by Fleming Island United Methodist Church on May 12, 2024
Today, I began our service by warmly greeting everyone, especially the mothers, as we celebrated Mother's Day together. I expressed gratitude for all types of mothers and highlighted the universal and diverse roles they play in our lives. I shared a message from Tim, thanking the congregation for their support during his medical emergency, emphasizing the strong community spirit within our church.
As we moved into the sermon, I introduced the theme of "Joy in the Journey," challenging the traditional view that spiritual life must be solemn and serious. I encouraged the congregation to embrace joy and fun as essential components of our faith experience. We engaged in a lively and interactive singing of "I've Got Peace Like a River," which included motions and clapping, illustrating my point that worship can be joyful and energizing.
I delved into the scriptural basis for our discussion by referencing Ecclesiastes 8:15, which advocates for enjoyment in life as a gift from God amidst the toil of human endeavors. This set the stage for exploring how fun and laughter are not only permissible but recommended in scripture as ways to enhance our spiritual and communal life.
Drawing from personal experiences and biblical narratives, such as Nehemiah 8, I explained how the Israelites were instructed to find joy in their religious observance rather than mourning over their shortcomings. This perspective was reinforced by sharing how fun has been a healing and unifying force in my own life, especially during challenging times in IT work, where humor and camaraderie lightened the load.
I concluded the sermon by emphasizing that fun is not only spiritual and healing but also relational and attractive. It draws people together and makes our community more inviting to others. We explored how a cheerful heart is good medicine, as stated in Proverbs 17, and how this truth plays out in both personal interactions and broader church activities.
The service wrapped up with a call to confession and communion, inviting everyone to approach God's table with hearts lightened by joy and reassured by forgiveness. We celebrated the inclusive love of Christ, which calls us to live out our faith with joy and laughter, making our spiritual journey not only a matter of obedience but also a delightful experience.
### Key Takeaways
1. **Joy as a Commandment of Faith**
Embracing joy in our spiritual journey isn't just a suggestion; it's a directive found throughout Scripture. Nehemiah 8 shows us that even in times of learning about our failures, we are called to celebrate the goodness of God. This joy isn't superficial; it's deeply theological and rooted in the reality of God's forgiveness and grace. It transforms our gatherings from mournful assemblies to celebrations of redemption. [41:59]
2. **The Healing Power of Laughter**
Laughter is often underestimated in its capacity to heal and mend the brokenness within us. As we navigate through life's challenges, incorporating moments of genuine joy and laughter can significantly shift our perspective, helping us to manage stress and sorrow more effectively. This isn't just a nice add-on to our faith practice; it's a vital part of how we experience and share the healing power of Christ with others. [50:41]
3. **Fun as a Spiritual Practice**
Often, we segregate fun and serious spiritual practices, but integrating fun into our faith journey enhances our spiritual health and communal bonds. Just as the Israelites were instructed to enjoy food and celebrate, we too are called to see fun as an integral part of our spiritual life, not separate from it. This integration helps in building a more resilient and joyful community. [36:40]
4. **Community Building Through Shared Joy**
Fun is not just about individual enjoyment but also about building stronger, more connected communities. By prioritizing shared experiences of joy, we fill the "fun buckets" that sustain us through more challenging times. This principle is crucial not only in maintaining the health of any community but also in making our church a welcoming place for newcomers. [44:30]
5. **Attraction Through Enjoyment**
The way we express joy and enjoyment in our faith practice can act as a powerful testimony to the world around us. When others see us genuinely enjoying our faith, it becomes an invitation to them to explore what makes our community different. This attraction is not through force or obligation but through the visible, lived-out joy that characterizes our gatherings. [48:32]
### Youtube Chapters
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [24:35] - Opening Remarks and Mother's Day Greetings
- [28:57] - Interactive Worship and Singing
- [35:20] - Sermon Introduction: Joy in the Journey
- [41:05] - Scripture Reading and Explanation
- [50:41] - Discussing the Healing Power of Joy
- [53:44] - Communion and Closing Prayer
### Bible Reading
1. **Ecclesiastes 8:15** - "So I recommend having fun because there is nothing better for the people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way, they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun."
