I read in a natural church development book that there is a correlation between the amount of laughter in a church and its growth and vitality.

That's great to know.

But there is nothing funny in lame-fisted attempts of service leaders /meeting runners to crack jokes and be funny during services/meetings.

I am frankly sick of “leaders” ruining the atmosphere of the meeting/service and disrupting the focus on God with half-baked comic lines. Or they detract from my reflection upon some important point made in the sermon with smart cracks or attempts to make funny comments about the preacher or the sermon.

I don't know what it is about leaders of our churches which makes them think they are natural stand-up comedians. Let me tell you, they aren't.

It is particularly dangerous when it interferes with the congregation's relationship with God.

The minister in a service is to play the role of a broker and assistant to help us focus on, to listen to, to grow in confidence in the living God and the Lord Jesus Christ. When he intrudes, particularly when he breaks the mood, possibly out of his own embarrassment, he is actually robbing God.

I long to go to a service where I the minister doesn't have to be funny to be effective. I am not against humour. As many of you know, I believe there is a real place for it in sermons and even occasionally elsewhere. I like being funny. And I like it when a minister is genuinely funny.

But not when it's hopelessly distracting and somewhat egotistical. Then it's plainly not funny.