Full Description
Laughter—the GPS System for the Soul
Laughter was honored by the ancients as a spiritual healing tool and celebrated by the world's great religions. So why aren't we laughing along the spiritual path today? What would happen if we did?
In this personal and funny look at humor as a spiritual practice, Rev. Susan Sparks—an ex-lawyer turned comedian and Baptist minister—presents a convincing case that the power of humor radiates far beyond punch lines. Laughter can help you:
Remove the fearful mask of a God who doesn't laugh
Debunk the myths that you don't deserve joy
Find perspective when faced with adversity
Exercise forgiveness for yourself and others
Reclaim play as a spiritual practice
Heal—emotionally, physically, and spiritually
Keep your faith when God is silent
Live with elegance, beauty, and generosity of spirit
Whatever your faith tradition—or if you have none at all—join this veteran of the punch line and the pulpit in reclaiming the forgotten humor legacy found in thousands of years of human spiritual history.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
A Letter from God
Disclaimer
PART I Why Aren't We Laughing?
1 Humor and Holiness Are Not Oxymorons: Finding My Way as an Ordained Comedian
2 The Lost Branch of the Family Tree: Remembering Our Legacy of Laughter
3 Spiritual Geliophobia: The Fear of Laughing in the Presence of God
4 Eating Dessert on the Titanic: The Opportunity for Joy Is Now
PART II What Would Happen If We Laughed?
5 High Places of the Heart: Finding Perspective through Laughter
6 We're All Hells Angels: Using Humor to See Past Our Differences
7 Burping in the Pulpit: Rediscovering a Fresh Spiritual Practice through the Eyes of a Child
8 Breathe, Just Breathe: The Healing Power of Breath and Laughter
9 Into the Ark: Laughter in Times of Crisis
10 A Leo's Search for God: Laughter Helps Us Keep Faith When God Is Silent
11 The Dash In Between: How We Live and What We Leave
Suggestions for Further Reading
