Pope Wants Short Lite Sermons, Heavy and Long are Needed

[Johny Joe Hold]

Let's cut to the chase, the Catholic Church is failing because it does not condemn sin. Now the Pope is telling priests to back off even more on sin.

Every Sunday at Landover Baptist, Pastor Zeke lets us know the consequences of sin. He names all of them. If his sermons run long, it's because he is obligated to hammer home the evils of every sin. We who go every Sunday to church do so in order to ensure the eternity of our souls. What's the point of going if we get nothing in return? It's obvious going to a Catholic Church is a waste of time. Short and lite do not do the job.

Pope urges priests not to bore worshippers with long sermons (msn.com)

[MitzaLizalor]

It said:

"But for this, the homily must be brief: an image, a thought and a sentiment," he [the pope] told the crowd at his weekly general audience . . .

An image is something he'd encourage, perhaps offering a selection for sale after the "homily" (which seems to be a sermon substitute) but I have no idea what form their rituals take. There may not be space for a sermon at all. Next he suggested a thought. Historically, of course, thinking was not encouraged. Ideas got many genuine people burned alive, or strangled. And for translating The Bible into a language everyone could understand? Both!

That is a world they'd like to go back to, one in which cardinals and bishops had the force of law behind their words. When popes could tell kings and presidents what to do. That thought will be motivating their agenda, looking ahead a generation or so – but that is what they want and they'll say anything to get there. Bringing us to #3: a sentiment.

For this, in the suggested paradigm, priests need to harvest sentiments and vague feelings from the broader community. No need for consistency, if in Alaska shooting polar bears is felt to be worthwhile (as it will be for anyone who's seen what marauding bears can do to a kindergarten) then that sentiment could be reflected in the homily. I'll even suggest a passage.

Genesis 8:22 – 9:2 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

About here a plastic polar bear could be displayed. If it's supposed to be an abstract image, I don't see how that could be achieved in eight minutes, unless there'd been a recent mauling, less unlikely in Alaska than in Mexico perhaps. What was next? "A thought." OK, something like, “You know, wouldn't it be nice if no toddlers were eaten by bears? And I thought, ‘Yes. It would.’ And if there were no babies, there'd be no toddlers. But then again, if there were no bears there'd be no toddlers eaten. Makes you think, doesn't it?” Let's say that encompasses #3: a sentiment and on with the music!

Until one day it's too late . . .

[Johny Joe Hold]

Next he suggested a thought.

For this, in the suggested paradigm, priests need to harvest sentiments and vague feelings from the broader community.

Preventing those in the pews of LBC from having individual "thoughts" or becoming pointy-headed sociologists is what Pastor Zeke's long sermons are about. He keeps is simple, if you sin you spend eternity in hell. The Pope should give Pastor Zeke a call to learn about preaching.

[MitzaLizalor]

Pope urges priests not to bore¹
"The homily must not go beyond eight minutes, because after that time, attention is lost and people go to sleep, they fall asleep and they are right to do so," the 87-year-old pontiff added.

When I read that, I thought how ridiculous! What can be said in 8 mins? Quite apart from which, utterances abound lasting many hours (the utterances of Taylor Swift at a "concert" for example) where people have no trouble staying awake!

And at the same time I thought how different Zeke's sermons are in this respect or for that matter how different, in another setting but very effective, were those of John Wesley. Two examples follow:

The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption² The spirit of bondage and fear is widely distant from this loving Spirit of adoption: Those who are influenced only by slavish fear, cannot be termed “the sons of God . .”

Awake, Thou That Sleepest³ By sleep is signified the natural state of man; that deep sleep of the soul, into which the sin of Adam hath cast all who spring from his loins . . . The state of nature is a state of utter darkness; a state wherein “darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people.”

Many in Zeke's (and presumably the pope's) audience need to hear about the consequences of gross darkness. Some (if not all, in the latter case) need to have explained what gross darkness is and how to identify it. Popes do not want this to happen because it reveals the source of their revolting wealth and self-glorification. Honestly! Just look at clothes they wear: how much would something like that cost? At least a king doesn't claim to get you into Heaven and there's usually only one – whereas there's stacks of cardinals, metropolitans, bishops and the like, all with their own mansions and cathedrals. Nice work if you can get it. On the plus side, they do have well-maintained organs. So there's that.

Preventing those in the pews of LBC from having individual "thoughts" or becoming pointy-headed sociologists is what Pastor Zeke's long sermons are about.

Before long, spurning Wesley's entreaty that schism was the worst heresy, the Methodists hived themselves off in a schism. Baptists have not done this. Why? Because a dynamic preaching environment with vibrant sermons sustains a focus on what is actually important: the difference between everlasting joy—once deceased—and the state of gross & utter darkness. By hijacking actual concerns, popish homilies suck people in. Priests know what the issues are and exploit them to their own ends. Short and soppy sermons are the way to achieve that, letting everyone carry on with their own thoughts and ideas, some toadstool punch when I get home, perhaps or a visit to the local bordello, which could be in several capacities we don't need to go into here. WHY those are bad ideas and WHAT HAPPENS if you do can IN NO WAY be covered in 8 minutes. That is something Frank needs to ask Zeke about. But he won't because what he wants to achieve is already served by what he's doing now.

His agenda is made of glass.


1. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pope-urges-priests-not-to-bore-worshippers-with-long-sermons/ar-BB1o6cO5?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=fde299afbbcf48 8d9d34e83597078f6e&ei=86 .(p5)

2. https://www.wesleysheritage.org.uk/exhibits/john-wesleys-sermons/sermon-sheet/?o=2668&t= .(p2)

3. https://www.wesleysheritage.org.uk/exhibits/john-wesleys-sermons/sermon-sheet/?o=2662&t= .(pp 1, 2)