Homiletics and humor

I was at a youth retreat and a senior in high school asked me, “Who are your inspirations when it comes to public speaking? I mean, you’ve told us how you felt called by God and how the church influenced you. Who influenced you outside of the church?”

I said two things: TED Talks and comedians.

It’s interesting that we think about abandoning sermons, as TED Talks gain popularity by trying to imitate a good sermon. (Likewise, it’s odd that we talk of abandoning membership when the rest of the world is discovering it. I’m now a card-carrying member of my grocery store, drug store, coffeehouse, and bakery. But I digress.)