Joking from the pulpit

Let ever man abide in his own calling.

 

Humor in the pulpit

I don't need to use humor in the pulpit when I preach, the sight of me is enough to get the giggles going for my people.

I believe that humor should come from the personality. Some of you are very serious people and the use of humor would be contrary to your personality. Some are extreemely jovial and the use of humor would also be completely true to the personality. Remember, that it is our personality that is to be in context with what we preach as well as our words that we speak.

Also, It really does not matter what any of us think. It only matters what the Bible says, and the Bible says that "A merry heart does good like a medicene, but a broken spirit drys out the bones." If we are dry, then we better find a little medicene for our selves. I have found that nothing is better than good humor to refresh myself in the Lord.

Finally, DO NOT get our what and how mixed up, it creates huge problems every time we do that. The What are those things that are commands of scripture, i.e. go into every part of the earth teaching and baptizing, Lord's Supper, Baptizm, and discipleship. The How is the flexible part that is based not on scripture, but on our personalities and leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember what Paul said "I have become all things to all men so that I might reach some." There are those that think the How is more or just as important than the What, those people are dangerous to the cause of Christ. They are also on a blind march towards irrelevance, all the while wondering why no one will respond to God's message.

 

Rippon,
Just like you, I believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of all the Bible. But not every verse in the Bible is applicable to every situation.

The Bible records what Satan said, but it obviously was correct. In those cases, inspiration guarantees that what was said is accurately portrayed, not that it was accurate.

by the way, Solomon also wrote:
Proverbs 15:13 - A [SIZE=+0]merry[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] heart[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] maketh a cheerful[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] countenance[/SIZE][SIZE=+0]: but by sorrow[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] of the heart[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] the spirit[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] is broken[/SIZE][SIZE=+0]. [/SIZE]

Proverbs 15:15 - All the days[SIZE=+0] of the afflicted[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] are evil[/SIZE][SIZE=+0]: but he that is of a [/SIZE][SIZE=+0]merry[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] heart[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] hath a continual[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] feast[/SIZE][SIZE=+0].[/SIZE]
Proverbs 17:22 - A [SIZE=+0]merry[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] heart[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] doeth good[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] like a medicine[/SIZE][SIZE=+0]: but a broken[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] spirit[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] drieth[/SIZE][SIZE=+0] the bones[/SIZE][SIZE=+0]. [/SIZE]

 

Humor is something of a communication technique, like raising one's eyebrows or singing. They are all ways of interacting with the listeners.

If you sing badly, that would probably be a bad technique for you to use. If you aren't good at humor, humor probably detracts from the sermon's effectiveness. I've certainly seen some bad comedians in the pulpit. (And some bad singers.) And I've seen some empty-hearted clowns who were very entertaining, but they never got around to saying anything scriptural.

Sadder than a one-car funeral.

 

Preaching is no laughing matter.

Having said that, however, I usually use humor about once per
sermon when I do it. It helps bridge the gap. I use when it is
time to take a break, re-group and finish the material.

It gives people a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. However,
don't say anything too funny or you'll distract everyone. I mean,
it might be ok to say that "if God would shut the mouths of the lions,
would He do it JUST ONCE when Mrs. Jkdbuck76 in the passenger
seat telling me how to drive?"

At any given moment, 25% of your audience is not listening.
One joke helps mitigate that. Moving around does....you can
stay glued to the podium and never move, or you can move a
little.

But the main point in preaching that I have found is that
you had better believe what you are saying, cuz if you
don't, they won't.

 

Probably when the guy fell out of the window when Paul was preaching...
The very next sermon was probably introduced as "A sermon to die for"

I can imagine Paul getting a lot of mileage out of that episode!

 

I know that I get a lot of mileage out of it. It proves that I'm a better preacher than Paul.






It doesn't take me anywhere near midnight to put people to sleep.

 

I fell asleep the other evening preparing a sermon...

My wife is getting a lot of mileage out of that!!!

