Honoring the Dead

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names with small American flags mounted on either side of it.


The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, "Good morning Alex."


"Good morning, Pastor, what is this?" he asked the pastor.


The pastor said, "Well, son, it's a memorial plaque to all the young men and women who died in the Service."


Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque. Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, he asked, "Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?"

 

 

 

THE  SAFEST   PLACE

How to stay safe in the world today.

1.   Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

2.   Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.

3.   Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.

4.   Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.

5.   Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in hospitals. So... above all else…avoid hospitals.

 

BUT ,

 ... You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!

 

 

 

You can only try

A pastor of a certain church was being accused by some in his church of not involving others in the business of the church. He tended to do everything himself. So, as the church was preparing for Christmas services, the pastor decided they needed banner made for the entryway and had a parishioner call the sign company. He gave the parishioner the exact message and the dimensions needed. 
 
The parishioner called the sign company as the pastor requested. The parishioner even went and picked up the sign and mounted it over the entryway for the pastor.  
 
The pastor drove up to the church and read...

 

"Unto Mary, Jesus was born, six feet long and two feet wide."  

 

 

 

Pastor's Business Card
A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one House it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.

Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on The back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10."

Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."

 

 

 

Elijah and the False Prophets

The Sunday school teacher was carefully explaining the story of Elijah the prophet and the false prophets of Baal. She explained how Elijah built the altar, put wood upon it, cut the steer in pieces, and laid it upon the altar. Then Elijah commanded the people of God to fill four barrels of water and pour it over the altar. He had them do this four times –

 

“Now,” said the teacher, “can anyone in the class tell me why the Lord would have Elijah pour water over the steer on the altar?”

 

A little girl in the back of the room started waving her hand, “I know! I know!” she said, “To make gravy!”

 

 

 

Lot’s Wife

The Sunday school teacher was describing how Lot’s wife looked back and tuned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, “My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,” he announced triumphantly, “and she turned into a telephone pole!”

 

 

 

Good Samaritan

A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then she asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?”

 

A thoughtful little girl broke the silence, “I think I’d throw up.”

 

 

 

Did Noah Fish

A Sunday School teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?”

 

“No,” Johnny replied. “How could he, with just two worms?”

 

 

 

Higher Power

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, “We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?”

 

One child blurted out, “Aces!”

 

 

 

Moses and the Red Sea

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday school.

 

“Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Read Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters fro reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.”

 

“Now Joey, is that really what the teacher taught you?” His mother asked.

 

“Well…no…but if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe it!”

 

 

 

The 23rd Psalm

A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible, Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task – but he just couldn’t remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 Rickey was nervous. When it was his turn, he stood up and said proudly, “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.”

 

 

 

Anything Breakable?

A very quick witted elderly Christian lady was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.

 

“Is there anything breakable in her?” asked the postal clerk.

 

“Only the Ten Commandments,” answered the lady.

 

 

 

You’ll Get Yours

Sunday after church a Mom asked her very young daughter what her Sunday school lesson was about. The daughter answered, “Don’t be scared you’ll get your quilt.”

 

Needless to say the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, she called and asked the teacher about the lesson. “The theme of the lesson,” he answered, “was ‘Don’t be afraid, thy comforter is coming.”

 

 

 

The Prayer of a Righteous Man Avails Much

 

Mrs. Donovan was walking down O'Connell Street in Dublin when she met Father Flaherty.
 
The priest said, "Top o' the mornin' to ye! Aren't ye Mrs. Donvan and didn't I marry ye and yer hoosband 2 years ago?"
 
She replied, "Aye, that ye did, Fadder."
 
The Father asked, "And be there any wee little ones yet?"
 
She replied, "No, not yet, Fadder."
 
Father Flaherty said, "Well, now, I'm goin' to Rome next week and I'll light a candle for ye and yer hoosband."
 
She replied, "Oh, thank ye, Fadder." They then parted ways.
 

Some years later they met again and Father Flaherty asked, "Well now, Mrs. Donovan, how are ye these days?"
 
She replied, "Oh, very well, Fadder!"
 
The priest then asked, "And tell me, have ye any been blessed with any wee ones yet?"
 
She replied, "Oh yes, Fadder! T'ree sets o'twins and 4 singles, 10 in all."
 
