Laughing in the Shadow: Pastor, Punchlines & The Wrestling Match with God #205

Laughing in the Shadow: Pastor, Punchlines & The Wrestling Match with God.

What happens when a Texas pastor takes the mic at an open mic — and discovers that faith and stand-up comedy might be two sides of the same wrestling match? In Episode #205, we ride with Pastor Michael Dennis, a man of the cloth and the laugh, who shares his winding path through doubt, suffering, humor, and the raw paradoxes of living a spiritual life in a skeptical world.

🌱 Takeaways to Support Your Own Growth

The Power of Paradox:
How Michael navigates being a pastor and a stand-up comedian, using humor to open deeper conversations about faith and doubt.
Pain Alchemized into Joy:
Listeners will hear how personal suffering can be transformed through storytelling and laughter the comedian’s art of turning darkness into light.
The Wrestle with Faith:
A raw look at spiritual curiosity wrestling with doubt, organized religion, ego, and the idea of the Second Coming already here.
Humility in Leadership:
How daily practices and staying connected with ordinary people keeps a leader grounded and human, not just a mouthpiece for doctrine.
Comedy as Connection:
Why jokes about fish, dads, and Christian summer camps hold a mirror up to our shared pain and ridiculousness and why that’s healing.

🎧 Michael grew up chasing stability through faith after a volatile childhood, only to stumble into ministry by saying “yes” again and again. Now, with decades of pastoral experience under his belt, he’s stepping onto comedy stages where the punchlines hit as hard as the truth. This episode peeks behind the curtain of organized religion, spiritual ego, and the art of transforming our darkest moments into something we can all laugh at and learn from.

We talk about the power of dad jokes, the real pain behind Christian summer camps, why humility keeps Michael grounded, and whether the Second Coming might already be here within us, if only we’d pay attention. This conversation is a reminder that sometimes, our deepest freedom is found not in certainty, but in the space where questions, laughter, and trust all collide.

👉 Explore more from Michael on his Instagram Page @michaeldenniscomedy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:48 — 166.6MB) | Embed