Community Church Sermons

The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost – June 16, 2002

"The God Who Laughs”

Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)

 

Just for the record…C-Z-E-C-H-O-S-L-O-V-A-K-I-A…Czechoslovakia!

 

Reading over Steve’s sermon from last week, it struck me just how low some people will go to poke fun at those of us who are away, out there doing God’s work. I mean, there I was - way up in New England – building a relationship with my new grandson, writing and preaching an ordination sermon for a brand new minister (which you can read, by the way on www.tellicochurch.org - be sure to vote in the online poll). And in the meantime, these two guys to my right are back here poking fun at me when I’m completely unable to defend myself. The joke was that the three of us died from food poisoning at a church Potluck Supper and appeared before St. Peter who told us we’d have to successfully spell a word to be able to pass through the Pearly Gates. He told Puckett to spell “God” which Puckett did – after several tries. And St. Peter told Steve to spell “God” which, with some hesitation, he did manage to spell correctly. And then it was my turn, and having overheard the others, I was all set and ready to spell “God”. But St. Peter said, “Okay, Marty, spell…Czechoslovakia!” What a cheap joke. And as old as the hills. So y’all had a laugh at my expense. Fine.

 

But here’s a new joke that I really like. It’s sort of like the one Steve told, but it goes like this: Puckett and Nash got food poisoning at a church Potluck Supper…(Long pause!)

 

That’s all.

 

Pretty hilarious, huh?

 

Cracks me up.

 

While Steve was trying so unsuccessfully to be funny in an otherwise fine sermon, Sandy and I were engaged in some sacrificial missionary work. We decided to attend the Sunday service at the church we grew up in. Once upon a time, the church was teeming with adults, overflowing with kids, impacting the whole city in a positive Christian way. But today things are different. Things have changed. When we arrived for worship – just five minutes before the service began – there were only four other people in the congregation. Three of them were a group of quite elderly ladies sitting over on the left side. They were jabbering away as the two of us came walking down the aisle and slipped into a pew about halfway down. When they noticed us, they suddenly stopped talking. And then, they started peeking at us – you know, the way you do when you don’t want the other person to know you’re looking? Finally, one of the women came over to us and asked if we were visitors. Turns out she is an old family friend who both Sandy and I remembered from when we attended that church years ago.

 

I’d say maybe twenty people ended up in the congregation. The pastor delivered a terrific sermon without ever once resorting to cheap jokes about Czechoslovakia. But I had kind of a melancholy feeling as we worshipped. It was difficult not to remember the better times.

 

Over on the right hand side of the nave was the section where our Chapel Choir used to sit. Thirty, maybe forty high school aged kids. Behind that section were some beautiful double-hung stained glass windows – the kind you can actually open. I remember hot summer Sundays when the windows were open. God help any girl who slipped off her shoes while sitting in that section because we boys would snatch them up in a second and toss them out the window. I remember lots of young women recessing down the center aisle at the end of the service in their bare feet, hoping no one would notice.

 

And just ahead of where Sandy and I were sitting last Sunday was the pew that broke one day right in the middle of the sermon. George Seale was carrying on from the pulpit when this huge cracking sound woke everybody up, and suddenly, one end of that pew full of people collapsed to the floor.

 

And they just sat there! Didn’t know WHAT to do! They were listing like the Titanic and didn’t know enough to get off the boat! Thank goodness George Seale stopped his sermon because I think they would have just stayed there – half on, half off the floor. He started laughing. And that gave permission for everybody else to let loose, too. And we did. A giant belly laugh flooded the church that day as these people got up off the floor and went to sit in safer places. I can still see the magnificent smile on George Seale’s face and hear his beautiful deep laugh as that scene unfolded so long ago.

 

And maybe that was the beginning of one of the most important lessons God has ever taught me. You see, I knew by then that Christians have certain distinctive behaviors. We are to believe – and how important it is to build our lives on strong Christian convictions. We Christians are to  pray – and prayer is so crucial. We Christians are to serve – because, after all, what good is belief if it doesn’t go somewhere and accomplish the purposes of God? We Christians are to give  - because God loves a cheerful giver. And we are to love – because that is the greatest commandment of all.

 

Let’s see…we Christians are to believe…pray…serve…give…love…

 

And that day I learned that God’s people are to laugh!

 

Have you ever thought about that? That laughter is a spiritual discipline?

 

Reader’s Digest claims that laughter is the best medicine. And you know, there are many scientific studies today indicating that laughter releases endorphins and all sorts of other biochemical reactions in the human body that assist with healing and pain reduction and positive mental attitudes. But even more interesting to me than the opinion of Reader’s Digest is the commentary of the ancient rabbis of Israel who taught that laughter is the second gift of creation.

 

They believed that laughter is not initiated by us, but rather is a gift of God. So the laughter we’ve shared already this morning is not simply a product of Steve’s bumbling efforts to be funny, or his totally depraved sidekick Bob Puckett. No, our laughter began in the heart of God, and God channeled it into and through us!

