Humor Told as Gospel Truth

I enjoy collecting humorous happenings that relate to the church. I’m a retired hospital chaplain, having spent thirty-one years in that ministry. Our hospital maintained a pastor’s lounge where pastors stopped for a restroom break or for a free cup of coffee and a doughnut available as a courtesy of the administration. In the lounge, pastors stopped to hang their coats and hats and to relax and collect their thoughts before or after a visit with an ailing parishioner. Of course, it was there that pastors exchanged gossip and shared their joys and their sorrows. I often stopped by visit with my fellow ministers there in the lounge. Not infrequently, someone shared a bit of humor that had happened in recent days. The bulk of the stories I will relate in the pages ahead came from that pastor’s lounge.
Every story in the pages ahead were told to me as the “gospel truth.” I have generally accepted them as such, although some allow us to question credibility. Unfortunately, some of the best (funniest) stories I heard were statements church people have made by a slip of the tongue. Since they were somewhat off-color, I see them as unsuitable for this collection. Those events that I present as first person happenings are events I have witnessed.