He then responded, "That's wonderful! How is yer loving hoosband?"
 
She replied, "E's gone to Rome to blow out yer candle."

 

 

 

Biblical Headlines

If biblical events were being covered by today's media, these would be the headlines...
 
On Red Sea crossing:

WETLANDS TRAMPLED IN LABOR STRIKE
Enforcement Officials Killed While Pursuing Unruly Mob
 
On David vs. Goliath:
HATE CRIME KILLS BELOVED CHAMPION OF RELIEF TROOPS
Psychologist Questions Significance of Rock Used as Weapon
 
On the prophet Elijah on Mt. Carmel:
FIRE SENDS RELIGIOUS ACTIVIST INTO FRENZY
400 Killed In Unprovoked Attack
 
On the birth of Christ:
HOTELS FULL, ANIMALS EJECTED FROM SHELTER
Animal Rights Advocates Enraged by Insensitive Couple
 
On feeding the 5,000:
LAY PREACHER STEALS CHILD'S LUNCH
Disciples Mystified Over Behavior
 
On healing the 10 lepers:
QUACK PREYS ON TERMINALLY ILL
Authorities Investigating Use of Non-traditional Medical Procedure 
 
On healing of the two demon-possessed men in Gadarenes:
MADMAN CAUSES STAMPEDE
Local Farmer Faces Bankruptcy After Loss of Hogs
 
On raising Lazarus from the dead:
ITINERANT PREACHER RAISES STINK
Will Now Being Contested by Lawyers of Heirs

 

 

 

The Way to the Post Office

A little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the post office is?"
 
The little boy replied, "Sure! Just go straight down this street a coupla blocks and turn to your right."
 
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new pastor in town. I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."
 
The little boy replied with a chuckle, "Awww, come on; you don't even know the way to the post office."

 

 

 

Monastery Life

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand.

He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript. So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk, an old abbot says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son."

The old abbot goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years. Hours go by and nobody sees him.

So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees the elderly monk banging his head against the wall and wailing, "We missed the ‘R’! We missed the ‘R’ !"

His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably.

The young monk asks the old abbot, "What's wrong, father?"

With A choking voice, the old abbot replies, "The word was...CELEBRATE!!!"

 

 

 

Christian One-Liners

  • Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
  • Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.
  • It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.
  • The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
  • When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
  • People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.
  • Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.
  • Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
  • If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
  • God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead.  So why should you?
  • Some minds are like concrete: thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
  • Peace starts with a smile.
  • I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?
  • A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.
  • We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
  • Be ye fishers of men.  You catch them - He'll clean them.
  • Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
  • Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
  • Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
  • Forbidden fruits create many jams.
  • God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
  • God grades on the cross, not the curve.
  • God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"
  • God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
  • He who angers you, controls you!
  • If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
  • Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
  • The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
  • The Will of God never takes you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.
  • We don't change the message, the message changes us.
  • You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.
  • Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.



 

Who wants to go?

A pastor at a frontier church ended a stirring sermon with, "All those who want to go to heaven, put up your hands!" Everybody enthusiastically raised their hands ... everybody except a grizzled old cowboy who had been slouching against the door post at the back of the room.

   All heads turned as he sauntered up to the front, spurs jangling and said, "Preacher, that was too easy. How d'ya know if these folks are serious? I can gar-an-tee to prove who really means it and who don't!"

   Bemused and not a little frightened the preacher said, "Ok, my friend, go ahead and put the faith of these good people to the test. Ask them anything you want."

   At that the cowboy pulled his twin six-shooters, turned to the audience and said, "Alright ... who wants to go heaven ... raise your hands!"

 

 

 

Honesty in prayer

   A man had a habit of grumbling at the food his wife placed before him at family meals. Then he would ask the blessing.

   One day after his usual combination complaint-prayer, his little girl asked, "Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?"

   "Why, of course," he replied. "He hears us every time we pray."

   She on this a moment, and asked, "Does he hear everything we say the rest of the time?"

   "Yes, dear, every word," he replied, encouraged that he had inspired his daughter to be curious about spiritual matters. However, his pride was quickly turned to humility when she asked:

   "Then which does God believe?"