2. **Nehemiah 8:10** - "Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'"
3. **Proverbs 17:22** - "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
### Observation Questions
1. According to Ecclesiastes 8:15, what does the author recommend for people to experience happiness?
2. In Nehemiah 8:10, what were the Israelites instructed to do instead of mourning?
3. How does Proverbs 17:22 describe the impact of a cheerful heart versus a crushed spirit?
4. What was the main theme of the sermon, and how was it illustrated through the interactive singing of "I've Got Peace Like a River"? [28:57]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does the author of Ecclesiastes emphasize the importance of having fun and enjoying life amidst hard work? How does this perspective align with the overall message of the sermon? [36:40]
2. In Nehemiah 8:10, why is the joy of the Lord considered a source of strength for the Israelites? How does this concept apply to our spiritual journey today? [41:59]
3. How can laughter and joy serve as healing mechanisms in our lives, according to Proverbs 17:22 and the sermon? [50:41]
4. The sermon mentioned that fun is not only spiritual but also relational and attractive. How can integrating fun into our faith practices enhance our community and make it more inviting to others? [44:30]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt burdened by life's challenges. How did moments of joy or laughter help you cope with those difficulties? How can you intentionally incorporate more joy into your daily life? [50:41]
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of celebrating God's goodness even in times of learning about our failures. How can you shift your focus from mourning your shortcomings to celebrating God's forgiveness and grace? [41:59]
3. Think about your current spiritual practices. How can you integrate more fun and joy into them? For example, could you incorporate joyful worship songs or light-hearted fellowship activities? [36:40]
4. How can you contribute to building a more joyful and connected community within your church? Are there specific activities or events you can help organize to foster this environment? [44:30]
5. The sermon highlighted that a cheerful heart is good medicine. Identify one area of your life where you can cultivate a more cheerful and positive attitude. What practical steps can you take to achieve this? [48:32]
6. How can the joy and fun you experience in your faith practice serve as a testimony to others? Think of one person who might be drawn to your community through your visible joy. How can you invite them to experience this joy with you? [48:32]
7. Reflect on the idea that fun is a spiritual practice. How does this change your perspective on activities you previously considered non-spiritual? How can you approach these activities with a renewed sense of purpose and joy? [36:40]
Day 1: Joy as a Divine Imperative
Joy in our spiritual journey is not merely a suggestion, but a divine command. Scripture repeatedly calls us to embrace joy as a fundamental aspect of our faith. This joy is not superficial; it is deeply rooted in the theological truths of God's forgiveness and grace. By celebrating God's goodness, even in the midst of learning about our failures, we transform our gatherings from mournful assemblies to vibrant celebrations of redemption. This transformation is crucial for experiencing the fullness of life that God intends for us. [41:59]
"Then he said to them, 'Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'" - Nehemiah 8:10 ESV
Reflection: How can you incorporate more celebratory practices in your personal worship to reflect the joy of the Lord as your strength?
Day 2: The Healing Power of Laughter
Laughter and joy are often underestimated in their capacity to heal and mend our inner brokenness. As we navigate life's challenges, integrating moments of genuine joy and laughter can significantly shift our perspective, helping us manage stress and sorrow more effectively. This integration of joy is not just a nice addition to our faith practice; it is essential for experiencing and sharing the healing power of Christ with others. Embracing laughter as a spiritual practice invites God's restorative power into our lives. [50:41]
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." - Proverbs 17:22 ESV
Reflection: Can you recall a recent situation where laughter helped you overcome a difficult moment? How can you foster more opportunities for joy in your daily life?
Day 3: Fun as a Spiritual Practice
Integrating fun into our faith journey is not only permissible but beneficial for our spiritual health and communal bonds. Scripture supports the idea that enjoying life's pleasures, like the Israelites did with food and celebration, is an integral part of our spiritual experience. This approach helps build a resilient and joyful community, strengthening our connections with each other and enhancing our collective faith experience. [36:40]
"And behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" - Isaiah 22:13 ESV
Reflection: What is one way you can introduce more fun into your spiritual practices this week to enhance your connection with your faith community?
