The Fun of Being Looney: Bishop Richard Looney

Bishop Richard Looney writes that there is no nobler calling than the ministry. Pastors interact with peoples' lives at their highest and lowest moments. Pastors point beyond themselves to God and seek to be a bridge between the human and divine. While our work is serious and life-changing, we can never take ourselves too seriously. In fact, the load of ministry might be too heavy to bear without the ability to laugh at oneself and with colleagues.It is freeing to realize that Jesus must have laughed heartily.

Think of the humorous way Jesus critiques the religious leaders and others of his day. One was so eager to be noticed that he hired a trumpet player to announce a large gift. Others loved to pray piously on the street corners to be seen and applauded. Still others sought seats up front where everyone would surely notice. If it is recognition you want, that will be your reward.We have so elevated the divine Jesus that we have forgotten the humor of Jesus, who was accused of being a party animal and friend of sinners and who laughingly reminded them of the absurdity of criticizing a doctor for associating with sick people.

Bishop Looney writes, “For some reason, I have been given the kind of mind that can see and remember the humorous in my own life and in my service to the church. Some of that, I choose to share here, hoping that you will discover the humor in your own life and circumstances. Maybe our joy will attract others to the joy given by Christ.”

What Readers are Saying About The Fun of Being Looney

The Fun of Being Looney is a very appropriate title. The author begins by making fun of his own name! As a member of Bishop Richard Looney’s cabinet in South Georgia for five years, I can testify first-hand to the humor found in this book. Bishop Looney has the uncanny ability to recall and instantly repeat every joke, amusing antidote, witty quotation, perfect punch line, or self-deprecating occasion that he has ever heard or experienced. The amazing thing is that they are always appropriate to the occasion or topic. This book is an autobiography seen through the lens of a fun-loving human being who just happens to be a United Methodist Bishop. I can promise that after you have absorbed this fun-loving book, you will be wearing a smile for a long time.

Donald M. Kea
Macon, Georgia

If you know Bishop Richard Looney, you probably picked up this book thinking it is a collection of the laugh-out-loud experiences of his life and ministry in the Methodist Church, and you won’t be disappointed. But this book is more than a collection of humorous anecdotes. Bishop Looney writes, “People flocked to Jesus to share in the joy He exhibited.” The Fun of Being Looney encourages the reader to recognize and celebrate the joy found in chance encounters, deep relationships, expressions of generosity, and a life of faith and calling to Christ and the Church. This book, just like its author, is a refreshing and gentle reminder that our faith is best lived and shared with a side of laughter and joy.

Kim M. Goddard
New River District Superintendent, UMC Holston Annual Conference

No one tells a story better than Bishop Looney! He has an extraordinary ability to see the humor in ordinary experiences and relationships. In this remarkable book, the beloved pastor and bishop shares his life story through anecdotes that leave you smiling or laughing exuberantly. He never laughs at anyone except himself, and through it all, he demonstrates that humor is one of God's treasured gifts.

Bishop Kenneth L. Carder
Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Duke Divinity School