Crescent Hill Baptist Church
Crescent Hill Baptist Church
Louisville, Kentucky
The Second Sunday of Easter
April 15, 2007
W. Gregory Pope
EASTER’S GIFT OF LAUGHTER
Luke 6:21
In Luke’s Gospel, chapter 6, verse 21, the words of Jesus are recorded. They are Easter words: Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Laughter is a holy gift of God. It is promised to those who weep and mourn Good Friday’s tears. It is the gift of laughter in the face of death. Death struts around like it has the final word. It strikes fear into the human heart. But Easter says that we can laugh, and that in Resurrection’s light we will laugh away all our tears.
German theologian Jurgen Moltmann said: “Good Friday is the center of the world. But Easter morning is the Sunrise of the coming God and the morning of new life and the beginning of the future of the world. The laughter of the universe is God’s delight. It is the universal laughter in heaven and earth.”
I think that makes laughter an eschatological act. Meaning, we can laugh because we have the end in sight and we know that God will have the final word. The word of life and joy. And that word broke into our world on that first Easter day. And so we dance the dance of laughter.
Lent carried us into the darkness. The darkness of our sin. The darkness of suffering. The darkness of the cross.
Easter leads us into the light. The light of love, life, and yes, laughter.
It will not surprise many of you that I love humor. (Thus my many feeble attempts at it.)
Laughter is good for us. It’s healthy. It releases good chemicals throughout our body. What does the proverbial writer say? “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”
But while laughter is good for us, not all humor is good for us or the world.
We’ve been recently reminded of harmful attempts at humor with shock jock Don Imus’ demeaning remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Remarks he has paid for with his job.
It is a reminder that there are different kinds of humor. Two kinds, really.
One is a cruel kind of humor. The Don Imus kind of humor. Where we laugh at others or we tell jokes at others’ expense. And we do it in such a way that they are deeply hurt or embarrassed.
The other kind of humor is what you might call the humor of grace.
If you watch comedians on late night TV you can see both kinds of humor at work. A cruel kind of humor and the humor of grace.
The humor of grace is the kind of humor that lets us laugh at ourselves. And how we need to do that. It helps us accept our humanity. It let’s us lighten up a bit. It helps us not take life so seriously. Or take ourselves so seriously.
Laughter of this kind is seen in the Bible as a sign of the blessedness of the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who weep now,” said Jesus, “for you shall laugh.”
The Shakers believed that fits of “holy laughter” were signs of the Spirit in one’s life.
And of course, you can’t talk about laughter, especially in this place, without thinking of Grady Nutt, who graced this world and our lives with delightful humor. I don’t think anyone has said anything more profoundly true about laughter than he did when he said. “Laughter is the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world.”
Ours is a troubled world, especially these days. So what do you say we lighten up a bit this morning and experience the grace of laughter in God’s presence.
Anybody here need a good laugh? It is tax day after all. (Sorry to break the news if you had forgotten!)
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Let’s begin with some Questions to Ponder:
Why is the one who invests all your money called a broker? (Kevin, why is that?)
If a pig loses its voice, is it dis-grunt-led?
“I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?
What hair color do they put on the driver’s license of bald men? (If Josh were here, we could ask him.)
If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea . . . does that mean one of them enjoys it?
Along that same line: Whatever happened to Preparations A through G? (Do we have a doctor in the house who can tell us?)
If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?
Speaking of cows, did you hear the story of the Quaker and his milk cow. The Quaker says to the milk cow, “Thou hast kicked over the milk pail three times now. Thou knowest that I am a Quaker and cannot hit thee. But if thou kickest the pail over one more time, I shall sell thee to a Baptist.”
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Moving toward religion, let’s get biblical for a moment. After all, this is church. And I am a preacher. How well do you know your Bible? See how many of these you understand.
How were Adam and Eve prevented from gambling?
God took away their par-a-dise.
What did Adam and Eve do when they were expelled from the garden?
They raised Cain.
What excuse did Adam give his children as to why they no longer lived in Eden?
“Your mother ate us out of house and home.”
Why couldn’t Cain please God with his offering?
He just wasn’t Abel.
Who was the greatest financial genius in the Bible?
Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.
What kind of lights did they have on the ark?
Floodlights.
What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?
Ruth-less.
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Children provide us with marvelous moments of laughter.
Sinclair Lewis once said: “Babies are bombs to blow up smugness.”
Many of you remember the show “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” (I don’t. I’m much too young. But I hear it was funny.)
