First Watch is our men’s ministry at Irving Bible Church. We meet at 06:22 AM on Friday Mornings. We typically begin with a movie clip, followed by a brief message in a large group setting before breaking off into our small groups.
One of the things we have come to expect in our large group setting is the really bad joke. These are the kind of jokes that are so bad, they’re actually funny, and elicit laughter and the requisite number of groans.
There was one particular joke a few weeks ago that definitely fit into this category, yet was very poignant to the message, and has lingered in my mind. I’ll do my best to recollect it and explain. Here goes…
A lady walks into a business where the proprietor owns a parrot. As the lady walks past, the parrot looks at her, then exclaims, “Hey lady, you’re ugly”! The lady turns, visibly shaken, and storms out of the store.
A week later, the lady returns, and the same thing happens. The parrot looks at the lady and squawks, “Hey lady, you’re ugly”! This time the lady seeks out the proprietor to complain. The owner chastises the parrot, explaining that she’s in fact a valued customer, and if it happens again, there would be hell to pay. The parrot apologizes to the lady, and the owner assures her it won’t happen again.
A few weeks later, the lady returns. Upon seeing her, the parrot calls out, “Hey lady”, then after looking her over, quietly states, “you know…”
Wow. After the laughter and groans subside, you realize just how deep the underling message runs.
How many times have we peered into the mirror, and let those doubts and unspoken lies slowly creep into our psyche. “You know…”
“You’re out of your league”
“Everyone sees right through you”
“You’re not fooling anyone”
“You don’t belong”
Over time, these perceptions, if not checked, have the potential to become our reality. No doubt, in the sea of humanity, untold thousands are adrift, capsized by this condition.
If only we could see past our distorted perceptions and see ourselves as we truly are, an unfinished masterpiece, pliable clay, still being shaped and molded by the hands of the master.
The problem is, the more time we spend gazing inward upon this misconception, the more rigid and unusable we become. Maybe that’s why our focus is supposed to be outward. Reference the Jesus Creed…
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these"
I’ll bet the more time we sincerely spend directing our focus on others through this prism, the greater our inner perceptions will become. It’s definitely worth a try.
Stepping away from the mirror…
One of the things we have come to expect in our large group setting is the really bad joke. These are the kind of jokes that are so bad, they’re actually funny, and elicit laughter and the requisite number of groans.
There was one particular joke a few weeks ago that definitely fit into this category, yet was very poignant to the message, and has lingered in my mind. I’ll do my best to recollect it and explain. Here goes…
A lady walks into a business where the proprietor owns a parrot. As the lady walks past, the parrot looks at her, then exclaims, “Hey lady, you’re ugly”! The lady turns, visibly shaken, and storms out of the store.
A week later, the lady returns, and the same thing happens. The parrot looks at the lady and squawks, “Hey lady, you’re ugly”! This time the lady seeks out the proprietor to complain. The owner chastises the parrot, explaining that she’s in fact a valued customer, and if it happens again, there would be hell to pay. The parrot apologizes to the lady, and the owner assures her it won’t happen again.
A few weeks later, the lady returns. Upon seeing her, the parrot calls out, “Hey lady”, then after looking her over, quietly states, “you know…”
Wow. After the laughter and groans subside, you realize just how deep the underling message runs.
How many times have we peered into the mirror, and let those doubts and unspoken lies slowly creep into our psyche. “You know…”
“You’re out of your league”
“Everyone sees right through you”
“You’re not fooling anyone”
“You don’t belong”
Over time, these perceptions, if not checked, have the potential to become our reality. No doubt, in the sea of humanity, untold thousands are adrift, capsized by this condition.
If only we could see past our distorted perceptions and see ourselves as we truly are, an unfinished masterpiece, pliable clay, still being shaped and molded by the hands of the master.
The problem is, the more time we spend gazing inward upon this misconception, the more rigid and unusable we become. Maybe that’s why our focus is supposed to be outward. Reference the Jesus Creed…
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these"
I’ll bet the more time we sincerely spend directing our focus on others through this prism, the greater our inner perceptions will become. It’s definitely worth a try.
Stepping away from the mirror…
