LAUGHTER MINISTRY

Laughter Ministry

I led the annual adult fall retreat at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, Illinois this year. It was held September 23-25.

I have to admit that the camp took a leap of faith to invite me. This is usually a theologically solid event for serious Lutherans. The group came prepared to learn a lot and grow in their faith. They knew that it was about the joy of the Lord but I don't think they were quite expecting the childlike playfulness that was awaiting them. Nevertheless, they were amazingly receptive to the unique laughter ministry that I'm developing. We had a fabulous time together. See the picture below as evidence of their enthusiasm.

Here is what the executive director of the camp had to say about it:

I'm a believer now in the power of laughter yoga because Laughing Laura was the retreat leader of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center's annual fall adult retreat. Laura had all 16 participants, with an average age of 68, not only laughing and dancing but happier than I've seen them in the past 7 years of retreating here! Pastor Laura Gentry is an AMAZING FACILITATOR. She worked with participants who could be described as serious to stoic. Yet, she motivated them to be silly and laugh until it hurt during the two and a half day retreat. Even the closing worship was very different from the traditional Lutheran services we have at these retreats. Thank you, Laughing Laura, for using laughter yoga and your spiritual gift of teaching to lead our fall retreat. These were the BEST RESULTS I've seen in my time here!

—Russ Senti

Watch the group as they take the Laughter Pledge:

I'm excited to have expanded my laughter ministry. I now have created over twelve hours of Christian laughter programming. This enables groups to go deeper and explore how they can truly embody the joy of their faith. Please consider inviting me to lead your next church or retreat center event. Learn more at www.HolyHysterics.com.

Here's another reminder that there is still time to register for the Laughter Yoga Leader/Teacher retreat I'm offering in Rochester, Minnesota beginning October 19. If you are already a graduate of the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga, you can register as a refresher course for a fraction of the cost! Don't you deserve a laughter weekend to revive yourself? If you're really stressed, consider it a laughter intervention! ha ha! Hurry, though, registration closes October 12!  Call or email me if you'd like to discuss it • laughinglauragentry@gmail.com • 563-880-2699. Woo hoo!

LAUGHING IN A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER

This article was just posted at the Lutheran Services in Iowa site. Click here to read it there.

Laughter is the best medicine

March 29, 2012

Waverly, Iowa—Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Pastor Laura Gentry of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lansing, Iowa, shared her “Holy Hysterics” program at LSI’s Bremwood Residential Treatment Center on Tuesday, March 6, during a worship service.

“Holy Hysterics” combines traditional Christian ministry with laughter yoga, an innovative exercise involving laughter and deep yogic breathing. Gentry has now shared her laughter ministry on five continents, most recently in Africa.

“This form of ministry is very uplifting,” explains Gentry. “It utilizes contagious laughter to help people tap into the joy of the Lord.”

LSI’s Bremwood Residential Treatment Center provides 24-7 mental health services for youth ages 12 to 18 with severe emotional or behavior disorders. Many of the youth have experienced trauma from past abuse or neglect.

Thanks to generous community support, LSI also provides voluntary spiritual life activities to address the mind, body and spirit needs of youth.

“If laughter heals, let’s all laugh a lot,” said P.C., a 15-year-old at Bremwood. “I felt pretty good after our laughter worship and enjoyed it a lot.”

“Laura’s winsome presentation was a hit with our youth,” said Pastor Dennis Bauer, LSI spiritual life leader. “Some were cautiously curious, but even those teens paid attention and listened. Those who engaged with the laughter were blessed with a deep relaxation and trust in the moment. They’re already asking when she’ll be back.”

For more information about Gentry’s ministry, visit www.laughinglaura.com.

---

LSI is one of Iowa's largest human services agencies and impacts tens of thousands of Iowans annually through child abuse prevention, services for families and youth in crisis, services for people with disabilities, refugee services, home health care and disaster response. LSI is nationally accredited and serves people of all ages, genders, nationalities, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations. To learn more, visit www.LSIowa.org. Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LSI.iowa.

HOLDEN VILLAGE BECOMES A LAUGHING VILLAGE

I was invited to be a part of the summer teaching staff at Holden Village this year. Holden is a unique, secluded retreat center high in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America so I had always known of Holden but never visited until last month. It was an amazing experience to share laughter yoga with the diverse and interesting community of the village.

When I say the village is secluded, I mean it is secluded. There are no roads to Holden—it used to be a mining village. You can only get there by riding several hours on a ferry up Lake Chelan. Here I am with our Lady of the Lake ferry boat as we arrived at Lucerne.

But even when you get to Lucerne, you're not there yet. At that point, you must board a Holden Village school bus, which chugs up numerous switchbacks on a gravel road, climbing over 2,000 feet in a little under 12 miles. Check out the switchback road sign.