Day 4: Community Building Through Shared Joy
Prioritizing shared experiences of joy not only enhances individual enjoyment but also strengthens community bonds. By filling our "fun buckets," we sustain ourselves through challenging times and create a welcoming environment for newcomers. This principle of shared joy is crucial for maintaining the health of any community and makes our church a more inviting place. [44:30]
"And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts." - Acts 2:46 ESV
Reflection: How can you contribute to building a joyful community in your church or neighborhood this week?
Day 5: Attraction Through Enjoyment
The way we express joy and enjoyment in our faith practices can serve as a powerful testimony to those around us. When others observe us genuinely enjoying our faith, it becomes an inviting beacon for them to explore what makes our community different. This attraction through visible, lived-out joy is not through force or obligation but through the authentic expression of our faith. [48:32]
"Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth." - Psalm 110:3 ESV
Reflection: What aspect of your faith brings you the most joy, and how can you share this joy with someone who is not part of your faith community?
Good morning. How's everybody today?
Fantastic. I'm so glad to be worshiping with all of you this morning, and I hope that you all had a great, wonderful morning.
To all the moms, the stepmoms, the adopted moms, the moms at heart, the moms who aren't moms but act like moms, the auntie moms, the god moms, the grandmoms—happy Mother's Day! We're glad that you're worshiping here or online. If you're online, I hope you're still in your pajamas. Yeah, that'd be fantastic.
We just want to say welcome to Fleming Island United Methodist, and this is a great day. Whatever day it is, I say it's a great day because every day that God gives us is a great day.
I would love if you would join me. We're going to stand for our call to worship this morning. I get to read the light part, and you get to read the bold part.
Thank you, God, for giving us mothers. Sometimes we did not understand them, but we know that God understood.
For their tears, their hugs, for their wisdom, for their unfailing trust in our abilities. Amen.
Before we say a word of prayer, I have a word I'd like to share with you from Tim. He is not here today because they have changed. They haven't traveled to see a graduation in their family. But he wanted to be sure to give his word of thanks for all of the church's support from last week. And if you weren't here last week, then ask us about it later.
Alright, so from Tim:
I would like to thank everyone for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts during my recent medical emergency. I am in awe at all of the support and concern for myself and family. The good Lord showed how much I am cared for and how many lives I have touched. In closing, thank you. Thank you for your support.
If you didn't see the message on our Facebook page at the beginning of this past week, Tim is fine. He was dehydrated and then gave blood in addition to being dehydrated, and that caused the medical issues. But he wanted to be sure that I shared it. He wanted to share that word with you all.
So as we prepare to go to the Lord in prayer this morning, I just want to thank you all for being a church that cares for one another. Amen.
Would you pray with me now?
Almighty God, as we come to you today, I want to thank you for all of the moms in this space and online. Lord, I said at the beginning of service, I tried to think of every category of mom. And I can't even begin to classify all moms. Because, Lord, there's so much more to who a mom is than just bringing a child into the world.
We have moms that raise children that they did not give birth to. And we have women who wanted to have children who did not. Women who today is very sad for them because their children are no longer with them.
So I just ask your blessings over all the women in the world. Whether they're celebrating with the children that they love, whether this day brings sadness because they cannot be with their kids, or it brings the grief of what never was. I just pray that you bless each and every one of them.
Lord, the body of Christ gives us the opportunity to nurture the children in community. So I pray that every woman in our body, in our family, be blessed to help raise each other's children. And that we all get the blessing of being spiritual mothers together. And that we can help each other where we are weak and failing. And encourage one another and pass on wisdom.
But most importantly, God, that we receive strength from you to be the women that you need us and want us and created us to be. That only you know who that is.
We ask your blessings over this worship service and that we may learn from your scriptures in this space and in our children's space, and you may draw us closer to you.
We pray this in your holy and powerful name.
