The preacher did his best on his first Sunday in the pulpit on Easter. The service, he thought, was really exceptional. The choir sang with surprising energy and joy. The children were delightful in their Easter dress. There had been a bit of excitement, even, in the Sunday school. And the attendance, well, the attendance was exceptional. The numbers spurred him to more intensity in his delivery of the homily.

At the end of the service, the pastor headed to the sanctuary door to greet the Easter worshipers. He was enthusiastic in his greetings and the folks were kind and gentle in their comments on his preaching abilities. All were gentle and kind except one. She was a matronly, well dressed, woman, perhaps in her mid sixties.

“Well, hello, Mildred,” greeted the young pastor who knew the woman as the inactive church member whom he’d met as she was aunt to a prominent church member. “It’s good to have you with us.”

“I’m glad you think so,” said Mildred with a huffiness in her voice. “Take a good look because you won’t be seeing me again.”

“Oh, my goodness,” said the young pastor, worried he’d somehow offended her. “Is there anything wrong?”

“Wrong? Wrong?” said Mildred. “Yes, there’s something wrong. Every time I’ve come to church in the last five year you people have sung the same hymn. Every time, I mean every time, without exception, it’s always ‘Christ the Lord is Risen Today.’ Gracious, don’t you people know any other hymns?”

I don’t know about the other pastors in the area, but I’d be happy to have Mildred attend, even if it’s the only Sunday we sing her least favorite Sunday. Somehow, Easter attendance is a much needed validation for most pastors.

But still – Whew! It’s over! It’s over; and Holy Week will not for a little over a year, and maybe a year and a few weeks more. That’s good; I need the rest. Where usually a pastor preaches one or two sermons a week, Holy Week requires five or six. On top of that there are all the extras: kids, some of them with grandchildren, running up and down the church hallways wile waving palm leafs, there are choirs needing praise for their cantata efforts, there’s the Sunrise Service often followed by a breakfast. There are egg hunts and Easter baskets. Let me stop here. I’m getting tired again.

Listen up folks, give your pastor a call and tell him you appreciate him. He’s a bit down this week. And he’s facing the Sunday after Easter which is the least attended service in the Christian year. Pastoral depression following Easter has been with us since the beginning of Christianity.

It was so prevalent the early church the Greek churches designated the Sunday following Easter as Holy Humor Sunday or Bright Sunday. It was a time for picnics, for laughter, and, yes, even for dancing. It was a time for playing practical jokes on fellow church members. After all, the early Christians reasoned, Jesus played a joke on the devil by overcoming death. The early church fathers, like Augustine, called it the Easter laugh.

Hmmm. A Sunday of humor, of jokes, a Sunday of laughter, I’m beginning to feel a bit better. Let’s see, what kind of practical joke could I play on the folks Sunday? Where’s my box of bad jokes? Holy Humor Sunday, this has possibilities. Did you hear the one about ….