Why Serious Preachers Use Humor
Plus: Top 25 Worship Songs

Consider some of the metaphors and statements of Jesus, and it becomes obvious that Jesus was not above introducing a comic element to make a point. Speaker and comedian Ken Davis gives the example "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle," a picture so outrageous it was funny, and yet the subject of salvation could not be more serious.

Elton Trueblood was inspired to write the book, The Humor of Christ, when reading Jesus' words about specks and logs in people's eyes made his four-year-old laugh.

The benefits of humor are many; from overcoming defenses and encouraging community, to showing our humanity and drawing attention to the truth. It is in the flash of humor that truth can sometimes be most clearly seen. That was my purpose in using this Paul Harvey story:

The Butterball company set up a Thanksgiving hotline to answer questions about cooking turkeys. One woman asked if she could use a turkey that had been in the bottom of her freezer for �?23 years. The Butterball expert—how's that for a job title—told her it would probably be safe if the freezer had been below zero the entire time. But the expert warned her that even if the turkey was safe to eat, the flavor would likely have deteriorated and wouldn't be worth eating. The woman said, "That's what I thought. We'll give the turkey to our church."

After the laughter subsided, I said, "Sin first shows itself in what you give God."

Here are a few characteristics of effective humor:

1. Have a purpose.
Pastor John Ortberg believes that since "the ultimate goal of preaching is to have Christ formed in people" humor must always be the servant of the message. If humor does nothing to forward that purpose, then the preacher should jettison it from the sermon.

2. Observe daily life.
Humor flowing from life experiences always trumps jokes with punch lines. Jokes are what Davis calls high-risk humor. If a joke dies, everyone knows it, and the point may die with it. When a personal story doesn't elicit the laugh you thought it would, it still maintains the power to illustrate the point. That's why Davis calls this low-risk humor and suggests this is where someone trying to learn to be more humorous should begin. So avoid joke books and pay more attention to what is going on around you.

3. Keep the surprise.
Saying "Let me tell you something funny" is disastrous. It's harder to surprise people. For some, an automatic resistance kicks in. They cross their arms and think, I'll be the judge of that.

4. Credit sources.
Nothing dampens the effectiveness of humor more surely or our credibility more quickly than presenting someone else's humor or someone else's experience as our own.

John Beukema excerpted from Preachingtoday.com

Top 25 Worship Songs

These are the songs most used by churches reporting to Christian Copyright Licensing Inc., for the six-month period ending March 30, 2004.

Here I Am to Worship*

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Lord, I Lift Your Name on High

Shout to the Lord

Come, Now is the Time to Worship

You Are My King*

God of Wonders*

Breathe

The Heart of Worship*

Forever*

Above All*

You Are My All in All

Trading My Sorrows*

We Fall Down*

I Could Sing of Your Love Forever

You're Worthy of My Praise

Draw Me Close

Give Thanks

Lord, Reign in Me

Better Is One Day*

Shine, Jesus, Shine

As the Deer

I Give You My Heart

Change My Heart, O God

Awesome God
* Our version of Billboard's bullet, this song is moving up the chart.
 

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
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Fall 2004, Vol. XXV, No. 4, Page 89