Comedy on the Pulpit

Ha Ha Ha, Lol, quite laughable right?  But with some introspectiveness we would realise that the topic is serious and requires some talking about.

To begin, I must state that I believe the comedy hustle is a legit one,  so this is not a write up against comedians or their craft. I am a fan of intelligent, socially conscious comedy, like I watch only the best stuff. But since the aim of this article is not to share my awesome list of recommended comedians, you are free to slide into any of my social media DMs for comedy consultancy.

Yes, before I forget, since I havethis platform,  I will like to sell mybrother’s market. My brother does impressive stand comedy and online skits thatare sure to have you in stitches. Just go on instagram and type Daniel Egwede, thenthank me when you are all caught up. Although I have not made an attempt toveer into the stand up waters, those who know me well, know that when I am inmy zone, I can dole out some pretty good jokes.

Alright, now that we are done with the commercials, let us get into the crux of the article. Since this is an article and not a debate, I would be stating my stand on the topic and my reasons for taking this stand. I actually don’t believe it is appropriate to make slots for comedians in our church services and these are my reasons:

1.We Do Not Have Time

The worst place I feel we can be in as a church and by the church, I mean the body of Christ as a whole, is thinking we have time. It is this mindset that makes people believe that we can make out slots for entertainment in our services.

On an average, most churches meet just twice in a week, for services that span between one to three hours, when we compare this to what we see in the Bible, we get a sense that we are being short-changed.

In the book of Acts the nineteenth chapter and the ninth and tenth verses, we see Paul gather a set of disciples, teaching them every day for the space of two years. Just think about having church daily and all you do is learn about what Jesus has done for you.

Another time in the same book of Acts, this Paul man taught all night and somebody slept, fell from a building and died. Just when you would expect Paul to stop teaching, he goes up to the dead man, raises him from the dead and continues his teaching (Acts 20:7-11).

These stories should tell you something, there is so much to learn in Christianity that we can’t make out time for entertainment in our gatherings.

There is so much to learn in Christianity that we can't make out time for entertainment in our gatherings. Share on X

This is such an important point in our generation, because we have people walking the streets, who claim to be Christians, but who wouldn’t know the gospel even if it hit them square in the face.

For this reason, we can’t afford to be listening to jokes in our church services, there is too much we need to know about our beloved faith. There are many platforms for comedians to express themselves, and Christians are free to attend. But the church should be too busy learning about Jesus to become another platform for comedians.

The church should be too busy learning about Jesus to become another platform for comedians. Share on X

2. We have Joy in the Holy Ghost

If it ever crosses your mind that church is boring without comedy, there must be something your pastor is not telling you. Joy for a Christian is not circumstantial or ignited by comedy, it is a fruit of the believer’s regenerated spirit.

Joy for a Christian is not circumstantial or ignited by comedy, it is a fruit of the believer's regenerated spirit. Share on X

As Christians, when we gather, we don’t need comedians to get us excited, we naturally exude joy.

Dear reader, there is such a thing as joy in the Holy Ghost, I have seen it first hand. When we gather for Holy Ghost Services, you will be amazed to see people laughing their hearts out, jumping and screaming for joy without the influence of a comedian. Joy for a Christian comes effortlessly,because it is our nature, we don’t need a comedian to get us to laugh, we have theHoly Spirit inside us.

Joy for a Christian comes effortlessly because it is our nature Share on X

3. There are Lines to be Drawn

I am of the opinion that anyone who is discerning should count it a privilege to stand in front of people who Jesus purchased with his blood to speak. For this reason, if you are ever in a position to lead anything in church, you must be cautious of your words. You must scrutinize every statement and make sure you are not feeding the Lamb’s sheep with trash.

I used to be a regular at the Experience Worship Concert, which is reputably the biggest worship concert on the African continent. During one of the concerts I attended, I was taken aback by the ease with which a popular Nigerian comedian joked around speaking in tongues. I was shocked that virtually every other person felt it was good for laughs.

There are some things that should be treated as sacred by believers, like some no-go areas,

I feel the Charismatic gifts is one of those things that don’t make for good comedy material. The fact that even the name of our Lord Jesus Christ can be made into a joke in the name of comedy, without an eyebrow being raised, means that many in the Church have lost a sense of the sacred.

I mean, there are many things that pass for good comedy material, the name of Jesus and the Charismatic gifts should not appear on that list for a Christian. Like did satire die? look at our political space and write yourself a whole comedy special, but by all means stop saying ‘Bros J’.

The fact that even the name of our Lord Jesus Christ can be made into a joke in the name of comedy, without an eyebrow being raised, means that many in the Church have lost a sense of the sacred. Share on X

Thank you for reading till this point and I will really love to know your thoughts, so please leave a comment.