The Praise Of Laughter Series

Have you ever praised God for the enjoyment of laughter? Some

of the greatest of God's people have. When Theodore Cuyler, the

American preacher, visited the great London preacher, Charles

Spurgeon, they told each other the crazy things that happened in their

respective ministries. They enjoyed their laughter as they walked in

the woods, and they were about exhausted after so many amusing

stories. Spurgeon said, "Let's kneel down and praise God for

laughter." So these two great men of God knelt together and thanked

God for this gift.

If we are to love God with our whole being, then it follows that we

are love God even with our laughter. They were praising God for the

gift of laughter. In Psa. 126 we see God's people praising Him with

the gift of laughter. The Israelites were so filled with the delight that

they were no longer captives, but free citizens back in their home land.

They laughed out loud with joy. It would be hard to laugh and sing at

the same time, but verse 2 puts them together, and their mouth is

filled with laughter, and their tongues with songs of joy. Maybe they

would tell stories of their joyful return, and then laugh together, and

break into songs of praise for God's providential guidance in their

lives. All we know is they were a happy people, and their laughter was

a part of their praise to God. Laughter is another aspect of the

physiology of praise, for it is a bodily function whereby the heart and

mind manifest their feelings and thoughts.

Dr. Paul Rees tells of the Christian businessman traveling to St.

Louis who left his hotel on Sunday morning looking for a place to

worship. He asked a policeman for direction to the nearest Protestant

church. When he gave him the information he asked why he had

recommended that particular church out of several possibilities. The

policeman smiled and replied, "I'm not a church man myself, but the

people who come out of that church are the happiest looking church

people in St. Louis. I thought that would be the kind of church you

would like to attend." Laughter and smiling make a statement to the

world about the God we worship.

There is one well known pastor in a large church in California who

always ends his sermon with a joke. It is so that people go out

laughing. That can seem somewhat sacrilegious, and it can be

inappropriate for some themes, but there is n escaping the truth that

laughter is a powerful witness to the good things God has done for us.

The nations round about Israel were impressed with their laughter

and joy, and they had to confess that the Lord has done great things

for them.

God is glorified among those outside His family when those inside

are full of laughter and songs of joy. Praise like this is not just for

their own self enjoyment. It is a powerful tool for evangelism, for

people want to know a God who can bring joy and laughter into their

lives. D. L. Moody said, "If Christians are gloomy and cast down, and

not full of praise, the world will reject their Gospel. It is not good news

if it does not produce praise in those who have it. Praise, joy,

and laughter are a big part of our witness to the world." A Lord who

never gives laughter to His people is not appealing, but is appalling.

He is seen more as a tyrant and task master rather than a loving

heavenly Father who leads His family to enjoy the fun of life, and to

laugh at the funnies of life.

There are serious times in life where laughter is inappropriate, but

all to often Christians have assumed that worship is one of those times

that must always be somber and solemn, and not a fun time. Time

with our earthly father can be a time of rolling on the floor, tickling

and telling jokes, and having a good time. But spending time with our

heavenly Father is not to be fun, but only serious. It seems to be

irreverent to laugh and carry on with hilarious songs of joy. Yet,

these are the kinds of activities that we see in the worship songs in the

Old Testament. You have to be childlike to enjoy this sort of thing,

but we have grown out of that into sophisticated adults where

solemnity is the only mood we feel is appropriate.

The paradox is that the people who have used the Psalms for their

hymnal have been the most solemn of Christians. Ellen Glasgow in

her autobiography tells of her father who was a Presbyterian elder

who was full of rectitude and rigid with duty. She writes, "He was