For my friends that are going to be in Kids Club today, I'd like to invite you to head on back for your series. Y'all have fun.
Who's ready to have fun?
Alright, y'all are going to have to get a little more energy than that. I'm just going to warn you. You've all got to stand up. Stand up.
Alright. This next couple of weeks, we're talking about making it fun. So you've got to get some energy. I'm sorry. If you haven't had enough coffee, fair warning, okay?
All right. We are going to sing a song together and the kids are gone. So we have to do it. Alright?
We are going to sing the United Methodist hymn called "I've Got Peace Like a River."
There are emotions. Alright? This is real.
River.
Ocean.
And fountain.
We can do it. Alright? Y'all ready? The words are simple and the tune is repetitive. We can do this. Who's ready?
Alright, let's go.
There you go.
Alright, pause, pause, pause. Some of you are not clapping or fountaining. I can see you. You can do one or the other. We're trying to make it fun, right?
Alright. You got to do one or the other. Either fountain or clap. Okay? But we're all trying to make it fun.
Alright, let's do the last verse. Let's pick it up just a little bit.
Alright, an ocean in my soul.
There you go. An ocean. I've got an ocean in my soul.
You go.
Let's go.
Right, you can sit down. Some of you may remember that from like way back in the camp meeting days. And some of you are like, I don't know what camp meeting is.
When I was a little girl, that's when I was allowed to wear pants to church. And I didn't understand why in July was the only time I got to wear pants to church. But that's the rule. When the guys didn't have to wear ties, I got to wear pants.
And I was confused because it was the hottest month and there was no air conditioning and we wore pants. And that's just the rule. And I was like, that was the rule because I grew up in the Methodist church my whole life.
But we sang songs like this during camp meeting. And I was super excited because these were fun. And I got to clap in church and wear my pants.
But it is in one of our hymnals. And we're going to sing songs like this in the next couple of weeks. So y'all need to come with your energy, alright? Can we do it? Awesome.
And you go home and tell the kids that we had more fun than they did, okay?
Alright. If you want sermon notes, you can find them in the church app. And if you need help with that, you let me know and I'll help you find it.
We are starting this three-week series about making it fun. If you want to learn a theology and philosophy that we learn through play, there's a three-week kind of set of teachings in the adult section called Joy and Play. And I've put that in there for you. It's a set of TED Talks, but I have created discipleship-like Bible connection to the TED Talks. Okay? It's in the description of the videos.
Alright. So today's talk is called Joy in the Journey. What does it mean for us to have joy as we go about life?
And I don't know about you, but have you ever grown up with the idea of thinking that the Christian life, being super spiritual, is supposed to be serious? You know, a good, pious Christian, they're serious. They fast. They pray. They come to the communion table in deep reverence and mourning and sorrow of all the sins they've done.
Do you picture Christians like that a lot? You do, don't you? That's the monks and the nuns, right?
But I don't know about you, but I like the Sister Act version of the nuns better, right? I mean, worship is supposed to be fun, y'all. I don't know about you, but if every Sunday we were like, had the feeling of coming to a funeral, I wouldn't want to be here every Sunday.
Now, I also don't know about you, but I've come to some funerals that were more fun than some church services. That's not us. I think we have a lot of fun. We're in church.
But the purpose of coming to worship is to lift the soul and that we can come in here and be burdened and we can be sorrowful and that we should be able to leave rejuvenated. And that comes from having fun.
Now, we just got through doing sermons talking about the Holy Spirit. We just got through doing sermons talking about the Holy Spirit. We just got through the importance of relationships and community.
And you know, you have more fun in community when you enjoy the people that you're around. You want to be in community with others when those people are fun.
So, we're going to look at another book of wisdom. We were looking in the Proverbs. Now, we're going to look in the book of Ecclesiastes. I'm sure that's right there in your devotions, isn't it? Y'all read Ecclesiastes every day? You don't? Okay, we're going to read it today.
Alright, Ecclesiastes chapter 8, starting in verse 15.
