Every year, the Sunday after Easter,
we celebrate "Holy Humor Sunday." This is a tradition I got from Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, where I grew up. Ostensibly the reason we do this is because Easter is a big joke on the devil, who thought he got Jesus' soul. I suspect mostly we like a Sunday to laugh together, and the Sunday after Easter is both an easy regular time to remember, and makes for a good chance to continue the celebration of Eastertime.
Either way, it usually means no normal sermon.
This year, I was part of two bits-one, a Rick Steves impersonation (For those of you who do not know, Rick Steves is a PBS TV travel host who goes around Europe being geeky, and looks a lot like me), and second a Saturday Night Live skit with my wife.
I am pretty sure both are covered under fair use, let me know if I'm wrong.
You can find the Rick Steves video here
and the SNL weekend update skit after the jump (sadly, no video).
R: yes, we got an entirely different kind of really old white guy at the top of the Catholic Church.
S: But what I don’t understand is how you can name yourself after a guy who is basically the saint of humility and get NPR to spend the next day and a half reporting on how appropriate it is because you are such a humble person.
R: That’s right-I’m a Mennonite, I know you can’t brag about being humble and still be humble. It breaks the system!
S: Last week, Christians around the world celebrated Easter, and millions of children learned about the connection between plastic eggs, a white rabbit, and the death and resurrection of our lord and savior.
R: Further proof I guess that there is nothing that Hershey can’t use as an excuse to sell chocolate.
S: Luckily, if you’re part of the Greek Orthodox church, Easter is still 4 weeks away, since they couldn’t be bothered to adopt the Gregorian calendar in 1582,
R: Isn’t it about time to get with the picture guys?
S: Anyway, that means if you missed Easter last week, you still have a chance to give up chocolate for Lent.
R: Last week, researchers released new information suggesting that the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be Jesus’ burial cloth, is not the clever fake suggested by radio carbon dating to the 1200 or 1300s, but actually could date back to the 1st century
S: technically, somewhere between 300 BC and 400 AD.
R: The Catholic church has celebrated this new research with a rare public display, the first tv appearance since 1973, and most importantly, Shroud 2.0, a smartphone app that allows viewers to examine very detailed pictures of the shroud, including details to small to see with the naked eye.
S: As if you didn’t already have a good enough excuse to worship your cell phone.
R: And finally some denominational news.
S: that’s right, I flew back from Mennonite Church USA Executive Board meetings last night, and boy are my arms tired.
R: So, what did you learn?
S: Well, the Phoenix Mennonite Convention is coming up, and we’re going to be talking about all sorts of things-Immigration, Israel/Palestine, Child Abuse, and the Environment, and we’re hoping to welcome the Mennonite Health Services Alliance as a new Mennonite Church USA program agency.
R: So, why do we care?
S: well, it adds to our already overwhelming acronym advantage, adding MHSA to MMA, MEA, MPN, MMN, TMI, MCC, MEDA, MCUSA, YOLO, VORP, AMBS, EMU, CPT, MWR, GC, BC, SLMF, LCG, and many more.
R: Sounds like your time was well spent.
S: I think so.
R: And now, we have a special guest,
S: There is a lot going on in the news, but only one guy gets it all second hand. Here’s our second hand news correspondent Dave Stigge-Kaufman
R: So Dave what are you hearing?
D: So, you know Jesus?
R: Sure, I know Jesus. Messiah, son of God. He’s kind of a big deal.
D: Well, I learned that Jesus is for legalizing marijuana
S: What are you talking about?
D: Well, he said God loads the grass of the field today and tomorrow we should throw it on the fire.
R: No!
D: Sure, look it up! It’s in the book!
S: Dave, I think it’s clothes, not loads-he clothes the grass of the field.
D: Really? Because I ain’t seen any pot with hats on it recently, so I don’t know.
R: Moving on, what else do you have?
D: Well, Jesus wants us all to be cannibals.
S: I think I know where this is going.
D: He told a bunch of guys to go out and fish for people, and then to cook them and drink their blood and eat their bodies!
R: That’s not what he said!
D: I’m pretty sure.
S: Who told you that?
D: My garbage man, Stinky peat.
R: That sounds like a reputable source.
S: Ok, one more.
D: Blessed are the cheesemakers!
R: No.
D: well, obviously it’s not meant to be taken literally. It applies any manufacturer of dairy related products.
R: I don’t think that’s the problem.
D: And the younger who are first in righthandedness
S: None of you listen to him.
D: And blessed are the greek.
R: Stop it.
D: And those who were born.
S: Mourn!
D: Well, either way, if you do all this, you can all inherit the kingdom of dog.
R: Thank you Dave. Everyone, that was Dave Stigge-Kaufman, our second hand news guy.
S: And since we’ve probably gone on long enough, that will bring us to our closing segment, which we like to call
Announcer: Really with Sam and Rachel
S: Rachel and I have been reading the Bible this week, in preparation for this shameless Holy Humor Sunday.
R: and we decided on 2 things. 1. We’re going over the top. Brace yourselves.
S: 2- Really God, Really-
What is going on with all of those weird stories in the Bible. I mean really, we needed to know about Lot and his daughters or Tamar and Judah? or Jephtha? We’re supposed to draw a deep moral lesson from these kind of stories? Really?
R: And while we’re on the subject, what’s up with all of the overreactions?
S: Yeah!
R; Really? Eve and Adam eat an apple, and all the rest of us are out of Eden? Really? And Noah-Noah! Were things really so bad that everyone but this one drunk dude on a boat with a bunch of animals has to be sent to Davy Jones’ Locker? Really
S: And really-Job? So I know you and Satan have this thing, and it’s kind of a weird relationship and all, but wagering on the suffering of an innocent, I mean really God that’s cold. And Abraham and Isaac-did you really need to know whether or not Abraham would do the deed? Really? was there money on this? Do we need have a talk about gambling, really? Because it’s beginning to affect those that love you most.
R: Really-
And speaking of that-Jesus-
S: Really-you’re going to go there?
R: Just listen. Really Jesus? Coming down, being human, pressing the flesh-not very ‘holier than thou’ is it? Really, what about the brand? Going all undercover boss on us, I’m just not sure about the corporate strategy.
S: And self giving love-really? That’s how we run the universe? Compassion? Really? It’s a dog eat dog world out there God, and I really don’t want to love my enemies.
Really.
R: And really-I also really don’t want a thunderbolt.
S: Well you probably deserve one. Really.
R: Don’t we all.
R&S: This has been really with Sam and Rachel.
S: For weekend update, I’m Samuel Schrag
R: and I’m Rachel Voth
S: Good worship.
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