Gospel According to... Green Eggs?

I am sure most everyone (with eyes to read) has seen "The Gospel According to... whatever." Harry Potter, Simpsons... It's everywhere. So, for this week, a friend of mine, Chris Lyons, saw my sermon from John 14:15-21 that I weaved with "Green Eggs and Ham" (to keep kids listening) and titled it "Gospel According to Dr. Seuss" and he designed art work to drop into media shout. He designed the picture you see here.

I have three main points this week, all related to Green Eggs and Ham.

1. There's Sam who constantly goes after the main character to try green eggs with ham on the side, no matter how many times he says no. This sounds a lot like previenent grace to me. God is constantly reaching out to us, constantly offering us a platter of true life in the Spirit.

2. There's the nameless main character (whom I named "nasty-face" for story-telling purposes) who says, "no, no, no... not with that, not on that," and so forth. This sounds a lot like humans in opposition to God to me. Or "the world" in this passage from John. The scripture passage reads, "the world cannot accept him, because it does not see or know him." And it is important to note here that we cannot use this passage to prove "the world" is beyond redemption. For if we actually ARE the Church and ACT like the Church, then the world will see Christ through our very embodiment of him. What this passage is saying is that Jesus tells us the world, those in opposition to God, cannot see God because when we choose ourselves over God again and again (not in the boat, not with the goat, not in a house, not with a mouse)... if we choose ourselves over and over instead of the gift, it gets harder to see God.

3. And in the end of the story we see that all Sam wanted for "nasty-face" was to enjoy the goodness being offered to him, to obey his command to "eat them." It sounds a lot like this scripture passage... If we love Jesus, we will obey his commands and "eat them, eat them, and SEE."

I also use the wordplay between "Sam I am" and the Great "I AM." Just because its fun.

And I re-wrote the story two times to go with my sermon. I am weaving the actual story with my new writing.

1. This is our "nasty-face" response:

I do not need my God above.

I do not need anyone's love.

I do not want the Spirit, God's gracious gift.

I do not want to be saved from this dividing rift.

2. And, this is God's constantly reaching out to us (like Sam to "nasty-face"):

Would you come worship in my holy house?
Would you come to me with the humility of a mouse?
Would you reach out to the one living in a box?
Would you stop being as sly as a fox?
Would you not argue with your family in the car?
Would you stop running from me so far?
Would you see what I’ve done in creating the tree?
Would you see what I could make you to be?
A train, a train… do you see how selfishness is coming at you like a train?
If you come to me, I could hold you in your pain.
Would you, could you, see you are in the dark?
Would you, could you, let me take away sin’s mark?
Would you, could you, allow me to wipe your tears falling like rain?
If you come to me, I could comfort you in the midst of all your pain.