by James E. Atwood. Victoria, B.C., Canada: Trafford. ISBN 1-4251-0004-X. Pb., 120 pp., $13.95.
Last summer, my brother gave me a book of church humor filled with lame stories every pastor has heard before: the children’s sermon that involves describing a small animal (“It sounds like a squirrel, but I know you’re going to tell us it’s Jesus.”); the man stranded on his roof during a flood who waved away the life boat and the helicopter believing “God would save him” only to be chastised at heaven’s gate for refusing God’s practical assistance.
You know the kinds of stories I’m talking about. Corny, schmaltzy stories with shaky theology and dated metaphors. This is not that book.
James E. Atwood, popular Presbyterian pastor and missionary for more than fifty years, has culled a treasure trove of sermon illustrations, stories, quotations, and wise words from a lifetime of service to the church, creating The Leaven of Laughter for Advent and Christmas. This collection is touted as a book of humor, but it offers an abundance of solid homiletical material to spark any preacher’s writing process — along with much appreciated humor. It is especially helpful for the pastor whose schedule leaves little time for collecting and filing supplementary anecdotes and supportive quotations. Atwood provides a well-organized resource of forty-one themes commonly used during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Unlike many resources of this nature, the material here is not cute or overused.
Among the most popular sources for Atwood’s material are the late William Sloane Coffin and Martin Marty, although there is also a sprinkling of material from figures as diverse as Lily Tomlin, Reginald Fuller, and Benjamin Disraeli. There are quotations from the infamous–Goebbels and Hitler, for example–that could be particularly useful in reflecting on the Herod family. And there are scores of stories from unknown preachers and writers included for their powerful punches.
Atwood gleans from song titles and bumper stickers, professional athletes and scientists, scholars and politicians, ancient thinkers and contemporary humorists. His material comes from magazines like Fortune and Newsweek, as well as Hasidic tales and African proverbs. His humor includes both the folksy and the sophisticated. Perusing the collection makes it clear that Jim Atwood is a gifted preacher. Clearly he relishes the process as much as he enjoys life.
As the title suggests, humor indeed serves as a leavening factor. In these days of war and uncertainty, when spiritual hunger pangs require thoughtful, serious attention to the state of our souls and the world, Atwood notes in his introduction, “When people are laughing, they are listening and one can talk about anything.”
The Leaven of Laughter for Advent and Christmas is followed by a second volume, The Leaven of Laughter for Lent and Easter also now available. Both books are illustrated by Tennessee pastor Pat McGeachy, and are available online from Trafford Publishing (www.Trafford.com ) We look forward to accompanying volumes Jim Atwood is planning for the future.
Jan Edmiston is pastor of Fairlington Church in Alexandria, Va.
