Our church felt stagnate, needing energy, ideas, newness…something. Not long in their pulpit, I – a hopeful homiletical novice – offered a suggestion that could be either exciting or corny, but certainly different enough to capture attention.

“Y’all ever hear of Holy Hilarity Sunday?” I asked. The staid Scandinavian descendants on my Board returned skeptical glares. I persisted. “Basically, we’ll make worship on the Sunday after Easter fun and funny. Maybe give visitors reasons to return?” They agreed, provided I did most of the work.

The targeted Sunday arrived with one long-time member warning me, “I hope this isn’t too cheesy, Pastor…” Me too. Then I lost my coffee, a dangerous development. Frantic, I scoured the building after Sunday School without success, up through the prelude’s first chords. Calm eluding me, I bounded onto the dais, waved my hands melodramatically – “Welcome to Holy Hilarity Sunday!” – and knocked over the vanished Starbucks cup!

It tumbled onto the sanctuary floor, expelling lukewarm liquid across our blessedly dark, heavy-duty carpet. “I’d been looking for that,” I admitted sheepishly, as the church chuckled, wondering whether this was part of the schtick.

Lorn, our vice-moderator, exited the room swiftly then returned with towels and water. He gestured, “Keep going, Pastor,” before kneeling to clean my mess. The congregation hooped and hawed approval, offering a standing ovation as he exited, which I enthusiastically joined.

In time, the sermon began. I unloaded a torrent of puns on these suspecting souls for the first few minutes. However, I also attempted sincere Biblical analysis, commenting on Nehemiah’s majestic suggestion, “Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.” Notice, I offered, it’s not God’s judgement, or anger, or disappointment operating here. Rather, the prophet predicts that if we allow God’s joy, God’s delight to provide us power, we’ll overcome trials that steal happiness. Useful prophecy, I suggested.

As jokes turned into insight, groans gave way to smiles, then sighs. I’m not persuaded the sermon was special, although I think I read the moment right. Joyous faith need not equal unserious faith.

However, Lorn again stole the show. After cleaning, he remained absent longer than anticipated. I had just begun preaching when the sanctuary door opened and Lorn sauntered down the central aisle. I paused my mediocre wordplay, noticing a cup of water in his hand. More specifically, a sippy cup of water, the kind toddlers use to avoid spills. He lofted it like Moses, placed it on the pulpit, smirked victoriously, and turned to sit with his wife and stepdaughter.

I doubled over with hilarity. The congregation woke Lazurus with laugher. Our collective mirth banished any remaining nerves that this faux-holiday was useless. Lorn’s brilliant timing, comedic wit, and genuine act of service demonstrated the point precisely. Let joy – God’s joy that you are you, God’s joy that flawed, fabulous us count among God’s family – let that strengthen you, inspire you, support you, delight you. It did me that Sunday as brilliantly as ever.

Although more than Lorn illustrated the message. After service, 91-year-old matriarch Ruth lingered until others had passed me at the sanctuary’s door. “Shane,” she started, “I wasn’t so sure about this jokey Sunday thing.”

“Me neither,” I confessed.

“And,” she continued, hesitating as tears formed, “I got a terrible call this morning. My niece died. I almost didn’t come.”

“My word, Ruth,” I said, “I’m so sorry.”

“But I’m very glad I’m here. I needed God’s joy today.”

Amen, Ruth. Amen.

Published in the January 2024 issue of For the Messengers

Rev. Shane Isner is the Senior Minister of First Christian Church of Montgomery, AL. He has previously served churches in Minneapolis, MN and Lexington, KY. A graduate of the University of Chicago Divinity School, Shane was ordained in Hammond, IN at Iglesia del Pueblo Christian Church.

You might also find helpful:

• The Book of Delights — a reader recommendation on joy, wonder, and the practice of noticing delight — rich material for preaching
• Find the Light of Preaching in a Strange Place — on discovering unexpected energy and inspiration in the preaching life
• Preaching These Days — a curated Proclamation Project collection of articles on vitality and practice in contemporary preaching