What's so funny? Lots of things! But humour is tricky to negotiate and laughter can be both joyous and cruel. A reflection on living well with a laugh – or might I say 'laughing well'?

No, this is not the cry for some semblance of quiet by the Speaker in the House of Commons. Rather this is about knowing what is happening in worship and why. What we do when and why is important but not as important as knowing what God is doing when and why!

The mystery of Christian discipleship is that we relate to Jesus through faith which ultimately means that Jesus is beyond our senses and experiences – and yet he uses means – words, water, bread and wine – to reach us via our senses and experiences but we only receive him through faith. Christians thus can say that Jesus is with them even when their senses and experiences go 'What?!'

For the Christian, hope is faith grounded in Christ looking into the future – and that is its true power.

Christians and the world know that Jesus' mother was Mary. What does that mean for us today? The many answers suggest that there is something about Mary!

What is the vibe of a thing, a person, or a relationship? A quintessence perhaps? We often live by vibes. In Christianity all vibes need to be anchored in God's Word – all of it – not just our favourite parts – so that we don't make God or Jesus in our image! And the starting point in getting a Christian vibe is the cross and empty tomb.

Why do we do what we do in Church? I think it is important that each of us know what is behind we way we react and behave. That is why the distinction between public doctrine and pious opinion is very important.

In the UK the devolved governments are lifting the lid on public worship – 'there are no restrictions' is the summary. But how true is such a sentiment when we talk about Christian worship?

What did you think of when you saw that word? No doubt people and buildings and labels and possibly a chequered history. Such are not unimportant at all. But it is good to first remember that the Christian Church is an article of faith and a hidden reality. What we see should reflect that reality but we live 'by faith and not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7) and that makes 'Church' very interesting indeed!

Faces are everywhere! People have them and we can even 'see' them on inanimate objects. We so want to know and be known and faces are a good place to start. Of course this begs the question spiritually – Does God have a face? What would you say?