In preparation for the annual meeting ofThe Presbytery Pastoral Care Network, www.pastoralcarenetwork.org , I have been composing a Toolbox for the care of pastors. One of the items is titled a Lunch of Humor. I share it with you below:
The diversity of theological positions in any given presbytery presents a challenge in building a sense of community. We know that Jesus said one of our most effective witnesses to the world is to demonstrate how we love each other in a manner reflective of how Jesus has loved us. Laughter and humor can be an effective antidote to some of the relational poison that has been affecting us.
Can’t you just see Jesus poking someone in the ribs and saying, “Heh, Mr. Priest, you do that straining bit very well. I doubt that a gnat could ever make it through your procedure. But if you are not careful, you are going to end up swallowing that camel that has just slipped into your cup.” Jesus’ jocular comment was surely meant to puncture the pretentiousness of this activity in the temple. We know that we can take ourselves too seriously.
A simple suggestion that any presbytery leader or member of presbytery could take would be to have a lunch of humor. Invite several clergy to have lunch together. Make sure that there is theological diversity among the group. It would probably be possible to ask some cooks in a specific congregation to prepare the meal. That would surely be a gracious act that most congregations could accomplish if the group was of reasonable size.
Invite the participants to name some of the “gnats” and some of the “camels” that are part of their ministry. What are the things that people get overly serious about that in the larger scheme of things are not that important? What are some of the important things that sometimes can get overlooked?
An alternative would be to invite each participant to bring their best religious joke or story and a humorous story that they have experienced in their own ministry. The leader should have a set of his or her jokes and stories, but the objective is to get as many clergy as possible to contribute.
Food and laughter can be healing contributors to any community. If a presbytery were able to arrange several of these lunches across the presbytery, it would build better relationships that would help when the more difficult issues arise.
