Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way.
£11.99
In this sparklingly witty book, BBC sitcom writer James Cary gives us a new and liberating way of looking at the gospel as he entertainingly relates it to a modern context. Cheerfully playing around with the text, he takes the Bible seriously but allows us to laugh at our own petty vanities and foibles – and be enlightened in the process.
Join James for 7 weeks as he leads us through ‘The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer’. Sign up below to receive the reading plan, discussion questions and links to the videos.
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Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6 & 7
Session 1: I Believe in Miracles
When we read the Bible, it’s easy to assume the disciples were always serious and somehow weren’t surprised by miracles – and their reaction is often not reported in the gospel accounts. In these chapters of the book, James tries to show how it might have felt if you were actually there when Jesus was ascending into heaven. And in this session, we reflect on miracles and how their absurdity is often the point.
For extra viewing check out:
The Ascension performed live by James Cary
Session 2: The Great I AM
Jesus bamboozled and scandalised both friends and enemies in the things that he said, especially about himself. In this session, we contemplate who Jesus is and how he went about explaining it.
For extra viewing check out:
The Sacred Art of Joking #2 w/ Jude Simpson
Jesus bamboozled and scandalised both friends and enemies in the things that he said, especially about himself. In this session, we contemplate who Jesus is and how he went about explaining it.
For extra viewing check out:
The Sacred Art of Joking #2 w/ Jude Simpson
Session 3: Parables
Jesus’s parables initially seem like simple little stories, but the more you think about them, the more baffling they become. In this session, we think about how Jesus told stories that were clear, but troubling; neat yet complex. They’re harder to do than they looks, as James demonstrates when he imagines the disciples having a go.
For extra viewing check out:
The Sacred Art of Joking #3 w/ Andy Bannister
Session 4: Christians According To Sitcom Writers
Do people think the Church of England is like it is in Dibley? Probably. Is it like that? A bit. Or is Father Ted closer to the truth. In this session, we examine how Christians are portrayed in the mainstream media, and consider whether these stereotypes are true or justified. What can Christians do to subvert the narrative?
For extra viewing checkout:
The Vicar of Dibley | Jim’s Hilarious Parish Meeting Moments
Do people think the Church of England is like it is in Dibley? Probably. Is it like that? A bit. Or is Father Ted closer to the truth. In this session, we examine how Christians are portrayed in the mainstream media, and consider whether these stereotypes are true or justified. What can Christians do to subvert the narrative?
For extra viewing checkout:
The Vicar of Dibley | Jim’s Hilarious Parish Meeting Moments
Session 5: Conflict and Arguments
We live in polarised times where people disagree and unfriend people for views on all kinds of topics, and people are fired or arrested for jokes in Twitter. The gospels contain plenty of disagreements, rivalries and fallings out. And Jesus is surprisingly happy to raise the temperature rather than cool things down. In this session, we think about a Christian response to crossed words.
For extra viewing checkout:
Peter and John running to the tomb performed
live by James Cary
Session 6: Evangelistic Strategies/Philip
Go and make disciples of all nation. No biggie. In this session, we look at the comic way in which God allows us to go about our task of telling the others the good news and how this often goes wrong.
Session 7: Pilgrim’s Progress
James really doesn’t like Pilgrim’s Progress. He has reasons, but are they justified.
Clearly he is in the minority given it is one of the best-selling books in human history.
Why do people enjoy Pilgrim’s Progress so much? And why do Christians seem to
have a hard time using their imagination and producing classic fiction. Or do they?
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