So, I recommend having fun because there is nothing better for the people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way, they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.
Who thinks that's a wonderful verse? Is that not a great verse for Mother's Day? I mean, all the moms, that should be on the front of every Mother's Day card. Mom, you need to have fun, eat, drink, and enjoy life. And it should say, and put your feet up and let everybody else do the work today, right?
Let's keep going.
In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people's burdens here on earth, I discover that there are ceaseless activities day and night. I realize that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.
Now, we talked in the last series that something can be fun and it can be good and it can even help rejuvenate the soul, but too much of anything is bad, right? So, we're going to try to look at some lessons about fun that help us, but remember that any too much of one thing is bad. Put that in that lens that we're looking at all this through, okay?
So, when you were in school, gravitate towards the fun people. If you think to the popular kids now or then, they were probably the kids that had fun things to do. They were not the—I'm going to go back to the 90s when I was in school—it was not the emo kid. That's what we called them, the ones that were always sad and walked around going, "Oh, life's so terrible. I don't know what to do. Everything's horrible."
Everything's going to be okay. I don't know what to do. I don't want to go bad today. I'm never going to get what I want. I'm going to get into a horrible school and everything's going to fail.
That was the kids in my school that we called emo. I don't know what they call it today, but in the 90s, that's what we called them. And I had friends; that was my friends. That was our little, like, you know, they made us feel better about ourselves because we were happy and they weren't, alright?
I'm just being realistic with you. That's why my friends were that way is because then I was a happy person and I felt even though I was only average because they were always negative.
Now, as a whole, the really popular people were not negative and down like that all the time. They were happy and cheerful and had fun. And people wanted to spend time with people who have fun, right?
So it makes me think about this idea that having fun is an intentional thing to do. See, the thing is, we can either wait for fun to happen to us, or we can make fun happen through us.
You can either go about life and just fall into fun things, or you can say, "I'm going to go make this situation fun." Think about that one for a second.
We have a joke in our family that if something horrible is going to go wrong, it's going to happen to the Perrys. Case in point, my foot, okay?
Now, I can either walk around and go, "Oh, poor me. I've hurt myself. I can't do what I want." Or I can go, "Well, look, I got one of those boots like this orange truth for war on the day that I got married." And that's a story for another day. And I can laugh every time I look at it.
You see, we have to decide if we're going to make things fun for us and see the world through a lens of happiness. And I think that's a really important thing to do.
Or if we're going to see a lens of the world is all the bad stuff going on. Because scripture said, nothing's better than having fun, right?
And that doesn't mean going on and spending an absurd amount of money and going and doing crazy things all the time. It just means looking through a lens of finding the good and even the bad.
God's intent is for us to be able to have fun in the spiritual journey. Because see, fun is a spiritual thing. Some people may say it's not.
Remember we said that we have this idea that the spiritual life is supposed to be pious and serious. But we are supposed to have fun in our spiritual life.
I want to read you a passage out of Nehemiah. Again, I'm sure you read Nehemiah all the time.
But Nehemiah chapter 8 says this:
The people of God, they're reading the book of law. So they, this is multiple of the prophets, they read from the book of the law of God and clearly explain the meaning of what's being read. Like I'm doing right now. They're preaching, okay?
And helping the people understand each passage. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this. For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God."
For the people have been weeping and they have been listening to the Lord.
So, the people are hearing the Bible being read. And they're mourning that they have failed the law. And they're mourning their sins and all these things.
And Nehemiah is saying, "Hey, stop. Stop being upset at all the things you've done wrong. Listen to the words and celebrate what God has done."
Now friends, I point to an Old Testament passage because sometimes we point to Old Testament God and you think of God of wrath and all those things.
But this is the Old Testament where they're saying, remember, once you've gotten your forgiveness, you get to celebrate. Because nothing is better, right? Yes?
You've got to be awake. You just jumped up and said, "Peace like a river." We can be awake.
Is anything better than having fun according to the scriptures?
Okay, so when we get redeemed and our sins are forgiven, is there anything better?
Okay.
