Two chaps met after many years, having been at Ecclesiastical College together. One had become a bishop, the other was a parish priest. They were discussing their differing ways of life and the parish priest said to the bishop: “It’s all right for you, you only have to have one really good sermon and you can go round the country preaching it again and again, whereas I have to preach a different sermon every week.”

To this the bishop replied that of course he did not agree and that he was quite capable of preaching on any subject, and if his old friend would like to write some words and put them on the pulpit he would preach them that evening.

It came time for the sermon at Evensong, the bishop went into the pulpit and looked down at the slip of paper. It carried one word: “Constipation”.

The bishop looked round the congregation and said: “My text tonight is, ‘Moses took the tablets and went into the wilderness’.”