When Wisdom and Laughter Meet: Stories on the Work and Worship of the Church provides the busy professional or volunteer in the faith community with hundreds of humorous and thought provoking stories, quotes, and anecdotes which are at one's fingertips. The material illustrates 41 themes which describe the work and worship of the church and is guaranteed to supply both the speaker and listener with innumerable "aha" and "ha-ha" moments which will provoke further reflection in sanctuaries and classrooms. Every one whose task is to tell "Good News" should be aware of Mark Twain's warning: "It's a terrible death to be talked to death."

The Leaven of Laughter provides hundreds of humorous quotes and anecdotes to be found at a moment's notice. The material is prearranged according to 44 themes intrinsic to the Lenten and Easter Seasons and will provide the particular nuance or insight needed in a sermon, lesson plan or article.
The book bears testimony that one of the best tools to "keep the saints awake" is the thoughtful use of humor. Time and again I have seen an appropriate humorous remark refocus and energize a congregation. I have also seen the power of humor: Puncture human pompousness and pride Combat hypocrisy Expose ignorance and bad decisions Enable the audience to psycologically identify with the speaker Diffuse explosive situations and help resolve conflicts Build bridges of understanding and communication Release us from the crushing seriousness of life Increase concentration and listening capacity Heal broken spirits Reduce our fears Open us up to hear and accept new ideas Capture attention of children and youth

The Leaven of Laughter for Advent and Christmas contains hundreds of stimulating humorous quotes and provocative anecdotes which the busy church professional or volunteer can quickly find and use as leaven for one's preaching, speaking, teaching, writing, or devotional reading.
The material is organized around 45 themes, which are used extensively, though not exclusively, during the Advent and Christmas Seasons. The reader will find the material useful throughout the year.
Everyone should be intrigued not only by the sheer delight of laughter, but by its versatility. All of us have seen people who were being "talked to death" come back to life with a laugh. We have observed hostile people disarmed by a funny story. We have watched total strangers bond through laughter. We have witnessed people tear down economic and social barriers and begin to trust one another because they laughed together. We have marveled as laughter exposed new and vital truth to a skeptic. We have been glad to see the Gospel take root in people's lives through a joyous laugh. Someone said, "When people are laughing, they are listening and one can talk about anything."
It gives me joy to share The Leaven of Laughter for Advent and Christmas with all those who will, in turn, share its treasures with others as they tell God's Good News with a twinkle in their eye.