In this episode, Dr. J sits down with Brad Kidder—pastor, comic, church planter, and deeply unserious person (in the best possible way)—to talk about something the church doesn’t always know what to do with: humor. Specifically, how it works, why it matters, and what it’s doing in public, our pews, pulpits, and, yes, even in our hearts.
Together, they explore how absurdity shows up not just in comedy clubs, but in Scripture itself—from talking donkeys to over-the-top parables to the strange, beautiful tension of a crucified the resurrected King. They reflect on how laughter can be more than a punchline; it can be medicine, connection, release, and sometimes even a theological foretaste of hope.
With sharp insight and a mutual love for the unexpected, Brad and Justin examine how comedy opens space for difficult conversations, diffuses defensiveness, and builds bridges across difference. They also talk about the power of shared experience (especially in a disembodied age), the art of sermon-crafting with a wink, and why Christians need laughter more than they might first think.
If you’ve ever felt like faith and laughter are strange bedfellows, or wondered whether comedy might sometimes be a reverent response to living in the wildness of grace… Come for the jokes, stay for the theology. Or vice versa. We won’t judge.
River City Church -
https://www.rivcitychurch.com/