March 28, 2014 | Mongolian? Really?

When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter

And our tongue with joyful shouting;

Then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us;

We are glad. (Psalm 126:1-3 NASB)
 

Our community amazes me with its gladness. For example, as I teach, I occasionally speak in silly accents just to keep myself engaged in the text. Our delightful fellowship has taken the idea and run with it. Here are a few of the accent requests I received just this past week:

  • Marvin Martian
  • Dr. Evil
  • Austin Powers
  • Oprah Winfrey
  • The Tasmanian Devil
  • Clint Eastwood
  • Vincent Price
  • Morgan Freeman
  • Marty Feldman
  • Gomer Pyle
  • Homer Simpson
  • Bill Cosby
  • Chewbacca
  • Paul McCartney
  • Mick Jagger
  • Popeye
  • Jay Leno
  • Dr. Phil
  • Yosemite Sam
  • Mongolian

Reading theses as they arrived, I had a few thoughts:

  1. This kind of laughing together is marvelous. Wholesome laughter is the right response from those who have been rescued by God. [See the excellent example in Psalm 126.]
  2. I’ve actually done Morgan Freeman and Chewbacca during sermons.
  3.  I also used the Tasmanian Devil accent once. It must have been awful because only one person laughed. I believe hundreds feared I was having a stroke.
  4. I tried Yosemite Sam, but it hurt my throat. How did Mel Blanc do that one?
  5.  It is a precious gift to grow up with people who take God seriously while they laugh at themselves.
  6. What ones would you add to the list?
  7. Mongolian? Really? What would that even sound like? I asked a missionary friend who taught for four years in Mongolia. He just laughed.

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