God Wants You to Laugh

Rev. James interviews Stand-up Comedian and Church Camp Director of Camp Cazadero Brian Wetzel. Brian Wetzel makes us laugh as he discusses his love of church camp (especially Camp Caz), his one man show Side-by-Side: A Journey with Depression (which is a funny show about a serious topic), Elvis, and what the Band Kiss has to do with all of this. In addition to the spiritual importance of staying true to your convictions.

Rev. James interviews Stand-up Comedian, Vegan, and Pentecostal Christian Corde Snell. Corde is both hilarious and inspiring as he shares about graduating from UCSB after getting kicked out, becoming a Vegan after dangerously gaining a lot of weight, and about his faith as a Pentecostal Christian.

Rev. James interviews Presbyterian Minister and Stand-up Comedian Rev. Dwight McCormick. “I make the case that laughter is prayer. We have contact with God when we are laughing.” - Rev. Dwight McCormick To support the show please considering becoming a patron on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GodWantsYoutoLaugh

Rev. James answers questions and introduces you to the God Wants You to Laugh Podcast

Rev. James interviews award winning spiritual comedian and founder of the spiritual comedy festival Alicia Dattner. "Comedy is my soul’s favorite way of dancing with what is so big and so challenging. This material reality, it’s very dense and comedy is like Judo to material reality. With comedy you are able to flip material reality around." -Alicia Dattner To find out more about Alicia, please visit her website at: https://aliciadattner.com/ Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron at patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GodWantsYoutoLaugh

Rev. James interviews stand-up comedian Gibran Saleem. Gibran was raised in Virginia a Pakistani Household. He has won numerous accolades as a stand-up comic and has been on MTV along with many other TV credits. He performs with Rabbi Bob Alper and Rev. Susan Sparks as a part of the Laugh in Peace Comedy tour. He was raised Muslim and that, along with the poetry of his namesake Gibran Khalil Gibran, influences his spirituality. “Laughter is a tool that can help galvanize a sense of positivity and kindness throughout the world. If you utilize it right.” –Gibran Saleem

Rev. James interviews Rabbi Bob Alper: Rabbi, Stand-up Comic, and the Official Comedic Advisor to Pope Francis. “In sermons I use humor as a Rabbi. For Rosh Hashanah a few years ago, I began my sermon by saying: ‘for the past two weeks my wife and son were in Peru on Vacation. I stayed home to write sermons and prepare for the High Holidays. YOU’RE WELCOME.’” To find out more about Rabbi Bob Alper please visit his website: https://www.bobalper.com/ To sign up for Rabbi Bob Alper’s Quick Laugh please email him at bob@bobalper.com Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron at patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GodWantsYoutoLaugh

Rev. James interviews Baptist Preacher and Stand-up Comic Rev. Susan Sparks. “I was a funny little kid who wanted to be a preacher . . . and the world and the church tried to beat it out of me. So my whole life story has been reclaiming it and fighting back. And that’s really everybody’s life story. You have this little glimmer of who you are truly in your heart and the world tries to take it away. You fight back or you don’t or you find a happy medium.” -Rev. Susan Sparks To find out more about Rev. Susan Sparks visit her website: http://susansparks.com/ Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron at patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GodWantsYoutoLaugh