The Wit & Wisdom of a Whimsical Pastor

How do we bring unity and cohesion to our churches? When it comes to matters of faith development, one can assume there are no better guides than the Bible, following our lectionary, and a wit for communication. But language and faith have their structures and fluency, each ending up being personal. It's just where we are. These days, with Christian beliefs being less on common ground, faith words and phrases being distorted (many stripped of their originality), how can one nurture truth in such a diverse society? Jesus said to love God and love your neighbor as yourselves. The Bible tells us that Jesus wasn't quick to judgment. He created common ground through continual prayer and focusing on others creatively. By listening, asking questions, being engaging, and speaking truth, he formed relationships with others. He used parables, stories, idioms, and humor especially focused towards the judgmental and their interpreting patterns.
These twenty-two different stories were created over time. Some are witty, but all are written to hopefully find common ground and bring people closer together through communication and love. Love is a very challenging event. It would be awesome if people would be cognizant of their prejudices as well as open to a dance that brings cohesion to their moments and their movements that even leads into a community dance. These stories were also created with a lectionary calendar in mind along with several that utilize humor. Most have some wit along with idioms to share the faith of a whimsical pastor who just can't quit.