This is a folly - but it is built on solid rock, overlooking Leicestershire countryside and due to its Victorian over-engineering will weather countless storms.  So, was the builder a wise person?

The Tower of Pisa - a campanile - was built for a purpose but on poor foundations and over the years vast sums have been expended on maintaining it as its lean becomes ever more perilous.  So, was the builder foolish?

The parable of the wise and foolish builders is one of two I am employing for part of our service on Sunday, the other is that of the wise and foolish virgins.  They form part of the two discourses that 'book end' the Matthean version of the gospel.  Re-reading them this week has caused me to problematise the ideas of wisdom we so readily draw from the parables, neat, tidy and proof-texty - ideal for Sunday School but not so good for real life perhaps?

The foolish builder rushes in, puts up a building - which might be beautiful and functional - but it cannot weather the storms; the wise builder takes time to consider the best location and puts up a building - which may be ugly if functional - that can weather the storms.  (The foundations bit is Lukan not Matthean, but we happily read across).  The wise virgins have gone prepared for a long wait, the foolish ones have not, the consequences are inclusion or exclusion from the celebration.

Yeah but... It is obviously wise to think carefully before embarking on a project but this 'wisdom' can paralyse if we let it, never actually doing anything because we haven't covered every angle.  There is a balance to be found, and finding it isn't easy.  We obviously need to be prepared for the long haul (spare oil) but how long and what is enough reserve?  We don't actually know and sooner or later we have to take the risk.  The balance between wisdom and folly isn't as easy as perhaps we'd like it to be.

The second part of the servcie will move on to 1 Corinthians, specifically vv 18 - 31 to briefly consider divine wisdom and folly.  Churches - and Christians - can so easily err in the 'Jew/Greek' way either expecting God to do everything, and spectacularly at that, or championing current philosophy, whatever that may be.  But God's wisdom is folly - the whole Christ story is so ridiculous it offends - and even extends to God favouring 'the weak.'  This isn't about God making everything hunky dory for the weak, but the weak showing God's wisdom.  What might that mean for the two fellowships to whom I will preach at a joint service?  God's wisdom - the source of Christian hope - involved vulnerability, isolation, rejection and death, can we walk that path?  Is it wise?  Is it Godly? In 2 Corinthians are the famous words 'my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.'  How is that wise?  Can we dare to see as God sees?

We will sing some wonderful old hymns that speak of God's wisdom in the challenges of life, but also this one as a preface to communion, based on Proverbs 9: 2 - 6

Come and eat at Wisdom's table,

Come and lay your burden down;

Come and learn the power of weakness-

Wisdom's cross and Wisdom's crown.

In her house there is a table,

Richly laid with bread and wine.

All the foolish are invited;

She calls to us, 'Come and dine'.

In this world we will have trouble

And our comforters will fail;

All our answers will seem useless,

All our hopes will seem unreal.

There are roads which lead to danger,

There are paths which lead to life:

Wisdom's ways are filled with choices

For the travellers she invites.

There are those who search for reasons,

there are those who look for signs:

Wisdom dances on the tombstone

of the fool who bled and died.

Come and eat at Wisdom's table,

Come and lay your burden down;

Come and learn the power of weakness-

Wisdom's cross and Wisdom's crown.

Doug Gay (fl. 1998) © Doug Gay