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A Sense of Humor – I know it’s vitally important to keep a sense of humor in ministry, and I know it’s also important to not take yourself too seriously (even though we take our calling seriously). I’d love to hear pastors share some of their funnier moments in ministry, including their bloopers and blunders.
Responses:
Pastor Bob Yandian – Tulsa, OK
When I arrived at the wedding (about 15 minutes early), the groom had not made it yet. This was before cell phones and no one knew he was stuck in traffic. The bride was in a panic and so were the groomsmen. The groom was to have delivered their tuxes almost an hour earlier.
When I walked through the door, in my tux, the photographer (who thought I was the groom) saw me cried out, "O thank God you're here!" I thought to myself, "I think I'm early." He then said to me, "how can you look so calm?" I told him, "Oh, I have done this so many times, I don't get nervous anymore." I could not figure out his shocked expression.
Pastor Rob Wynne – Linden, AL
One Wednesday night as I was preaching, I had a major mental error or you could say “hiccup.”
As I was explaining how Rose and I compensate for each other by using our attributes to help each other, my mental error occurred. I intended to say that "Rose IS very smart," but what came out instead was “Rose is NOT very smart!" Not realizing what I had said, I continued on with what I was relating, even expounding with a few other words and examples along the intended lines of how we help each other, and again I said "And Rose is NOT even very smart!!" By this time some people began to have some funny looks on their faces, a few chuckles and whispered comments, ie., ”He has no idea what he is saying!” Not attributing all this to my comments, I continued on with my message and for a third time made the statement, "Rose is NOT very smart!!" At this point she stopped me and said, "Where are you going with this?" My response was "What do you mean?" By this time, Rose and several members of the congregation looked a little agitated. Rose answered me by saying," Where are you going with all this Rose is NOT very smart business?" I humbly replied, "Did I say THAT?" At that point, I promptly asked one of the men, "Can I go home with you tonight?!!"
Pastor Jerry Weinzierl – Sterling Heights, MI
My worst and probably funniest was: November 1997, the scene = a tour of Israel with two other churches and I'm kind of the "young pastor" in the group. I was assigned no real teaching duties and was pleased to be along for the experience with the members of my church. Half way through the 9 day trip we came to the Jordan River for what was to be a highlight...baptism in the same river Jesus was baptized!
On location there is a changing room up at the gift shop where you could also purchase an optional white robe for the baptism. I had two elderly members that wanted to experience this, so I prepared myself and waited my turn. Our tour group had 20-30 to go into the water, and my two would be last. As I waited (along with a pretty sizable audience in the observation area) I observed how dirty the water was and obviously very cold from the reaction of the participants. My turn came. I walked down into the water, the elderly couple, dressed in their $10 outfit, one by one walked down into the cold water where I was. I dunked them both with the traditional words of "In the name..." They waited one for another before they exited the water and the priceless time had come as their cheap, thin, white garment clung tightly to their completely naked bodies...leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination! Pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary was completely impossible and the couple walked nonchalantly back to their clothing stash!
They were oblivious. I was mortified and rode back to the hotel with two very blessed and now better known members!
Pastor Timothy Kutz – Bartlesville, OK
Certainly, one way to lose the attention of people you continually minister to is to be serious and dramatic all of the time. If a merry heart does good like a medicine, then that means people like to laugh and they need to laugh. A good library of jokes is an asset to any minister. Humor helps people to open their minds to what is being said and will help you keep them engaged.
As an example, I opened a baby dedication service last Sunday with the following (not original with me):
Question: Have you ever given your children back to God?
(Some of you are thinking, “I’d like to give them back—but
I didn’t think God would take them back.
I thought He had a ‘no return’ policy on kids!
Besides, I lost the receipt!”)
The truth is, there is not a parent here who hasn’t had a few
moments or days when they wouldn’t have liked to package
up that kid and take him/her back to God’s customer
service counter and demand, “I want my money back!”
When Peggy and I first married we had 3 theories on
raising kids…now we have 3 kids and no theories!
One young boy, who had two brothers, came to his mom and
asked, “Mom, what would you like for your birthday this year?”
She said, “I would like 3 well-behaved children!”
That young boy answered, “Then there would be six of us!”
People were absolute ready to receive the few points that I had to make after that.
But the funniest times in the pulpit are when you don't mean to be making a joke and one just happens. I was ministering several years ago and I wanted to make a point about a particular thing that had happened as being a miscarriage of justice.
Webster’s Dictionary defines travesty as: a crude, distorted, or ridiculous representation
of something (a trial that was a travesty of justice)
I wanted to use the word travesty, but what came out of my mouth was "transvesty". People started laughing uncontrollably. I couldn't understand why. It had gone right over my head. Someone then told me what I had said. After an extended period of intense laughter, I attempted to recover the rest of my sermon. To this day no one, including myself, remembers what I was ministering on that day!
Another time that really worked out good was when I was doing a service with all of the children present and the service was geared toward the children. I was using it as an opportunity to minister to the children myself as well as a "recruiting" time for children's workers. I stationed two men, who are goofy and like to have a good time, on each side of the platform....armed with super soaker squirt rifles!!! At first they were just shooting the children, but the adults really began to get into the service and were doing what it took to get shot too. That was 30 minutes of non-stop laughter. People really enjoyed that service, and we enlisted several children's church workers.
Pastor David Emigh – Sand Springs, OK
One Sunday morning I was preaching away and said, “2 Tim 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immorality to light through the gospel:” It was hilarious!
Pastor Dean Hawk – Colorado Springs, CO
Here’s my one brilliant idea: Buy a ping pong table. Too many times the driving force and emotional drain of ministry is taxing and we take life too seriously. My pastors and I bought a ping pong table for the office. We use it to relieve stress, make the office fun, and it allow us to flaunt our dominance over one another. Of course they know if I don’t periodically win, the table will disappear! Just kidding!
