NEW SET OF NOTE CARDS FROM

09
17 Margin Notes
CHARLES F. STANLEY

HOLY FOOLISHNESS
The goodness of having a good time

BY CHRISTIE PURIFOY  ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADAM CRUFT

 WHEN I WAS A GIRL, adults would often cast approving glances my

knock , and the door
way and remark, “What a little lady she is!” They did not say these
things about my younger sister. While I sat with ankles neatly crossed,
will be opened
Open the door to friendship with this new set of inspirational cards featuring
my sister tended to sprawl, her two French braids falling into her eyes
Dr. Stanley’s original photography. Enter His Gates: Note Cards on Gratitude & as she considered her next bouncy escapade. I don’t think anyone was
Praise showcases six unique locations from around the world, and comes
with a total of 18 cards (with plenty of room for your personal message)
surprised when she grew up to become the life of the party. Meanwhile,
and 18 envelopes. $12 USD the students at my alma mater wore t-shirts with the university’s name,
followed by “Where Fun Goes to Die.” I probably do not need to tell you that
these days my children refer to my younger sister as “the fun aunt.”
My subdued personality may earn me few points with the kids, but
I know it sometimes gives me an unfair
advantage in the eyes of others. As a teen-
ager, I was in high demand for babysit-
ting, and I was the youngest lifeguard ever
promoted to head guard at our city pool.
Today, I am often asked to serve in roles
of responsibility in church and Christian
ministry. I’d like to think these invita-
tions come my way because I am a spir-
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itually mature individual, but the
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27 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S
fact that my laugh is neither loud
nor boisterous probably doesn’t
hurt. After all, we know that
Jesus wept, but did He laugh?
If Christlikeness is our shared
goal within His church, it makes
sense to ask whether or not
Jesus had fun, as trivial as that
question may seem. Some of
us will promptly shout, “Well,
of course He did!” Others of us
might not be so sure. Perhaps
He had fun in the days before
His public ministry began? But,
then, that 12-year-old boy who
stayed behind in the temple
seems awfully serious to me.
The question is worth our con-
sideration because a significant
portion of our human experience
seems to hang in its balance. I
know my sister’s energy and play-
fulness have value, but do they
have some particular spiritual
value? A cursory look at Scrip-
ture isn’t very helpful. When I
first started asking this question,
I ran a quick computer-aided
Bible search for the word fun. I
didn’t really expect to find it—fun
seems like such a modern con-
cept—yet it still came as a shock
when the search engine spat out
a half-dozen mentions … of the
word funeral.
I’ve always preferred tragedies
over comedies. I choose sad songs
over cheerful, and for several
years I taught a college litera-
ture class on the elegy—a form
of memorial poem. My per-
sonal bent toward the melan-
choly side of life means that I
am quite familiar with certain
scriptures. I know that in Eccle-
siastes we learn, “Sorrow is bet-
ter than laughter” (7:3). I know
that Jesus said, “Woe to you who
laugh now, for you will mourn
T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G .
We know that
Jesus wept, but
did He laugh?
and weep” (Luke 6:25 NIV). And melancholy. Far from it. Jesus
I know that Jesus Himself was “a is serious, certainly, but at times
man of sorrows and acquainted He is serious in unexpected
with grief ” (Isa. 53:3). I am no places and in unexpected ways.
longer surprised to find that He not only attends a wedding
I consistently feel nearest to but also performs His first pub-
Jesus in times of sadness. lic miracle there. He seems to
However, as much as I love spend a great deal of time reclin-
Isaiah’s depiction of a Christ ing at tables. He thinks about
who meets us in our human the details of food and sleep. He
heartaches, the Bible stories demonstrates a desire to gather
of Jesus’ ministry do not por- with others and to slip away
tray a one-dimensional man of on His own. He takes seriously
28
the apparently inconsequential
aspects of human life and soci-
ety. He seems fully, and aston-
ishingly, human.
And what could be more
inconsequential than fun?
Perhaps the question of
whether Jesus was a fun-loving
man is one we may never answer
satisfactorily. Yet the Jesus we
see in the Gospels does prompt
me to reconsider my whole
approach to the topic. I began by
asking whether such things as
laughter, gladness, and playful-
ness have some particular spir-
itual value. But what, exactly,
do I mean by “value”? Jesus
showed us in so many ways that
our whole notion of value may be
upside down. We value the sober
experience of years, but Jesus
told us we must become like
children to enter the kingdom of
heaven (Matt. 18:3). We admire
the respectability of wealth and
are tempted to blame the poor
for their own poverty, yet Jesus
told us that “it is hard for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of
heaven” (19:23). We value thrift
We should embrace
fun precisely because
it challenges the idols
we make of our
own productivity.
and attentive tithing, but Jesus
welcomed the extravagant ges-
ture of pricey perfume poured
out on His feet.
Jesus overturns accepted wis-
dom, but we do not walk His way
by adding “Have fun” to our daily
list of to-dos. We must not try to
wedge 10 minutes of fun between
Bible reading and tooth flossing.
Instead, we should invite Jesus
to upend our notions of what
counts as useful and what seems
29 INTOUCH.ORG
merely useless. Only then can
we embrace the fullness of our
humanity as Jesus, God’s own
Son, embraced it for our sake.
We hope the world will look
at us and see Christ. Yet if we
pursue only the important
and serious tasks of life, we
will never mirror Christ to the
world. We should embrace fun
precisely because it challenges
the idols we so often make of
our own productivity, utility,
and efficiency. Jesus had only
three years to complete His
world-changing mission, yet He
always made time for the small
and inconsequential (children
and beggars), the pleasurable
(celebrations and relaxing meals
shared with friends), and many
other things that can seem, at
worst, useless, and at best, only
filler for our spare time.
To have fun may seem a fool-
ish priority, yet “Has not God
made foolish the wisdom of the
world?” (1 Cor. 1:20). Fun isn’t
simply good for you. It is, like
so much of our humble human
experience, simply good. 
 T
HE SCENE BEGINS this way: right these days” sure seems a
just a regular old bunk- winner. You can read it on peo-
house full of regular old ple’s faces, even their posture.
cowboys with names like Something just seems off. Now,
Monte, Dally, Chet, Sugar, and
Skimpy. But outside the bunk-
that scene could’ve ended in
blame or shame or any number The laugh is an outward
house, nothing is regular, for the
cowboys’ way of life is ending—
of variations on those themes.
But it didn’t. It ended boot-deep manifestation of what
the West is being fenced in. The in grace via laughter, one of
men are all on edge, so much so
that it takes only one below-the-
the most foundational shared
expressions of our humanity. The
we inwardly believe. That’s
belt comment between Monte light of laughter overshadowed why the Deceiver finds

