SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2020

Good morning friends,

Years ago there used to be a conference of Healing each year at Carberry Tower, Mussellburgh. It could sometimes be quite an intense time, for not only were participants there to learn about healing ministry, many also found themselves being healed.

I can remember one morning though when something really unexpected took place.

The man leading the morning devotions, Douglas, came to the front of the hall, and all became still and quiet as we who had gathered prepared ourselves to worship.

Douglas put a CD on and then...................the hall was filled with the song,

“The Laughing Policeman”

The reaction of those gathered at first was one of disbelief, and then one by one, people began to join in with the laughter of the policeman, until the whole gathering was giggling away.

Douglas said, now, doesn’t’ that just feel so good?” And it did.

There’s a saying, “Laughter is the best medicine”

I certainly felt the benefit of laughing the other evening.

A few days earlier some of us had heard very sad news about one of our friends, it came as a shock, and I know I felt a real heaviness of spirit descending.

However on Thursday evening I had the opportunity to speak with some friends and during the conversations around how each is coping with lockdown, a few funny stories began to be shared, and I came off the phone feeling so much better both for the conversations and the laughter.

Recently we have been reflecting on how the early church organised themselves, meeting together, praying, breaking bread, sharing the gospel, and of how many each day were being added to their number.

Yesterday we also found that preaching the gospel led to opposition from some in authority and John and Peter being put in jail overnight.

As we continue to read through Acts we find that the opposition to the gospel continued and in

Acts 12 we get the sad news that James, the brother of John, has been put to death by King Herod, and Peter has been put in prison awaiting trial.

We read that as Peter was in prison the church was earnestly praying for him, and the night before the trial their prayer were answered in a miraculous way as an angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and led him out to freedom.

Peter goes to the house where the folks are praying like mad for his release, and knocks on the door. A servant named Rhoda answers the door and she is so full of joy that she runs to tell the others, who at first think she is out of her mind, before realising their earnest prayers have been answered. (Acts 2: 1-17)

Makes you smile doesn’t it? And I’m sure that it would be a story that would generate some laughter as the days went by.

Let us pray,

Spirit of Pentecost, as you fill us with new life, may we delight in sharing it with others;

As you tell us the good news which can never be take from us, may we rejoice in offering it to the

broken, the sad, the lonely;

As you tickle us with grace, may we give it away with laughter on our lips and joy in our hearts;

And may this be the day when your gift of joy surprises us in unexpected ways.

Amen.