Jesus is coming to dinner

If you ever went to camp you know this skit. I'm sure I've seen it or done it one or two hundred times. It's a variation of this:

Ring. Ring. (telephone)

Regular person: Hello. . .who is this? You're kidding me! This must be a prank. You're Jesus?! And you're coming to dinner? Wow! I really need to clean up good! (Hangs up phone. Frantically starts cooking and cleaning.)

Ding. Dong. (Door bell)

Person 1 at the door: Can you please help me? My car broke down. . .

Regular person: Sorry, Jesus is coming to dinner, I'm too busy to help you. (Closes door. Continues cooking and cleaning. Some people can do this with much humor. Campers love it.)

Person 2 at the door: Hello, we are collecting donations for x,y, z. . .

Regular person: Sorry, Jesus is coming to dinner, can't you see I'm busy. (Closes door. Realizes there is nothing to cook for dinner. Really starts to panic. More humor.)

Person 3 at the door: Hi, I live next door and I was wondering if I could join you for some conversation. . .

Regular person: Come back tomorrow, I'm super busy. (Closes door. All out panic.)

Quiet. Waiting.

Regular person: Where is Jesus?

Ring. Ring. (telelphone)

Regular person: Hello? Is this Jesus? Hey, I cooked and cleaned all day and you didn't show up. Where were you?

Jesus: I came to you three times and you turned me away.

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Ok, go ahead roll your eyes; go ahead and think it's dorky. I actually think it is as profound as it gets. Just think of all the people who could be knocking at the door. I'm thinking about the kind of people Jesus hung out with -- the ones no one else liked. The ones that laws are passed against. It seems that Jesus really loved illegal people. Last Sunday in church the Old Testament lesson talked about how Abraham saw three people and somehow knew that the three people were actually God. I thought it was interesting that he could discern this. Like he could see the spiritual realm in the here and now. The way the story read, it was like he knew immediately.

*

So we saw the movie HAIRSPRAY last weekend. Me and a van load of kids. Very cute and happy. Lots of laugh out loud material. I recommend it. Amanda is now addicted to it and we are hearing her sing the songs in a loud voice daily. And nightly. How can you not love a movie that opens with "Good Morning Baltimore." And many great actors. The frustrated social studies teacher in me was glad that my kids got a high energy lesson on segregation/integration. The best scenes were when the sugary sweet main character got detention with the "negros." Great dancing. Go.

With love, T