Ian S. Makham is the Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and a Professor of Theology and Ethics. He is the author of numerous books, including Against Atheism and An Introduction to Ministry (co-written with Oran Warder). His awards include the Robertson Fellow; Claggett Fellow attached to Washington National Cathedral; Frank Woods Fellow at Trinity College, Melbourne; and F. D. Maurice Lectures at King’s College, London. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Samantha Gottlich is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and active in ordained ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. She is the coauthor of Faith Rules: An Episcopal Manual.

"What a fresh tool to add to the preacher's toolbox. For all the seriousness with which we Christians take our faith and worship, Christian faith is at heart a divine comedy in which our lives ultimately rest in the hands of a loving God."— The Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Lloyd III, Rector, Trinity Church, Boston, Retired

"Good sermons use humor to catch the congregation's attention and make a profound point. . . . With this wise and whimsical guide to the lectionary at their side, no preacher need ever preach a humorless sermon again."— Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University"Lectionary Levity may sound like an oxymoron. To suggest that humor, as found in Jesus's words and teaching, belongs to God's own self and therefore has its place in the pulpit may seem irreverent to some. Ian Markham, however, makes a strong case for the use of humor in preaching. Laughter and a well-chosen and skillfully told joke in the course of a sermon can be revelatory."— Frank T. Griswold, 25th Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church