So Nehemiah is saying to the people of Israel, you're hearing the scriptures and you're being pulled into the, "I've done all these things wrong," but instead celebrate all the things that have been given to you, that God has forgiven you.
That's something to celebrate, is it not? I think it is.
There's nothing better than to celebrate what God has done for us. Amen.
So why do you think they wouldn't have celebrated that? Why? Why?
Because they're thinking they need to still feel sorry for what they've done.
See, in spirituality, we hold ourselves back. God forgives, and we carry the burden of what God has done. We carry the burden in our soul, on our shoulders, of all the things that we have done wrong.
And we're like, "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I need to carry the penance. I need to carry the weight. I need to keep apologizing."
When God says, "I've set you free," you let that go so you can keep on moving on in the joy of the Lord.
I don't know if there's any of y'all today that are in that place, but in verse 10, Nehemiah goes on to say,
Again, look at this. Man, the Old Testament friends, they loved to celebrate and eat, did they not? Amen.
That's why we Methodists do it so much. Fun is spiritual. It is spiritual.
The third thing is fun is relational. We just got through talking about the importance of these relationships, but the thing is, is that you have to fill relationship buckets.
If you want to have energy from a relationship to help you in the hard times, you have to have fun energy first.
Some of you know, I worked in IT for years. I got always told I was the only IT person that actually talked to people. It's a thing.
I would go fix computers, and they're like, "We're not used to the people." I'm coming out of the IT cave and actually having conversations.
Some of you know IT people, and you get that joke. Some of you don't, and you don't understand. It's okay.
But the boss of IT, he had a hard, fast rule. Every Friday, we had a meeting that nobody was allowed to miss. Nine o'clock every Friday, every IT person left their cubicle and showed up in the break room for coffee and donuts.
And you had no reason to miss this meeting. It didn't matter what was happening. I could be programming. I could be building computers for the whole campus. We could be rolling out a new database system. We could have the president of the institution's computer on fire, and you did not miss coffee and donuts.
And he had a theory. If we could spend one hour talking about anything except work every week, we told dad jokes. We laughed at how our boss lost his coffee every day. I mean, we talked about the craziest things in the world, but we did not talk about technology.
And if we could do that as a whole bunch of geeks that had social issues, when it came time for freshman orientation, or new technology rollouts, or when the database is broke because somebody missed something in the coding, we could handle the stress that came in the department because we had all these hours of fun together.
And it worked.
And y'all want to see a whole bunch of geeks really stressed out? What that does to each other? It's a weird thing.
You ask some of the people. You ask some of the people that work in technology. They put out their stress in weird ways. Like, drink 10 pots of coffee in a day, and now you've got a technology person sitting at a computer like this going, "Stop talking to me!"
Okay?
But when you fill the fun bucket in the relationship and the stress comes, the community can survive.
This is why we do activities in the church that are purely just for fun. And I believe they are just as spiritual as the events we do for Bible study.
The community survives when the relationships have the fun bucket filled.
And this is the last thing. Fun is attractional. It's attractional.
Remember that comment I made just a second ago about not wanting to worship like we were going to a funeral? Our world likes to have fun just like we do.
And none of them want to come to a church that looks like we don't enjoy being here. They don't want to come be with the whole group of people that look like this is not a fun place to be.
Because why would you come to a church that's not fun? You're not coming because you have to.
Right? I hope none of you were guilted into coming here. It is Mother's Day. I know this is a weird Sunday to make that statement. So there might have been a little bit of Mother's Day guilt.
But my hope is, is that you come because you enjoy it. And when we enjoy things, other people see us enjoying things. They see us enjoying worship, enjoying relationships, enjoying reading the Bible.
It can be fun. And when they see us enjoying it, they want to be a part of the fun we're having. Because it's not about obligation. It's just about fun.
One more proverb for you. Chapter 17. A cheerful heart is good medicine. But a broken spirit wraps a person's strength.
I don't know about you, but I feel like our world has a lot of broken spirits. You may have walked in here today with your spirit broken a bit. I hope the fountains cheered you up.
