Laugh with room for others.
Make the joke hospitable enough for people to remain whole.
All welcome. Solemnity optional.churchofsilly.com
CHARTER 01A different instinct for a familiar institution.SCROLL TO EXPLORE ↓
01 / THE CHARTER
Change what the institution is for.
There is a kind of laughter that brings people back to themselves. The shoulders drop. The room gets kinder. For a moment, the performance of being impressive gives way to the relief of being here.
Church of Silly is a proposed gathering place for that generous absurdity. It treats play as a way of paying attention: to one another, to the strangeness of being alive, and to the small chances we have to make a day better.
Bring your questions. Bring your ridiculous hat, if it helps. The founding practice is simple: leave more room for someone else’s aliveness.
This is the founding charter: an invitation to develop the ideas below.
02 / THE PRINCIPLES
Practice unimportance.
Give yourself occasional relief from the need to look impressive.
Let joy become care.
Carry the good feeling into a useful act of generosity.
IDEAS TO MAKE REAL.
PROPOSED DIRECTIONSThe Book of Small Absurdities
A proposed collection of joyful observations, rituals, and reminders for ordinary days.
EXPLORATIONA Very Informal Service
A proposed gathering format combining a shared question, a little play, and one act of care.
EXPLORATIONThe Sacred Lost-and-Found
A proposed creative prompt series for rediscovering curiosity, wonder, and neglected sources of delight.
EXPLORATION03 / KEEP EXPLORING
ONE INSTITUTION.
A WHOLE WORLD
AROUND IT.
Read the charter and explore its proposed directions. Carry an idea into your own creative work, then follow the neighboring institutions in the web.