Mr Jack's Assembly - 'Passion'

1] Start with a question / see who is awake!

2] I visited the new Pyramid Arts Centre in Warrington last week – it looks more like a wedge of cheese, but they couldn’t call it the cheese centre.

But all sorts of things are going on there, and in the entrance hall, in huge letters, is a quote from the artist, Picasso, which says something like:

‘All children are artists; what is difficult is continuing to be an artist as they grow older.’

Picasso was a man who never stopped painting and drawing, from being a small child to his death in his 80’s.

By artist, Picasso didn’t necessarily mean a painter, but anyone who does something creative, for its own sake and for no other reason.

Because they want to do it, even have to do it.

3] I dislike it when people call such things an interest, or a hobby.

A better word is passion.

A word which has different meanings.

In the Christian religion, we have the passion of Christ.

The word passion is associated with romantic , valentines day, boyfriend/girlfriend sort of thing. Luvy duvy kissy stuff.

But it also means something you love doing, just for its own sake.

4] It is sad that all little children draw and paint, all little children write stories, but most of them stop when they reach a certain age. Why?

Maybe they think they are no good, or somebody tells them so.

Or nobody encourages their work, nobody praises it, no matter what it is like.

Or they get into watching too much TV, too much doing other things , and forget the pleasure they once got from the natural creativity that is in everyone.

5] Because of the fact that all little kids draw, write, etc I actually believe that everyone is an artist of some kind, and somehow lose it.

You hear people say that so and so has ‘talent’ whatever that means.

I’m not sure I believe in talent as being some kind of gift that only a few have, so that most people feel they can’t or shouldn’t try.

Picasso also said once that to be an artist you have to rediscover the child in yourself.

The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was once asked. ‘why did u start writing’?

To which he replied . ‘why did u stop?’

6] Having your own passion also gives a centre to your life, a meaning, something you can go to when things are not so good.

Life lets you down. People, friends let you down.

You don’t achieve what you want.

Circumstances work against you at times, you have bad luck.

But if you have something you can always go to , something that doesn’t depend on other people for it to happen,. Something you can do whatever else is happening in your life, you have a great gift.

Maybe the word talent should just mean the desire to do something, no matter what else is happening.

7] And it doesn’t matter how good it is, what the world thinks of it.

To get praise, encouragement, even money – especially money!! = from what you like doing is nice, but not the most important factor.

My old Aunty Lynn lives on the south coast, and she writes poetry. She has done for years.

She publishes it herself, in nice little booklets with roses on the front, and sends them to friends and family to read.

Most people of her age, of her situation, watch too much TV, play too much bingo.

But she writes, creatively, about things in her life and in the world around her.

He poetry gives people great pleasure.

It is not the greatest poetry ever written.

It is not really very good.

In fact, I’ll let you into a secret if you don’t tell her.

It is probably some of the worst poetry ever written in the history of the world.

I have seen grown men and women crying , tears of laughter running down their faces after reading it.

I hope that doesn’t sound cruel.

I would never ever dream of saying that to her.

In fact I always say how much I like the poems, and encourage her to write more.

Sometimes a lie rather the truth is the kindest thing to say.

8] I suppose I have to read you some of her poetry.

I will not read anything of mine this time, partly because you may like hers far more than mine, so I am chickening out today!

You may find it funny, and I confess I do, or you may really like it.

READ some[marked] poetry of Lynn’s.

9] Actually, my aunt is not the world’s worst poet.

That distinction goes officially to another scotsman , a man called William Topaz McGonagle, who lived in the city of Dundee a century or so ago.

He had a gift of writing really bad verse, for which he is famous !!

One such immortal poem is:

‘On yonder hillthere stands a cow

If it’s not there it’s away now.’

I found a website which rated Mcgonagle’s long poem called ‘the tay bridge disaster’ as the worst poem in the world.

Story of disaster: bridge across river tay from fife, where I come from, to his city of Dundee.

In 1829 in a stormy night the bridge collapsed in to the river, killing/drowning everybody on board.

Typical scottishness that they eventually pulled the engine out anfd used it for years, nicknamed the ‘diver;’/

Some lines only from the poem.

I have the full version here for anyone who wants to brighten their day.

Read marked lines.

William Topaz Mcgonagle, and my aunt lynn write because They want to, because They have to in a way.

If we worry about how good our drawings, stories and so on are, we will never do anything.

It is a risk to create and show what you have created to other people.

You risk ridicule, laughter or, worse, indifference.

What matters is that you find something that means something to you, that you can go to and get pleasure from no matter what the world thinks of it.

Id like to finish with a quote from Bob Dylan, also not the world’s worst poet, who said

‘he not busy being born… is busy dying.’

He meant always be doing something with your life, rather than just letting your life do something with you.

10] Lord’s prayer/blessing