Thus, many preachers tell stories that gently deliver moral messages. The story wins you over and pulls you along,'' he said. Humor is terribly important and offers preachers another way to lower defenses. But sarcasm or angry humor is rare. The put-downs is out.
Paradox is in.
Successful pulpit humorists offer a kind of self-depreciating wit that sees the irony in modern life. Of course, it is hard to change preaching without having an impact on the relationship between the people in the pulpit and the people in the pews. Today, congregations want to see glimpses of a preacher's heart, but people resent words that pry into the state of their own souls. After all, the people on television don't pry into the lives of the people sitting on the couch. No wonder many successful preachers are complex individuals who openly discuss the unique pressures they face.