As you ascend, there are breathtaking views of Lake Chelan.

William and I were pleased to discover we got to live in this lovely mountain chalet during our two week stay.

This is the view we had from our front porch!

Here we are with Pastor Jen Nagel, the summer teaching staff coordinator, who had arranged for me to come and teach. Jen and I have been friends since 1995, when we worked together at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin as chaplain interns.

During our time at Holden Village, I led 15 laughter yoga sessions, including a laughing of the labyrinth. Below is a video with highlights from these joyful gatherings, many of which happened outside at 7:30 a.m. What better way to start the day than laughing with friends in the mountains?

Below are photographs, which William took, during the various laughter yoga sessions. Double-click them to view larger versions.

Here's the labyrith group in the happy center.

We're giving each other laughter blessings!

During our incredible time at Holden Village, we noticed a transformation—it became a laughing village. People would run up to one another and greet each other with a laugh. Some even took laughing hikes and would shout "Very Good! Very Good! Yay!" after each stream they successfully crossed. And all in all, there was great joyfulness. Holden Village has always been a happy place that values holy hilarity but I do think that having laughter yoga sessions there helped them live into that identity more fully. I'm grateful we had such a wonderful experience there and I now have lots more laughter friends. Very Good! Very Good! Yay!

LAUGHING WITH GOD: NOT TAKING OURSELVES TOO SERIOUSLY

My laughter ministry got a mention in this editorial in Owatonna.com. Indeed, it is a great thing to laugh with God!

Martin Luther once said, “If I’m not allowed to laugh in heaven, then I don’t want to go.” Laughter is something that each and every one of us needs in our lives. It’s healthy to laugh.

I firmly believe that God has gifted each of us with a sense of humor, in one way or another. I remember a few weeks ago I was at text study, and we were talking about death and heaven/hell.

When I left, slightly unnerved, I got into my car, and when I heard what song was playing on the radio, I couldn’t help but laugh. It was “That’ll Be The Day (That I Die.)” Laughter brings us hope, encouragement, and joy. Far too often, I think we take ourselves too seriously. Stress causes so much pain and suffering in our lives. We need laughter to balance our lives.

Pastor Laura Gentry, a pastor in Northeast Iowa, has been named a Laughter Ambassador by Laughter Club International. Pastor Laura has introduced laughter ministry to the congregation she serves in Iowa. They get together weekly and laugh together. She says that laughing together weekly has boosted their joy and given them another opportunity to share their Christian love with each other through laughter.

She says that this laughter ministry has helped them gain a greater appreciation for joy in their faith lives, and their laughter club has made the congregation she serves a more compassionate congregation. She has made several laughter CD’s that can be used as laughter resources for personal or congregational use. These CD’s contain several laughter workouts that have you laughing out loud in many different ways. It feels a bit ridiculous, but that’s the point. The point is to laugh, to be silly, and “make a joyful noise to the Lord.” (Psalm 98:4)

We find many verses in Scripture that talk about joy and happiness. For example, in Ecclesiastes 3, we read, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” There is time in our lives to laugh. What wonderful news this is. In Luke 6:21, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” There are several other verses that allude to joy and happiness in the Bible, and laughter can have a wonderful effect in our lives, and in our faith.

Of course, the text also says that there is a time to weep, and a time to mourn. Not every moment of our lives can or will be filled with laughter. There are times to be serious, and we know when those times are. But laughter is a gift that we can use when we’re feeling sad, depressed, angry, or frustrated. In an article that Pastor Laura wrote for the ELCA Board of Pensions, she talks about scientific studies that were done on the effects of laughter on the body.

In these studies, gelatologists (that is, people who study laughter, or “gelos,” the Greek word meaning “laughter,”) have found that laughter has several health benefits, such as improvement of the function of blood vessels, prevention of heart disease, boosts in the immune system, reduction of stress hormone levels and hopefulness in the lives of people. Laughing can help make us healthy.

God has blessed us richly with the gift of being in community with one another. One of the ways in which we can build community is to laugh with one another. Tell someone a joke, make a silly face, or laugh for no reason at all. Laughter is contagious, after all. God has gifted us all with a sense of humor and when we laugh with each other, it creates a bond of joy, peace, love and happiness. Laughter creates joy in our lives, and joy reminds us of how blessed we are in the grace and love that God has given us. For we know that our God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” (Jonah 4:2). May we all find joy and laughter in our lives; and when we laugh, may it be a “joyful noise to the Lord.”

Pastor Perspective

One of my students, Mary Harris, was featured in this article in the Times-Republican of Central Iowa about the laughter club she runs in Marshalltown.