 

OK, I'll admit that putting yourself to sleep with your preaching is a lot better than Paul!

 

She has told everyone in church about it....

 

I don't get the connection with laughter in the modern pulpit compared to our modern technology vs. what they had available in the first century .

I still don't understand the mentality of making people feel at home as such in a church setting . Is the Pastor supposed to be an emcee or something ? Is he supposed to warm-up the audience ? Again , can you envision Paul or even Peter making people feel comfortable by using some humor to make a point or two ? To me preaching means a sacred task that is not to be taken lightly . You are on an errand , a commission from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords . It is not a time to be funny . Light-heartedness and being a herald of the Gospel do not go together .

Solomon who penned most of Proverbs is to be regarded as telling the truth there , but most of what he wrote in Ecc. is to be disregarded as "not accurate" ? Ecc. 7:2-4 is to be dismissed ? I don't think so . Where is that passage contradicted in the rest of Holy Writ ?

A number of things that at least three of Job's friends said need to be brought under the light of the rest of God's Word to see if those words line up with revealed truth . Even some of Job's words need to be evaluated under the same light . But to be so dismissive of the entire book of Ecc. is uncalled for by a professing Christian .

 

My point is simply that our cultures are different. In the 21st century, we have different resources, and we use them to impact the culture.

We tell jokes. Paul called for his Judaizing adversaries to castrate themselves. To each his own.

 

I believe it to be highly likely that laughter existed in AD 7, 107, 207, 307...

I see nothing in Scripture that prohibits us from building a relationship with them as we share. Many times, humor builds that rapport.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if some of Jesus' analogies were meant to be funny. "Camel through the eye of a needle" comes to mind. Humor with a point, but humor nonetheless.

I see a huge distinction between cavalier flippance and enjoying a laugh as a church family. No one here is condoning the former.

And believe me, I've been in plenty of churches in which it appeared the entire membership had sat upon green pinecones.

(note the use of humor in the above sentence).

So should a pastor strive to make his flock feel uncomfortable? Does relaying a funny story equal a comedy routine? Aren't we taking this a bit far?

Funny..."the joy of the Lord is my strength" keeps popping in my mind. It's OK to be happy about the "Good News." And you can be happy without doing the "holy laughter" bit.

Nor do I...but keep in mind the "every season" passage also in Ecclesiastes. A wise man of God knows when to "bear down" and when to "lighten up."

Actually, I can...particularly Peter. I just don't think of them as grumpy old bearded men in bathrobes.

Maybe I'm missing something. WHere was that done?

 

Now THAT'S funny.

 

As a preacher, I have to be genuine in the pulpit - I have to be myself. For me not to use a certain amount of humor would be artificial. I am not a grave person. I enjoy laughing, and hearing others laugh. But, that does not compromise my teaching the Word of God. My messages are centered on the Bible, not on the joke of the day. I preach through books of the Bible, not the current treasury of clean jokes. There is no compromise on the Word of God.

The church is alive! It's a living thing, made up of living people. And most living people I know laugh - some laugh often. I like that.

 

Laughter is a gift from God. God laughs sometimes. We are created in His Image.

 

I think that God laughs at His creation often.

Some people take church way too seriously. Go and read some sermons from the church fathers, you'll find them replete with humor and irony. Luther was one to certainly use humor in his sermons as well (clearly about one thousand years after the fathers.)

The Bible itself has humor throughout its pages.

Anyone who says church is only for the serious is taking themselves far too seriously.

 

I had started a thread not too long ago on " The Lord's Laughter " . Scripture speaks only of God laughing in scorn at the wicked . He laughs in a scoffing manner -- He mocks them . He is not the jovial Man in the Sky some of you imagine . And the Bible also speaks of some laughter by humans being evil . And still more --- that laughter sometimes is hollow . Ecc. 7:2-4 needs to be heeded .

 

When I am preaching or teaching, humor can be used for good and just for evil. "A merry heart doth good like a medicine." I don't think Jesus was glum all the time. If it helps me get my point across, I will use it!!!