 

We all know the Abraham and Sarah story. It’s a real knee-slapper! He is 99 years old. She is 90. And God tells them they’re going to have a baby. Now, one of our choir members recently commented to me that aging has some drawbacks. You know, there are some new aches and pains – and some new knees and hips. In fact, I believe we have more artificial body parts in this congregation than real. Is there anyone here today who is 100% pure human? My greatest fear is that some day someone will open up a junkyard next to the church and bring in one of those big electromagnets. Throw the switch on a Sunday morning, and whoosh – instant rapture! Well, our choir member had it right when he spoke of the challenges of aging. His exact words were, “Getting old is not for sissies!”

 

So consider what it would mean if you were the one having a baby at 99 and 90 years of age respectively!

 

And so we have this beautiful little scene in Genesis 18 where Sarah is hiding inside the tent, listening in as the Lord tells Abraham about this great upcoming event. And when she hears the news, she bursts out laughing! I mean, what would you do? And Sarah’s giggle gives away her presence. And the Lord says to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Is there anything too big for the Lord?”

 

And just then, Sarah comes out of the tent and says, “That wasn’t me you heard laughing!”

 

And the Lord says, “Oh yes it was!”

 

And nine months later or thereabouts…Sarah spits out a baby.

 

“What name shall we call him?” Abraham asks. “Oh, let’s call him Isaac,” says the Lord with a snicker.

 

You see, Isaac means, “He who laughs.” Or, as a rabbi friend of mine insisted on translating it, “He who laughs last, laughs best!”

 

We all know that story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac, but one part of the story often escapes us. It is parenthetically attached to our lectionary reading today. It’s from a few chapters down the line, in Genesis 21 – probably when Sarah is sitting up giving little Isaac a bottle at 3 o’clock in the morning -  and it goes like this:

 

“Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me!’”

 

And today, we’re laughing with Sarah, not at her. But did you notice where Sarah says the laughter came from? It came from God!

 

And so the ancient Jewish rabbis taught that laughter is a gift from God, the second gift of creation. The first gift of creation, of course, is the breath of God, which gives us life. But the second gift of creation is the laughter of God. A colleague of mine in Connecticut says that any parent of a baby knows that laughter even comes before speech. And our family has experienced this recently because a short while ago our little grandson Ryan Peter laughed for the very first time! And scared himself half to death! He was so startled, he started crying. But what a miracle! Ryan received from God the gift of laughter that day!

 

Now why do you suppose God would do that? I mean, of all the gifts God might give, why is laughter so very high on His list?

 

I was performing a graveside service up in Boston once. It was a dark and dreary day, matching the somber mood of all of us as we gathered to say goodbye to a loved one. And everything went as it should on such an occasion – until I fell into the grave. The ground under my feet crumbled, and all of a sudden, there I was – up front and personal with Mrs. Jones, the deceased. She was as surprised as I was! Well, fortunately, the funeral director was a friend of mine. He and several family members caught me before I fell all the way to the center of the earth. And everybody was very worried about whether I was okay. They dusted me off and said things like, “Are you okay?” “Oh thank goodness, we caught you!” “Are you sure you’re all right?” But underneath all the expressions of concern, I noticed something. There were smirks on their faces, and twinkles in their eyes. I realized that what they really wanted to do was to burst out laughing! But, they didn’t. After all, this was a funeral. So they managed to keep it bottled up. But a funny thing - as they left the graveside that day, you could actually hear the laughter as they drove away in their cars!

 

And a few weeks later, when I visited with the surviving spouse, he said to me, “Marty, that laughter felt so good! It reminded me that, even though I’ve lost so much, there’s still beauty and joy and hope in the world.”

 

And every one of us who, in the time after the loss of a loved one, has sat with a group of family members and told stories about that person, knows what I’m saying. Someone will bring up a humorous memory. And laughter will come. And it will feel so warm, and healing and good. And it’s GOD, who brings us that gift!

 

A short while ago, I was visiting with a friend who’s going through a very dark and difficult time. We talked about his problem for quite a while. We shared his deep, deep sadness. And then, for no particular reason at all, I found myself asking, “Where are you finding joy these days?”

 

There was a long, long pause. “Jeez,” he said after several moments, “that’s a really good question. Where am I finding joy?”

 

And then a few days later, I happened to speak with him again. “Do you remember asking me where I’m finding joy these days?” he asked.

 

“Sure,” I said. “Have you figured it out yet?”

 

He replied, “For the last couple of days, every time I’ve encountered something joyful, I’ve taken out a little notebook and jotted it down. Do you know that notebook is almost full now? And to think that a day or so ago, I thought my whole life was nothing more than my problem.”

 

I think God chose joy and its companion laughter as the second gift of creation because it brings us hope in the midst of life as it really is. Joy reveals that God has not abandoned us. It demonstrates that God will indeed keep his promises, no matter how dark things are right now. It reminds us that ultimately, all things will in fact work together for the good for God’s children. And it gives us power to face tomorrow when today is full of trouble.

 

Laughter is a powerful medicine!  And it comes as a gift from the heart of God.

 

So will you go this week and practice the Christian discipline of laughter? Oh, be sure to believe, and pray, and serve, and give, and love – but also be sure to laugh! Look for the joy that God places in your life every day.  And when you find it, let yourself go with laughter! Because, you see, we believe in a God who laughs!

 

Now, can YOU spell – CZECHOSLOVAKIA?