Page 10 - August 2018 Traveler

Rally Day/Holy Hilarity Sunday

Psalm 2:4: “God who sits in the heavens laughs.”

Conrad Hyers once said, “Humor is not the opposite of seri-
ousness. Humor is the opposite of despair.” Which is why I
think it is good for all of us to take time to lighten up a bit
and have a good laugh. And what better time to do that but
when we are about to enter into a new year of Sunday
school? I think it’s a perfect time to offer a Holy Hilarity
Sunday and re-claim a long-standing tradition of the church
th
that dates back to the 15 century. Normally this particular
liturgy was used just after Easter in an effort to remind wor-
shippers of the joke God played on the powers of death and
evil in raising Jesus from the dead. What better time to also
use it now that Easter is well behind us in the liturgical year
and the celebration of Easter, which should happen every
Sunday, seems kind of like a distant memory. The timing of
Holy Hilarity Sunday at the end of summer seems fortuitous.

Of course, we have a long-standing tradition that has engaged in Holy Hilarity, so much
so that a number of historical theologians have had a thing or two to say about laughter
and mirth:

A Communion of Saints
Affirmation of Humor

We believe with the Bible (Ecclesiastes) that
“there is a time to weep and a time to laugh.”

We believe with Chrysostom that
“laughter has been implanted in our souls.”

We believe with Aquinas that there is a time for
“playful deeds and jokes.”

We believe with Luther that
“You have as much laughter as you have faith.”

We believe with Calvin that
“we are nowhere forbidden to laugh.”

We believe with Francis De Sales that
“humor is a foundation for reconciliation.”

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