To Prank or Not to Prank? That is the Question

And a doozy of a question at that.  I must admit I am naturally playful, seek adventure, and enjoy a good practical joke.  The operative word there being "good".  At home we often joked around, and I have had the amusing pleasure of growing up around many very skilled, often over-qualified pranksters at the Masters degree level.  Let me tell you..... Way too much fun.  So, due to that upbringing and exposure (not blaming my life experience... just giving you some factors of influence) my mind gravitates to the hilarious, and I can conjure up funny at the drop of a hat.  That's cool, right?  Well.... it depends.  Funny has to be careful, and considerate.  Everyone else has their own terms of reference when it comes to sense of humour, and joking.  These must be taken into consideration when a prank is plotted.

I've been mulling over in my mind Titus 2 a lot lately.  What a rich passage for the church.  The church being the people of God, I represent Him as part of His church 24/7/365.  That title never takes a break.  And though that may seem heavy; Praise God, He never takes a break on us.  God's expectations may be high, but for our own good.  He deserves our worship and honour in all we do because He is GOD.  So, I must always be considering my lifestyle and choices.  I am privileged to belong to God's household, and want to represent my Father well.  So I should be asking myself all the time, "Am I demonstrating this truth?"

"...good character will shine through their actions, adding luster to the teaching of our Savior God."  The Message

I wonder what it was like for the disciples walking and living day to day with Christ?  Was He funny?  Reading Scripture we can't help but view the words through our own lenses of experience.  It's just how it works.  But I think there are suggestions that He used humour to teach, to make Himself approachable, and to enable those around Him to relax, be real, to learn and grow.

I have great respect for preachers and teachers that take this same approach.  My husband and I have the joy of living on a Bible School campus, and being exposed to many great men of God; I am most refreshed when they are genuine.  The ones that take time to have conversations one on one, tell personal antidotes, and simply show they are sinners learning too, are my favorite.

So, once in a while I admit I prank.... This week, the Pastor I grew up learning from was the recipient.  Oh dear, what fun.  He and I have this healthy rivalry happening. His wife and daughters have many times helped me pull off some "goodie" pranks over the years.  I am thankful that we can laugh, enjoy life together, remember hilarious moments and make many more.

 Today, our current Pastor's wife (whose husband attended school with the victim of this crime) and I set their new to them, darling dog "Lady" loose in this Pastors' class.  What a hoot!  He is so used to my antics he simply smiled, enjoyed the pets' presence, and how it wakened all the students in the class, and graciously carried on.  I'm on the alert now, wondering if payback is on the horizon.

The culprits....

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Victim?  His expression right after the crime. :)

One thing I know for sure is that we are both able to take pleasure in the unpredictable, and we enjoy serving the Lord with smiles, and laughter.  Thanks to all those that have been good sports over the years, and to those who have schooled me in a very important pranking education, I think you'd be proud! :)

So, to answer the question... in my humble opinion a good prank can be a remedy to monotony... as long as it is well prescribed for the right patient, at the right time, and results in a good ol' belly laugh for all.  If you can uphold Titus 2:10b in good conscience before our good God in each step of the process, then you're good to go.