The Birth of Laughter

June 16, 2002

June 16, 2002

The Bible reading for today is two sets of passages from the Book of Genesis, chapter 18, verses 1-15 and chapter 21, verses 1-7.

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. As he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day, Abraham looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He said, "My Lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant; let a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread that you may refresh yourselves and after that, you may pass on since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and sat it before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season and your wife Sarah shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed at herself saying, "After I have grown old and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?" The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child now that I am old?' Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you in due season and Sarah shall have a son." But Sarah denied saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. The Lord said, "Oh, yes, you did laugh."

A Birthday Wish for the Church

Numbers 11:24-30, Acts 2:1-21

May 19, 2002

Welcome to the birthday party! Family and friends are gathered around the table. They are dressed for the occasion, having been invited to wear red. Some of the men are wearing red sport coats and ties; some of the women wear red dresses and matching shoes. The choir is wearing their bright red robes. Children have on red shorts or red slacks. There are red purses, red belts, red scarves, red hats, and red socks. Some of the youth have even tinted their hair fire-engine red for this festival day. The pastors have red stoles on, and there are red flowers and red candles to match. Red balloons have been inflated too. There is a red cake on the table. It's a rather large cake; it would have to be to hold all those candles. There are almost 2,000 red candles on the cake. Well, actually, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine candles to be exact. One candle for each year since the Holy Spirit of God rushed through the gathering of people on that early Pentecost morning in the year 33 AD. The candles have all been lit, which has, of course, taken some time. But parties, good parties, usually do take time to get going.