 

 

 

Afraid of the dark

   A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom.

   The little boy turned to his mother and said, "Mama, I don't want to go out there. It's dark."

   The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. "You don't have to be afraid of the dark," she explained. "Jesus is out there. He'll look after you and protect you."

   The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, "Are you sure he's out there?"

   "Yes, I'm sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you when you need him," she said.

   The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, "Jesus? If you're out there, would you please hand me the broom?"

 

 

 

For medicinal purposes only

   There was a nun whose worn out body began to surrender. Her doctor prescribed for her a shot of whiskey three times a day to relax her. Not to be lured into "worldly pleasures", she huffily declined.

   But the Mother Superior knew the elderly sister loved milk. So she instructed the kitchen to spike the milk three times a day.

   After a few more years, even that spiked milk couldn't help and the aged sister approached her final hour. As several nuns gathered around her at her bedside, the Mother Superior asked if she wanted to leave them with any words of wisdom.

   "Oh, yes," she replied. "Never sell that cow!"

 

 

 

The modern ark

   In 2000, the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In six months I am going to make it rain until the whole world is covered with water and all the evil things are destroyed. But, I want to save a few good people and two of every living thing on the planet. I am ordering you to build an ark." And in a flash of lightning, he delivered the specifications for the ark.

   "OK," Noah said, trembling with fear and fumbling with the blueprints, "I'm your man."

   Six months passed, the sky began to cloud up, and the rain began to fall in torrents. The Lord looked down and saw Noah sitting in his yard, weeping, and there was no ark.

   "Noah!" shouted the Lord, "Where is my ark?" A lightning bolt crashed into the ground right beside Noah.

   "Lord, please forgive me!" begged Noah. "I did my best, but there were some big problems." Noah continued, "First, I had to get a building permit for the ark's construction, but your plans did not meet their code. I had to hire an engineer to redo the plans, only to get into a long argument with him about whether to include a sprinkler system.

   “My neighbors objected, claiming that I was violating zoning ordinances by building the ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning board. Then I had a big problem getting enough wood for the ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the Spotted Owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists and the US Fish and Wildlife Service that I needed the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn't budge and on top of that wouldn't allow me to catch a pair of Spotted Owls.”

   “Next, I started gathering up the animals but got sued by an animal rights group that objected to me taking along only two of each kind. In addition to that, the Association of Gay and Lesbian also sued me for not bring in 2 male or 2 female pairs.”

   “Just when all the suits got dismissed, the EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the ark without filling out an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the Supreme Being.”

   “Then the Corps of Engineers wanted a map of the proposed flood plan. I sent them a globe!”

   “Right now, I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission over how many minorities I'm supposed to hire. The IRS has seized all my assets claiming that I am trying to leave the country, and I just got a notice from the state that I owe some kind of use tax.”

   “Really, my Lord, I don't think I can finish the ark in less than five years."

   With that, the sky cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up and smiled. "You mean you are not going to destroy the world?" he asked hopefully.

   "No," said the Lord. "The government already has."

 

 

 

Majority rules

   4 rabbis had a series of theological arguments, and 3 were always in accord against the fourth. One day, the odd rabbi out, with the usual "3 to 1, majority rules" statement that signified that he had lost again, decided to appeal to a higher authority. "Oh, God!" he cried. "I know in my heart that I am right and they are wrong! Please show me a sign, so they too will know that I understand Your laws."

   It was a beautiful, sunny day. As soon as the rabbi finished his complaint, a storm cloud moved across the sky above the four. It rumbled once and dissolved. "A sign from God! See, I'm right, I knew it!" But the other three disagreed, pointing out that storm clouds form on hot days.

   So he asked again: "Oh, God, I need a bigger sign to show that I am right and they are wrong. So please, God, a bigger sign."

   This time four storm clouds appeared, rushed toward each other to form one big cloud, and a bolt of lightning knocked down a tree ten feet away from the rabbis. The cloud dispersed at once. "I told you I was right!" insisted the loner, but the others insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained by natural causes.

   The insisting rabbi is all ready to ask for a *very big* sign when just as he says "Oh God..." the sky turns pitch black, the earth shakes, and a deep, booming voice intones, "HEEEEEEEE'S RIIIIIIIGHT!"

