Opening Remarks

[COOPER]

Originally Posted by CC1

Sometimes it is not even this kind of "puffery". In the last few years I have heard a few sermons where I thought the preacher was about ten or fifteen minutes well into the sermon when he would then announce he was going to get to his sermon!!

Apparentlt the first few minutes were somehow not part of his preaching time in his mind. LOL.

Do you see this in some of their prayers too?

[CC1]

Originally Posted by COOPER

Do you see this in some of their prayers too?

LOL!!! Don't you know it. I have seen supposed "prayer" turned into a sermon or at least sermonette many times.

Ever been in a meeting where a preacher is asked to pray over the offering or for the service, etc and you can tell he is just itching to preach so in lieu of being able to offically do that he uses his prayer as a pulpit?

[COOPER]

Originally Posted by CC1

LOL!!! Don't you know it. I have seen supposed "prayer" turned into a sermon or at least sermonette many times.

Ever been in a meeting where a preacher is asked to pray over the offering or for the service, etc and you can tell he is just itching to preach so in lieu of being able to offically do that he uses his prayer as a pulpit?

Yes!

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

I've got to tell you, I cannot hardly take anymore of these long drawn out opening remarks to sermons especially at special meetings like camp meetings, conferences, etc. I am all for giving honor to whom honor is due, but these long diatribes honoring EVERY SINGLE OFFICIAL and friend of the preacher that goes on for 10 minutes drives me up a wall!!!!!

Protocal is important. Thank the pastor, the Dist. Supt., the Dist. Board, sincerely and genuinely. But these long drawn out ego stroking volumes of flattery are just plain stupid! If an official is going to get their feelings hurt that they weren't mentioned, if the pastor is so shallow he needs to be praised in front of his people, if you have to feed everyone's fragile sense of self worth with a few tokens of praise or you won't get invited back, then its probably not worth it anyway.

Again, if you are truly expressing sincere gratitude and appreciation for the pastor and the leaders, that's one thing. Its easy to listen to those kinds of words. But to the listener who wants to hear the Word, to the hard working saint who is running on six hours of sleep the night previous because of overtime, to the family who has to drive 45 minutes to get to church, GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY CAME FOR---------THE PURE, UNADULTERATED WORD OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep the puffery and the bootlicking to a minimum---keep the focus on the LIVING WORD!

Oh my goodness! Yes, I totally agree.

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

I've got to tell you, I cannot hardly take anymore of these long drawn out opening remarks to sermons especially at special meetings like camp meetings, conferences, etc. I am all for giving honor to whom honor is due, but these long diatribes honoring EVERY SINGLE OFFICIAL and friend of the preacher that goes on for 10 minutes drives me up a wall!!!!!

Protocal is important. Thank the pastor, the Dist. Supt., the Dist. Board, sincerely and genuinely. But these long drawn out ego stroking volumes of flattery are just plain stupid! If an official is going to get their feelings hurt that they weren't mentioned, if the pastor is so shallow he needs to be praised in front of his people, if you have to feed everyone's fragile sense of self worth with a few tokens of praise or you won't get invited back, then its probably not worth it anyway.

Again, if you are truly expressing sincere gratitude and appreciation for the pastor and the leaders, that's one thing. Its easy to listen to those kinds of words. But to the listener who wants to hear the Word, to the hard working saint who is running on six hours of sleep the night previous because of overtime, to the family who has to drive 45 minutes to get to church, GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY CAME FOR---------THE PURE, UNADULTERATED WORD OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep the puffery and the bootlicking to a minimum---keep the focus on the LIVING WORD!

Great post. State your appreciation and be done with it.

We attended a church at one point, where every occasion: birthday, anniversary, mother's day, etc was a LONG presentation and gift to pastor or pastor's wife. I couldn't stand it.

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

I use this time to catch up with old friends, and scout out marriage prospects for my one-year-old.

Male or female?

I have a four month old girl.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

Thou art truly a prophet. Or an eavesdropper. For I have said this very same thing, practically verbatim, on several occasions.

It is nauseating and insulting to me. Preachers that get up as early as I do are as scarce as chicken teeth. My time is precious. What is accomplished by this bloviating?

When this goes, on you should consider yourself free to avail yourself of drinks, snacks, or even, when available, a meal. Make paper airplanes. Discuss the deeper meanings of the Word with your neighbors. Revelation, for instance.

I use this time to catch up with old friends, and scout out marriage prospects for my one-year-old.

Is your one year old a boy or a girl? ... my son is 3 ....

Does said child have a dowery?

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

I've got to tell you, I cannot hardly take anymore of these long drawn out opening remarks to sermons especially at special meetings like camp meetings, conferences, etc. I am all for giving honor to whom honor is due, but these long diatribes honoring EVERY SINGLE OFFICIAL and friend of the preacher that goes on for 10 minutes drives me up a wall!!!!!

Protocal is important. Thank the pastor, the Dist. Supt., the Dist. Board, sincerely and genuinely. But these long drawn out ego stroking volumes of flattery are just plain stupid! If an official is going to get their feelings hurt that they weren't mentioned, if the pastor is so shallow he needs to be praised in front of his people, if you have to feed everyone's fragile sense of self worth with a few tokens of praise or you won't get invited back, then its probably not worth it anyway.

Again, if you are truly expressing sincere gratitude and appreciation for the pastor and the leaders, that's one thing. Its easy to listen to those kinds of words. But to the listener who wants to hear the Word, to the hard working saint who is running on six hours of sleep the night previous because of overtime, to the family who has to drive 45 minutes to get to church, GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY CAME FOR---------THE PURE, UNADULTERATED WORD OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep the puffery and the bootlicking to a minimum---keep the focus on the LIVING WORD!

Well said, Deacon I love for the preacher to get directly to the Word. With so many different folks in the pew, the speaker should respect their time not waste it with comments that have little or zero relevance to the listeners at large. I have a new appreciation for the unadulterated Word of God.

[Hesetmefree238]

I thought that our district officials did the best job ever this year at
campmeeting. The service started at 7pm. The evangelist was on the
floor by 8pm. I applaud our district officials (TN district) for this.

[RevDWW]

Get to it!. Get the feed down where the sheep and goats can get at it!!!!!