Dear Sir,
Further to the exchange in these columns over humour in the pulpit, is there not a golden mean between slamming the door entirely and keeping it ajar responsibly? If so, may I make the following suggestions as guidelines for its proper use?
Use humbly: egoistic pride can slip in here. We need to examine our motives honestly. Use directly: the humour must be directly relevant to the theme and not dragged in by the scruff of the neck. Use gently: hollow levity is to be deplored but not a gentle touch of irony here and there. Use sparingly: the preacher who begins every sermon with humour is on a dangerous track. The listeners will be looking out for this far more than for the theme of God’s Word. Use aptly: humour may be appropriate at the beginning or middle of a sermon but never, surely, at the end. The Christian gospel deals with the immense issue of our eternal destiny. Our hearers need to be left with the seriousness of this.