   The sky returns to normal. The one rabbi puts his hands on his hips and says, "Well?" "So," replied another, "now it's 3 to 2!"

 

 

 

His best golf score ever

   It seems there was this priest who just LOVED to golf, but he had been very busy for many months and had not been able to get away to go golfing. Well, one Sunday morning he woke up and felt he just HAD to go golfing. The weather was just beautiful.

   He called up the Bishop and claimed he had a really bad case of laryngitis and couldn't preach, so the Bishop told him to rest for several days. He then got out his clubs and headed off for the golf course.

   He set up at the first hole, making sure no one was there to see him playing hooky, and blasted that ball with his wood. It was a beautiful shot! It went straight and true; it bounced, and bounced (right up onto the green) and rolled its way closer... closer... a hole in one! The priest jumped up and down in his excitement.

   He struts off to the green, collects his ball, and tees off at the second hole, repeating his performance on the first hole, much to his astounded delight.

   All this time St. Peter and God have been watching him from the gates of heaven. St. Peter has finally seen enough to pique his curiosity. "Lord," he says, "this priest seems to be a real trouble maker. He ignored his congregation and even LIED to go golfing. And now you reward him with a hole in one! Why?"

   God smiles and looks over at St. Peter and says, "I'm punishing him ... after he finishes his game by himself, who can he tell his story to?"

 

 

 

The great debate

   At one point, the council of cardinals decided that they wanted to make Rome an all-Catholic city. Since the Jews were one of the smallest populations, they decided to try throwing them out as a test case. The head rabbi was summoned and told of this decision. The rabbi protested, saying that the Jews had been there longer than the Christians, and that such an arbitrary decision should not be made without some debate. Thus, it was agreed that the Pope would debate one of the rabbi's. If the rabbi won, the Jews could stay. If the Pope won, the Jews would have to leave.

   The head rabbi went back to the rabbinical council and said that a champion must be chosen. No one was too eager, as the Pope was well known as an intellectual and religious heavyweight. Finally, a Basque rabbi was chosen. As Basque was one of the few languages that the Pope didn't speak (this was before Hebrew was revived), the debate was to be carried out in sign language.

   The Pope starts off the debate by making a sweeping gesture.
   [Hands and arms in at chest; hands move up and out until arms in scarecrow position; could be mistaken as symbolism for a rising sun.]

   The rabbi responds by pointing adamantly at the ground.

   The Pope thinks a bit, then holds up three fingers.

   The rabbi holds up one finger.

   The Pope begins to take communion.

   The rabbi pulls out an apple and begins eating it.

   At this point, the Pope concedes the debate.

   The Pope returns to the council of cardinals, who ask what happened.

   [Begin repeating gestures.]
   "Well, I said, 'God is everywhere', and he said, 'and God is right here'. I then said 'God is a trinity', and he said, 'no, God is just one'. As an act of good faith, I began to take the body of Christ in communion. Then he pulled out an apple to show the sin in us all. He'd knocked me down point for point, so I decided to conceded the debate."

 

   The rabbi returns to his fellows, who ask what happened.
   [Repeat gestures again.]
   "Well, he said, 'you all gotta leave', and I said, 'no, we're staying right here'. Then he said 'you have three days', and I said, 'not one of us is leaving'. Then he broke for lunch, so I started eating mine."

 

 

 

How to Scare Off Counselees

Not every pastor enjoys counseling. But other than by skipping town, how can you decrease the demand? Here, based on specious clinical research, are a dozen methods guaranteed to keep counseling off your to-do list.

12 Ways to Reduce Your Counseling Load

  1. Don't put a door on your office.
  2. Sing songs such as "Put On a Happy Face" and "Don't Worry; Be Happy" to counselees.
  3. Step out of the office and start laughing uproariously.
  4. Tell the counselee that although you can't figure out a solution to the problem, you'll bring it up in the sermon on Sunday and see if anybody has any ideas.
  5. Casually catch up on your reading while counselees bare their deepest problems.
  6. Tell the counselee you are videotaping the session for replay on the local cable program: Candid Clergy.
  7. Put a bumper sticker on your car: "I'd rather not be counseling."
  8. Refer them to a helpful article in your favorite professional journal: The National Enquirer.
  9. Suggest counseling by fax machine.
  10. In front of the counselee, phone your spouse and ask for his or her opinion on what to do.
  11. Recite tales of people who are a lot worse off, and call the counselee a crybaby.
  12. Engage the counselee's mother-in-law as a co-therapist.

