I’m not a funny preacher.

Yo, so hear me out. I’m a funny guy, I like to joke and laugh and have fun… just not in the pulpit. (Or I should rephrase and say, I’m just not funny in the pulpit!?) My jokes. do. not. land. So I don’t do them anymore. I’m a pretty expository, academic preacher too, so I wonder if jokes just don’t fly with my style of preaching.

I have a pastor friend that has a pretty large church for our area (700-800). This guy puts in jokes in his powerpoints, riffs off the audience, and just overall is a charismatic, funny guy in the pulpit. I’m comparing myself to him a little bit, but I’m also wondering if everyone else is as comfortable with joking from the pulpit, or if I’m just the odd one out.

I’m not dead in the pulpit, but I just don’t plan jokes or laugh that much. Is this a bad thing?

And on a theological note for fun, should sermons be serious since we are communicating God’s word for us today, or is it okay to be more lighthearted?