Laughing … All the Way! (a Steve Orr Bible reflection for Advent)

The full moon was the brightest light in a cloudless sky. Countless stars glittered around it, gilding the winter night all the way down to the mountaintops. We could hear the swish of the sleigh’s runners through the powdery snow and the faint rhythmic jingle of bells on the horse’s collar. 

 

We were actually “dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.” It’s one of the main reasons we chose Franconia, New Hampshire, for our winter weekend getaway. Cushioned in the back of that sleigh, snuggled under a heavy blanket against the biting cold, we just couldn’t help ourselves. We started singing:

  

Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh.

O’er the fields we go

Laughing all the way!

 

We were living the lyrics of “Jingle Bells.” We have a lot of good memories from our years of living in New England, mostly of times spent with friends. But this memory incorporates the entire New England winter experience: freezing cold, snow, brilliant night sky, and trying to be warm. There was lots of laughter on that ride, too. How could we sing “Jingle Bells” and not end with laughter?

 

That’s how I’ve always felt about that song, especially at Christmastime. As soon as the Christmas season begins, my thoughts dash to “Jingle Bells.” And if ever there was a season for laughter, it’s Christmas.  

 

There are those, however, who disagree. 

 

No doubt, you’ve met them: They don’t dislike celebration, per se. It’s just that they don’t like having all that Fa La La La La associated with Jesus. These humbugs don’t seem to understand why in A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge had to change or what any of it has to do with the true meaning of Christmas. They are like the dwarfs in C. S. Lewis’ The Last Battle: too grumpy to see that joy is the perfect response to “the reason for the season.”

 

In Robert Darden’s wonderful book Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor, he notes: “There are people who claim that laughter, or humor of any kind, isn’t Christian.” He then leads on into an exploration of all the joy, mirth, humor, and laughter in the Bible. It’s a great read. If you know Bob, then you know just how serious he is about humor, that it is one of the keys to a joyful spiritual journey.   

 

Not every part of the Bible is joyful, of course. But there are four in this week’s scripture selections that are: Isaiah, Psalms, Luke, and Matthew. Some people call this season Advent. It’s about anticipating the coming of Jesus. Having a “countdown” to Christmas Day provides a joyful way to do that. 

 

If you are not engaging in the fun parts of this season, let me encourage you to jump in. It’s the perfect time to recognize the joy and happiness we should have in knowing that God chose to come into our world and reconcile with us. Now is the perfect time to celebrate with joy, humor, mirth, and yes, laughing all the way. 

 

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Interview with Bob Darden about humor, satire, and The Wittenburg Door: 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/podcasts/quick-to-listen/babylon-bee-wittenburg-door-christian-satire/

And, just for the fun of it—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating from me!—here’s the Goodreads link to The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Aged 37 3/4: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1031240.The_Sacred_Diary_of_Adrian_Plass_Aged_37_3_4?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DxI2zujAra&rank=1

PHOTO (and a nifty exposé about the true origins of Jingle Bells!): 

https://horsenetwork.com/2021/12/the-hidden-history-of-jingle-bells/

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Friday mornings during this Advent season are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the companionship of like-minded folk at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We gather at 8:00 on Zoom* and in person at Our Breakfast Place. We eat, read, discuss, and laugh. We laugh a lot. You should join us. 

 

Snow is not in the forecast. Please sleigh responsibly.

Blessings,

Steve

 

*Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414

 

READINGS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (DECEMBER 14, 2025) AND THE COMING WEEK

 

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=17134&z=a&d=3

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Ax_ThirdSundayofAdvent.pdf

Isaiah 35:1-10

Psalm 146:5-10

Luke 1:46b-55

James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

What if We’re Not Good Enough? (a Steve Orr Bible Reflection for Advent)

In the Charles Yu short story collection, Third Class Superhero, Nathan lives in a world full of super-powered beings. But he’s not good enough to be one of them. Oh, he has a power—of sorts. But it’s too meager to qualify for full-time heroics. So, instead of zooming to the rescue of someone in desperate need of saving, he works a thankless job that barely covers room and board.

 

What’s a third-class superhero to do?

I know actual people like Nathan. They don’t have special powers, not even third-class powers, but they do suffer from a similar problem. Life has been signaling something to them—for a while: 

 

They’re just not good enough. 

 

It’s hard to accept that the thing you’ve invested yourself in—that goal you’ve had for your life, that career you’ve been working hard to build, that relationship you’ve been pursuing—is never going to be a reality. That window of opportunity is not just closing, it’s nailed shut. And, as hard as that is, there’s worse. 

 

It is difficult to face our shortcomings. It is even worse to have to hear about them from someone else.

 

That’s what happens in this week’s selection from the Gospel of Matthew. John the Baptist looks out over the crowd and gives the most unusual “altar call” I have ever encountered: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” As unwelcome as this sounds, I believe John was doing them a kindness. He was shocking them into a realization. Like the prophet Malachi before him, John saw them for what they were: 

 

Not good enough. 