 

 

 

WWJD?

Police aren't perfect, but this cop comes close to winning the ingenuity award.

A driver did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman behind him went ballistic, pounding on her horn and screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to drive through the intersection with him.

Still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer w as waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm awfully sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cursing a blue streak at him.  I noticed the "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "What Would Jesus Do?" bumper sticker, the "Follow me to Sunday School" bumper sticker and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

 

 

 

10 Excuses Not to Attend Church

If you took the excuses people use for not going to church and applied them to other important areas of life, you'd realize how inconsistent we can be in our logic. For example:

10 Reasons Not to Wash

  1. I was forced to as a child.
  2. People who make soap are only after your money.
  3. I wash on special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
  4. People who wash are hypocrites—they think they are cleaner than everyone else.
  5. There are so many different kinds of soap, I can't decide which one is best.
  6. I used to wash. It got boring, though, so I stopped.
  7. None of my friends wash.
  8. The bathroom is never warm enough in the winter or cool enough in the summer.
  9. I'll start washing when I get older and dirtier.
  10. I can't spare the time.

 

 

 

Bible Shorties

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah--he was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

 

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharoah's daughter--she went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

 

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?
A. Ruth-less.

 

Q. Who was the first drug addict in the Bible?
A. Nebuchadnezzar--he was on grass for seven years.

 

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury.
A. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land.
A. Honda... because the apostles were all in one Accord.

 

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson--he brought the house down.

 

Q. Where is the first baseball game in the Bible?
A. In the big inning, Eve stole first, Adam stole second. Cain struck out Abel, and the Prodigal Son came home. The Giants and the Angels were rained out.

 

Q. How did Adam and Eve feel when expelled from the Garden of Eden?
A. They were really put out.

 

Q. What is one of the first things that Adam and Eve did after they were kicked out?
A. They really raised Cain.

 

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home

 

Q. The ark was built in 3 stories, and the top story had a window to let light in, but how did they get light to the bottom 2 stories?
A. They used floodlights.

 

Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David--he rocked Goliath to sleep.

 

Q. Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a slingshot?
A. The thought had never entered his head before.

 

Q. If Goliath is resurrected, would you like to tell him the joke about David and Goliath?
A. No, he already fell for it once.

 

Q. How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?

A. Because in Job 16:12, 14, 16 we read, "I had come to be at ease, but he proceeded to shake me up: and he grabbed me by the back of the neck and proceeded to smash me."

 

Q. Where is the first tennis match mentioned in the Bible?
A. When Joseph served in Pharoah's court.

 

Q: How do we know that they played cards in the ark?
A: Because Noah sat on the deck.

 

 

 

The Living Lexicon: Church Terms That Oughta Be
Biblidue: The build-up of bookmarks, bulletins, notes, and other miscellanea that collects in one's Bible.

Clivaholic: One who can no longer control the compulsion to quote C.S. Lewis in every sermon, lesson, or conversation.

Hymnastics: The entertaining body language of the song leader.

Narthexegesis: Unsolicited post-sermon commentary given the preacher by armchair biblical theologians.

Pewtrify: To occupy a precise spot in the sanctuary for more than 15 years without once showing signs of sentient life.

Ministereotype: A common myth or misconception about any ordained person.

Deaconscript: An unwilling church officer cajoled into a position of leadership.

Hi-litaholic: One who cannot resist highlighting Bible verses until the entire volume is a multihued mass of Day-Glo vibrancy.

Hymnprovisation: The abrupt and unannounced transition from one song to another, usually a chorus unfamiliar to most present.

Proliferation: An abundance of anti-abortion activists.

Pulpituitary: That phenomenon familiar to those seated on the front pew, during which a preacher produces hazardous conditions with alliterative Ps.



