How long should one preach for? Thom Rainer has conducted a straw poll in which he asked people (via twitter) how long they preached for. The results may or may not surprise:
Less than 15 minutes — 1%
15 to 20 minutes — 1%
21 to 25 minutes — 5%
26 to 30 minutes — 18%
31 to 35 minutes — 23%
36 to 40 minutes — 18%
41 to 45 minutes — 26%
46 to 50 minutes — 1%
51 to 55 minutes — 4%
56 to 60 minutes — 1%
More than 60 minutes — 1%
As you can see the bulk preach for between 21 – 45 minutes. Let me just say that if I preached for 45 minutes our church would walk out! I’d also question the need or benefit of preaching for that amount of time.
One should also note the limits of Rainer’s poll (which he acknowledges himself). One such limit is that most of his audience would be Reformed. In this tradition they expect longer sermons. Allow me to offer another perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in preaching and for me it is a vital part of a service. But I wonder if 45 minutes isn’t too long. In fact I would argue that as pastors the time may vary from church to church depending on the culture and the people.
In our church, before I arrived, there was a tradition of the pastor or elder preaching for between 10-15 minutes. I have managed to toughen them up a little to between 20-30 (usually closer to 30) and even then a couple of times a year someone will suggest that I go easier on myself and not prepare sermons as long. 20-30 minutes works well for me and for the most part I don’t feel the congregation are longing for me to finish. I could push for longer sermons and endure the complaints and sighs however, I think part of being a pastor is working with the congregation and their expectations. It is important to find the balance.
Interestingly what upsets me most is not people complaining about how long I take rather the lack of respect some people have for preaching. There are certain things in the service that are a must. Communion being one. worship songs another. Offering of course. However, if something has to go or be shortened then the sermon is the first to be sliced and diced. There are many who question the need for preaching full stop. I am left wondering where did us pastors go wrong? Sometimes it feels like the only people who defend sermons and preaching are those who do it! In the same way that communion focus’ us around the person of Jesus christ the sermon centres us around Holy Scripture!
Rainer says in his post that “Preaching is central to the worship services in most churches. Indeed most services are built around the message. The sermon is critical to the life and health of a church.” With this I agree wholeheartedly…with one clause. This is not the case in all churches. In our tradition the Lord’s Table is central (as it would be in the Anglican, Lutheran and Catholic traditions. However, I would argue that the sermon and communion form the centre points of the service around which worship is expressed. The cross and the word become the anchor points of our worship practice and experience.
I’m not sure what to say so i will ask the question: How long do you think the sermon should be? Do you think preaching has had its day? Why do you preach?
One final thing, if you get a chance check out John Frye’s weekly posts on the Jesus Creed. The last 5 or so have been about preaching and I pray that John turns them into a book. They have been outstanding.
