Holy Hilarity

A new minister is invited by two parishioners to go fishing. They're already out on the lake when one of the old-timers says, "Oh, I forgot my flies." The other old-timer groans, "just as I get started and the fish are biting." The new minister says, "Don't worry, I'll get them," steps out of the boat and walks across the water. "Look at that," says one old-timer to the other, "doesn't even know how to swim."

That was my joke to 'pass along' from Holy Hilarity Sunday. If you've read it, mission accomplished!

There are all sorts of reasons that I enjoy particular Sundays - celebrating the Lord's Supper or a Baptism or new members, Easter Sunday!!, the Sunday we sing our Christmas cantata, the annual Hymn Sing, and so on. One of the blessings of this congregation I serve is that they have been willing to try something a bit different - Holy Hilarity Sunday. I guess you might say they've humored me (pun not truly intended!), but there are definitely those who are fed by this Sunday filled with whimsey, me included.

I'm not completely sure where I first heard of Holy Hilarity (or Holy Humor or Bright Sunday), but the concept intrigued me: a Sunday celebrating God's "practical joke on the devil of raising Jesus from the dead". (from The Fellowship of Merry Christians on the celebration) Centuries ago it was originally celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. We take a humorous detour during the summer.

That doesn't mean we don't occasionally take a humorous detour during worship at other times. It just generally isn't as intentional then. I have been known to occasionally 'drink this bread and eat this cup' during Communion!

This Sunday, we reveled in one-liners; light-hearted hymns to old favorites like Pop! Goes the Weasel, She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain, and Good Night, Ladies; jokes shared; and a "Who's on First?"-type dialog about Mary and Martha. Our Youth led the congregation in energizers. Yes, we, the "Frozen Chosen", actually did get up and move during worship!

And now - a prescription from "Dr. Jesus the Christ":
A little boy was in a relative's wedding. As he was coming down the aisle, he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the crowd. While facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar. So it went, step, step, ROAR, step, step, ROAR, all the way down the aisle. As you can imagine, the crowd was near tears from laughing so hard by the time he reached the pulpit. When asked what he was doing, the child sniffed and said, "I was being the Ring Bear."

Please be aware that "Substitution is permitted" and that this particular prescription can be renewed "as needed".

I'm reasonably sure that Jesus laughed. I'd be mighty upset if he didn't!