Laughter Exercises In Church:
A Devotional Approach To God

How can a mind that is gloomy and dull, love? And isn't God all about Love? Below are select Bible verses that speak of joy and laughter. Thank you to pastor Laura Gentry for compiling this list.

Old Testament

The ancient Psalms are filled with expressions of human emotions, some of which are great joy. Many personify the earth to imply that nature itself rejoices. So when we laugh, we are laughing along with the earth!

"God, who sits in Heaven, laughs!" -- Psalm 2:4

"You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." -- Psaml 30:11

"God has a smile on His face." -- Psalm 42:5

"The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves wiht joy; The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy." -- Psalm 65:12-13

"Let the shield exult and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy." -- Psalm 96:12

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break into joyous song and sing praises." -- Psalm 98:4

"Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them." -- Psalm 126:2

"He that is of a merry heart has a continual feast." -- Proverbs 15:15

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." -- Proverbs 17:22

"I commend mirth." -- Ecclesiastes 8:15

God says, "I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow." -- Jeremiah 31:13

"Let your heart be merry." -- Judges 19:6

"You shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and hills before you shall burst into song, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands." -- Isaiah 55:12

New Testament

Notice that the verses about Christ and his coming speak emphatically of joy. This is why many of the Christmas carols have the word "joy" in them: Christ brings joy!

"The angel said to Mary: You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at the birth of your son." -- Luke 1:14

"The angels said to the shepherds: Do not be afraid, for see - I am bringing good news of great joy for all the people." -- Luke 2:10

When the wise men saw that the star had stopped over the place where the christ child lay, they were overwhelmed with joy." -- Matthew 2:10

"I have said these things to you," Jesus said to his disciples, "so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." -- John 15:11

"Although you have not seen Jesus, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy." -- Peter 1:8

"But in so far as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed." -- Peter 4:13

Jesus said "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 18:3

Jesus said, "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh!" -- Luke 6:21

• Pastor Laura Gentry flew to California in November 2006 to train with us as a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader and started shortly after the Lansing Laughter Club in Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lansing, Iowa (population 1200). She shared with us how well received her initiative had been. [read more]
  
  
• Reverend Sam Trumbore, of First Unitarian Universalist Society in Guilderland, Texas, wanted to try something new for the first Sunday of the New Year, and his Sunday morning service had the congregation in stitches. Literally. [read more]
  
  
• Diana Copsey says the Denver Laughter Club that meets at the First Unitarian Church has changed her life. "I've never found anything that released the central pain and ache I had," she said. "It was the thing that allowed me to give up perfectionism. It freed me." [read more]
  
  
• People meet every Friday night at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Oak Park (Illinois) just to laugh. [read more]

“I’m surprised how quickly our laughter club has taken off. It’s a good ice-breaker for people to get to know one another. It’s such a fantastic outreach that it’s hardly a laughing matter.” -- Don Thran, Our Savior's Lutheran Church

"It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes." -- St. Thomas Aquinas

Humor is a prelude to faith and laughter is the beginning of prayer. -- Reinhold Niebuhr

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Consider attending a training with us to deepen your understanding of Laughter Yoga and how it can help you and those you work with and care for. You'll be surprised at how many doors this will open for you. Here are a few things people have said after training with us:

Do you need an experienced speaker to present Laughter Yoga to your group / conference? Click here to read more.

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