2
2

and Dally for a fight to break the entire ruckus. The darkness

O F
O F

out. And what begins between overcame it not. laughter such a threat.

2
1

two men quickly multiplies into

J
a knock-down-drag-out that OHN ORTBERG once wrote,
sweeps everyone into it. But “Sometimes the most
L A U G H T E R

L A U G H T E R
then, when all is fought and spiritual thing you can
done, something different breaks do is take a nap.” But I’m
out: laughter. At the end of this inclined to amend that slightly
scene from the 1970s western by adding “or laugh.” I’m not
Monte Walsh, we see grown men talking about softly chuckling
O U R

O U R
laughing like boys, slapping their in a dignified manner much
knees, wiping tears from their like the tepid golf-clap. No, I’m In addition to the breastplate of of the Good Father who loves us
B Y

B Y
quickly swelling eyes. Then the talking about completely losing righteousness, the shield of faith, without condition. Do you recall
U S

U S
boss storms in and demands to it, busting a gut, going total red- and feet shod with the prepara- the Proverbs 31 woman? All that
know what’s going on. face and possibly peeing your tion of the gospel of peace, there’s industriousness and responsi-
K N O W

K N O W
Dally: “I plum forgot.” pants. Now press the pause the ever-disarming belly laugh. bleness and smart-as-a-whip-
Monte: “Hey, what do you button a minute: How long has Unbridled laughter indicates a ness at the city gates? But if you
know? I ain’t felt this good it been since you laughed until heart full of trust. Now if I can’t read the whole description, she
W I L L

