c11Pentecost 8 ~ July 22, 2007 ~ A sermon preached by The Rev’d Erl G. Purnell at Old St. Andrew’s Church, Bloomfield, CT
Genesis 18.1-14; Psalm15; Colossians 1.21-29; Luke 10.38-42
The question is: Where is the laughter in our lives?
Gary Larson cartoon …
EarthQuik
Something tells me this thing’s only half-baked.
An Engineer in Hell …
Engineer died … Went to Heaven
Wrong place … Transferred to Hell
Dissatisfied … Installs A/C, plumbing, running water, flush toilet, escalators … all the conveniences
G calls Satan. “How’s things down there?”
S says, “Pretty nice. We’ve got A/C, running water, a flush, escalators, all the conveniences
G says, “What? You got an engineer. That’s a mistake. Send him back.”
S says, "No way. I'm keeping him."
G says, “Well, I’m going to sue.”
S says, “Yeah, right … and where are you going to get a lawyer?”
God is watching …
Children, Catholic School, Cafeteria
Apples
Nun, “Take only one. God is watching.”
Cookies. “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”
Dear God …
Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool.
Dear God, If you watch me in church Sunday, I'll show you my new shoes.
Dear God, We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday School, we learned that you did it. So I bet he stole your idea, right?
Golfing preacher …
Sunday; perfect day for golf
Preacher calls in sick
Angel notices he’s on golf course
Complains to God. Angel says he should be punished
God says, “Watch this”
Preacher hits a hole-in-one on the first hole
Elated
On the second, he does it again
Preacher’s beside himself
Angel complains again
God says, “So, who can he tell?”
Ten dollar gift …
Elizabeth gets $10 from aunt for birthday.
She’s shocked.
Aunt asks, “What are you going to do with it?”
Elizabeth says, “Give it to God.”
Aunt says, “Why in the world would you do that?”
Elizabeth says, “God will be just as surprised as I was at not getting the usual dollar.”
Traveling from Ur
God visits Abram
Changes their names
Sarai becomes Sarah; Abhram becomes Abraham
God says Sarah will have a son
Abe cracks up; falls on ground laughing
"You’ve got to be kidding; Sarah’s 90; I’m, 100.”
God tells Abraham to name him Isaac
Later, by oaks of Mamre …
God (three travelers) returns
Water, washing, calf, best flour flatbread
Abe waits in shade.
They ask about Sarah.
Abe says she’s in the tent.
They repeat that she’ll have a son.
Sarah over hears them.
Starts laughing
She thinks, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Wait and see.
They wonder why Sarah’s laughing.
She says, “I didn’t laugh,”
“Yes, you did.” “Did not.”
“Did so.” “Didn’t.”
“Did.” “Didn’t.”
“Did.”
And so begins the story of Isaac.
Laughter’s importance … to God
Divine sense of humor
We take religion too seriously
Need to laugh more
God laughs with us
Where is laughter in our lives?
When you face the impossible, can you laugh?
Some how the divine is revealed through laughter.
Isaac [yits-khawk´] = Laughter (or he will laugh)
Laughter
Amen.
Copyright © 2007. Erl G. Purnell
All rights reserved.
