Okay, who knows how Joan of Arc died? Right. She was burned at the stake. Keep that in mind; it will come up again in a few minutes.

Today's text is about Sarah laughing, and it strikes me that it would be better if the lectionary had scheduled this reading for sometime in April instead of during the summer. That's because April is National Humor Month. This observance was started in 1976 by humorist Larry Wilde, author of 53 books on the subject of humor, and director of The Carmel Institute of Humor, whatever that is. According to Mr. Wilde's website, National Humor Month "is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life."

Wilde says, "Since Apri…