Clare F

On Sunday morning, I went to the 8 o’clock Holy Communion service as usual. It is a liturgical service, using the Book of Common Prayer. There are two readings, and the references of the readings for the day are printed in the weekly news sheet, so you can find the readings in the bible before the service if you want to.

Our young assistant vicar was taking the service and when it came to the time for the readings he looked around and said, “I’m afraid I’ve lost track of the first reading. Could someone bring me a weekly news sheet?”

And I thought, ‘He really ought to get his act together; he should know what the reading is. I know what the reading is. If I was taking the service, I’d have it all marked ready’.

Then I heard the gospel reading, Luke 18:9-14:

‘To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable…’

(Yes, it was the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.)

I was duly chastened. Truly – God has a sense of humour.