A new person to our church mentioned to me that they are grateful that I don’t run on and on in my sermons.  I took it as a compliment.  

As one who has been on the receiving end of many a dreary monologue, I try to keep things upbeat and to the point.  This comment made me think, though, of one of the shortest, yet most powerful sermons I ever heard about:

A guest preacher mounted the pulpit in a huge, gothic church.  He began with this line: “My sermon this morning has three points.”  There was almost an audible yawn in response to this as people settled in.

“My first point is that there are millions of people in this world who are going hungry every day.”  The congregation was unresponsive to this.  They already knew the world was unjust and hurting.

“My second point…”  At this people sat forward because they couldn’t believe that the first point was already over.

“My second point is that most of you don’t give a damn about that fact.”  A collective gasp arose from the congregation.

“My third point is that the real tragedy within Christianity today is that most of you are now more concerned with the fact that I used the word “damn” in the pulpit than you are with the fact that millions of people are going hungry every day.”  Then he sat down.  The whole sermon lasted less than a minute.

Good stuff.  Powerful stuff.  People would remember that sermon for a very long time.  Granted, guest preachers have more leeway in shocking people in this way because they don’t really have to deal with any fallout.  Still, it was a great commentary on the difference between piety and morality and how easy it is to confuse the two.  

Why are we, on the one hand, so shocked by the use of inappropriate language in church and yet, on the other hand, comparatively apathetic when it comes to the misdistribution of wealth in the world?  Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Preaching, and our faith formation in general, is about finding the balance between comfort and challenge in life.  It is about filling our reservoir of spiritual energy in such a way that we hear the call to live out our faith tangibly in the so called “real world”.    

In other words, we should feel ourselves to be different people because of our faith in God through Jesus Christ: comforted people, loved people, accompanied people.  But we can’t leave it there.  

This world should feel itself to be a different place because of our faith in God through Jesus Christ: a world of equality, justice, and social sharing.

I don’t think I’ll ever get a sermon down to one minute, but I hope you find our entire worship experience here at FCC to be one that provides not only meaning and direction in your own life, but inspires you to work for the same in the world around you.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic