Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor

by Susan Sparks

Overview

Laughter—the GPS System for the Soul

Laughter was honored by the ancients as a spiritual healing tool and celebrated by the world's great religions. So why aren’t we laughing along the spiritual path today? What would happen if we did?

In this personal and funny look at humor as a spiritual practice, Rev. Susan Sparks—an ex-lawyer turned comedian and Baptist minister—presents a convincing case that the power of humor radiates far beyond punch lines. Laughter can help you:

• Remove the fearful mask of a God who doesn’t laugh
• Debunk the myths that you don’t deserve joy
• Find perspective when faced with adversity
• Exercise forgiveness for yourself and others
• Reclaim play as a spiritual practice
• Heal—emotionally, physically, and spiritually
• Keep your faith when God is silent
• Live with elegance, beauty, and generosity of spirit

Whatever your faith tradition—or if you have none at all—join this veteran of the punch line and the pulpit in reclaiming the forgotten humor legacy found in thousands of years of human spiritual history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683361688
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	05/01/2010
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Rev. Susan Sparks, the only female comedian in the country with a pulpit, is senior pastor of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City (the first woman pastor in its 160-year history). She is author of Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor (SkyLight Paths). She has been featured on ABC, PBS and CNN, as a regular guest with country music star Naomi Judd on Naomi's New Morning on the Hallmark Channel, in the New York Times and in numerous comedy clubs. She is the recipient of an award from Intersections International for her interfaith work to promote justice, reconciliation and peace among diverse communities. Find out more at www.susansparks.com.

Rev. Susan Sparks is available to speak on the following topics:

• Transform Your Life, Work and Spiritual Path Through Laughter
• Life Transitions and Finding Your Path
• Humor and Life Crisis
• Presentation Skills Using Wisdom from the Courtroom, the Pulpit and Comedy Clubs
• The Power of Humorfor Clerics, Chaplains andCaregivers

Click here to contact the author.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
A Letter from God
Disclaimer

PART I Why Aren't We Laughing?
1 Humor and Holiness Are Not Oxymorons: Finding My Way as an Ordained Comedian
2 The Lost Branch of the Family Tree: Remembering Our Legacy of Laughter
3 Spiritual Geliophobia: The Fear of Laughing in the Presence of God
4 Eating Dessert on the Titanic: The Opportunity for Joy Is Now

PART II What Would Happen If We Laughed?
5 High Places of the Heart: Finding Perspective through Laughter
6 We're All Hells Angels: Using Humor to See Past Our Differences
7 Burping in the Pulpit: Rediscovering a Fresh Spiritual Practice through the Eyes of a Child
8 Breathe, Just Breathe: The Healing Power of Breath and Laughter
9 Into the Ark: Laughter in Times of Crisis
10 A Leo's Search for God: Laughter Helps Us Keep Faith When God Is Silent
11 The Dash In Between: How We Live and What We Leave

Suggestions for Further Reading

Editorial Reviews

"Like music, laughter is a universal language. And Susan Sparks speaks this language like no other. [This book] weaves humor and the sacred into one beautiful work of art. If you want to blast some fresh air into your spiritual life, then by all means read this book!"
—Naomi Judd, multi-platinum country music artist; actress; author, Naomi's Guide to Aging Gratefully and other books

"Thank God for Susan Sparks! By immersing ourselves in her honest insights, warm encouragement and hysterical stories, we're able to shatter the crust around our hearts that has kept us from fully experiencing the grace of life as God intended."
—Peter Wallace, host and producer, Day1; author, Living Loved: Knowing Jesus as the Lover of Your Soul

“Pure joy. Lively and lighthearted examples illustrate the connection between guffawing and God. A must-read if you want to laugh, learn and lighten up your journey on your spiritual path.”
—Allen Klein, author, The Courage to Laugh and The Healing Power of Humor

“The definitive book about how humor and laughter have everything to do with God. You will laugh out loud, and then it will move you to quiet contemplation and awe. It has done more for me than most of the theology books I’ve been forced to plow through. I’m still smiling ... and contemplating.”
—Edward L. Beck, CP, author, God Underneath: Spiritual Memoirs of a Catholic Priest; ABC News religion contributor

“Helps us transcend to a higher and better place, no matter what our circumstances. A much needed balm for a world that often forgets how to laugh.”
—Saranne Rothberg, CEO, The ComedyCures Foundation; host, ComedyCures LaughTalk Radio

“More than a delightfully written book; it is a Saturday afternoon conversation with a favorite friend at the neighborhood coffee shop. I hope that this is just the first installment in an ongoing Saturday afternoon conversation with a new favorite friend, Susan Sparks.”
—Pam Durso, executive director, Baptist Women in Ministry

From the Publisher