 

John knew their need, even if they had not yet grasped the situation. What sounded like cruelty was necessary for them to understand their need for Jesus, and why repentance was the beginning of fulfilling that need. God had not been “in their midst” for hundreds of years—and they were the reason why. 

 

They needed an entirely new approach.

 

When we read this same story in the Gospel of Luke, we learn that many responded to John by coming forward and asking: “What then should we do?” The shock treatment worked: They began to see their need. 

 

This is an Advent lesson for us, too. As we look to the coming of the Lord—to a time of rejoicing, singing, shouting, exulting, thankfulness, and prayer—we must first acknowledge our need. We must recognize that part of preparing for the coming of the Lord is accepting that we need Him. 

 

We, too, must be willing to ask: “What then should we do?”

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PHOTO: Adobe Express filtered through Photoshop Express 

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We're back from our Thanksgiving hiatus and looking forward to hearing everyone's Turkey Day tales. Join us Friday morning if you can on Zoom* or at Our Breakfast Place. We meet at 8:00 for an exceptional hour. We visit, eat, read scripture, and engage in a robust exchange of ideas. 

Kryptonite must be checked at the door…

Many Blessings,

Steve

 

*Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414

 

 

SCRIPTURES FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (DECEMBER 7, 2025) AND THE COMING WEEK

 

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=17134&z=a&d=2

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Ax_SecondSundayofAdvent.pdf

 

Isaiah 11:1-10

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

 

 

Sharpened Saw Saves Camelot (a Steve Orr Bible reflection)

The radial saw operator was cutting wood to needed lengths and widths. Folks were standing about waiting for some of those sawn pieces. My crew had finished assembling a few of the larger all-wood set pieces and now had nothing to do until more wood arrived.

 

We were supposed to be building the set for our annual musical. If we didn’t get it built, the actors were going to be singing Camelot tunes on an empty stage!

 

The bottleneck was that saw. 

 

With almost every piece, the operator had to stop and back out the blade. It was getting stuck part way through. Pieces were getting damaged and had to be thrown out. The process was slow—and getting slower.

 

Into this situation stepped Mr. Starnes, our drama instructor. He took it all in with a long glance and then walked straight over to the person running the saw. They spoke for a few seconds, and then, together, removed the saw blade and replaced it with another. Mr. Starnes then walked away. When he came near, I asked him about it. 

 

“We’ve used this blade too much,” he said. “It’s grown dull. I helped Jimmy put on a new, sharp blade. We’ll get this one sharpened.”

 

It was as simple as that. Sawn wood production increased, pieces began to flow out to the various working groups, and we were soon all re-engaged—turning wood into dreams.

 

In Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 7 is “Sharpen the Saw.” Mr. Covey explains it like this: A man sawing a tree says he's too busy to take a break and sharpen his saw. As a result, he is eventually unable to cut any part of the tree because the saw blade has become too dull to function as intended.  

 

Habit 7 is not about saw blades. It’s about renewal. Covey says we need renewal in four dimensions: physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional.

 

If that rings a bell, it’s because it sounds a lot like something you may have come across in the Bible. In fact, Covey’s “habits” are remarkably similar to Biblical guidance. Habit 7 aligns perfectly with the commandment to take a weekly Sabbath day, to pause for a day of renewal, to wait upon the Lord. And take a look at Philippians 4:8 in the Thanksgiving Day readings for great examples of how we can “sharpen” our life walk in multiple dimensions. 

 

Those should be reason enough for us to make this habit a part of our lives. But if more is needed, we can find it in this week's Matthew passage. Jesus tells his disciples to: “Be ready because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him." 

 

We must prepare if we are to “be ready.” Since no one except God knows the day or hour of the return, we need to heed that exhortation. One way to do that is to set aside a day each week to recharge and renew. 

But consider all of the dimensions reflected in this week’s scriptures. They all give us the opportunity to “sharpen” those essential areas of our lives. After all, as I learned all those years ago building sets for Camelot, you really can’t be productive with a dull saw.

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PHOTO: Adobe Express

 

The Pause That Refreshes: some thoughts on the Sabbath and a little Coca-Cola history

https://www.bufordcoc.com/the-pause-that-refreshes/

 

 

Covey resources related to Sharpening the Saw:

https://www.franklincovey.com/courses/the-7-habits/habit-7/

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As is our practice, DaySpring’s Lectionary breakfast will not meet the Friday morning after Thanksgiving Day. Included below are the links to the scripture readings for Thanksgiving and the First Sunday of Advent. 

 

Have a blessed Thanksgiving. See you in December!

Blessings,

Steve

 

*Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414

 

READINGS FOR 

THANKSGIVING DAY, USA (NOVEMBER 27, 2025)

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=384&z=p&d=87

 

Print them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Cx_ThanksgivingDay.pdf

 

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Psalm 100

Philippians 4:4-9

John 6:25-35

 

READINGS FOR 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (NOVEMBER 30, 2025) AND THE COMING WEEK

 

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=17134&z=a&d=1

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Ax_FirstSundayofAdvent.pdf

 

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44