The Day I Thought a Possum Was a Rat
Why Ministry Needs More Laughter Than We Sometimes Admit
There are some moments in ministry that stay with you forever.
Not because they were deeply spiritual.
Not because they changed history.
But because they were absolutely hilarious.
Years ago, my family traveled and sang in churches. One night we were singing at a church where the piano was tucked into this little boxed-in corner area. The only way in was through a small opening beside the baby grand piano. I was playing during an old fast Happy Goodman-style song we used to call “Canaan” —Living in Canaan Land.People were clapping, singing, and we were moving right along.
Then it happened.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught what looked like the biggest rat I had ever seen running underneath that piano.
Now let me be honest with you: I am terrified of rats.
So naturally, in the middle of the song, I stopped playing instantly, jumped straight up onto the piano bench, and yelled — according to witnesses — “MY LORD, WHAT A RAT!”
The music stopped.
The congregation froze.
Several men from the church came running to rescue the evangelist piano player from certain doom.
And after investigating the horrifying creature beneath the piano…
…it turned out to be a baby possum.
A baby possum.
To this day, I still laugh thinking about it. The mental image of everyone singing and clapping one second, then hearing me shriek while standing on top of a piano bench the next, is honestly one of the funniest ministry moments I can remember.
And the truth is, ministry needs moments like that.
We talk often — and rightfully so — about the hard side of ministry. The long nights. The emotional exhaustion. The stress. The criticism. The pressure. The burden leaders carry that few people ever fully see.
Those things are real.
But if we are not careful, we can forget that ministry is also filled with joy.
There are funny moments.
Awkward moments.
Moments where kids say something in church they definitely should not say.
Moments where microphones fail at exactly the wrong time.
Moments where pastors call people by the wrong name.
Moments where baptisms do not go exactly as planned.
Moments where weddings, funerals, children’s programs, church vans, potlucks, and live nativity scenes create stories that could honestly become movies someday.
And somewhere in all of that chaos, laughter becomes medicine.
The Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”
The Holy Bible reminds us that joy is not shallow. Healthy laughter is not unspiritual. Sometimes laughter is healing. Sometimes it is survival. Sometimes it is the reminder that even while carrying serious responsibilities, we are still human beings living life together.
Some of my favorite memories in ministry are not the polished moments.
They are the real moments.
The unscripted moments.
The moments where everybody laughed until they cried.
And honestly? Those moments matter more than we realize.
So this week, I want to hear from you.
What is your funniest ministry moment?
If you are a pastor, what happened that still makes you laugh years later?
If you are a worship leader, volunteer, youth worker, nursery worker, or church leader — what moment will you never forget?
Seriously, email me your story.
Send it to:
I read every email personally, and I would genuinely love to hear your stories. You can even send pictures if you have them. Some of the funniest moments in ministry deserve photographic evidence.
In fact, I may even share some of these stories in future blogs (with permission, of course).
So send me your funniest moment in ministry at:
Let’s compare notes.
Because while ministry is serious work, sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is pause long enough to laugh together at the journey.
And if you ever see me playing piano near a suspicious-looking animal again…
…just know there is a very good chance the song may stop abruptly.