Making Laughter a Priority

Lively laughter club promotes happiness and health

By MIKE DONAHEY, TIMES-REPUBLICAN

T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY

Several members of Trinity Lutheran Church’s Laughter Club are shown recently in the sanctuary doing the “Elevator” a club exercise. Clockwise left are Jeff Harris, Martha Schwandt, Sherry Allen, Rev. Gregg Davison and facilitator Mary Harris.

The sanctuary of Marshalltown's Trinity Lutheran Church was alive with hearty laughter Wednesday night.

Much of it was deliberate.

The occasion: The church's Laughter Club was in session for its weekly half-hour meeting from 5:30 p.m to 6 p.m.

Facilitator Mary Harris was dressed appropriately, with a multi-colored wig and coveralls.

There were flying monkeys, propelled through the air in sling-shot fashion. Mock bowling and joke telling were also on the agenda in the lively and fast paced meeting.

Harris did not lecture.

The activities were interactive, with all in attendance taking part.

Members laughed out loud for the sake of it. They turned from their place in the pew and laughed at each other. In one exercise, members would pick a piece of real or imagined lint of their clothing and laughed. A crowded "pretend" elevator was another skit which generated even more laughter.

Joining Mary Harris for this particular meeting was husband Jeff, Rev. Gregg Davison of Trinity and parishioners Martha Schwandt and Sherry Allen.

During the course of the meeting it was evident that there was more than laughter and rubber-band powered toys to the meeting.

The purpose, of all the exercises, according to Mary Harris is to make laughter a priority in people's lives.

She was serious about it.

Before each exercise, she spoke briefly about how laughter, in general, could make people happier and healthier.

She also said that laughter made people more resilient to stress, improved sleep and people were less prone to catch colds and flu.

Throughout the meeting Harris was using what is called laughter yoga.

Put simply, laughter yoga, according to an Evangelical Church of America website,elcabop.org/Home/LiveWell/Wellness, "was developed in India by Dr. Madan Kataria who figured there had to be a good way to harness the healing power of laughter. The method combines laughter with deep breathing techniques to maximize the benefits of the workout."

Mary Harris trained with a master trainer of Laughter Yoga, Rev. Laura Gentry of Lansing.

Gentry was trained by Kataria.

He said of her: "She speaks from her heart and inspires people with her true , joyful spirit. Laughing Laura is surely one of my best laughter professors."

It was Gentry's presentation at Trinity in June, 2009 that motivated Mary Harris to learn more.

"I saw her presentation," Harris, an elementary school educator said. "I know I could do that."

She went to Trinity's parish council and asked permission to form the club and use the church.

Her request was approved.

Mary Harris had another reason for learning about laughter.

"There was a lot of stress in my life at the time," she said. "My mother was in her 22nd year of Alzheimer's (disease) and if you have lived with that for awhile, its just is always there, it is always there."

There was more.

"And it's not something you laugh about," she said.

The Laughter Club provides relief.

"This is good," Mary Harris said of the club meetings. "It's good balance."

Member Sherry Allen said she "enjoyed a great good night's sleep" after attending her first session some time ago.

Davison said he attends the meetings periodically because "mostly because the provide stress relief," he said. "Everything I've read said that laughter is good for the body. I believe it.'

He had more to say.

"I think Jesus laughed a lot," Davison said, "considering some of the disciples he had, sometimes it is better to laugh than to cry."

The church Laughter Club meets each Wednesday in the church sanctuary during the school year

Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com

ATTENTION NEW BLOG SUBSCRIBERS: Here's the secret link for your 100 Free Laughter Yoga Exercises. Happy Laughing!

LAUGHTER MINISTRY

The following article about a presentation I gave to students at Wartburg Theological Seminary was published in the Telegraph Herald newspaper of Dubuque, Iowa on Saturday, April 21, 2011. It can be found at this link.

Holy ha ha

Laughter ministry mixes joy with praise

BY MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON TH STAFF WRITER MNPEDERSON@WCINET.COM

Religion doesn't always have to be solemn, and religious leaders shouldn't be somber all the time, says a northeast Iowa pastor who promotes levity in the praise of God.

"A core value of Christianity is joy and Jesus brings us joy," said the Rev. Laura Gentry, while leading a recent laughter ministry workshop at Wartburg Theological Seminary. "Through joy, we become more 'Christian' than ever, more loving, more willing to roll with life's punches, trusting that God will take care of us."

Gentry's students practiced a number of techniques that might help them laugh at their problems and those of their congregations. They chuckled, giggled, tickled and belly-laughed. As a warm-up exercise, they sang the children's song, "Jesus Loves Me,' substituting "ha, ha" for the lyrics. Students doubled over with laughter at the silliness and the room rang with adult giggles. The session was part of Wartburg's "spiritual practices" course.