I saw some of y'all taking pictures of me doing the fountain. Having fun lifts the spirit.
You know, there's nothing better than in a tense moment, in a meeting, in services, in family situations. And all of a sudden, people just busting out in laughter.
And sometimes people don't know why they're laughing. They may not even know what happened. For all you know, a chair is scooted across the floor. And someone thinks that someone's passed gas. And they didn't even do it, but it was the chair.
And everyone just busts out. You're laughing because you've had those moments when everyone's like, "What just happened? I don't know, but it was funny."
But sometimes stress gets so high that all we can do is laugh. And the joy mends the soul.
Have you ever laughed so hard that the sorrows break through and you cry? It mends the soul.
Our relationships with each other, our relationship with God, when joy comes, the healing begins.
And it sounds strange that joy heals sorrow, but it opens the floodgates of emotion. That's what this is all about.
Sometimes when stress, the thing we need to do the most is to laugh and to clap and to sing and to dance and to open.
So if you felt recently like your heart is burdened, I encourage you to think about it. Think about where you need to laugh and how we can bring a little more joy because we know, according to scriptures, it brings the healing to who we are.
Would you pray with me?
Father God, I am reminded so much how medicine truly is brought on by laughter. Even in this past week, I'm thinking of the times that my life felt stressful and I don't even know what I laughed at, but I had some moments of joy.
I know the feeling, but not the reason. And that's what we're talking about here. If only we could have some of those things that Jesus and the disciples laughed at.
I'm sure they had things. I imagine some of them at Peter or the twins when they said something that Jesus had corrected time and time again. I can just see him laughing at them again going, "Peter, how many times are we going to go through this?"
And all he could do is laugh. Not to be mean, but to just lighten the mood.
As we get ready to come to your table today, God, I just pray that you help us do so with light hearts, not burdened hearts. Not hearts that come worried about what we bring to you, but filled with the joy of who we are, knowing that you forgive all things.
We pray this in your holy name. Amen.
Friends, we have been called to follow Christ by obeying his one commandment, that we love one another as he has loved us.
So we're going to come now to confess our sins and how we have fallen short of that love. This confession is the only requirement that Christ has for us to come to his table, which is open to all.
So would you join me now as we confess our sins together?
Loving God, we have not loved you or each other with our whole hearts. Forgive us, we pray, and lead us toward wholeness that we may be filled with your joy.
Forgive us and abide in us by the power of your Spirit so that our lives may show our love for Jesus Christ.
The night Christ sat with his disciples and friends before his arrest, he took the bread and he broke it. He said, "This is my body, which has been given for you. Eat this in remembrance of me."
He took the cup. He said, "This is the blood of the new covenant shed for the sins of all people. Drink as you eat in remembrance of me."
The Passover meal was designed to help teach children about the Passover. And there were moments in that meal of silliness where kids had to do parts of the story to interact with it.
We always think of it as very serious. But Jesus would have interacted with any kids present, teaching them the traditions. And I'm sure there was much joy in the room, even though he was preparing for his sacrifice just hours after his arrest.
So as we prepare to come before, I'm going to give you a moment now to confess your sins before God in your heart. And I'll close us in prayer in just a moment.
Take a moment to yourselves to lift anything to God.
Almighty God, we ask that you hear the confessions of our heart. And Lord, give us just a little bit of that childlike spirit that those around Jesus and his ministry must have had of all the many children that came to his presence.
We ask, Lord, that you send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and this juice and transform it to be the body and blood of Christ and fill us with your spirit here so we may be redeemed by Christ's blood and transformed into his body.
We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Friends, hear this word of forgiveness. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Would you join me?
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Amen.
I'd like to invite those who are going to help me with communion to come forward. As they come, just a word of instruction. You will be given a small piece of bread to dip into the cup. There'll be stations, one on each side.
If you like your bread not to be touched, there'll be prepackaged communion kits here in the center along with gluten-free, and you can receive either right here.
I will serve my helpers, and after I serve them, we'll invite everyone forward.
