Once upon a time there was a beautiful church; it was made of red stone which glowed in the sun, and it had stained glass windows and a heavy wooden door.
One morning Ellen was sitting in the vestry (which is another word for the Minister’s study) and having prepared her sermon for the Sunday Service put down her pen and exclaimed to the empty room that it was time to go for a walk.
She picked up her coat and headed to the door, remembering to lock it with the very large key on her way out. The vestry became very quiet; quiet that is except for one small mouse.
In the corner of the vestry a tiny pair of eyes peaked out from beside the fireplace and looked at where Ellen had been sitting. Now that the coast was clear, the tiny pair of eyes along with four tiny feet and a small mousy tail quickly scurried along the skirting board and with a rather surprising spring, hopped up the pile of books which were stacked on the floor next to the bookcase and onto the top of Ellen’s desk.
Lying on the table was Ellen’s sermon, and standing a little nervously next to the sermon was Charlie, a little church mouse.
Charlie had been sitting patiently and very quietly in the corner of the vestry while Ellen had written her sermon. He had caught the odd word here and there when Ellen had said some of it out loud to herself, and three words had caught his curiosity, ‘clothed’ ‘in’ ‘Jesus’.
What could it mean? It sounded rather peculiar. Charlie knew that there were pictures of Jesus in the church windows, but you couldn’t wear a window!
Charlie also knew that there were pictures of Jesus in Ellen’s large book on her desk. That book was called the Bible. Charlie loved listening to Ellen read stories from the Bible, and every Sunday made sure he had the best seat in church tucked under the first pew, warmed by the huge metal pipes. If he was lucky there would be a biscuit crumb or two left over from the previous week’s refreshments.
Charlie thought hard. He remembered that the children who came to church had had a party and had worn paper hats. Maybe that was it! If he could take a page which had a picture of Jesus on it from Ellen’s special book maybe he could wear Jesus as a paper hat!
Charle quickly started work. He went to the Bible and nibbled at a page until it came loose. Then taking a corner, he folded it this way and that until ta dah! he had formed a paper hat!
With a sense of achievement, Charlie put the paper hat on his head. He was now clothed in Jesus! Or was he?
In front of Charlie the bible lay open at the page Ellen had been reading. Making out the words before him Charlie slowly read the rest of the verse.
It said, “Dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.’
Oh no! What had he done? Charlie looked up at his fine new hat and then at the missing page in Ellen’s Bible. Being clothed in Jesus meant being like Jesus not wearing a paper hat!
Charlie took off the hat and unfolded the paper. Slipping the page back onto the Bible Charlie felt dreadful. Having been so excited to be clothed in Jesus he had missed the real meaning.
Just then, Charlie heard a key in the lock and in three hops was back to the safety of the vestry hearth. Ellen walked towards the desk; “How very odd!” she said quietly to the room when she saw the nibbled page, “I wonder how that happened?”.
Charlie knew all too well how it had happened; and to make up for nibbling Ellen’s bible he will leave a little flower on the Bible for Ellen and as a thank you for the beautiful words.
The End