Running over

For Julie, on the subject of two hour sermons--

John Newton, 1777--

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Secondly (as we say), as to long preaching. There is still in being an old-fashioned instrument called an hour-glass, which in days of yore, before clocks and watches abounded, used to be the measure of many a good sermon, and I think it a tolerable stint. I cannot wind up my ends to my own satisfaction in a much shorter time, nor am I pleased with myself if I greatly exceed it. If an angel was to preach for two hours, unless his hearers were angels likewise, I believe the greater part of them would wish he had done. It is a shame it should be so: but so it is; partly through the weakness and partly through the wickedness of the flesh, we can seldom stretch our attention to spiritual things for two hours together without cracking it, and hurting its spring: and when weariness begins, edification ends.
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Perhaps John Newton was not right with God in your opinion?

Those who pointed out the problems with church schedule in a 24 hour town have reiterated a point I made very early on.
Men come off sometimes come off graveyards on Sunday morning or must go on swings Sunday afternoon. In either case they must opt out of church services as ours run from 9:30 to 12:30, leaving little time for family or "secret" religion as Newton put it.

One horrible shift rotation has miners coming off shiftat midnight Saturday and returning at midnight Sunday. Sometime Sunday they must find time to sleep during a period in which they are used to being wide awake in order to work a shift that only the night before was their sleep time.

Julie and Pastor Gary have both wondered if there might be other problems in the church with the pastor or the church itself.

There is indeed dissatisfaction with some of the things the pastor does, which may be the reason that the church is not willing to overlook the long sermons.

Pastor Gary wondered if maybe the pastor was a bit lax in visiting--
How about moving visitation from Thursday to Tues. because it interferes with his golf league?
And then not visiting anyway?

What do you think of a pastor who brings his three children to church every dayduring summer break to baby sit them while his wife works full time.
He is paid well enough this is not necessary.

There is much dissatisfaction amongst the two churches involved in the aforementioned ski trip fund raisers for which the "Spirit-led" sermons always managed to end on time. My pastor and another pastor, who both love to ski and dreamed up this "youth" ski trip put all the youth off on others while they skied and lounged about their youthless ski condo. They made sure they got to the hot tub before the youth and left when the youth showed up.

This is according to the dismayed youth leaders.

Although $7000 was raised for the trip, this led to only one youth accepting Christ.
While you cannot put a price on a soul, this girl had been attending our church for about two years.
Apparently the overlong sermons did not reach her.

My wife has a bit of a problem with the pastor promising his son a bicycle for his birthday last spring. Still no bicycle, but the pastor did manage to see his way clear to buying a new laptop in the interim.

Dear Ann, as I mentioned before, still remembers the time the pastor made sure to finish on time so he could watch a big NASCAR event. He admitted this.
She is a wonderful woman, the widow of an evangelist.
Maybe she's not right with God, Julie?

The pastor is 32 YO and this is his first full time ministry. When he took the job, it was with the understanding that there was to be no partime job for him, however when golf season rolled around, he took an afternoon job at the course.
We all of course felt bad, thinking that we weren't paying him enough until he mentioned that the money was for his golf habit. He was willing to take time from the church to work for his hobby.
The deacons insisted he quit.

When we first interviewed him for the job, he led us to believe that he was very much youth oriented.
He has now withdrawn from teaching the youth SS class, saying he has a hard time connecting with youth.

Can you honestly say that you wouldn't have a problem with some of these things, Julie?

mr

 

Mrs. KJV, I posted this topic in order to get opinions from pastors on what should be done if he refuses to listen to the deacons in this matter.
The ones who can be identified here as pastors seem to think sermons should not be interminable.

I have no desire to walk in my pastor's golf shoes. Running is my game. And I do it on my own time.

If you have read my posts, you are aware that he has been approached by most of the people in the church on the matter and has declined to address their concerns, so I would say that I am not the only one who feels that they cannot talk to him.

The reason I "speak ill" of my pastor is that a pastor on this board speculated that there might be other reasons behind the discontent about the lengthy sermons.

If there is a problem with a pastor, it should certainly be addressed or it will never be dealt with, will it?
Is it wrong to come here to ask the advice of other church leaders?

Apparently only if I actually describe the problem, hmm, Mrs. KJV?

Just before Sunday school class this morning, the pastor approached me and asked me about stopping by some evening this week, so maybe he would like to address the concerns of my wife and myself, if not the others, who still attend the sermons, albeit with heavy spirit.

Whether he is going to keep his sermons under control or merely try to convince us that we need to attend them anyway remains to be seen.

At least he's visiting again.

MR