When asked, “How do you decide who to marry?” Alan, age 10 says, “You gotta find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming?”
***
How can you tell if two people are married?
6 year old Eddie says, “Married people usually look happy to talk to other people.”
Derrick, age 8, says, “You might have to guess based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
***
Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers.
The first boy says, “My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.
The second boy says, That’s nothing. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.
The third boy says, “I got you both beat. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money.”
***
On the first day of school, the Kindergarten teacher said, “If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers.”
A little boy from the back of the room asked, “How will that help?”
***
One little boy said to the other: “Can people predict the future with cards?”
“My mother can,” said the other boy.
“Really?”
“Yes, she takes one look at my report card and can tell me exactly what will happen when my Dad gets home.”
***
One Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was “acting up” during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the foyer the little boy called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”
***
Then there was the child dedication where the priest asked the parents if they promise to raise their child in a Christian home. The parents said yes. And the child begins to cry. The parents ask him what is wrong. The child says, “ You promised to raise me in a Christian home, but I like our home.”
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And now, some infamous Church Bulletin Announcements:
The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching For Jesus.”
Don’t let worry kill you - let the Church help.
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.
The Senior Choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.
For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
Come to the business meeting this Wednesday night. It’s an adventure in missing the point.
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How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?
None. Lutherans don’t believe in change.
How many Pentecostals?
Ten. One to change the bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
How many Episcopalians?
Eight. One to call the electrician and seven to say how much they liked the old one better
How many Unitarians?
We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that’s fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your personal relationship with your light bulb, and present it next month at our annual light bulb Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life, and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb?
At least fifteen. One to change the bulb and three committees to approve the change.
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How to Speak About Women and be Politically Correct:
She is not a BAD COOK - She is MICROWAVE COMPATIBLE.
She does not WEAR TOO MUCH JEWELRY - She is METALLICALLY OVERBURDENED.
She does not WEAR TOO MUCH MAKEUP - She has reached COSMETIC SATURATION.
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How To Talk About Men and Still Be Politically Correct:
He does not have a BEER GUT - He has developed a LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY.
He doesn’t GET LOST ALL THE TIME - He investigates ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS.
He is not a MALE CHAUVINIST PIG - He has SWINE EMPATHY.
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And in honor of Frank Tupper, some all-time great country music song titles:
Her Teeth Were Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure
She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy
I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well
I’m So Miserable Without You, It’s Like Having You Here
If the Phone Don’t Ring, Baby, You’ll Know It’s Me
How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?
I Changed Her Oil, She Changed My Life
And then one I heard Tupper quote in seminary chapel. I wasn’t sure it was appropriate in such a setting. See what you think:
If You Want to Keep Your Beer Real Cold, Put It Next to My Ex-Wife’s Heart
(If you think it was inappropriate, send Frank an email for being such a poor influence on me.)
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Do you like your music loud? We’ll maybe you’ll enjoy this one:
Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts.
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Humor helps us bear the pains of life more easily. I know that those of you over 40 have many pains to bear. I hear it’s rough.
I consider humor a spiritual gift. It can keep all of us humble if we are willing to laugh at ourselves. It can bring joy if we recognize what a sense of humor God has in creating human beings. Humor can keep us from going crazy in this mad and suffering world.
There’s a wonderful prayer by a Scottish pastor who was once heard to pray in church, “Lord, we thank thee that it isn’t always like this.”
The humor of that prayer is medicine for the soul. “Lord, we thank thee that it isn’t always like this.”
It’s really not a bad prayer. It helps us laugh at the hardness of a difficult day. It also gives us remembrance of and hope for better days.
There are some prayers I’m not always able to pray. Like the one about giving thanks in all circumstances. But I can pray this one: “Lord, I thank thee that it’s not always like this.” There’s profound truth in that humor.
Jesus said, Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
That my friend is the word of the Lord for us this day in Eastertide.
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray.
God of Resurrection,
we worship you this day
celebrating the gift of new life,
rejoicing in the good news that Christ is risen.
We welcome your presence into this place and into our hearts.
Stir us to new life.
Bring joy where there is sadness,
comfort where there is grief,
hope where there is despair.
May our worship today be filled with gratitude
because of all you have done for us.
And as a result of our worship today
may our lives be lived in gratitude for all you have done.
We pray and worship in the name of Christ our Lord
who is risen indeed.
Amen.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
Would you share that peace with those around you.
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CRESCENT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
2800 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
(502) 896-4425
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