Love Those Long Sermons

[290 words] The youth minister and I were discussing sermons, specifically how long they should be. We were both curious at how two different preachers could preach a lesson of the same quality for the same amount of time but one would be well received and the other criticized. As we talked, I remarked that I knew a preacher that was known for his bouts of long-windedness but that people didn’t complain rather they were cheerfully amused. I said it was because he was such a loving part of the lives of the congregation, a little bit of extra time on Sunday didn’t seem that bad. His love overrode his mistakes. I don’t think that phenomenon is just related to preachers. We all have foibles and flaws. We talk too much. We forget to say “thank you”. We get lost in our own little world and ignore others. We interrupt….