(We Lack the Gift of Laughter)
We lack the gift of laughter;
Faith sits all pale and glum,
Hope dozes on a rafter,
and Love is stricken dumb
Come, Christ, into our drabness,
tell us that matchless jest
of life and resurrection,
of life and resurrection,
your sweetest and your best.
We know the trick of tumbling,
red nose and redder face;
by virtues of our bumbling
ours is the jester's case.
Come, Christ, come down immortal,
teach us that matchless jest
of life and resurrection,
of life and resurrection,
your sweetest and your best.
You joined our sad profession,
made good our foolishness,
brought clowning into fashion,
put on our joker's dress.
Come, Christ, come holy laughter,
to share that matchless jest
of life and resurrection,
of life and resurrection,
your sweetest and your best.
Upon a foolish cross, Lord,
you hung to make us mirth;
but there you conquered loss, Lord,
old death became new birth.
Come everlasting joy; Christ,
confirm that matchless jest
of life and resurrection,
of life and resurrection,
your sweetest and your best.
— Colin Gibson, Words © Hope Publishing Company,
from his collection of songs, Reading the Signature.
You may legally use this hymn text if your congregation has purchased a CCLI, OneLicense or LicenSing copyright license.
Ideas for tunes: You can download a PDF of the song on Hope Publishing’s wonderful Online Hymnody website. (Just scroll to the bottom of the text and click on the PDF link.) It comes with a jaunty tune (RED NOSES) which works really well with the words. Depending on how well your group learns new music, you might consider having a worship team/choir/soloist sing the stanzas and have the congregation join in on the refrain.
If you'd rather not learn a new tune, try looking for another 7 .6 .7 .6 .D. tune. For example, AURELIA ("The Church's One Foundation") would work. So would BARONITA (often sung to “Help Us Accept Each Other”), though you’d want to sing it a bit more joyfully than it’s played on this link!
Other ideas for a good tune? Leave a comment!
For more song ideas for Holy Humor Sunday, check out Another Easter Carol for Holy Humor Sunday, Two More Songs for Holy Humor Sunday and Easter Carols for Holy Humor Sunday.
For more Holy Humor / Laughter Sunday worship resources, click on “Laughter/Holy Humor” under the list of “Labels” on the right side of the page.
For more Holy Humor / Laughter Sunday worship resources, click on “Laughter/Holy Humor” under the list of “Labels” on the right side of the page.