Friends, the Lord's table is open, and we invite all to come. We'll come up. We'll come back and down the center and out the outsides.
You may come now as you choose.
Alright, y'all can have a seat for a second. And our children's ministry has a gift. Y'all come on up, kids. Come on.
They like a gift to all of our moms.
Hi, yeah, come on. You get to come up here. Do you need some help? It's okay. I'll help.
Alright, y'all come on up. Y'all come spread across here so everybody can see you.
Alright, share the microphones. Y'all keep scooting together. Scoot this way. Scoot this way.
Here we go. Let's put our shorter ones up front, okay? You're a middle size. Guys, I'm going to keep scooting you a little bit, okay? Make sure everybody can see everybody.
There you go. Right there, sweetheart.
Don't you love children? They're beautiful and love to do what they want.
Come on.
Yeah, come on in.
Oh, I'm...Hey, Rosie, it's Pastor Faith. I'm right here next to you, okay? Can I stand next to you?
Okay, okay.
Alright, everybody ready?
Okay.
Let's go.
At your moms.
Can everybody wave at mom?
Mom?
It's so scary up here for them.
Alright. Hey, moms and dads, you're going to come up front to get your kids, okay? We're going to just leave them up here, and you can gather them from the front.
Alright. I'm going to say, I'm going to, except for our little littles, they're going to go back, but everybody else is going to stay up here.
Alright. I'm going to say a closing prayer, okay? Can you all pray with me?
Can everybody get prayer hands? Can we get prayer hands? You want to hold my hand?
Okay, let's get prayer hands. We're going to pray. You ready?
Alright, let's pray.
Dear God, thank you for our beautiful children and the next generations of our church and for all the adults that help raise them and teach them who you want us to be. Amen.
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "I believe they are just as spiritual. As the events we do for Bible study. The community survives when the relationships have the fun bucket filled. And this is the last thing. Fun is attractional. It's attractional. Remember that comment I made just a second ago about not wanting to worship like we were going to a funeral? Our world likes to have fun just like we do. And none of them want to come to a church that looks like we don't enjoy being here." [47:36]( | | )
2. "So, we're going to look at another book of wisdom. We were looking in the Proverbs. Now, we're going to look in the book of Ecclesiastes. I'm sure that's right there in your devotions, isn't it? Y'all read Ecclesiastes every day? You don't? Okay, we're going to read it today. All right, Ecclesiastes chapter 8, starting in verse 15. So, I recommend having fun because there is nothing better for the people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life." [36:40]( | | )
3. "See, the thing is, is we can either wait for fun to happen to us, or we can make fun happen through us. You can either go about life and just fall into fun things, or you can say, I'm going to go make this situation fun. Think about that one for a second. We have a joke in our family that if something horrible is going to go wrong, it's going to happen to the Perrys." [40:03]( | | )
### Quotes for Members
1. "But the boss of IT, he had a hard, fast rule. Every Friday, we had a meeting that nobody was allowed to miss. Nine o'clock every Friday, every IT person left their cubicle and showed up in the break room for coffee and donuts. And you had no reason to miss this meeting. It didn't matter what was happening. This is why we do activities in the church that are purely just for fun." [45:21]( | | )
2. "You're laughing because you've had those moments when everyone's like, what just happened? I don't know, but it was funny. But sometimes stress gets so high that all we can do is laugh. And the joy mends the soul. Have you ever laughed so hard that the sorrows break through and you cry? It mends the soul. Our relationships with each other, our relationship with God, when joy comes, the healing begins." [50:41]( | | )
3. "They read from the book of the law of God and clearly explain the meaning of what's being read. Like I'm doing right now. They're preaching, okay? And helping the people understand each passage. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this. For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God." [41:59]( | | )
4. "Fun is spiritual. It is spiritual. The third thing is fun is relational. We just got through talking about the importance of these relationships, but the thing is, is that you have to fill relationship buckets. If you want to have energy from a relationship to help you in the hard times, you have to have fun energy first." [44:30]( | | )
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