 

 

Cajun Ten Commandments:

1. God is number 1 ...an das' all.

2. Don't pray to nuthin' or nobody...jus' God

3. Don't cuss nobody...'specially da Good Lord.

4 It's Sunday...pass yauself by God's house.

5. Yo folks dun did it all...lissen to dem.

6. Killin dem duck and goose, dat's OK ...people--no!

7. God gave you a wife...sleep wit' jus' her.

8. Don't take nobody's pirogue...or nuthin'.

9. Don't go wantin' somebody's stuff.

10. Stop lyin' ...yo tongue gonna' fall out!

 

 

 

I’m a Separated, Independent, Fire Breathin’, Devil Hatin’…

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, “Stop! Don’t do it!”

“Why shouldn’t I” he said.

“Well, there’s so much to live for!”

“Like what?”

“Well…are you religious?”

He said, “Yes.”

I said, “Me too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?”

“Christian.”

“Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?”

“Protestant.”

“Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?”

“Baptist.”

“Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?”

Baptist Church of God!”

“Me too! Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you reformed Baptist Church of God?”

“Reformed Baptist Church of God!”

“Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879 or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?”

He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!”

I said “Die, heretic scum”, and pushed him off.

 

 

 

The Pastor’s Eggs

An elderly pastor was searching his closet for his collar before church one Sunday morning. In the back of the closet, he found a small box containing 3 eggs and 100 $1 bills. He called his wife into the closet to ask her about the box and its contents. Embarrassed, she admitted having hidden the box for their entire 25 years of marriage. Disappointed and hurt, the pastor asked her, “Why?”

His wife replied that she hadn’t wanted to hurt his feelings. He asked her how the box could have hurt his feelings. She said that every time during their marriage that he delivered a poor sermon, she had placed an egg in the box.

The pastor felt that 3 poor sermons in 25 years was certainly nothing to feel bad about, so he asked her what the $100 was for.

She replied, “Each time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them to the neighbors for $1.”

 

 

 

Careful With Criticism

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely.

“The front row please.” She answered.

“You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said. “The pastor is really boring.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired.

“No.” he said.

“I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“No.” she said.

“Good,” he answered.

 

 

 

Show and Tell

A kindergarten teacher gave her class a “show and tell” assignment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their religion.

The first student got up in front of the class and said, “My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David.”

The second student got up in front of the class and said, “My name is Mary. I’m Catholic and this is a Rosary.”

The third student got up and said, “My name is Tommy. I am Baptist, and this is a casserole.”

 

 

 

The Best Way to Pray

A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby.

“Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,” the priest said.

“No,” said the minister. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched toward heaven.”

“You’re both wrong,” the guru said. “The most effective prayer position is in the lotus position.”

The repairman could contain himself no longer.

“Hey fellas,” he interrupted. “The best prayin’ I ever did was when I was hangin’ upside down from a telephone pole.”

 

 

 

Waking Up for Church

One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, “I’m not going.”

“Why not?” She asked.

“I’ll give you two good reasons.” He said. “One, they don’t like me, and two, I don’t like them.”

His mother replied, “I’ll give YOU two good reasons why you SHOULD go to church. One, you’re 54 years old, and two, you’re the pastor!”

 

 

 

The Twenty and the One

A well-worn one dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.

The twenty dollar reminisced about its travels all over the country. “I’ve had a pretty good life,” the twenty proclaimed. “Why I’ve been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean.”

“Wow!” said the one dollar bill. “You’ve had an exciting life!”

“So tell me,“ says the twenty, “where have you been throughout your lifetime?”

The one dollar bill replies, “Oh, I’ve been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist church, the Lutheran church…”

The twenty dollar bill interrupts, “What’s a church?”

 

 

 

Goat for Dinner

The young couple invited their elderly pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal the minister asked their son what they were having.

“Goat,” the little boy replied.

“Goat?” replied the startled man of the cloth, “Are you sure about that?”

“Yup!” said the youngster. “I heard Dad say to Mom, ‘Today is just as good as any to have the old goat for dinner.’”

 

 

 

Morning People
"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

 

 

 

Lord’s Prayer

A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note: "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."


 

 

Fund Raising

A pastor got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

 

 

 

God’s an Artist

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"  A hand shot up in the air.

"He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.

"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.

"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

 

 

 

Ministry is Like

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."

The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."