# 1 – Mr Sloth
Mr Sloth’s Sunday
THE SLOTH (LAZYBONES) has either grown up in a house where nothing is ever required of him or, over time, he has manipulated others to do all the work around him. For Mr Sloth it would be helpful to be involved in some Christian serving and to be aware of the hard work that goes on behind scenes to make things happen. He may need prods and reminders. Otherwise he may slip back into inertia ….
As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. (Proverbs 26v 14)
Ox’s car screeches to a halt outside Sloth’s home. Sloth turns over in his bed, he’s exhausted after Xbox gaming until the early hours. Ox has beads of sweat on his brow, he’s been setting up the church for the morning service.
Sloth shouts out the window, “let yourself in”. Ox’s heart sinks, there are just 10 minutes to get to the service on time – and he is doing the welcome. While Sloth is pulling on his crumpled trousers Ox makes a start on the mountains of dirty dishes in Sloth’s sink, probably a week’s worth. Ox has a strange sensation of Deja vu ……
Ox apologises that they’re late and rushes to the front. Sloth has been coming to this church for 15 years, unlike Ox who is new. Sloth knows exactly where he likes to sit, where the pillar obstructs the pastor making unpleasant eye contact. Sloth does enjoy an occasional unobserved snooze.
Sloth yawns as the announcements are read, they’re recruiting volunteers ‘again’. He wishes they’d change the record, he never feels inclined. He resents the fact that everyone rises for the worship, ‘I suppose I’ll have to stand’ he groans.
As the pastor preaches about taking the town for Christ, Sloth drifts off into delicious day-dreams about going up to the next level in his video game. His stomach rumbles. ‘Ox will have to take me shopping on the way home, how annoying that he insists on stacking the chairs first’ he thinks. Sloth makes a mental note to remind Ox, once ‘again’, that Christianity is not all ‘work, work, work.’
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Dan Holland is a UK missionary with Through Faith Missions (‘TFM’). He wrote “Through the Tunnel – Free at Last” published by PUSH Publishing, as his personal testimony.
Recently Dan has produced two short books – “Caring for the New Christian” and “Growing as a New Christian” (for local fellowships, and for the new ‘convert’, respectively). Links here:
https://christian-publications-int.com/CaringForNewChristians.html
https://christian-publications-int.com/GrowingAsANewChristian.html
The above article, and any that follow, are based on characters highlighted in both books.
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