What Does a Person Do?

[Richard OFfill]

What can a person do if the sermon on Sabbath is really boring? Are there such things as boring sermons? Please be honest.

[1WVMom]

As I read this question I read it to my family.  My 4 year old knew right away what to do....color

[SDA4Life]

This is difficult. There is one person at my local church that occasionally preaches when the pastor is not there. He speaks very slowly in a monotone voice and his sermons usually last about one hour. The content is Biblical, but it is very difficult to stay engaged with the sermon. I have never come close to falling asleep in church until sitting though his sermon. What I do now is listen as long as I can and then discreetly reread the passages of scripture that he has already gone over.

[colporteur]

What can a person do if the sermon on Sabbath is really boring? Are there such things as boring sermons? Please be honest.

What is considered "boring" will always be a relative subjective view. Today we ran a sermon in church by Steve Bohr whom I admire greatly. As you know Steve preaches with power but the entertainment factor is not there. One lady whom I am certain did not like the message "Testimony of Jesus" could hardly sit in her pew it was "so boring " for her. I do not think she would have been much bored with the presentation had the topic been different. I believe people are bored or fed according to what they are hungry for. Many are hungry for tickley things. A few are hungry for deep convicting things from God's Word. My question is... do we change the food to meet the apetite or do we give the strait forward message without softening the edges which in essence tends to entirely reduce the impact of the message ?

[Raven]

We had a really bad sermon a few months ago (it wasn't our pastor).  I hung in there until the end   but I noticed that many people opened their Bibles and were reading.  I think that may be a good option.  I suppose it would also be helpful to have a copy of Steps to Christ handy for situations like that.

Not everyone who steps into the pulpit should be there.

[Raven]

What is considered "boring" will always be a relative subjective view. Today we ran a sermon in church by Steve Bohr whom I admire greatly. As you know Steve preaches with power but the entertainment factor is not there. One lady whom I am certain did not like the message "Testimony of Jesus" could hardly sit in her pew it was "so boring " for her. I do not think she would have been much bored with the presentation had the topic been different. I believe people are bored or fed according to what they are hungry for. Many are hungry for tickley things. A few are hungry for deep convicting things from God's Word. My question is... do we change the food to meet the apetite or do we give the strait forward message without softening the edges which in essence tends to entirely reduce the impact of the message ?

cp, if you had heard the sermon I referenced above, even you would have been squirming in your seat.  Does the expresson "droning on" give you a clue?  This guy shouldn't have been in the pulpit.  He is not a speaker, and he could have said all that he needed to say in about 5 minutes.  I could picture Ellen White getting up and saying something like she did when the congregation was singing so listlessly.  But, since I'm not a prophet, I restrained myself. 

I've shown Stephen Bohr before (today we showed #7 of the series "Here We Stand," by Doug Batchelor), and had no complaints.  Anyone who thinks Stephen Bohr is boring must not be studying their Bible much.  Either that or they prefer the Willow Creek model.

But I do agree with your basic premise.

[SDA4Life]

What is considered "boring" will always be a relative subjective view. Today we ran a sermon in church by Steve Bohr whom I admire greatly. As you know Steve preaches with power but the entertainment factor is not there. One lady whom I am certain did not like the message "Testimony of Jesus" could hardly sit in her pew it was "so boring " for her. I do not think she would have been much bored with the presentation had the topic been different. I believe people are bored or fed according to what they are hungry for. Many are hungry for tickley things. A few are hungry for deep convicting things from God's Word. My question is... do we change the food to meet the apetite or do we give the strait forward message without softening the edges which in essence tends to entirely reduce the impact of the message ?

Iagree that "boring" is a relative term. Those out of touch with Christ (and in touch with the world) will find Bible based things boring.

I think that Stephen Bohr is one of the best presenters of Biblical truth in our church today.

There is a balance that all speakers need to strive for in presenting the scriptures. There is a great compilation called "The Voice in Speech and Song" I think that it should be studied by all who speak regularly. Also by those involved in music.

By talking in a high key, the speaker detracts considerably from his usefulness. There are others who talk so low that their words can scarcely be heard. Another laborer will speak hurriedly, rushing his words one upon another. Half that he says is lost, for the hearer cannot take in the precious words coming from his lips. These are defects which should be overcome. --The Voice in Speech and Song p. 259

[Ruth]

What can a person do if the sermon on Sabbath is really boring? Are there such things as boring sermons? Please be honest.

On the few occasions that I encountered such preaching I was too distressed to do anything but pray.  I kept asking the Lord to help me to focus and to even grasp one sentence that would make me a better witness for Him.  On one occasion, the sermon was so jumbled and disorganized that I never did get the 'one sentence', but I sure felt closer to Jesus since I spent practically the entire hour talking to Him.

I'm not sure how colouring would have been looked upon, considering my age.

[reaching4heaven]

What is considered "boring" will always be a relative subjective view.

Although that may be the majority of the time, I respectfully disagree that it is all of the time. Years ago, from an aged elder who has long since been laid to rest, we heard a sermon about the number 4. It seemed like every single Bible verse that mentioned 4 was read. No correlation. He just liked the number 4. Nothing spritual added...just verses that said 4.

From Genesis 2:10 "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads."

To Revelation 20:8 "And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

Any one of the verses ould have made a good short sermon, but all strung together? I was a relatively new SDA and didn't know what to do other than struggle to stay awake. He read them too fast to follow along in my Bible so there was no help there. And he went over time...I'm not too ( )much of a clock watcher but I was ready to run this time... During the sermon my husband whispered to me that it was the 2nd time he preached that sermon.. 

I've also sat through sermons that are too technical and way too long. The subject matter was very interesting to me, but there is such a thing as getting too much information. It was more like sitting in an advanced theology class than a sermon.

[Ruth]

That's so true, r4h.  I can relate.

[reaching4heaven]

My 4 year old knew right away what to do....color

Once I did that with my child to keep him quiet on an overly rambunctious day. I never thought about how it looked to the psator.  oops.  I did keep one ear on the sermon as best I could. During a boring sermon I would say it would be better to color than be "nodding in agreement" as I've heard snoozing during a sermon called... Although reading the Bible would definitely be the better alternative.

[colporteur]

That's so true, r4h.  I can relate.

 Are you both saying that sometimes it is ok 4 the mind to wander?  r4h, he would have liked your pin name wouldn't he. I know, 4get it and get  O4 it.  4chunately since people O4 their 40's 4get alot I'll probably 4get all about this by tomorrow. That's enough 4 now.  

[reaching4heaven]

Are you both saying that sometimes it is ok 4 the mind to wander?  r4h, he would have liked your pin name wouldn't he. I know, 4get it and get  O4 it.  4chunately since people O4 their 40's 4get alot I'll probably 4get all about this by tomorrow. That's enough 4 now.  

  & It's definitely past my bedtime. O4 and out!

[Ruth]

Are you both saying that sometimes it is ok 4 the mind to wander?  r4h, he would have liked your pin name wouldn't he. I know, 4get it and get  O4 it.  4chunately since people O4 their 40's 4get a lot I'll probably 4get all about this by tomorrow. That's enough 4 now.   

[Raven]

Now I know why I don't stay up as late as you guys.  Things can deteriorate rapidly after 9 p.m.