W I L L
in months.” you cried? Do you remember trust God, which has always was also in on the joke, the good
Dally: “Maybe I was wrong.” how it felt afterwards? What’s been the deceiver’s spin, then I news if you will. And it freed her
T H E Y

T H E Y
Monte: “Oh, no, Dally, you really going on there is not that have to stay on high alert 24/7 to—wait for it—“laugh at the
weren’t wrong. It’s just that far removed from taking a nap and always be serious, serious, days to come” (v. 25 NIV).
nothing’s been right these days.” because both involve a signifi- serious, and rarely, if ever, laugh

A
If we were looking for a line to cant degree of giving up control, because who knows what evil F T E R T H AT O P E N I N G
describe the way things currently letting go, of essentially saying, lurks just up ahead with my name knock-down-drag-out
I S S U E

I S S U E
are in our world, “Nothing’s been “The universe doesn’t rest on on it? Sadly, that’s nothing but scene in Monte Walsh,
my shoulders, so I might as well a Chicken Little way to live—if the cowboys all give each
F U N

snooze a bit, or laugh a lot.” The the sky hasn’t already fallen, it other a goofy look, and then

F U N
laugh, like the nap, is an out- could at any moment, and when it everybody busts out laugh-
ward manifestation of what we does, brother, watch out! But you ing again. Even the boss joins
T H E

Wh y a to o -s e r i o u s f a i th
inwardly believe. And that’s
s h o w s a l a c k o f tr u s t i n G o d exactly why the deceiver finds
laughter such a threat.
by John Blase Whoa, whoa. Wait, you didn’t
think the pieces of godly armor
ILLUSTRATION/PHOTO BY NAME HERE
and I as believers are not called to
Chicken Little living. That is the
exact opposite of something the
world might find as attractive as a
sweet-smelling savor. Listen how
T H E
in. Everybody knows this, but
laughter is contagious. Maybe
one of the greatest gifts we
the children of God can give
this world right now is laugh-

ILLUSTRATION/PHOTO BY NAME HERE

listed in Ephesians 6 were our the ever-hilarious Teresa of Ávila ter, the kind that erupts from a
only protective options, did you? once put it: “From silly devotions deep reservoir of trust in God.
By all means, those are definitely and sour-faced saints, good Lord, Who knows, we might plum for-
important and deliver us.” That’s a big 10-4. get some of our silly troubles,
soldierly and all, Here’s the deal. We are invited and feel better than we have in
but they’re by no to boldly, daily approach the months. So lean back and laugh
means exhaustive. throne as daughters and sons ’til it hurts so good. 

55 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S

CHAPTER & VERSE

While we might throw shindigs
for our neighbors or friends
today, these were times for the
GOD LIKES TO PARTY whole nation to come together
and rejoice. They could also be
long. The Feast of Tabernacles,
The Israelites were commanded to celebrate— for instance, lasted seven days,
and we would be wise to follow suit. during which time the Jewish
people lived in temporary shel-
BY JOSHUA RYAN BUTLER  ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADAM CRUFT
ters reminiscent of their time in
the wilderness (Deut. 16:15).
What significance might all
 WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY ENVISION GOD as a dour policeman this have for us today? God
whose primary interest is simply to keep our behavior in check, a invites us to joy—He wants us
quick peek into the Scriptures reveals quite the opposite. Instead, we to take time to celebrate who He
discover a God of celebration who loves to fire up the grill, crank up the is and what He’s done, not only
music, and invite the whole neighborhood over for a bash. as individuals and families, but
also together as the church. It’s
ISRAEL’S NATIONAL BLOCK PARTIES One
of the Hebrew words for celebration is worthy and right that we cele-
chagag, which is often associated with Israel’s national festivals. In brate the Lord together.
the Old Testament, God established seven major festivals, which are
(in calendar order): Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, the Feast A related Hebrew
TAKE JOY IN GOD
of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the word—simchah, or “joy”—
Feast of Tabernacles. is often associated with the
These were like Israel’s national block parties, where the people national celebrations. Num-
all came together to celebrate who God is by remembering what He’s bers 10:10, for example, refers
done and commemorating His great acts in history. At Passover, for to the annual festivals as “times
example, God declared as He delivered His people from Egypt, “For of rejoicing” (NIV). When King
the generations to come you shall celebrate [Passover] as a festival Hezekiah restored temple wor-
to the Lord—a lasting ordinance” (Ex. 12:14 NIV). While Passover ship and festivals, the priests
celebrated God as Deliverer, other feasts, like the early-harvest obser- “sang praises [to the Lord] with
vance of Firstfruits, recognized His provision and rejoiced in His joy, and bowed down and wor-
abundance (Lev. 23:9-14). shiped” (2 Chron. 29:30). The
Not every festival was fun prophet Nahum looked forward
(Hardcover) and games, however—the Day to the day when the people would
of Atonement, for example, return from exile and again be
involved fasting as the people able to “celebrate [their] festi-
solemnly recognized their sin vals … and fulfill [their] vows”
and prepared to rejoice in God’s (Nahum 1:15 NIV). And when

