High on Easter joy

• Publicized its observance in the newsletter and newspaper articles, inviting people to dress in their brightest colors for worship.
   

• Reprinted "The Risen Christ by the Sea" (in black-and-white) on the cover of the church bulletin.
   

• The bell choir played for a prelude, "Dry Bones" --  a very spirited piece with dialogue, singing, and sound effects.
   

• Worshipers were invited to bring various cut flowers and to place these on a wooden cross covered with wire, transforming it into a glorious floral cross.
   

• Helium-inflated yellow balloons with the words "Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!" were placed in the windows and in the chancel area, along with some smiley face balloons. The choir processed in carrying beautiful jewel-colored balloons.
   

• During the children’s sermon, Rev. Harvey taught them the song "I’m Gonna Sing" (See p.16 of "Songs" by Yohann Anderson), adding the lines, "Jesus scattered fear and gloom, when He came out of the tomb." Each child then selected an Easter egg filled with candy from a basket.
   

• A soloist sang "Gather Gladness from the Skies" by Charles Callahan, with the refrain, "Make each morn an Easter Day."
   

• The sermon was entitled "Getting High with Easter Joy" and was based on Luke 24:1-9 and Ephesians 2:4-7. It incorporated humorous stories and jokes.
   

• The service was framed musically with "Hymn to Joy." The congregation began by singing an Easter hymn, "Christ is Risen! Shout Hosanna!" and concluded by singing "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee."
   

• Uninflated balloons with "Christ is Risen! Alleluia!" were distributed to worshipers as they left the service "as a reminder that Easter joy lifts us from doubts, despair, and death."

An upside-down service

Rev. Susan Hamilton, pastor of Parkside Community Church -United Church of Christ, wrote: "I am still receiving comments about our second annual Holy Humor Sunday celebration."

"The upside-down worship service began with the postlude and benediction, and proceeded in free-form order to the ending invocation and prelude. During the 'joke breaks' in the service (noted by happy faces in the bulletin), as I traveled the aisles with a cordless microphone, humor was shared by many members, ranging from a five-year-old to an 80-year-old.

"Thank you for the information and inspiration for this truly unique worship experience, and for leading the way in recapturing Christ’s Spirit."

Blessings of joy

Central Wesleyan Church in Jackson, MI, held its first Holy Humor Sunday service last April, and it was so successful the church plans an-other one this year. Dr. Brad Snyder, the pastor, reported:

"I selected 10 people to read their jokes at various times in the service. My sermon was about 50% funny stories and jokes. People laughed whom I had never seen laugh before. I can honestly say that the Lord greatly blessed that day."

Pastor Bob Thompson of Corinth Reformed United of Church of Christ in Hickory, NC, reported that his church’s Holy Humor Sunday service last year "once again attracted much higher-than-usual post-Easter attendance. It was a great day!"

It was called "Survivor: the Mantua United Methodist Church Experience," and "the object of our version was to be the last one to survive the church," Kraft said. "I was the first one voted out!"

Contestants were challenged to engage in church-related activities in order to survive the church.
"Immunity challenges" included eating as many cookies as possible during the after-church coffee hour, and staying longer than anyone else in a nursery filled with screaming and crying children. After each event, someone was voted out of the game, until there was only one survivor.