SERMON SLEEPERS
Quote for the Day - June 2, 2010
"If the sermons that ought to be preached were preached, half the congregations of half the churches would get up and leave in indignation before half the sermons were over."
Sydney J. Harris, Pieces of Eight, 1982
Unfortunately this has only happened to me 4 times in 45 years of preaching - 3 times by people sitting there and once by a priest who was concelebrating the Mass - unless all those people whom I thought were going to the bathroom - were really heading for the exits! However, it has happened to me thousands and thousands of times - by people walking away in their minds. How can I say that? Answer: I notice yawns, people texting, looking at their watches, angry looks, reading the bulletin or from comments and notes handed to me afterwards. You can see an awful lot from the pulpit.
1 comment:
Yawns don't count! They don't necessary mean someone is bored. They could just be tired. I yawn a lot at St. Mary's, but not at St. John Neumann! Lack of oxygen???
Post a Comment