ANCIENT TRUTH FOR forgiveness (Lev. 16:29-31).

But most involved fine dining,
the prophet’s hope was realized
in Nehemiah’s day, “there was

YOUR MODER N LIFE.

serving the best crops and live- great rejoicing” (Neh. 8:17) as
stock, to party it up in the Lord’s the people once again celebrated
presence. their festivals in the land.
Immerse yourself in the timeless teachings of Proverbs with this Priests were, to some extent, This joy was not only for fes-
devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley. Covering a wide range of topics, “party planners”: One of their tival times, however, but also
it will provide inspiration and guidance for your everyday life. $19 USD significant tasks was to oversee pointed Israel to year-round
the national celebrations. And delight in God. She was to serve
these festivals could be massive. Him “with joy and a Continued on pg 32
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31 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S

glad heart, for the abundance of

all things” (Deut. 28:47). Israel’s
national life was to be charac-
terized by continual celebration
of who God is. She rejoiced
in divine victories, as when
David returned from defeating
the Philistines (1 Sam. 18:6).
When David’s son Solomon was
anointed as king, the people
made music and celebrated with
such exuberance and “great joy …
that the earth shook at their
noise” (1 Kings 1:40).
We’re invited to take joy in God
all year as well. He encourages us
to feast and rejoice before Him,
to celebrate in His presence.
While there is a proper place for
reverence before His greatness
as Creator, this doesn’t mean we
God wants us to take
should put on a “serious face” in
His presence and wait until we
time to celebrate who
leave to have fun. Rather, the
best celebration is in the pres-
He is and what He’s done,
ence of God—our mighty Deliv- not only as individuals
erer, loving Father, and gracious
Savior. What greater cause for and families, but also
rejoicing could there be?
together as the church.
God’s
T HE K ING WA N T S HIS HOU SE FUL L A G I F T B O O K BY D R . C H A R L E S S TA N L E Y
throwing a party, and He wants So what is heaven actually like? At some point in our lives,
the world to come. In Jesus’ par-
able of the great banquet, God we’ve all had questions, and perhaps even struggled to wrap
is described as a host throwing our minds around the concept of eternity. This enlightening
a massive dinner at His home gift book by Dr. Charles Stanley will be a source of inspiration,
(Luke 14:15-24). After His Jesus’ kingdom welcomes good the front door open wide to let in knowledge, and encouragement for anyone seeking
friends make excuses to avoid folks and bad, moralists and everyone who would come. to know more.
attending the party, the host murderers, Pharisees and phi- God wants us at His party,
instructs His servant, “Go out at landerers—any who will bow and the cross reveals the extent $14 USD
once into the streets and lanes of their knee to Him and rejoice in to which He’s gone for us to be To Order: intouch.org/store
the city … into the highways and His presence. there. The question is whether
1-800-980-0020
along the hedges” to “bring in Why does God invite every- we want to be with Him. Are we
here the poor and crippled and one from everywhere into this willing to let our lives be shaped
blind and lame” (vv. 21, 23). celebration? Jesus tells us as He and formed by the beauty of His
God sends the invitation out closes His parable: “So that my kingdom? He invites the church
far and wide, and the guest list house may be filled” (v. 24). God to joy even now. So let’s bring the
for his party is filled with a lot desires a home that’s bursting best we have to give and revel in
of names you might not expect. at the seams; He longs to throw our great King! 

T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G . 32