Weddings are formal events, whether we’re very formal or not. I officiated at a wedding several years ago that made me chuckle. The groom was all decked out in his rented tux and looked like such a gentleman. He had carefully shaved and had his haircut. Everything went like it was planned.

But as we started the service, his nose began to run. I don’t know if it was an allergy, or he had a cold, or his nerves were getting to his nasal passages, but it kept running. I had asked them to join hands, so they were holding hands together. What’s a man in a wedding under orders to hold hands to do?

When I looked up after praying, I noticed this long line of snot hanging like a pendulum from the end of his nose. I considered telling him he could now kiss the bride, but I allowed him to get out his handkerchief and take care of business.

Have you ever been in an awkward situation that you just didn’t know how to handle? Jesus found Himself in those times often, but He always knew what to do. Perhaps we should stay prayed up like He did.

Tags: humor

Whenever we try to be formal, we associate that with perfect. But, no matter how much we try to be perfect at formal events, none of us are perfect. Weddings are prime examples. Most of what happens at a wedding is practiced the night of the rehearsal and everyone knows what is coming next. But, there are always a few things that we don’t practice at rehearsal. The flower girl dropping the flower petals is one of those unrehearsed things that can mess up the “perfection” of a formal wedding.

I performed a wedding a while back where the flower girl was just the right age. The young lady looked like a princess as she walked down the aisle perfectly, was dressed perfectly, and had real perfect flower petals in her real basket. The ushers had flawlessly unrolled the white runner (another act that can go horribly wrong) and all the wedding party walked that aisle with precision.

But as she elegantly proceeded, she threw those flowers like she was pitching a softball! Instead of dropping gracefully on the white carpet before the ensuing bride, the colorful petals went high in the air and all directions. Everyone smiled and most chuckled or laughed out loud. The perfect ice-breaker for a tense situation.

Tags: humor, wedding

Back in the 1970s I was youth director at our church and Anita and I hosted a Halloween party at our old farmhouse. Our youth group partnered with the youth group from Calvary Chapel of Butler and we had about 30 teens plus adult workers. We had a huge bonfire and hayride on a hay wagon provided by Cliff Lockwood.

The house we lived in was over 150 years old at the time, and was heated by an old gravity-fed wood and coal furnace. Although it had been remodeled with a small modern bathroom, the old Franklin outhouse still stood in place. I remember once one of the adult workers, Jake Walters, asked if we had a bathroom. I saw my opportunity and said, “Sure”, and pointed to the old outhouse. He hung his head and began his journey to the old two-holer. My humor only lasted a few seconds, because I had to tell him the truth.

God has a sense of humor, although sometimes we’re so serious about Him that we don’t see it. I can imagine Jesus laughing at His disciples as they got surprised looks on their faces. What’s the last harmless prank you played on someone?

Tags: humor

Several years ago I was asked to officiate for the renewal of wedding vows on a couple’s tenth wedding anniversary. Everyone knew it was their tenth anniversary, and they provided a reception in the Unity Hall for the close family and friends that were invited.

In my introduction I misspoke and said that they had had five good years together. Someone asked if that was the first five or the last five and everyone had a good laugh.

If we were perfect we would never make mistakes, but since we’re all human, sometimes we do make mistakes. Its a lot easier to receive forgiveness if we let others see that we are human, than if we carry ourselves as perfect. So, make sure people see you as real. Laugh at your own errors and it makes it easy for others to laugh at them, as well.

What word blunder have you made recently that proved you were human?

Tags: error, humor, mistakes

Today I was watching the ‘Sky’ VBS worship DVD with my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, Raegan. She saw a hot air balloon and commented to me about how big they were. All the kids at this summer’s VBS program saw a real hot air balloon inflated, and she remembered that.

So I asked her if she got in the balloon, to which she replied, “No. But if I was a boy, I would’ve got in it, but I’m not a boy yet.”

She is just beginning to understand life’s basics and got a few things twisted on that one. But I’ll leave the untwisting of that to her Mom and Dad.

Just as she was a bit confused on the boy/girl thing, I think we adults get just as confused on the God/man connection, as well. Some people misinterpret scripture to say that if we think like God, we become God. Just a little twisted. Correct scripture, but wrong interpretation. Although we should become like God in our moral behavior, we will never become God because we are confined to this worldly, sinful body. This is why we will always need Jesus.

What area of lack of understanding bugs you most about God? What question are you going to ask one day?

Tags: confusion, humor, VBS

Before we had New Hope Kids, our Weekend Celebration children’s program was called ‘High Point’. The kids all had a Passport with which they registered each week, and they imaginarily traveled to various cultures around the world where they learned about missionaries and other cultures.

On one such occasion the worship song was about the Clay and the Potter. The children were getting into the song, worshiping God as the Potter and seeing themselves as the Clay. That’s a song that lends itself to self-surrender to the Potter.

After the song, one little boy approached Pastor Chet and asked if Potter was Jesus’ last name. At least he associated Jesus with the Potter, even if he really didn’t know what a Potter was. I suppose that’s better than asking if Harry was the Potter’s first name.

Its always fun trying to teach people raised in the world’s culture about Jesus. Sometimes there are humorous twists in the communication. What stories can you tell about children misunderstanding?

Tags: clay, humor, potter