Endurance

The title of todays post, comes from the theme from the sermon of the service I attended this evening. And what a test of endurance that turned out to be too.

I don`t know whether the preacher wanted to make his congregation experience endurance, but his sermon on it lasted for over 35 minutes! That`s far too long for my concentration and there was so much unnecessary repetition too (and I guess for others too, judging by the way everyone seemed to start fidgeting). The whole service instead of being the customary one hour, went on for 80 minutes. Is it any wonder that church attendances are falling? If I had been someone attending a service for the first time, I know it would have put me off and I wouldn`t go back again. Infact, I know for sure that I`ll never go again when that particular person is in the pulpit or taking the service.

Surely a preacher or minister should be able to get across what they want to say in a concise way. There are some that do, and they manage to say far more of meaning and relevance in a 10-15 minute sermon that can be remembered and thought about afterwards, than those that spend longer waffling on.

Infact, I probably `put my foot in it` because as I left at the end, I said to this one that it had been far too long a service!! But, if no one tells them, they don`t know, do they??