If only they’d left home sooner. If only they’d packed the donkey the night before. If only they hadn’t gone back to check that they’d ko...