Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7
Proper 6 (11) – Year A
Of the stories of responses to G*D—I’ll take Sarah’s every time. Sarah knew impossibility when she heard it. Just being real was what many years had taught.
We have all too many folks who are serious in their promising to be a particular way before actually being in a situation where a test was applied for real. Their earnestness clutters the communication channels and is a frustration to both G*D and themselves.
We have all too few who are able to simply be, able to laugh in such a way that a way ahead is cleared. Their lightness shines a light upon G*D’s behavior. Their laughter finally brings G*D to put up or shut up about serial promises with no action.
What impossible vision has been held out for you? I surely hope you have a good laugh about who you will become.
When that vision comes to pass, I hope you will remember the dismissive laughter of your earlier days and that you will rejoice in unbounded laughter that will grow through the years.
One of the ways to anticipate a really deep laughter yet to come is to cast your mind back to some of the unexpected moves that have led you to where you currently are.
I laugh whenever I think of being a preacher. A tongue-tied youth fearful of how I would be betrayed by what I said—indeed the tongue is both the weakest and the strongest of muscles. Moving my planned study at seminary (academic interest, not ministerial) up 5 years because of the Viet Nam war. Getting a phone message from Bishop Alton while graduating and having my name run through a local congregation and district and conference boards and being ordained a deacon within two weeks—ill-prepared, at best, to be a pastor.
Who would have thought of that result? Surely not I. I’ve been laughing at the silliness of trying to administer our way to “holiness” ever since.
What’s ahead? I can only presume it is more laughter. Won’t it be a hoot when I’m called out of a pastoral role! Won’t it be a hoot if I die in a pulpit! Won’t it be a hoot if ...!
We might as well laugh well now if there is any glimmer of hope that we will laugh well later. In fact, even if there isn’t any hope—we might as well laugh. Laughing with and without hope has gotten me through the last several General Conferences and many a local parish circumstance.
As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience
What impossible vision has been held out for you? I surely hope you have a good laugh about who you will become.
When that vision comes to pass, I hope you will remember the dismissive laughter of your earlier days and that you will rejoice in unbounded laughter that will grow through the years.
One of the ways to anticipate the really deep laughter yet to come is to cast your mind back to some of the unexpected moves that have led you to where you currently are.
I laugh whenever I think of being a preacher. A tongue-tied youth fearful of how I would be betrayed by what I said - indeed the tongue is both the weakest and the strongest of muscles. Moving my planned study at seminary (academic interest, not ministerial) up 5 years because of the Viet Nam war. Getting a phone message from Bishop Alton while graduating and having my name run through a local congregation and district and conference boards and being ordained a deacon within two weeks – ill-prepared, at best, to be a pastor.
Who would have thought of that result! Surely not I. I’ve been laughing at the silliness of trying to administer our way to holiness ever since.
What’s ahead? I can only presume it is more laughter. Won’t it be a hoot when I’m called out of the pastoral role! Won’t it be a hoot if I die in the pulpit! Won’t it be a hoot if . . . !
We might as well laugh well now if there is any glimmer of hope that we will laugh well later. In fact, even if there isn’t any hope – we might as well laugh. Laughing with and without hope has gotten me through the last several General Conferences and many a local parish circumstance.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/june2002.html
Of the stories of responses to G*D – Sarah's laughter and the unitary response of acquiescence of “the people”, I’ll take Sarah’s every time. Sarah knew impossibility when she heard it. She enjoyed it as she went along. It didn’t destroy the arc of her life. Whether a child came or didn’t come had ceased to be the issue. Just being real was what a hundred years had taught.
Better to be embarrassed from laughing at the impossible than being so serious in affirming your willingness to do the impossible only to shortly and embarrassingly demonstrate how disingenuous you had been in promising to not be real – note Golden Calf.
We have all too many folks who are serious in their promising to be a particular way before actually being in the situation where a test was being applied for real. Their earnestness clutters the communication channels and is a frustration to both G*D and themselves.
We have all too few who are able to simply be, able to laugh in such a way that the way ahead is cleared. Their lightness illumines a focus upon G*D’s doing rather than ours. Their laughter finally brings G*D to put up or shut up about serial promises with no action.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/june2005.html
“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast” said the White Queen to Alice. I don’t believe the Queen laughed much, though. What is the use of such belief if it is not tied to laughter?
The Queen had the disadvantage of living backward, while we are trying to live forward. It is this forward focus that turns promises into laughter. The denial of laughter is a step toward the prison of fear.
I yearn for more laughter in the world that comes from an unrepentant response to such a vision as the presence of G*D coming on earth in the form of such as myself! or you! or us together! Can’t you see it now, entering our next childhood! Such a silly picture as “second childhood” can be putting a best spin on the aging process. But beyond that limited use, isn’t life laughable – what we will become –what will come forth from us.
It might be said that acting compassionately, like laughter, keeps a larger hope alive – both within ourselves and within others.