04-12-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 12, 2026
Guest Writer: Rev. Becky Winders
God's Sense of Humor
When I contemplate God's sense of humor, my thoughts drift back to the quirks and giggles woven into my life growing up in a faith-filled household, I came to realize early on that divine intervention doesn’t speak in Charlton Hester’s or Morgan Freeman’s voice—it sometimes whispers through laughter, mishaps, and the unexpected moments that shape us.

Perils of not being Baptized:
As a child, I was consumed by the fear of not being baptized. Sunday school lessons painted vivid pictures of heaven and hell, and I became convinced that my lack of baptism was a one-way ticket to an eternal sauna and I hate being hot. While my friends daydreamed during sermons, I was plotting how to secure my spot among the saved. I was sure I was on the naughty list. At 8 years old, I may have been a little confused about Santa and God.

My chance finally arrived one Sunday night. The next thing I was literally walking that long walk to save my soul from eternal damnation.  My mother, the church organist, had no idea that I was going to take that walk. But as I began my walk — the music abruptly ceased. All eyes turned to my mother, who looked very startled. Years later, whenever I hear Don McLean’s "American Pie," especially the iconic line, “the day the music died,” I am reminded of that walk to confess my sins. 

The baptism itself was no less memorable. As the minister held me up because I was tiny and would have been under the water, his grip slipped and I took a real dunking to the bottom of the font. A collective gasp swept the congregation. The minister recovered and pulled me up, but my gasping and stunned expression became legendary. Instead of feeling embarrassed, I decided that it took a real dunking to get rid of my sins. I sensed even as a child that God was sharing in the joke—a reminder that even the holiest of moments aren’t immune to laughter.

More recent moments of Humor:
One Christmas Eve, I went to the midnight service with a friend, Mary David.  Mary is an obstetrician and was on call.  As we approached the moment of Christ’s birth, she got a message from her voice pager.  Throughout the church all heard “Mary please come to Labor and delivery.” It was the best timing ever. To this day that story is retold every Christmas Eve.

God often must remind me not to be so caught up in myself.  My very first experience as the Worship Leader, I was caught up in being perfect.  When I was saying the Words of Institution, I forgot to break the bread.  Instead of just letting it go, I announced to the entire church over the microphone “Oops I forgot to break the bread”! Then reached over and broke the bread…..I really wanted to suck those words back into my mouth.

I had the honor of saying the Communion prayer at the Maundy Thursday service this year.  I wrote a beautiful prayer about the real “Last Supper”.  It was eloquent filled with fancy words (so not me).  When I got up to say the prayer, I opened my binder and unfolded the paper. To my horror I was looking at the receipt for our retreat at Camp Gonzo.  So, I prayed from my heart and decided that God had put me in my place to just be myself. God had “smacked me upside the head”.  

Finally, the funniest moment, at a time that I was being petty and very human.  I had just set up communion. Another church member walked and did not know I was sitting in the empty church. She rearranged the table and then said something about the table. It really hurt my tender feelings. I walked out of the sanctuary angry.  I went to Holy Grounds to get some coffee and said just under my breath, “God, please get me out of this mood, I don’t want to go into worship with these ugly feelings”.  At that moment (…wait for it…) my smart watch announced, “I’m sorry I am not able to help you at this time”.  I burst out laughing and forgot the hurt and anger.

Conclusion
Looking back, these moments shaped my perception of God’s humor. The anxieties, the halted music, the baptismal blunder, botched Communion—all taught me that faith isn’t about perfection, but about embracing the unpredictability of life with humility and laughter. God’s sense of humor nudges us, to see the irony in our seriousness, and to find joy amid our worries. Today, I cherish these mishaps as gifts. They remind me that embracing faith means accepting its missteps, and its laughter. In the grand design, God’s humor is a gentle teacher, helping us smile and accept our imperfection. . I am filled with joy that God loves me “Just as I am”. And if the music ever stops again, I know now to listen for the punchline.

I found this prayer and loved its earthiness and realness (gotta love that first line):

Prayer for Good Humor
by St. Thomas More
Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good
and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.