Ministers and lay faithful alike can spread the joy of the Christian message through their actions.

"It can be as simple as smiling. In today's society, that can be powerful.People may see you smiling and happy and say, 'Who is your savior? I want to know (who makes you so happy)?'" Gentry said. Four years ago, she started a community-wide laughter club in Lansing, Iowa. It is now based at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, where she serves.

Inspiring her audience with goofy hats, including a full-sized chicken headpiece, Gentry reminded them of the health risks that pastors often face and how laughter can provide some relief."Laughter is a stress-buster, controls high blood pressure, relieves pain naturally, strengthens your immune system, helps you sleep better and enhances your creativity and problem-solving skills," she said. Gentry chronicled stressful times in her life, including the first years of her church ministry. She attended a "laughter school" in California and has expanded on lessons she learned there, becoming a certified laughter yoga teacher.

Gentry urged her students to find personal ways to incorporate a bit of laughter into their daily lives. Her suggestions?

"Laugh while you are brushing your teeth, driving or vacuuming, and try to match the pitch of vacuum. Laugh with your houseplants and your pets. If you are in a public place and really feel a need, fake a cell phone call and you can laugh at what the other person supposedly said," she said, throwing her head back and chortling loudly with her hand held up to her ear.

At the end of class, Gentry made the students stand, put their hands over their hearts and pledge to, "Have fun at all times and in all places and to live with the joy of the Lord in my heart and promote laughter in the world."

This video also accompanies the story.

SEMINARY BLOG FEATURES HOLY HILARITY

I was just featured on the blog of my seminary, Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calfornia. The reporter was interested in learning more about how my laughter yoga work informs my faith and ministry. Read the article below or click on this link to visit the PSR site.

December 1, 2009

It’s not often that one’s spiritual practice inspires others to call the police, but Laura Gentry’s (MDiv and MA 1997) unique approach to happiness and spirituality isn’t typical, either. She and about a dozen others were sitting outside Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing, Iowa, chuckling, emitting belly laughs and chortling in the sunshine when a passerby called the police, thinking they were all drunk. Gentry’s antics were hardly due to inebriation; she is a certified laughter yoga instructor as well as an ordained pastor and leads a church laughter club in joyful exercises every week. Thankfully, Gentry cleared up the misconception, and the reporting police officer even joined the church.

In an age of dwindling worship attendance, Gentry has found a powerful tactic to inspire solidarity in her Midwest church: humor. Although some may balk at reading Scripture with a smile, Gentry maintains that laughter is actually an appropriate—and fulfilling—response.

“To me, it’s a no-brainer: Church is a joyful place, so we should be laughing,” Gentry says. “The Good News is good news, and we should remember to be happy about it.”

Three years ago, the stresses and challenges of ministry threatened to overwhelm Gentry. It was then, when she was considering leaving ministry, that she discovered laughter yoga, a practice that originated in India that has more to do with ha-ha’s and breathing than with twisting one’s body into pretzel poses. The release she found when tapping into a childlike state of hilarity rejuvenated her ministry and inspired her to start a laughing club—the source of her run-in with the law.

The change in pace has garnered the nation’s attention, from articles in Lutheran magazines to an appearance on Oprah. Wanting to spread her ministry even further, she founded the Iowa School of Laughter Ministry, where she certifies other laughter teachers. She has also produced several laughter workshops on CD (including one for commuters) and an album of giggle-inspiring songs.

“Laughter is a great force for democracy, just human beings laughing together, no matter their background or social status or even religion,” Gentry says. “It’s like the gospel, bringing all of us together, where we’re all one in Christ Jesus.”

Much of her laughter practice is without political or religious overtones, but Gentry says that simply laughing has helped her along her spiritual journey.

“The Bible says we have to be like a child to enter into heaven. We’re children of God and don’t need to take ourselves so seriously,” Gentry says. “Developing a childlike playfulness enhanced my spirituality in ways I didn’t expect. To be silly opens up a new way of thinking: I don’t have to do only what is expected. It demonstrates that with God, all things are possible.”

Gentry gives some credit to PSR for encouraging her to try new things in church. She performed some “wild dances,” she says, in chapel, and that freedom helped her carve her own niche within her current church. “PSR was a great place to experiment with ministry,” Gentry remembers. “It helped me think outside box and push the envelope”—a practice she applied to her Iowa preaching, which she believes revitalized her church and her own dedication to ministry.

Although the hard work of ministry can wear on even the most enthusiastic religious leaders, Gentry has advice for avoiding that burnout. “I want to tell current PSR students, respect what you’re trying to do, find your own voice and honor who you are,” she says. “That’s the PSR spirit of independence, to be your own minister.”