You know how you start to resemble your parents?
Well, my spiritual father in Christ is Phillip Jensen, and what he does is repeat sermon illustrations. Endlessly. Ongoingly. Moebius strippingly. He is the tape loop of sermon illustrations.
At one stage I was hatching a plot to number his illustrations so that to save time, he would simply need to say "#17", and like the prisoners in the old joke, everyone would burst out laughing. They would know that #17 referred to the chicken crossing the road, they would remember the punchline, and they would respond accordingly.
Alas. Last night, short of time, I found myself rehashing Phillip Jensen #34, the failure of astrology, in which due to changes in calendars and inaccurate original measurements, we are all born under a different zodiac sign than the one supposedly ascribed to us at birth. Hence, we are all at least one out, and the predictions set out for us in the relevant bit of the women's magazine really apply to our neighbour born in the next month.
I added in my own little winkles about only reading horoscopes after the event, in doctors' waiting rooms, but I felt deep within me the shame of my plagiarism.
11 comments:
so what is the most widely plagiarised Philip illustration?
I'm not going to claim scientific knowledge here, but I'm going for #2, the helpful shipmate, as an illustration of what sin really is.
He is the shipmate who always does the right thing, scrubs the decks, volunteers to replace the lookout when the person on the roster is sick, etc., and you think he is the most wonderful person, until you realize that the ship's flag is the Jolly Roger. He is a pirate, dedicated to advancing the cause of piracy, theft, murder and overthrow of lawful rule.
I haven't stolen that one, though.
--I haven't stolen that one {the helpful shipmate}, though.--
Did W.S. Gilbert?
The pirate ship illustration is a good one! I've heard David Coy use it, and I've used it in conversation myself.
I fear repeating illustrations, but I bet I do it!
Not at all worried about pinching other people's, but.
I don't like repeating illustrations either, but it seems to work for Phillip. He even gets laughs for the same jokes he's told for 30 years! It's efficient for sure, even if slightly outrageous.
Maybe we really want to hear them again, like when Maxwell Smart says for the umpteenth time, "Missed it by that much!"
Michael: Did W.S. Gilbert?
Indeed he did! the Pirates of Penzance. Memories of the year 7 school production, where I was voted the most beautiful girl (James Ruse was a boys school at the time).
Imagine a royalties system on illustrations. The pirate ship could have funded the Cathedral rebuilding - which is I'm sure where the Dean would put such money
If you hadn't admitted to the plagiarism, we may never have known! I don't think I've heard the astrology one before, or if I have I've forgotten it. I have heard the helpful shipmate one, though. I'll be listening for it in future sermons :)
I had heard it before but it didn't sound plagiarised.
I wonder how many people at our congregation would be familiar with PJ's illustrations let alone his notoriety for repetition. I think you're pretty safe Gordo - go nuts!
My sister went to a church on holidays and heard an illustration which is Phillip's (our dad's) about her, which the preacher claimed as his own and his own child ... now that was embarrassing
Who is Maxwell Smart?
:)
Here I was - only thinking about Matt. 23:9 as I walked to work this morning...
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