The Church as Comedy

I enjoy a good joke, some wry sarcasm, and funny irony. I have used humor in my preaching and for that matter, I look for humorous things in every aspect of life. But I draw the line at sacrificing the sacred for a cheap laugh. I have seen "funny" videos of a kid doing a cannonball into the baptismal tank, and there are enough "jokes" about getting drunk on the communion wine to baffle the mind.

What happens when the line is crossed. Christianity Today has published a good article to make you think about goofiness and the gospel. Here is a sample of what you will find in the article:

"When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is redefined as a perpetual round of entertainments, when serious public conversation becomes a form of baby-talk, when, in short, a people become an audience and their public business a comedy show, then a nation finds itself at risk."

Do you take offense at jokes using Jesus as a punchline? If not, why not? While some funny conclusions can be reached about some of the things that happened in Jesus' ministry, have you felt uncomfortable over some of the ways he is protrayed by comedians?

I love to listen to good preaching that includes humor, but I draw the line at cheap laughs at the expense of my Savior.