Going to church is part of our culture.
From a young age, many of us went to church and we have lots of memories of church, Sunday school and “bazaars”.
Going to church when I was young was serious stuff – dressed up and solemnly serious. Yes, there was no place for a smile or laughter. Looking around at the fashionable hats worn by the ladies had to be done discreetly.
The minister would tell us that Jesus wept, but we were made to believe that he never laughed.
Church was, for this young boy, a sad and solemn occasion. The Good News translation of the Bible is amazing.
Proverbs 17:22, “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is a slow death to be gloomy all the time.”
Another translation puts it like this, “Laughter is good medicine.”
Sad is not automatically spiritual and happy is definitely not unspiritual.
I am so pleased that my children grew up in a time when going to church was a happy occasion. How do you feel when you walk out of church?
