I’m concerned about a situation I’ve come across multiple times in the past, and recently came across again. It is this: members of a congregation complain because the pastor’s sermon is “running too long.”

Now, this is not a case where the service usually lets out at 12:00 and the pastor is expounding in the pulpit until 2:30. I mean cases where the pastor may be preaching for 30 minutes when he is allotted 20.

My concern here is not with the pastor.

It’s with the complaining members of the congregation.

Is 10 minutes of your time really so important that it is worth disrupting church life, causing a division in the church, or embarrassing or hurting the pastor?

Is 10 minutes of your time really better spent watching football than learning the Word of God?

Is 10 minutes of your time really a make-or-break reason to stay or leave a church?

Are you putting the pastor on a time clock?

Or are you putting God on a time clock?

Think carefully before you answer.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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