I love the first Wednesday of every month, because that’s the day we have A.M. Valpo, a Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce event in which 50-80 of us gather at the South Bend Chocolate Cafe from 7:00-8:15 am. I like it because it’s structured. Everybody gets 30 seconds to introduce themselves to the group and share pretty much whatever they want. Most folks say something about their company, like the services they offer or a special deal that’s starting soon. Sometimes there’s a big event coming up that they want to promote. It’s fun. There’s a good mix of people of all ages from all sorts of organizations, including some non-profits. There are new people every month, but there’s a good group of regulars, too, so you get to know each other after a while.
For the past year or two, I’ve been the only pastor in the group.
This past Wednesday was April 1 — April Fool’s Day. I kind of expected that more people would play pranks or do something goofy as part of their presentation, but very few did. I showed up a couple minutes late, and it was a packed house! The final count was 77 people, I think. So I ended up standing by the door with about a dozen other late arrivals.
When it was my turn, I stepped up, took the mic, and said something like the following:
Hi, I’m Rich Schmidt from Living Hope Community Church. In honor of April Fool’s Day, I want to encourage you all to stay away from Living Hope.
[a few polite chuckles]
Please don’t show up on Easter Sunday, April 12th, at 9:30 at the Aberdeen Manor banquet hall. If for some reason you do stop by, please be sure you dress up! People will look at you funny if you show up in blue jeans. And don’t bring your kids! Elementary age kids absolutely hate the kids program at our church. They beg their parents not to make them come back.
[a few genuine laughs at this one -- people remembering their own childhood experiences with being dragged to church?]
Let’s see, there was something else.
[I was genuinely forgetting part of it here, but John Freyek saved me by saying, "The pastor won't be talking about God or anything, right?"]
Oh, yeah, the pastor’s really boring. Be ready for the most boring hour of your life.
[a few more genuine laughs]
And, uh… Oh yeah, I hope you all die and rot in hell.
[BOOM! The room erupted in laughter!]
Like I said, I really look forward to A.M. Valpo. It’s not everyday that I get to tell a room full of business leaders that I hope they’ll die and rot in hell!
Of course, my hope for every one of them (and for you, whoever you are) is exactly the opposite. I hope they all find the peace and joy and life that God created them for, the kind of life that I’ve found in trusting and following Jesus Christ. God’s love for us is more powerful than any sin, than any addictive behavior, than any heartache, than even death itself. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” is how the apostle Paul put it in his letter to the Romans (chapter 8, verse 39).
This Easter season, I hope you get a taste of the powerful, unstoppable love that God has for you.
nice rich. sounds like fun.
That’s such a great story! Creativity just seems to flow through your veins and I’m glad you were able to pull off a joke like that. Sweet new blog! I really like the design and the color scheme. Hey, if I am able to go to this worship art conference in Chicago this june, I may be able to visit. No promises, but I’m scheming…
That’s hilarious, Rich! I wish I could have been there…sounds like you really had them going! I’m sure your delivery was convincing!
Thanks, Mom! Stacey thought you would be horrified!
For the record, the idea just popped into my head that morning while I was getting ready. I wasn’t sure if I should do it, but I didn’t have any better idea, and when I bounced it off Stacey, her reaction made me think it would be worth giving it a shot.
I wish I had been there for that one Rich
I’m sorry if i don’t share the enthusiasm everyone else seems to have about this, i just don’t think that’s something to be joking about.
Using humor as a means to draw people to your Church is sort of self destructive in itself. Whatever you use to get people to come to your church is what you’re going to have to keep them with, If the reason why they actually show up is because that Pastor said really funny things, theyre going to be expecting more of that. And, when all is said and done humor isn’t something that can be used to win a person to Christ, only the Gospel can do that. Only the Gospel has the power to change the hearts and minds of men, above any kind of strategy of rhetoric that you cleverly employ.
