A LAUGH A DAY KEEPS THE DEMONS AWAY

God Laughs—Why Don’t You

Ministry is not easy. The strongest and most compassionate clergy continually drink in the pain and stresses of their church and the society around them. Their secondary experience of others pain is added to the challenges of organizing a congregation, proclaiming an engaging sermon, responding to personal challenges, and absorbing the criticism of the disappointed. It is not unusual for this work to require 60 and 70-hour weeks with little time to rest and be restored physically or emotionally. The cost to their bodies and emotions is cumulative unless they find a healing response.
God Laughs—Why Don’t You? introduces the art of humor as a healing antidote to the toxic aspects of ministry so that the clergy can both sustain their own health and offer a healthy presence to those around them. The author provides specific ways to utilize humor in the practice of ministry from counseling to conflict, preaching to pastoral visits, and a pastor’s survival notebook for one’s personal health.

THIS BOOK IS FOR GOOD PASTORS

The author is a pastor who engaged in pastoral ministry for almost forty years and, despite many challenges and stresses, remained remarkably healthy and relatively sane. This book is written for his colleagues who continue to respond to God’s call. If you are a good pastor, this book is for you. If you know a pastor you care about, this is a perfect gift as a sign of your support. If you are a pastor who has been exhausted by the demands of ministry and need to be refreshed and restored, this book can help. If you just want a decent laugh as you think about the craziness of being a pastor, this book may offer you some respite.
It is meant as a gift of thanks and support for all those who respond to God’s call through service in the pastoral ministry.