p. 3 | The Long and Short of It by A. T. ROBINSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 11, 1910

The Long and Short of It

By A. T. ROBINSON

A. T. ROBINSON

The writer has just returned from the regular Sabbath forenoon service at a certain church, and is in the mood for writing under the above caption.

I am aware that we sometimes make the unfortunate mistake of wearing out the patience of our audiences by preaching long sermons; but I wish to point out that the credit for lengthy and tiresome Sabbath services is not always due to the preacher. In the case under review the writer had traveled more than a hundred miles to preach to one of our large churches, which he had not visited for several months. The theme chosen, as fitting the occasion, was “The Finishing of This Message in all the World.”

A little before the time for the morning services to begin, a gentle reminder was given by the elder of the church that the preaching service would be at eleven o’clock, and that the people like to have the service close at twelve o’clock. I told him I felt sure that if the service began at eleven, I should have ample time to present what I had outlined, closing at twelve.

The Sabbath-school class-work continued till four minutes past eleven. After a few minutes occupied by the children’s classes coming in, the superintendent delivered a short “sermonette” concerning several things connected with the conduct of the Sabbath-school. The church elder then had “just a few remarks” concerning the relations that should exist between the church and the Sabbath-school. Then, after “just one word more” by the superintendent, which he had omitted in his first speech, and the closing song, it was exactly sixteen minutes past eleven. The usual time elapsed while places were being taken by the congregation, when the organ played a short selection, which was the signal for the ministers to enter the desk. Following the opening song, the elder announced a long list of appointments and notices, which he emphasized at several points; then, for fear all might not be remembered, he repeated the whole, closing with another double-headed sermonette concerning, first, the importance of the members being faithful in attendance at all the services of the church; and, second, the need of a large collection that day, as it was for church expenses, which were behind. After the collection was taken, by capturing the time of the usual second hymn, the preacher was enabled to begin his sermon at just twenty-two minutes

before twelve, and with several important omissions, the service closed at eight minutes past the hour. Whose fault was it that it ran over?

I would not ask space in our good church paper for this protest if the case herein referred to were an isolated one. But the fact is that this sort of program is getting to be quite common in many of our larger churches. I think that, as a rule, the Sabbath morning service should be over by twelve o’clock, beginning as it does at ten o’clock; but the service will be much less wearisome and more profitable if the time is more equally divided between the church services and the Sabbath-school exercises. I write this in the hope that Sabbath-school and church officers will remedy this matter.

Hastings, Neb.