I’ll say what i’ve said on more than one occasion to those who choose to do so. I don’t mind if you make jokes when you’re trying to win people as long as the tell the same ones as the apostles did. We notice time and time again the scriptures a tone of sobriety and awareness, that these things are no laughing matter, after all, they are matters of LIFE AND DEATH. The difference between eternal life and eternal damnation and suffering. and to treat them so casually borders on blasphemy.
I simply exhort you, as one who has been given a position of influence over others, to use it wisely, and preach unashamedly the Gospel, Not employ cheap tactics such as this. They only hurt you in the long run.
Hi, Matthew! Thanks for the comment!
My basic approach is to try to just be myself with all people, whether they’re Christians or not, in the church or out of it. That way, as Jesus Christ does his transforming work in me, it’ll be on display for all to see. So any humor I use with folks at Chamber of Commerce meetings is the same kind of thing they’ll find on Sunday mornings. It’s not some attempt at clever strategy on my part.
I know in the past I’ve read books and done studies on Jesus’ use of humor. None of the specific examples are popping into my head at the moment, but Jesus definitely used various forms of humor in his interactions with people (though it’s not always obvious due to the cultural and literary differences from his day to ours). And since I’m trying to pattern my life after his…
Having said that, I totally agree with you that these are serious matters. This is life and death stuff we’re talking about here. Ultimately, that’s why I tagged that “hope you all die and rot in hell” onto the end of my 30 seconds that morning: because I so desperately want the opposite for all the people in that room! I want them to enjoy the fullness of life that God created them for, now and forever. And, like you, I believe that it’s only in trusting and following Jesus Christ that any of us will find that.
So thanks for the exhortation, Matthew! If you’re ever back up in the Valparaiso area, I’d love to get together with you! A lot has changed in your life since you left Valpo, and I’d love to hear all about it!
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: … a time to weep and a time to laugh …” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
I disagree with the color blue for its implied melancholy.
Come on now, Mark…. Play nice…
I disagree with disagreement.
Hi All,
I’m a fairly well-travelled person (hey man, I been to Trenton),among other places, and felt compelled to throw my two cents in as I feel it may shed some necessary light from an informed point of view.
Although I understand Matthew Cobb’s concerns, and his Love of The Lord is evident, it is the Wise Soul who comprehends the importance of keeping a Sense of Humor about him when dealing in matters of “religion”.
Matt, when we convey your point of view, (“we must regard God and our Saved Souls seriously dammit!”), what that does is send all Christians to the proverbial Media Woodshed once again. It won’t be long before we see yet more examples in film, music, TV, of Believers being portrayed as the killjoys so many think them to be; “geez, those stupid Christians love to judge..” “…yeah man, and they totally don’t know how to have a good time …they take themselves WAAAY to seriously”, etc.).
With this fact in mind Matthew, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air to find a pastor who not only HAS a sense of humor but is willing to let ‘er rip when the opportunity arises. Have you not heard Jesus’ exhortation to: “Be of Good Cheer”. How do you propose we DO that? By merely being cheerful that we “Overcame” this or that?
Hm. I kindly submit that it is good for the Soul to experience the kind of cheer brought about by
the Pastor’s perfectly harmless one-liner(joke) that morning.
God is a Big Boy Matt, and can take care of himself…and his Church.
One of the best ways He DOES that is by encouraging us to live in the freedom that is our birthright. The freedom to laugh at things that you would have us fear and be sorry for.
I’d like to think that the thunder we hear across the sky at night isn’t due to storms in the region, but God slapping his knee in utter delight as he hears another Believer tell a joke.
Time for the Church to truly
Lighten Up.
Love and Blessings,
Alan Z.
Ha! What a surprise to see a reply to this months-old post!
As an update, I had people from that meeting laughing and telling others about my telling them all to “die and rot in hell” for months afterward. They’d be talking to a friend at some other Chamber of Commerce mixer, and as I approached, they’d start to laugh and introduce me to their friend by telling the story.
BTW, John Freyek, who posted back in August, is one of the organizers of the AM Valpo meetings. He’s a great guy. One of these days I’ll get him to visit Living Hope.