What is the Balance?

Further reflecting upon the idea of humor/playfulness and the church...

What is the proper balance between having humor and dealing with the "business" of the church?

In our class, we talked about taking our responsibilities seriously.  I mean, when you are engaging someone who is facing terminal cancer, divorce, having troublesome questions about faith, you must not make light of what they are going through.  These are serious issues!  Yet, can humor be injected into such times to lighten the atmosphere?

I believe so.  More than once, I have done so in the midst of some very serious situations.  Walking into a hospital room of a gentleman who had a heart attack during worship, I quipped, "Bill, you know, I have had folks come up with all sorts of reasons and excuses to skip out on hearing one of my sermons, but yours takes the cake!"

Luckily, this guy had a great sense of humor, and we laughed heartily together.

Of course, we also had some very serious moments during that conversation as well. But I wonder if starting off on a lighter note helped the conversation flow better?

Similarly, this past Sunday, I preached a rather heavy sermon.  After taking up the offering a little later, I noticed the plates having to travel down the same row twice--back and forth. 

Before starting the prayers, I quipped, "Just a quick question that I noticed.  If the offering plate goes both up and down the pew, do you have to put something in twice?"

Eruption of laughter!

Healthy?

I think so.

The church has some very serious business to attend to.  We have a life changing, world changing message to get out.  We have the job of spreading the good news of Jesus death and resurrection.  We have the job of engaging and challenging the world when it commits injustice.  We have been called to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, and to visit the sick and imprisoned.  We have been commissioned to be witnesses of Jesus in word and in deed. 

But do we always have to be serious when doing this serious business?

I mean, aren't we called to be joyful as we follow our Lord and Savior?

Contrast that with what you see in many congregations throughout the U.S.

Do you see joy?

Do you see people who walk through life in a joyful manner no matter what hardships they face?

Is there humor and laughter in these folks lives even in the face of serious matters?

Who wants to be around someone who is deadly serious all the time?

And at the same time, who wants to be around someone who can't take anything seriously? 

There's a balance there.  I wish more people and congregations well as they seek to find it.